Start by leaving the beret at home.
Packing for a trip to the fashion capital of the world can feel overwhelming, especially as pop culture continues to depict the city as a real-life runway, riddled with over-the-top outfits and avant-garde looks. But the truth is that French style is all about effortlessness, where a single outfit can be appropriate to wear to both a work event or a brunch with friends. Minimalism and capsule wardrobes are the two main rules Parisians dress by, where less is more and timeless classics win out over fad dressing every season of every year.
The rules of what not to wear are a bit more open-ended, as the city is a tourist capital, with tons of visitors from all over the world bringing their own styles and fashions to the city streets. In essence, you can wear anything you want in Paris, but if you want to dress the part and not get marked as a tourist—yes, a Parisian can spot a tourist in just one look—there are some unspoken rules for blending in.
