I never said conservative dress in Paris. If I did, I'm sorry, that's certainly not what I meant. I was talking more about not tourist dressing - which can be things like jogging suits worn as day clothes (often in loud shades of teal and magenta), white athletic shoes or shorts, sandals and socks (a la german tourist). Additionally, a general air of inappropriate dress for nice restaurants - shorts at dinner, etc. adds to that tourist look. I agree with you about the handbag. I carry a large designer bag which holds the camera, maps, folding umbrella etc., so I look chic as well as having everything I might need.

Bizarre people can certainly be seen - on my last visit, I stayed with friends who live in the 16th and almost every day on rue Passy I would see a woman, well in her 70's, with rouge painted on so prominently, it looked like clown make-up. After the 5th sighting, I began to look for her. She was probably a very chic woman in the 1940's! :-)

However, I have not noticed the habit of wearing heavy winter clothes in the warm weather. I'll keep an eye out for that trend if I get there in May.

Yes, french children are extremely well behaved and are taken to nice restaurants all the time. My friends would kill their kids if they didn't act properly. I've seen my friend slap the hand of his daughter's friend for keeping her hands on her lap during an informal lunch, instead of keeping them on the table where they're supposed to be. And when his son cut the pate wrong, WW111 almost broke out!

Candice NYC