I’ll be away for a week recovering. In the meantime, I have some awesome guest bloggers to cover for me. =)
Bonjour!
I’m Fabienne and I’m visiting from The House in the Clouds while Jess is away. I’m excited to be here and since I just returned from Paris, I am going to share my observation of Parisian style. I’ve been to Paris many times and not just because I’m French, since I’ve lived in California most of my life now, but because I can never seem to resist the allure of its beauty, food and style. It’s one of my favorite cities in the world right up there with San Francisco.
On my most recent trip this past June I paid extra special attention to what gives French women that “je ne sais quoi.” We all know they have it, but what is it? What is it about them that is so… French? The most noticeable thing is that French women have a strong sense of self. While they respect and are influenced by the latest trends, they are not outfitted head to toe in the latest magazine spread or window display, nor have they tried to squeeze into something that isn’t flattering on them or doesn’t fit quite right. Non!
They pair classics with trendier pieces effortlessly. Perhaps a fitted white t-shirt over navy blue capris worn with red flat sandals. Add an interesting accessory, hair is loose and unstructured or in a soft ponytail, and voila, you have the look. There are few to no visible logos, no slogans, nothing to give away whether the outfit is part of a designer Spring collection or a random find from the back of the closet. There is nothing yelling “look at me!” and yet one can’t help but notice them.
Their style is an expression of their character, not a statement to be made. Over the last decade, a few things have become synonymous to me with regards to French style, especially as the weather warms up.
In Paris, from left to right: Our friend, me, my husband.
Firstly, the scarf. The French love their scarves. They are worn practically all year round. Men wear them, mannequins in the windows wear them, the French are identified as so when traveling to neighboring countries. My husband was assumed to be French for wearing his scarf in Spain. I won’t go into whether that was a good thing or a bad thing!
Audrey Tautou, as Coco Chanel, via Google images.
Secondly, the nautical, or breton striped t-shirt. In just a few days I saw more women wearing navy blue and white breton stripes than I did all year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Older women, younger women. This isn’t a trend, it’s part of their character and style.
“La queue d’cheval” – the ponytail. Not the pouffy, back-combed manicured ponytail that has become popular these days. This is the more classic version. Dressier older ladies had well-combed ponytails pulled tightly and cleanly. Women in their 20′s and 30′s were more inclined to tousle their hair ever-so-slightly and throw it into a looser version worn low at the nape of the neck, leaving a few soft strands around the face. The look is natural but not unkept.
It’s interesting that while we’re all exposed to the same trends these days we have different interpretations and expressions. Have you travelled to a place where you observed the style to be specific to that region? Share your experience in the comment section, I’d love to read about it.
Thank you, Jess, for giving me this opportunity, and thank you Stylepint readers for reading along. Hope you enjoyed it!
To read more from Fabienne, follow her blog: The House in the Clouds
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
When I was in Asia, I noticed they took a different take on floral and lace trends. All the outfits are cuter but also more childish looking imo. I did buy some clothing items and wore it while I was there, but when I brought it home (Toronto) I thought I just looked really silly!
-Lor
oh I love this post!! Thanks for all the interesting tidbits- I def noticed the scarf trend when I was last there in August
p.s hope your recovering well Jess!
xo Carlina
Bonjour!
Just wanted to say I think you’ve expressed and explained Parisian chic perfectly in just a couple of paragraphs! I can only say that in London, you see so many different looks and trends more so than perhaps any other place. In other cities, the look is more ‘uniform’ and that’s why I love London.
Au revoir!
I just spent the last week in Rome, and the women there have a very distinct style. They wear simple, elegant dresses with one accessory, a great bag and stylish shoes. One thing I noticed is that flats or sandals were more common than heels. When I did see heels, they were wedges/espadrille styles, no stilettos. I also saw lots of white pants/skirts. And no shorts…very few wore shorts. Their dresses are styles like shift dresses or sundresses, nothing tight or low cut. Yet they avoid looking “cute” and can still look elegant and put together as well as sexy. I now long to have the style of Roman women.
Just wanted to thank Style Pint for letting me hang out on her turf! I’m enjoying reading the comments, thank you!
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The House in the Clouds