Tan France's Genius Tip To Avoid Looking Like A Total Tourist In Europe
It's long been recommended to dress comfortably when traveling, especially if you're flying across the pond or heading to a far-flung place. In the tight quarters of planes and trains, choosing attire that allows freedom of movement is crucial. But your approach to fashion should change once you get to your destination. Can you imagine strolling through the streets of Europe wearing sweats? Thought so. Good thing "Queer Eye's" resident stylist Tan France, who's got plenty of travel must-haves to share, also has some tips on looking your best on European soil.
From upgrading your capsule wardrobe to completely dodging the cringe-inducing tourist look, if you want to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb, France advises against donning certain cliché items. "The best example I can give you is a beret in Paris," he told Insider. "They're not really wearing those, and you might embarrass yourself." It's similar to visiting Texas and expecting everyone to be dressed like a cowboy. "Anything that you have seen in a cartoon and you're like, 'Oh my God, Parisians wear this' — that's a cartoon, that's not real life," France said.
Considering he quite literally shares his name with the country, what he says, goes! Another fashion blunder that's painfully American, according to the fashion expert, is socks. They're fine to wear with sneakers, boots, and loafers, but pairing them with sandals is still considered a sartorial sin. "If you don't want to stand out as an American tourist, the socks and sandals can stay at home," France warned.
Ditch the tacky heels and flipflops and maximize your neutrals
In the Europe style guide he curated for Trainline, Tan France also advocated for swapping those Lady Gaga-esque towering heels and Old Navy flip-flops for artisanal leather sandals. "Nothing gives away a tourist like wearing a pair of sky-high heels or plastic flip-flops while walking around cobblestone streets," he pointed out. "If you truly want to look like you belong in Europe, purchase a pair of handmade leather sandals from a local vendor — they're stylish and make a great souvenir." According to the "Queer Eye" star, effortlessly evoking elegance in your European wardrobe is as easy as sticking to neutrals.
This is where the concept of a capsule wardrobe comes in, as it encourages mixing and matching certain key pieces. Not only does this method elevate your style game, but it also helps you reduce luggage bulk. "I will make sure that there's a suit in there — and women can do this, too — and you break up that suit and you team it with other things in your hand luggage," France shared in an interview with PopSugar, adding that packing pieces that belong in the same color palette is another no-fail strategy. "I will maybe take one pop of something that doesn't work with everything — but for everything else, the colors all work together so I can put together any outfit and I know that the colors will look good together," he said.