I am planning a trip to Paris this spring. I really want to make sure I fit in with the stylish Parisians, but comfort is an important consideration, since we’re going to be running around sightseeing. I also can’t bring a ton of clothes. Any suggestions?

Ahh, Paris! Je suis tres jalouse. I think the main thing to remember when you’re packing for a vacation, especially a destination with as much of a reputation for stylish inhabitants as Paris has, is not to try to compete with them. Unless you are Anna Wintour, you will lose. After all, they have hundreds of years of history as the center the fashion industry behind them, not to mention their entire closets at hand. Rather, you want to blend in. Please note that in Paris and other stylish capitals of the world, blending in does not mean “looking boring.” It means adding those tweaks and details that make everyday dressing so much fun.

Anyway, one of the biggest traps women get caught in when they go to Paris is wearing things they would never wear at home. You want to look like yourself, after all, not like you’re wearing a costume that’s your version of what you think French people wear. And vacation is no time to find out that the skirt you bought for the trip tends to ride up while you’re walking or that the wide-brimmed hat makes your hair sweaty and stick to your scalp. You want to be psychically and physically comfortable.

Here are some essentials that will help you blend with the natives:

1. A smart trench coat (read: not something a Wall Street banker would wear—or used to wear, when they had money). Also necessary because it can be rainy and cool in spring. Neutral colors are OK, something colorful could also be cute. You can wear it over nice dark-wash jeans, cute flats, and a scarf, et voila! Speaking of the scarf…

2. A pretty scarf or two. Maybe a long pashmina-type thing, which you also can wear over your shoulders with a sleeveless dress. An Hermes scarf can be fun to wear, either hanging loose under a trench or wound around the neck and knotted over a sweater. Don’t get too wrapped up (sorry) in how to tie them if you haven’t mastered a technique. You can always use your lack of knowledge as an excuse to ask a stylish French person for help and maybe make a new friend.

3. Good shoes. Unless you’re some sort of fashion superhero, you will probably prefer to walk around in flats. You’ll need something chic, such as a contemporary penny-loafer style or a ballet-type flat—NOT beat-up sneakers or any sort of athletic shoe. Trust me, you will be marked as a tourist immediately if you wear Keds.

4. Dark-wash, basic “dressy” jeans. Your faded 501s will not work for you here, unless you are a 22-year-old man with a two-day scruff, full lips, and a way with rolling cigarettes. It is no longer true that no one wears jeans in Paris. You will be hard-pressed to find people over 55 wearing jeans, however, and jeans worn at a nice restaurant are still a no-no. Even if French people do occasionally do this, we are under the “Ugly American” burden and so must have higher standards for ourselves.

5. A fashionable handbag, preferably leather. No cute quilted or appliqueed totes, nobackpacks, no fanny packs. This should go without saying.

If you are looking for ideas or even just the flavor of what people are wearing, take a look at the street-style blog the Sartorialist and look at the photos taken in Paris. They’ll help familiarize you with shapes and silhouettes.  One note: the photographer tends to shoot a lot of fashion people who are all decked out in short skirts and heels, but remember they most likely have a car service.

Bon voyage!

If you’re planning a visit to Europe this month, you may not get to enjoy the full experience of a long walk enjoying the greenery in the Borghese Gardens of Rome or the grounds of Versailles under a warm sun–but the annual sales might make up for the chilly weather and bare branches. The government-mandated sales period that starts in January and runs to about mid-February (there is another one in July) offers lots of chances to pick up super-chic clothes at a discount–which gets steeper as the weeks pass by. This is good news for Americans, who have been suffering from a low dollar for quite a while now.  Hotels also offer lower rates during this low season, and crowds are generally nonexistent at tourist sites. That might just be an incentive for you to snatch up a last-minute fare and head across the pond.

In Paris, I always check out the boutiques of my favorite French designers,  Isabel Marant in the gentrifying Bastille neighborhood (16, Rue Charonne) and Vanessa Bruno (my favorite location is at 25, rue St. Sulpice, a beautiful area for a stroll and “window-licking,” as the French say instead of “window shopping”). Colette (213, rue Saint-Honore), a bastion of cool and the prototype for “lifestyle boutiques” all over the world, is also a must. Check out this story in the New York Times for more info. If you go, bring back some macarons (I like the chocolate and salted caramel versions) from Pierre Herme for me!

In Italy my favorite store is probably Ethic, which offers unusually detailed or textured pieces at affordable prices. How I wish they offered online shopping! At the (much more) expensive end, I am a devotee of Marni, the appealingly girlish yet chic line by Consuelo Castiglioni. Stop by the flagship boutique in Milan’s “Golden Triangle,” a posh shopping neighborhood that’s home to the country’s most respected names in fashion.

Bon voyage!