4 day work trip to Paris

[Irisbouquet]

Help!!!

Currently tend to dress quite casual, tbh haven't really been client facing since before Covid. More of a creative industry rather than say law/finance.

What do I need to know about Parisian business dress? I have meetings, dinner party, dinner in a fancy restaurant and staying in a 5* hotel.

Big imposter syndrome going on, these aren't the sort of places I would normally frequent.

I don’t claim to be stylish or beautiful, but I do have a similar-sounding job that mostly involves working from home with the maximum sartorial requirement of being presentable from the waist upwards for Zoom calls, interspersed with week-long client-facing events once or twice a year, where I really need to look put together. Ideally on a hand luggage-sized case and a laptop bag…

My answer is dresses. Plus a pair of wide-legged trousers and a top that are comfy enough for the plane and smart enough to go straight for a meeting. All in the same colour scheme, so they can mix and match with one jacket and one pair of low/medium-heeled shoes I can happily wear all day. Wash kit, underwear, minimal make-up and pyjamas, and I’m packed.

I’m neither young nor slim, so I have worked out that below the knee shirt/wrap/ fit and flare dresses dresses work best for me. Natural tights and black shoes in the spring and summer, black tights and boots in the autumn and winter.

It isn’t exciting or trendy, but it is professional, easy, and suits me. Which means that I can wear it with confidence and concentrate on the job knowing that I look ok. I then hope that if I’m not self-conscious about what I’m wearing, no-one else is likely to care very much.

This might not be the combination that works for you - if you are a willowy beanpole you’ll probably feel more comfortable being adventurous than this, but hopefully you can find a capsule that works for you.

Thank you @JennyWren that all actually sounds perfect, I think it's less about fashion and more about style and what suits for these type of things.