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I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.

911 replies

TossDaily · 01/11/2017 09:38

So there.

EVERYBODY looked fantastic. EVERYBODY. DP and I just sat open-mouthed in fascination. Whatever their age, they looked amazing.

So I'm sitting here on a diet, wearing an Isabel Marant jumper and frantically googling 'How to turn French.'

As far as I can tell, the rules are:

  1. Be thin, despite the fact you are walking down the street at 11am gnawing a cheese and ham baguette the length of your forearm.


  1. Have your hair the colour and texture of natural hair.


  1. Have the most amazing skin, despite the fact you have a permanent Gauloise on the go.


  1. Never get pissed and lairy, despite the fact you are having a glass of red wine with your lunch and it's Tuesday.


  1. Wear shoes you can walk in.


  1. Have an amazing coat.


  1. Know how to tie a scarf so it looks like you have slung it on and it's just choosing to snuggle up to you because you are SO FRICKING GORGEOUS.


  1. Have a pharmacy on every corner that is just an Aladdin's Cave of miraculous skincare delights for less than a tenner each.


Anyone else have any tips? Joking aside, I loved the style - the shops, ohmigod the shops! It was like I'd walked into my internet shopping history.

I could actually walk around in my biker jacket without feeling like a twat.

I want to be French. Aidez-moi.
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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:39

EugenieG the thing is, a lot of the brands are familiar, but the ranges over there are so much bigger, and they're a lot cheaper.

My best buys were:

Klorane dry shampoo. Much more natural, doesn't leave hair like it's been iced.

Phyto 7 day hair cream. Brilliant if your hair reacts badly to humidity. Smooths is down and makes it all shiny.

Nuxe honey lip balm.

Embryolisse moisturiser - DP gets really dry skin and this stuff is amazing.

Biafine for really dry skin.

Bioderma Micellar water. Cheap as chips and brilliant.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:40

Smooths it down, fgs.

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BitOutOfPractice · 01/11/2017 10:41

Brits were wearing cigarette pants and brogues years ago though, got bored of them, and moved on to other things. And the colour palette is so dull - black, navy, camel / beige. Boring.

And the scarves. I'm so over scarves now

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Ihavepatrick · 01/11/2017 10:41

I adore that book, and Caroline de M. It's basically smoke, barely eat, don't get sloppy drunk, wear good quality clothes and be rude! Oh and have a lover. 😁

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Ihavepatrick · 01/11/2017 10:43

That face was different on my stupid phone!

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Ofthread · 01/11/2017 10:48
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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:49

See, I was totally over scarves, BitOutofPractice!

I Marie Kondo'd my collection at the end of the summer, and just kept two skinny ones and three warm ones that were so bloody expensive I didn't want to get rid.

Now I've been to Paris I'm sitting at worked swathed in a scarf. Such a mouton.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:51

Ooh, a lover?

I don't think I'll have time, what with all the salads I have to make.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:51

Ofthread DP and I decided that if you go over size 14 you're probably put under house arrest until you lose weight.

NOBODY was fat. NOBODY.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:52

Apart from me, obvs.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 10:53

Oh dear, that is grim, poor woman.

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botemp · 01/11/2017 10:53

Do you want to be French (the more conservative/classic Ines La Fressange vibe that only nods to fashion from very far, see also Justine Leconte) or Parisian, and if the latter you're going to have to be really specific ; A Quirky Creative from SoPi, Faux Creative Trend Obsessed (or more likely since its their natural habitat, a gay man) from the Marais, or the understated elegance of the Seventh, That 70s Sorbonne vibe, or the utterly cool yet strangely unkempt look of the 11th and 12th that's up and coming, or one of the many other Arrondissement styles? The whole Parisian/French thing is all about the details and very determined decisions, careful, much antagonised, choices and a highly oppressive standard of beauty they've been raised to adhere to from a very young age. They're the biggest market for anti-anxiety meds globally for a reason...

To add to your list:

Short well kept nails, never painted (a dark red maybe on a special occasion), clear varnish or a faint pink is ok but more for the manicured professional lot. Never a French manicure.

Be a secret Anglophile. All French style icons are foreign women, and a lot are from the UK, Jane Birkin, Charlotte Rampling, etc. If you look at a lot of brands they reinterpret British Heritage styles with a more slimmer and feminine fit. Soeur has a shit ton of 70s inspired British Heritage stuff in right now but in a totally French way. What we call French Girl hair they call Boucle Anglaise. So, be British but not really Wink

Sit down at a table for every meal and start with vegetable soup (no dairy). 3 meals a day and breakfast or a snack usually is yoghurt or fruit. I don't think there's a miraculous secret to their thin frames in terms of diet aside from being more discerning about the quality (though that varies too), they do have an irrational fear of being fat tied up in oppressive beauty standards so there is that but they naturally are small framed and petite, so even if carrying a bit of extra weight they still appear slim to Northern European eyes.

Spend more money on your scarf than on your coat or, buy a new scarf for coat money instead of replacing an older coat.

Very fine jewelry, and never noticeable or ostentatious.

Your style icon is not a celebrity or model but rather your Mum, or, preferably, a crazy aunt, godmother, or grandmother with an outrageous treasure trove of a wardrobe and even more outrageous stories to go with each an every item in it.

Have a signature scent. Preferably a very obscure one.

How to be Parisian by Caroline Maigret, et. al. is surprisingly good reading despite being a bit of a fluffy gift book by appearance. Violette_FR on youtube is good for makeup without being that heavily restrictive no makeup makeup look only (she's a Parisian in New York, ie. she's allowed more liberties). I'm obsessed with Les babioles de Zoé's hair which is neither laissez affaire or low maintenance and she's pretty representative of Parisian style but not necesarilly ticking all the repressive boxes but it is one most will not be able to copy directly one to one but use rather as inspiration.

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AnnabelleLecter · 01/11/2017 10:57

We have French friends who visit a few times a year and they always moan about the portion sizes when we go out to eat, they leave half of their food and they are out for a fag between each course.
Portion sizes-Oui
Fags- Non

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MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 01/11/2017 10:57

I You probably need a fringe too...

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MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 01/11/2017 10:59

Do you think if you wear enough sunscreen the smoking is not so bad?

I don't like the smell of smoke but I could do with an appetite suppressant Blush

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Ofthread · 01/11/2017 10:59

I have lived in France and found it very conservative and repressed! They do know how to tie a scarf though.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 11:00

BoTemp - great post!

Short nails - check.
I'm wearing Gigi by Jardins des L'Ecrivain - will that do?
I have British hair because I'm British.
My mother buys her clothes from Bon Marche, so despite the French name I'll pass on that Grin
Eating three times a day sounds good...and I'm already on anti-anxiety meds, so that's something Wink

I'm going to print out your post and pore over it like une saddo...especially the bit about hair...need to work on the hair...

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 11:01

I have a fringe!

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 11:05

DP and I may have had a cheeky Gauloise...Blush

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whoopwhoop21 · 01/11/2017 11:15

Always loved the French style, particulate Parisians. I love Emmanuelle Alt's look.

I've spent a lot of time in Southern France & yes being fat is unacceptable but people & children are getting bigger. Our friends there do tend to eat a bit of everything (as opposed to cutting out food groups) but teeny portions & ensuring they sit down/take time for meals. Plus smoking a lot.

What I do admire particularly in the older women is they are very elegant, no joggers & uggs etc.

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ChardonnaysPrettySister · 01/11/2017 11:17

My secret French weapon are the black
Merino v necks from Uniclo worn with a white shirt, no blush or bronzer and Chanel
dialogue lipstick and a very obscure perfume.

But I might well be deluded.

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TossDaily · 01/11/2017 11:19

Ooh, Chanel Dialogue?

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ChardonnaysPrettySister · 01/11/2017 11:22

It's red, bien sur.

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botemp · 01/11/2017 11:28

I forgot to add (will probably have a few more):

Wear lingerie for every day and silky negligees (or nothing) at night. Also, forget about the bra on most days.

No cleavage on display, but deep plunging necklines are totally ok for those without anything approaching cleavage. Anything overtly sexy seems off the table in favour of a bare shoulder, back, etc.

This a personal pet peeve of mine, as people always complain about French rudeness in shops and I'm sure it all stems to this; Greet the staff of a shop first thing through the door, with eye contact and everything and if they're busy wait till they're not and greet them then, it's very rude not to and French shop assistants tend to take a lot of pride in their shops but especially if they're the owners or related to them. In certain shops, you need to acknowledge all of the staff individually. Not acknowledging them because of language barrier is kind of a poor excuse, it's just a 'Bonjour' and a friendly nod and if they ask if they can help you with anything pull up the poor I can't speak French reply in English or simply reply in French you're just looking if you're able.

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PNGirl · 01/11/2017 11:30

I do feel that the Parisians benefit from having proper seasons compared to some areas of France. I used to live in Lyon and they don't have an autumn; on the 1st October the temperature plummets below freezing until April, meaning that it's face-meltingly cold every time you leave your flat. Oh, god, the wind. The snow. I used to wrap a scarf around my torso under my coat.

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