I just got back from the loveliest visit to Paris. There is nothing quite like the City of Light in the fall. The summer crowds have thinned out, the temperature is perfect for bundling up, and everything feels cozy! I plan to put together a little Paris travel guide in the near future. But in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to talk about what to wear in Paris in the fall (hint, it includes a lot of sweaters!) Today I’m chatting about things to consider when packing, my must-have pieces, and Paris outfit ideas for different activities around the city.
Things to Consider When Packing
Paris is extra charming in the fall, so if you ever have the chance to visit, I highly recommend you take it. However, there are a few things to consider when packing. When selecting Paris outfits, I tried to keep these four facts in mind.
1. You should start with your luggage.
The first step to determining what to wear in Paris is to decide whether you’re going to check a bag or get by with a carry-on. I’ll admit that I always check a bag. But, if you’re looking to minimize how many outfits you pack, I would consider following a color story. This will allow you to easily mix and match!
Another way to cut back on luggage is to limit yourself to only three pieces of footwear – two packed away and one on you! I would ensure that all three serve different purposes for the trip. In a nutshell, you’ll want a truly casual and comfortable pair that you could walk in for miles, an in-between pair that could be dressed up or down, and a dressy shoe or a pair of boots. If you plan on enjoying some fine dining, you could opt for the dressier shoe. And if you bring a pair of boots, make sure that they can easily be packed or worn with your comfy airport outfit on your travel day.
2. Rain is common in the fall.
Fall, particularly November, can be one of the wettest seasons for Paris. It’s important to keep this in mind when selecting outerwear and shoes for a trip. Rain-friendly options like this trench coat, these classic loafers and this travel umbrella are great ideas. We got extremely lucky and had no rain our entire trip. But, it apparently rained for a week straight prior to our arrival!
3. It is chilly.
It can get pretty cold in Paris this time of the year, especially in the early mornings and late evenings. It’s common for the temps to dip as low as 40 degrees. However, it can also warm up quite a bit during the day, which makes deciding what to wear in Paris tricky during the fall.
I’ve found the key to staying comfortable in this type of weather is dressing in layers. My recommendation is to pack a few sweaters that are all different weights. I also start the day wearing a heavier coat, but not one that is overly bulky, so it’s not a pain to carry around if it warms up. And I like to pack a few basic pieces to wear underneath sweaters, such as this tee and this long sleeve top.
4. There isn’t as much sunlight this time of the year.
While this doesn’t have a huge impact on planning a Paris outfit, it can impact your daily schedule! It was dark by about 4 or 4:30 pm during our trip, and sadly, we didn’t see much sun. When scheduling visits to museums with a garden or certain parks, I’d recommend planning those for mid-day times to ensure you get as much sunlight as possible to take them all in!
Paris Outfit Must-Haves
I know I tend to pack some over the top items. But, below I’m focusing on the pieces that I wore again and again on our trip. I’ve also added a few others that I think would be great for mixing and matching. Between these eight items, you should be able to come up with lots of great Paris outfits for both day and night!
A Great Third Piece
This dark brown jacket was my most-worn piece during our trip. It is warm and comfortable. Plus, due to its oversized fit, I was able to wear it on top of all of my sweater outfits with ease. While you might have seen me dress it up here, I also wore it with these athletic pants as a comfortable airport outfit, and with this pair of straight-leg denim throughout the trip.
A Warmer Coat
I’d recommend bringing a long, warm coat for cool mornings and evenings. This slim coat in a gray and black colorway was the winner for me. I selected this one knowing that I would mainly be wearing it at nighttime and that it would pair well with some of my evening looks, like this classic black top and this polished black dress. The blazer version is also so chic!
Sweaters
Sweaters, so many sweaters! I hate being cold, so layering is a must for me in the fall and winter. This light sweater paired with this best-selling cardigan was my most-worn combo. Both have a relaxed fit and are on the longer side, so they look great with jeans, leggings, or even leather pants. This cape-like sweater would be another wonderful option for a Parisian fall trip. And I also packed one of my favorite striped sweaters, the Marin. You can read more about why I love this style here.
Denim
A single pair of denim can provide lots of Paris outfit options, so select wisely! I typically pack two different styles. For this trip, I opted for a great, slightly cropped straight-leg and an oversized wide-leg. I selected these in dark charcoal tones because I wanted them to pair easily with black toned tops. Some other great denim options would be this pair, this pair, or this pair. P.S. This post on how to style wide-leg jeans might be helpful when outfit planning!
Comfortable Shoes
A trip to Paris, no matter the season, most likely means lots of walking. Therefore, a great pair of flats is a must. My top three choices for this trip were these Tuckernuck flats that I own in almost every color, my trusty sneakers (check out these Adidas Gazelle outfit ideas), and a dressier flat, as seen here.
My biggest piece of advice when it comes to packing shoes for a trip is to never pack a pair that you haven’t worn before. Shoes take up so much space in your luggage. And even if you aren’t walking far, an uncomfortable pair is truly the worst. So, I always like to pack styles that I know are comfortable.
A Versatile Dress
When it comes to dresses, you want to select a style that can easily be worn from day to night. Ideally, you’d bring one that would look just as chic with sneakers or flats as it would with nicer shoes. One of my most-worn dresses, the Chloe Dress, is great for this. The black, navy, or Black Watch plaid versions would make for a great Paris outfit in the fall. And if you need extra warmth, you could layer a fitted turtleneck underneath or add a luxury scarf!
A Sleek Bag
For this trip I packed my Savette bag, this woven clutch (large enough for daytime use), and my classic Chanel purse, as seen here. These bags were all able to fit everything that I needed without being bulky. However, besides my Chanel, none of these are crossbody bags. I know this can be a dealbreaker for some while traveling. So, if you’re looking for a great crossbody, this bag that I own and love would be my pick!
Bonus Items
While I covered a lot of the basics of what to wear in Paris, there are a few bonus items that I packed. These include a classic belt, a great pair of statement gold earrings, and a few additional pieces of outerwear. This navy jacket (or this more budget friendly option) would look so chic worn over the Chloe dress. And this trench coat layered over a simple sweater and denim would make another awesome Paris outfit.
Paris Outfit Ideas
Speaking of outfits, l thought it would be fun to put together some potential looks for different activities around the City of Love. Here are a few of my favorite things to do when visiting Paris, as well as thoughts on what to wear for each!
What to Wear When Museum Hopping
The museums around the city are absolutely incredible. If you visit, checking them out is a must. For this activity I would opt for a comfortable, yet put together look. I might wear these jeans, this sweater, these flats, this jacket, these statement earrings and my Savette bag. If it’s really cold outside, I would also add this cardigan, which I’ve actually tied around my neck and worn as a scarf from time to time! If sunglasses are needed, which sadly didn’t happen much on our trip, I would opt for this under $20 pair.
Paris Outfit for a Night Out
As I mentioned above, Tuckernuck’s Chloe dress is perfect for a night out. In the fall and winter, you could layer it on top of this turtleneck and pair it with this scarf and this trench. Personally, I would also switch out the dress’s belt to this suede belt to really step up the look! Lastly, you could carry this purse to tie it all together. I love mixing and matching browns – and here it works so well.
Wondering what shoes to wear with this Paris outfit? If you have room to pack boots, that would be my top suggestion! If not, you could go with a dressier flat or comfortable heel. These boots or these under $100 boots, which I just bought, would be great. Or, if you’re able to splurge, I would pair the Chloe dress with these!
An Afternoon Cocktail Look
There’s nothing better than a late afternoon cocktail while sitting outside at a Parisian cafe. For this occasion, I would wear a pair of wide-leg denim, a low heel, a light sweater, and my longer coat. Don’t want to pack a heel? This is an example of a look that would be equally as cool with these silver Adidas sneakers, which I brought on our trip!
A Paris Outfit Story
I hope you enjoyed following along with my Paris packing journey. If you have a vacation on the horizon, these comfortable airport outfits and sweater outfit ideas might be worth checking out as well!
And while I am not a Parisian expert, I did get a number of DMs asking where we stayed, where we ate and what we did. So be on the lookout for a post on these topics coming soon!
