The new French Style Icon - Sylvie from Emily in Paris?

[JMAngel1]

Ok, so the show's not great but I just love everything about Sylvie's style - her effortless hair, no makeup makeup and slinky satin draping clothes. She's 57 and wipes the floor with Lily Collins. She's very Carine Roitfeld. Anyone else?

Is no-one watching it?

Watched it with teen DD and thought it was dire. They are as representative of to-day's Paris as Carrie was of 1990's NY (i.e. not at all).

And the clothes - well I presume the fashion designers might like it, but no one dresses like that to-day at any age. Except perhaps for fashion week and then only to get onto the style blogs so they can increase their instagram earnings. DD and I actually laughed at the ridiculous clothes.

BTW, I lived in France, my best friend still lives in Paris and none of us recognise the France portrayed.

I liked her style, and her voice. She had a top I think in the first or second episode that I really liked, sort of black asymmetric thing? I like CR's style a lot too! I want to be her when old.

But I am half french and hated the show. Quite a big american BS and cliche so stopped watching halfway...

Oh god I know, the show itself is awful but Sylvie was a revelation.
I actually fastforwarded to her scenes to see what she was wearing!

I’ve just spent two nights watching it and I loved every cliche, the sights, the clothes, the picture perfect chateau - ideal viewing in a pandemic, when everything is so stressful and depressing . A city we can’t visit, restaurants, fashion week, crowds. I just drank it in. (And yes, I have lived in Paris, I was the au pair to a well connected family in the 7e and lived in an apartment on the top floor rather like where Emily lived. La mère had a touch of the Sylvie about her and rarely ate but that’s for another day!)

I ate up that series like a warm pain au chocolate.....
I know it was completely unrealistic, don’t care. Exactly what I needed & hope there’ll be saison deux

There's no way Sylvie smokes in real life - that skin at 57.
I loved the black asymmetric top too.
I now want a drapey sexy black fishtail midi skirt and a low cowl neck fitted silk blouse in green.
I wasn't a fan of her more structured dresses - bit too try hard, RM Galaxy dress for me but the green dress at the party - wow! And when she casually threw a beige trench over it, just gorgeous.

She's very elegant. It's not just her clothes, it's her posture and confidence.

Oooh thanks for the thread! One of my DDs came home from school, asking to watch it, as "all the teachers were talking about it and said it was great".
So we sat through half the first episode before giving up (it's codswallop).

However, I did google the actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu.
Wowsee! I dont care how many cliches of French women she has to embody, she was a fantastic combination of aloof intelligence, self-confidence and still managed to convey some sympathy for Emily.

The show is ridiculous. The actress playing Sylvie has real elegance though. But her style is French seen through an American lens, it all looks a bit try-hard rather than nonchalant and effortless. Made sense when I read the stylist is the same as for SATC.
My favourite French ‘older woman’ style icon is Isabelle Huppert, she has attitude, poise and style in bags.

You can tell Pat Field styled it- Lily Collins looks bloody ridiculous most of the time and what is the obsession with ankle boots?!

I agree @AngeloMysterioso about the ankle boots. God some of them were awful!

However, I absolutely loved the series. So many people are complaining about it, saying it’s got horrible stereotypes and it’s not realistic. Well of course it’s not! It’s not trying to be a gritty docu drama about Emily’s trials in Paris. It’s absolute garbage, and if people embraced that and took it with a pinch of salt, they might enjoy it more.

I live in rural France and one of my older neighbours is so chic. When she comes for aperos she will have enormous heels and gorgeous clothes. She's very slim and petite.
I make an effort too now and she will tell me I look magnifique which does my ego a power of good.

Btw she used to drive huge lorries round Europe so not job related.

Sometimes a bit of codswallop is exactly whats needed.

Sylvie's bright pink silk bardot style blouse in the final episode - just perfection.

The other good thing to look at is Gabriel - not very often I find a leading man this good looking - swoon

@OhRosalind. wow IH is also stunning wuth amazing style. They look quite alike and biteh love a silk blouse.

@JMAngel1 yes, she looks amazing doesn’t she? (also an amazingly talented actress of course) I confess my ageing with style plan os heavily reliant on silk shirts.

I had heard EiP was dire but decided to watch it based purely on the actress who played Sylvie - I got such a girl-crush on her in Call My Agent (Dix Pour Cent, also on Netflix) where she played the wife of one of the talent agents. She was bloody fabulous, aging exactly as I wish I could.

You can tell Darren Star has watched Call My Agent as the office dynamics are very similar but CMA has a helluva lot more wit and style. That said, the scene in EiP where Sylvie gets the €2million watch back is brilliantly done.

If there is a season 2 I will watch, but only if Sylvie is back. It really is as garbage otherwise as everyone says it is.

I love every cliche about the show! Perfect watching for a terrible year. I love all the outfits from the classy to ridiculous, especially the ankle boots.

@mommybunny
Just watched first 3 episodes of Call My Agent - gosh she's even more gorgeous in it and her character is just so warm - complete contrast to Sylvie.
There's a scene where she leaves her apartment really quickly and I was agog - she had a silk blouse, skinny jeans and heels on and then just threw on an oversized blazer and cross body bag and out she went looking amazing, hair swishing. She's exceptionally thin though - no idea how she stops her face from looking gaunt - she doesn't look like she has fillers. But the hair, oh the hair. It's perfection (mine is 3a/3b curls so I can only dream of being that swishy!)

Don’t know how much more Call My Agent you’ve watched OP but I totally agree with everything you’ve said about her playing Catherine. Whenever they get around to broadcasting the next series I am a little concerned she may not be in it. Not going to spoil it though.

Yes. Check out her wardrobe in Call My Agent too. (She plays Matthias’ wife.)

Haha. Cross posts. I think Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu is fabulous, whatever she is in. I’d kill for either/or both wardrobes.

Great style