French dress code help please! (Bonsoir?)

[frakkit]

Can someone give me 'definitive' answers (pref. with linked examples) for:

tenue de ville
tenue de soiree
tenue tropicale aeree (have never heard of it before)

What would be appropriate in terms of dress length/style, shoes and jewellery for:

an evening reception where military are in formal uniform (tenue de ville)
a dinner/buffet hosted by your DHs boss (on invite it says tenue de ville)
a drinks reception for a foreign bigwig (tropicale aeree)
your DH's boss's work leaving do (no dress code yet...)

[abr1de]

I'll be fascinated to read the responses.

[flyingcloud]

Watching.

There can be such subtle differences between dress codes. For example smoking and dinner jackets (although neither is strictly a dress code).

[Bonsoir]

Tenue de ville is workwear (Parisian professional standard, not McDonalds uniform)

Tenue de soirée is a cocktail dress or evening dress

I have no idea what Tenue tropicale aérée is - dressing up for very hot weather?

[lifeistooshort]

tenue de ville NORMALLY SMART WORK WEAR
tenue de soiree LONG EVENING DRESS/TUXEDO
tenue tropicale aeree (have never heard of it before)HMMM INTERESTING

What would be appropriate in terms of dress length/style, shoes and jewellery for:

an evening reception where military are in formal uniform (tenue de ville)BECUASE IT IS MILITARY IT IS QUITE FORMAL, I WOULD GO FOR COCKTAIL DRESS
a dinner/buffet hosted by your DHs boss (on invite it says tenue de ville) SAME AS ABOVE COCKTAIL DRESS OR DRESSY SUIT
a drinks reception for a foreign bigwig (tropicale aeree) AGAIN I WOULD GO FOR A COKTAIL DRESS. IF IT IS A BIGWIG MEANS IT IS NOT SO FORMAL AS AN EVENING CODE BUT STILL FORMAL ENOUGH THAT YOU SHOULD WEAT A COCKTAIL DRESS
your DH's boss's work leaving do (no dress code yet...) WOULD GO FOR DRESSY SUIT OR SUBDUED DRESS

In my opinion a cocktail dress is quite dressy but also modest (French ladies do not flaunt much skin). Black is a good bet if you are unsure. Needs to be knee lenght, nothing shorter

Jewelery should always be subtle and subdued nothing too bling bling.

Hope this helps.

[Coderooo]

oh shit i thought she was going to wear maccy ds outfit

[lifeistooshort]

oh and evening dress is a long dress or something very dressy.

For the tenue de ville military, if you go for a cocktail dress, go for sober (not bright red cocktail dress)...military wives in France are very conservative verging on dowdy

[othersideofthechannel]

I found this for tenue tropicale. I suppose you could cut holes in your t_shirt to make it "aéré"

[AuldAlliance]

Does the aérée bit mean not too clingy?

I've never heard of tenue tropicale aérée, not even in 10 yrs out there. But I moved in less formal circles.

[slim22]

my guess for tenue tropicale aeree would be a bohemian chic/resort chic sort of thing.
The sort you would wear on a night out in St Tropez......or for most occasions here in singapore.

this might suit?

maxidreses, tunics over flowing pants and pretty flats sandals.
Add one single piece of statement jewelry like a row of nice tribal beads around your neck or chandelier earrings or a big cocktail ring?

[Bonsoir]

Yes, you might be right about "tenue tropicale aérée" = "resort chic". Which is quite a fun way of dressing!

[frakkit]

'resort chic' makes sense to me too and I love statement jewellery so I'll happily accept that definition

Couple of quick qs on the (Parisian professional) workwear front as it's permanent summer here:

simple shift dress?
linen trousers and dressy top?
wrap dress?
fitted top/big belt/long loose skirt? (am not describing that very well)

I will obviously need to be conservative but prefer not to look dowdy

[Bonsoir]

It's very hard to advise people who live in such a different climate - what do people wear in smart offices where you are? What shops do you have available?

[AuldAlliance]

at "smart offices".

[slim22]

frakkit where are you if you dont mind my asking? antilles?

[frakkit]

All outfits I mentioned would be acceptable in a smart office here.

Shops, um, not many. There are a few boutiquey-type places with £££££ designer labels, lots of very cheap mass produced stuff, 2 Esprits, a Mango and not much in the reasonably priced but classy line. I don't mind spending money on good quality stuff (no Primary here) but equally I don't need to be wearing Chanel.

That said those are the functions I know about until we get back to Paris where I can stock up on clothes! Most of the women I know here seem to shop back in metropole

[slim22]

AAAAAAAh I have just ONE DAY layover in Paris on the 15th June.
DD will be napping at friends house rue cherche midi so must rush to bon marche and not make any mistakes!
Need a fab dress for BF wedding.

[AuldAlliance]

There used to be a lovely shop in St-Denis on Avenue de la Victoire, on a corner opposite the Conservatoire. I think it may have been called Victoire.
They did lovely cotton/linen/floaty things, v well cut and not too pricy.
Oh, and a place opposite Le Grand Marché, called Latitude 21 or something like that. Sold deco objects, etc. Had clothes in the back, a label called Sugar, I think.
Don't know if they are still there.

Esprit & Mango = progress...!