Fashionable Parisians people-watch outside Cafe de la Paix. (Chris Atchison/ITD)

PARIS, FRANCE — Sitting at a café on Boulevard St. Germain recently, surrounded by designer-clad Parisians sipping café au lait, chatting aloofly

Columnist Charles Bennett

By Parisian standards, whether you’re the poorest student or the richest aristocrat, you’re expected to pull your own and understand--at any time--what is deemed appropriate fashion wear.

This rule is of particular importance on Sundays when Parisians strut down the grand boulevards, turn their café chairs to the street to people-watch and fill their arms with shopping bags as the city transforms into a metropolis-sized catwalk.

This kind of knowledge is, of course, virtually instinctive for locals. We as North Americans, however, probably need a little fashion guidance to get through a holiday in the City of Lights.

Let’s just say it’s one of those preening Sundays and you’re walking through the Louvre, the city’s grand art museum.

Some fashionable North Americans would agonize over the best outfit to pull out of their hotel closet before setting out. 

If you’re one of those people, I recommend thinking chic and functional.  But if you think you’ll get away with your Juicy Couture sweats, think again. 

Au Printemps department store. (Chris Atchison/ITD)

You’ll be run out of the city with one stoic glance from the average fashion-conscious Parisian--guaranteed. 

Still confused? Let’s make the Paris-style fashion translation as simple as possible.

Now ladies, I feel for you because the beauty and style competition here looms as large as the Eiffel Tower itself.

French women tend to look good because they opt for a minimalist approach to their wardrobe choices and are rather unforgiving as they make assessments of visitors who may not have read the latest issue of Vogue.

Here’s my main piece of advice when choosing outfits for almost any vacation situation in Paris: keep it simple. Your best bet, no matter your body type, is to invest in the following:

--capri pants
--a white, fitted T-shirt
--a V-neck cashmere sweater (preferably mint green, pink, lavender, navy or
black)
--Black or brown flat shoes

These four basics will keep you afloat for a Sunday of walking, brunching
and evening activities, where you’ll want to seem on point at every pivotal
sight-seeing and mingling moment. 

Now, for men looking to make the style translation to match that of their Parisian counterparts, Sunday represents more of a statement in the footwear and T-shirt department.

Why you ask? Throughout the week French guys tend to be very functional in their stylish selections. 

They showcase a decidedly conservative shell from Monday to Friday so it’s your chance to follow the same path during the week. 

But trust me gentlemen, you’ll be fine if you have some fun in your selections by dressing sporty chic.  In Paris, the fathers who stroll proudly down tree-lined streets are often colour or designer-coordinated with the stroller-seated tot a step ahead of them.

That point aside, consider it a sartorial sin to slack style-wise and not adhere to an elevated fashion standard.

So here’s a few of the essentials you’ll need to get yourself through a Sunday, or even a week, in Paris:

--a pair of Diesel jeans
--a fitted Lacoste T-shirt
--a pair of Puma trainers
--a V-neck sweater tied ever-so-carefully on your back in Euro way

Make no mistake, finding your comfortable fashion footing takes not only an eye, but enthusiasm and a worldly consciousness.

Paris simply wouldn't be the same without packed cafes. (Chris Atchison/ITD)

The French not only dress for themselves, but for the international visitors who welcome their examples, both on the runway and down the Champs-Elysées.

So hopefully Sunday in Paris will become less daunting and more of an
opportunity for you to showcase your chameleon-like ability to dress like a local.

Just remember that French women and men define fashion with a less-is-more savoir faire, where value is placed less on making a definitive statement than sporting a uniform that showcases their individual styles.