Why would you even WANT to copy the Parisienne look?

[GoldfishParade]

Just think it's interesting when you see threads but also newspaper articles etc about the "French" look and specifically the Parisian look - a kind of understated elegant style, I get it.

But honestly, having lived in France for a decade now (in six cities in different regions) I really think this is a bit of a misplaced myth, in the same way that in France in some crowds there can be a bit of glamourising around "le gentleman so British". Sure, when you're in london you may very occasionally see some really dapper looking men wearing those big beige overcoats (what are they called by the way? The big flappy things they wear over suits? Like a kind of trench coat?).

But by and large whenever I go back to the UK I genuinely find British women dress better, with more snap, in outfits that have more interest. What I've learnt from my time here is that the whole understated elegance thing doesnt necessarily stem from wanting to look effortless, it's actually about not wanting to stand out from the crowd. I remember a friend asking me if I thought her shoes were too "m'as tu vu" (flashy). They just weren't black. In fact you barely ever see coats here that arent black, grey, or beige. Teenagers basically look no different from their parents. Fashion doesnt really happen at all. I think in the 10 years I've been here nothing has really changed, its still jeans, delicate trainers, a Longchamp handbag and a trench, just like Mum. Maybe the jeans got slightly wider lately; that's all.

It always seems to me theres some fabulous styled women in the UK, "even" outside London. I see "even" because outside of Paris, in the French "provinces" thing start to go downhill quite rapidly IMO.

So why does the French thing continue to inspire? I honestly think in the UK you are freer to experiment, you have more choice, and people by and large look pretty rocking. Maybe the trend for heavy makeup could be toned down a bit, also the fillers trend (from what I'm reading) in the UK is a bit shocking.

I moved from London to a more rural part of the U.K. Here the women are either very dressed down in a practical way (walking the dog, shopping) or very dressed up (immaculate for office work, weekend afternoon drinking, nightlife). There doesn’t seem to be an ‘in between’ and this is perhaps where parts of the U.K. might differ from somewhere like Paris.

Re the men's coat.. I am thinking more Aquascutum raincoat.

@GoldfishParade of those photos both look nice. And almost identical to me.

Not been to France in years but in small town Spain I've noticed that people dress more carefully than in Manchester, my nearest city. Everyone looks neat and like they've made an effort.

The Parisienne threads started after the OP commented on how chic women looked in Paris (about three years ago) and it was originally all about the skinny, artfully dishevelled look. But now we talk about all sorts and we live distinctly varied lives all over Europe, so it's an opportunity for people who are slightly obsessed with clothing to share their quest for the ideal version of whatever garment with like-minded others. Personally, I know very few people in real life who share my deep interest in fashion, so it's a chance to chat.

@Martinisarebetterdirty

I lurk on the Parisienne threads, and it’s not about a French look, it’s about learning how to recognise what suits you and how a minor change in the drape of fabric can completely alter a look. What I’ve taken from them is it’s about you looking fabulous and people not immediately noticing your clothes because you stand out. I also find that the Brits who are lauded for original style find a uniform that works for them with just tweaks - I certainly don’t find Alexa wears anything particularly different from what she’s always worn, which is exactly what is being criticised in the French. Not to say she doesn’t look great, she does, but it’s immediately recognisable as her style.

There is nothing at all wrong with admiring French style. But it does come with a substantial downside for French women. It would be great if 'the uniform' meant that French women could always chuck on the same outfit and not have to worry. But it doesn't, at all. A lot of effort goes into looking effortless, and the pressures on French women to be slim and 'feminine' are more intense than here. This is never acknowledged in the Parisienne threads. It's a bit like having hundreds of posts about how great high heels look, without ever acknowledging that they hurt your feet

XingMing

I don’t think it’s a criticism of that thread. I haven’t been on there for a long time but I did think it was useful for highlighting interesting brands and helping with “ where can I get....” types of questions.

@BringMeTea
Bingo! That's exactly the coat I was imagining :)

I believe it is a total myth that french women are all slim, The biggest knickers I have ever seen were in france, on a market stall, they were so big a family could have gone camping in them!

Sorry in case it wasnt clear this is nothing to do with the Parisiennes threads on here which I havent even visited, I'm talking about the general aspiration

I like that French look tbh, but then I'm not at all into edgy or expressive fashion. Understated, immaculate chic, even if it's 'boring' is something I'd quite like to achieve if I a) could be arsed b) had the budget and c) had the figure.

Hooray! There's one on Shpock for 50 quid! When you said it I immediately envisaged Cary Grant.

French women in cities tend to be slim, go outside the cities and you'll see plenty of overweight people. That's true in lots of countries though!

I agree OP. I lived in France years ago and noticed there was a huge difference in the way the wealthy girls and the poor people dressed - the poorer people looked the same as poor people anywhere (I really do not mean that in a disparaging way, I mean, that those with no money bought cheap clothes and certainly did not wear Chanel).

I then lived in New York and I was surprised at how chic the women were - but I lived in the East Village and then the Upper East side and there were no stereotypical "fat Yanks" - again, this is a phrase we used in Ireland to describe our American cousins who visited annually and were all very fat - everyone's American cousins were fat, not just mine.

And then it dawned on me, and it has become even more apparent since then, that wealthy people, the world over, look good and mostly the same. It is just that France seems to have gotten us all to believe that all French people look and dress like that - and they don't.

I also think French style is boring, all navy blazers and jeans with either loafers or skinny trainers. But everyone is afraid to look different and there is a very conservative and misogynistic undertone to society. My best friend has lived and worked in Paris for the past 5 years and I noticed it has not changed since I was there 30 years ago.

@GoldfishParade

Sorry in case it wasnt clear this is nothing to do with the Parisiennes threads on here which I havent even visited, I'm talking about the general aspiration

The Parisienne threads are about fashion in general, and a fantastic resource. I have to stay away because I want to buy too many things! 😆😆. There was a very interesting discussion on the first (or maybe the second) of those threads about fashion bravery/excitement in the U.K. vs conformity/pressure/oppressive aspects of the French approach. Fascinating subject, really. I think being able to say ‘fuck that shit’ to the tyranny of fashion is very important and very liberating. Being Danish I have a slightly different background again, but I find various aspects of both approaches fantastic, just like I find many things to appreciate in Danish fashion.

I also agree OP that the Italians have fabulous style. I remember sitting in awe in a cafe on Capri people watching. The Spanish and the Scandinavians also look amazing - Madrid is a very stylish city, as is Copenhagen. And Scandinavians manage to look stylish whilst cycling a bicycle (something I have not managed despite investing in a stylish bike!!).

@NaughtyNell

I second the Italians being more stylish, I went to Milan last year and almost everyone was impeccably dressed. But then i am obsessed with all things Italian

Italians do everything better.

It's just a popular myth for fashion magazines/lifestyle brands to sell to women.

moved from London to a more rural part of the U.K. Here the women are either very dressed down in a practical way (walking the dog, shopping) or very dressed up (immaculate for office work, weekend afternoon drinking, nightlife). There doesn’t seem to be an ‘in between’ and this is perhaps where parts of the U.K. might differ from somewhere like Paris.
I think this is so true and it's the same where I live. People are either in sweats or done up to the nines. I crave casual but well cut clothes in natural fabrics, and I think that's all people mean when they talk about French, or Italian, style. I do think Parisians can be really conformist though and would prefer to take the idea of beautiful basics, but maybe add a coloured shoe or some kind of eccentric detail to Brit it up a bit.

moved from London to a more rural part of the U.K. Here the women are either very dressed down in a practical way (walking the dog, shopping) or very dressed up (immaculate for office work, weekend afternoon drinking, nightlife).

I moved from the SE to the fairly rural NW. I've heard of the 'very dressed up for nights out' rural (andnon-rural) northerners, but haven't seen any evidence of it where I live really (except among teenagers). I'm not sure many people my age (49) locally really do 'night life' though. Lots are smart-casual for work though, so it's not all fleecesand walking trousers.

French women in cities tend to be slim, go outside the cities and you'll see plenty of overweight people. That's true in lots of countries though!
That's true. It's funny the regional variation. I'm overweight and if I go to Croydon I don't stand out whatsoever, but in more affluent Reigate or central London everyone seems slim.
Do all the female tv presenters on French tv still look like models like they did in the past or do you get more normal looking presenters now, like Jo Brand and Sandi Toksvig who've got the position because they are funny/intelligent/skilled presenters etc?

I have to say, the last time I was in London (pre-pandemic) I came away a bit disappointed in the current state of British creativity. I used to love checking out people's outfits on the tube but last time it was all very uniform. Shoreditch was pretty much wall to wall black skinnies; Camden Passage - where I used to go vintage shopping - was way out of my league price wise, and Camden market looked like it hadn't changed for 30 years. If anyone has any tips on where the interesting neighbourhoods are now, I'd love to hear.

But I think the biggest let down for me was New York - fabulous city but the high street was dire.

I liked Rome - saw quite a lot of old men wearing beautifully tailored suits and looking great.

Having been in my hometown for almost a year now, I’m craving travel to Paris or Berlin or anywhere just for a bit of variety.

The clothes suit the place, the loose shapes of scandi woman’s style suit beautifully cycling on a smooth, flat path. Also it’s functional, the clothes are often worn under an ‘outer layer’ from head to toe where I live. So layers of thin fabric that don’t cling anywhere is important. I can’t imagine the style looking right on a beach in Greece or somewhere totally different. It would look sloppy maybe. But here it does look chic. The good thing is that the uniform is very achievable, unlike, it seems, in France. I’d never thought about this before.

For the men it’s washed out jeans, a thick wool jumper and a man bun 😀

@newstart1234

I’m with you - keen to go somewhere else. This thread is making me want to go upstairs and play around with my clothes.

@Floisme

I have to say, the last time I was in London (pre-pandemic) I came away a bit disappointed in the current state of British creativity. I used to love checking out people's outfits on the tube but last time it was all very uniform. Shoreditch was pretty much wall to wall black skinnies; Camden Passage - where I used to go vintage shopping - was way out of my league price wise, and Camden market looked like it hadn't changed for 30 years. If anyone has any tips on where the interesting neighbourhoods are now, I'd love to hear.

But I think the biggest let down for me was New York - fabulous city but the high street was dire.

I liked Rome - saw quite a lot of old men wearing beautifully tailored suits and looking great.

Gentrification has a lot to answer for. Both central London and Manhattan have been gentrified to a pretty extreme level, this always makes fashion boring. Paris too, come to think of it.

Do all the female tv presenters on French tv still look like models like they did in the past or do you get more normal looking presenters now, like Jo Brand and Sandi Toksvig who've got the position because they are funny/intelligent/skilled presenters etc?
I wouldn't say they all look like models and there are some very respected journalists like Elise Lucet who don't fall into the model category but are certainly nothing like Sandi or Jo Brand. Ageism is still rife, though!