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

[TossDaily]

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.

Thesqueezer a few articles were linked about GD early on in the thread.

Here's the article from the Guardian mentioned previously with the odd English logo tees, they had some links to interesting French shops in there too.

‘My favourite salad is books’ – why the French love badly translated slogan T-shirts

Gabrielle Deydier's story is chilling.

But this thread has evolved to become one of the most positive I've seen for ages, if ever, in S&B - one that encourages women to pick and choose bits of Parisian style/attitude to suit individual taste, lifestyle and looks, and to feel good about themselves. That gorgeous green leather jacket being a case in point.

I lurk a lot on S&B - and have been lurking on here, but too busy to post much - and after a slightly rocky start this thread is one of the warmest I've seen for ages.

I live in Provence, and there are certainly women who strive to meet daft aesthetic ideals, many of them in their fifties and above, with skin over-exposed to the sun, obvious plastic surgery and borderline anorexia.
My French friends here, OTOH, are all fairly at ease with their bodies. They eat and drink well, cycle through the countryside in the sun (sometimes to eat oysters with a glass of white wine at a local market) rather than undertaking punishing exercise/diet régimes, and would be as outraged as anyone else at Gabrielle Deydier's account. They are all shapes and sizes, but all know how to make the most of themselves should they feel the need. They slob at home in pyjamas, and will happily invite me in for coffee if I pop round when they are at home with their hair scraped back and their gardening/DIY/sports gear on, but they also take pleasure in dressing up for an evening, or just because.

They seem to have a relatively healthy, happy take on life, all things considered, and if posters on here can be less critical of themselves and take pleasure in red lipstick and a nice scarf by chanelling a bit of the "je vous emmerde" attitude, all power to them.

I read somewhere, on here I think that scarves made women look old

I remember that thread and lots of outraged and disappointed posters. However I think it mainly referred to the thin little chiffon type scarfs rather than big woolen scarves or the silk necktie ones.

That green jacket is gorgeous - hope it's as buttery soft as it looks. My asymmetrical black dress has arrived! It fits (phew!) but is rather longer on me than I'd hoped. Think it will do ok for the Xmas party - now need to find some gorgeous yet weirdly inexpensive jewellery to go with.

DH has just asked me what I want for xmas and bday (Dec bday) and I chanced my arm and said no pressies, just a trip to Paris... He said "We'll see..." so it's not a no!

bellabelly can you get the dress taken up? I've just done that with one of mine, and it makes a huge difference.
I'd love feedback on the green biker jacket. It looks lovely.
No way I could afford one, but I have a bright green pea coat and whenever I wear it I get compliments.

I remember the scarves make women look old thread. I think it was trying to say that some styles of scarves were dated. Tbh, if you live somewhere where it's cold in winter, you need scarves! I have loads and I don't care, I hate that "you are too old for" attitude. Often, the most stylish older women, completely ignore those kind of "rules".

Yy, to what Auld said about it being a very positive thread about taking what aspects you want from Parisian style and lifestyle to work for you andmake you feel good about yourself. I do that with lots of styles/things that I like, I try and incorporate them in ways that suits me.

I would never condone starving yourself or disordered eating, but I think eating good quality, delicious food is life enhancing. We had mussels for dinner (followed by chocolate ice-cream) because my eldest requested them and they were lovely. I really liked Justine's video about french food, how it is very much part of the culture and that they eat lots and lots of fruit and vegetables.

bella I've only had one piece of clothing tailored to fit, but it was brilliant and made what was a very cheap ebay purchased jacket into something I loved wearing. If you can get the dress taken up, do it! I think I paid about £20 max for a seamstress to adjust my jacket (taking the sleeves to bracelet length and nipping in the waist - I wore it on my wedding day) so it won't necessarily be too expensive.

I didn't want to say before as Proper was still deciding to buy that leather jacket and I didn't want it to sell out before she made up her mind but it's an absolute bargain for a proper leather jacket and the muubaa jackets do indeed have a great reputation, at just under a 125 euros it ain't that scarily unaffordable, Auld.

All this green coat talk is reminding me I still have some screenshots from the French show (Call My Agent!) to go through. One of the main characters has an enviable bright green coat (brighter on screen than in the attached screenshots), I've been looking for one for years, only ever came across one at Zara a few years back but it was far too thin to work in winter and far too wintery in style to work in warmer seasons. I think we need a Bring Back Green campaign alongside the brown.

bella, I saw some lovely jewelry pieces at &Other Stories and they're not too expensive. Lots of emerald style pieces, so there's green stuff there . Think I took a picture, will check my phone in a bit.

Thank you for you support with the jacket. I ordered a 10, but am more an 8( completely flat chested). I am petite but an inverted triangle shape so clothes on top have to fit my shoulders, bottoms are a smaller size. Fingers crossed.

This thread is so lovely.

I went on a crusise starting in Provence a couple of years ago going through Arles, Avingnion and finally ending in Lyon. I loved Lyon; The people in Lyon were really friendly and helpful and many of them very stylish. Even the blokes working out on the riverside exercise equipment looked amazing. It didn’t feel at all like the stress of Paris.

Oh, and apologies above if it seemed like I was dismissive of the Gabrielle Deydier story above, not intended as such but it has been discussed earlier so I assumed Thesqueeze may not have RTFT.

I have 2 Muubaa jackets - both bought from eBay. They are lovely quality. One is brown, the other a raspberry pink. I'm all for a splash of colour and that green is gorgeous.

You didn’t come across dismissive, botemp, I think it was clear the you thought the poster probably hadn’t RTFT since it had been adressed previously.

I agree, it’s a lovely, positive, affirming and empowering thread.

I just ordered a jacket from Muubaa, a lovely washed brown. I really wanted a burgundy one this winter but I have been looking for a brown one in the right shade for such a long time. Hoping this one will just right!

I think the stylish French woman is a stereotype which they like to perpetuate Yes, many Parisians have great style but outside of Paris I think they are fairly ordinary .
I think Spanish women are more attractive and dress very well.

Holger, did you get the Kendyll one? I quite liked the look of that myself to go with my new scarf but not available in my size and it looks like a model that should sit fitted.

I did take a pic at &other stories, the one on the left was especially impressive in RL but it did leave me to wonder what dress would go with that as you wouldn't want too much on the shoulders but you'd need a deep plunge too.

Yes. I’m not entirely convinced that the 10 will sit right, tbh, but I thought it was worth a try. And I also have to see exactly what the colour is as I’ve got a very specific shade in mind. I’ll have to wait and see!

Just found this thread. Only read up to p8. Love it.
Bananafish are you me? Your capsule wardrobe sounds exactly like mine!

Ok, I went to Zara yesterday and bought two mahoosive shawl scarves. I like Zara's scarves - they're a good price and they're lovely and soft acrylic

However, I can't tie them like the women in the pics on this thread! I just look and feel like I have a huge goitre.

I've tried googling instructions but I just get lost. Can anyone help me?

Yy for a bring back green campaign. I wear lots of greys, navys, black, blues with either berry shades or greens. I have a forest green Ilse Jacobsen raincoat and a darkish green tweed, slightly military style jacket. Both are a bit thin for the freezing cold we are experiencing atm.

Proper muubaa are supposed to be lovely, their styles are gorgeous. I'm a slightly inverted triangle shape too. I have one pale grey biker, that's very fitted can only wear with a thin layer underneath and another more wintry black one which is bigger and has a padded lining.

Toss Have you looked on youtube for scarf instructions? Might help to see it demonstrated?

I have been doing my new big scarf in a sort of triangle to the front if that makes sense, but when I've folded it I sometimes sort of roll the long side over a couple of times, so that the triangle bit is smaller, if that makes any sense? Is that how you're trying to do it?

botemp I am with you on bags. I can't stand the hugely expensive, big name sought-after ones, half of them look like giant scrota with bling hanging off them. Which is good for my wallet. My favourite and much-complimented on bag comes from Other Stories; it is utterly plain and unadorned which is why I love it. They don't have it at the moment but here's their current collection.
www.stories.com/ie/Bags/All_bags

giant scrotal with bling hanging off them

*scrota, autocorrect doesn't like that word...

I finally understand what the new emoji is all about. Obviously it's the 'giant scrota with bling' we're supposed to hang on our bags.

Scarf delivery is delayed until Monday

toss I laughed at your goitre! Try Justine, she has a great vid on scarf tying. Disclaimer- I haven't tried any of them and would probably also look like I had goitre!
I am currently wondering how and get my hair to have that parisienne 'just got up' look without looking like Worzel Gummidge.
I am sitting here full of cold, feeling sorry for myself and looking about as disheveled and un-put together as is humanly possible.

I never thought of folding it into a triangle...doh.

One of them is leopard print. Do we have thoughts on that? I think it looks ok with the red lips, but now I'm 44 I'm wondering if I'm veering into Bet Lynch territory...I keep reading that leopard is a neutral, though, so maybe it's ok...