As Paris Fashion Week came to a close, wrapping up weeks of runway shows from fashion capitals around the world, we at Her Campus can’t help but wonder whether they’d intentionally saved the best for last. Not only were the runway shows as magnificent as ever, and in some cases shocking (think, Karl Lagerfeld’s models protesting feminism on “Boulevard Chanel”), but so was the everyday street style of the Parisian women. They were almost as noteworthy as the shows themselves!
Let’s face it, French women know fashion. No matter what time of the year it is, fashion week or not, they’re out there killing it. It’s no wonder that the biggest names in fashion originated in France, including Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Jean Paul-Gaultier and Guy Laroche to name a few.(There must be something in the champagne.)
We tend to stereotype French women as always wearing black and white striped shirts and berets, carrying armfuls of baguettes. After visiting France for 6 weeks this summer, I can most definitely tell you that no one actually wears berets, and while they do love their stripes, they do own other shirts as well. The bread thing, though, is definitely not an understatement. So what is so special about dressing “French” anyway, and why is everyone going crazy over it?
It’s hard to put a finger on one particular aspect. The French just seem to have that je ne sais quoi that we’re all dying to figure out. It’s probably because whether they’re riding the metro, strolling through the Jardin des Tuileries or just picking out food at the market, they somehow always look effortlessly chic. If a French woman were to tell me, “I woke up like this,” I’d probably believe her.
We American women tend to strive to have every hair in place and every lash curled to perfection before we leave the house, whereas the French look is more relaxed. It is less common for French women to use heat styling tools in their hair or to wear a lot of noticeable makeup, aside from the occasional lip color. Much like relaxed, tousled waves are in style here, they’re a common theme in France too. Which is awesome, because not only is it easier to leave your hair au naturel, it is also more environmentally friendly and adds a certain element of, “oh, I just threw this on,” to any outfit.
Parisians also commonly wear a lot of dark, muted colors, layered to perfection — perfect for fall. I noticed during my time in France, especially in Paris, that they were not afraid to wear black on black. They kept it from looking gaudy or Halloween-like by mixing up textures and cuts. For instance they might wear a black fitted blazer and black skinny jeans, but will break it up with a white or floral top, or to keep the look from being too formal, they might pair it all with a casual shirt underneath or complete the outfit with a pair of Chuck Taylors.
The French, men and women alike, have excellent shoe game. Even while I was in Paris in the pouring down rain, they still all had excellent footwear without wearing clunky rain boots, and if they were wearing rain boots, I often saw sleek ankle versions. In replacement of boots they sported loafers, oxfords, sleek booties, converse, flats and even heels. They really proved the point that a great pair of shoes can change your entire look from drab to fab, a rule that holds true anywhere in the world. (Also, props to anyone who can wear heels on cobbled streets.) The famously classic trench coat was very popular in the rain as well, as it should be.
Other ways the French tend to keep things looking effortless is by having sleek accessories, or avoiding over accessorizing. If they are dressed to the nines, then their hair or makeup is probably not overly done as well. They know that you don’t have to show a lot of skin to be stylish, and they’re not afraid of playing with menswear. Additionally, they are not as big on flashing labels as they are of having tailored or well-cut garments. The trick, as with anything in the world, is about finding the perfect balance between casual and “trying too hard.”
A little secret though: French women may spend ages getting their hair to look effortless, or their shirt to be the perfect amount of rumpled and smooth but they will never, ever admit to it. Maybe they are wearing a lot of makeup, but they’ve blended it in so well it looks natural. If they do work out and go to a gym, they most likely won’t advertise and boast about it. It’s not in the French culture to advertise one’s flaws, so if they really did spend an hour or only 10 minutes getting dressed, we may never know.
Also, keep in mind that it’s impossible to define an entire population’s fashion tastes, and we would never want to anyway. That’s what’s so great about fashion; we don’t all have to fit into a certain mold or style to be great. If Coco Chanel hadn’t stepped outside the box, shunned her corset and reinvented the way women saw dress wear, would we even have the little black dress or the classic Chanel suit that remain so popular today? Probably not.
So while the French do seem to have that irresistible allure of edgy and sleek meets casual and chic, we all have our own style, with a touch of that je ne sais quoi that only we can define.