Observations from Paris

[ParisDispatches]

I was recently in Paris & spent an inordinate amount of time people / fashion watching!

In the spirit of the London thread I thought I'd share my observations.

I was there for several weeks & was based in the 5th but spent lots of time in 6th, 7th, 1st as well Marais, Montparnasse etc

Teens / early 20s were wearing lots of cropped wide legged pale denim with vest tops or cropped tshirts & clumpy trainers or converse. Delicatet gold jewellery.

Or flippy little short skirts & vests. Tanned arms & legs & generally far slimmer than we see here. More natural makeup too. Lots of 90s inspired looks

Around St Germain I saw some incredibly elegantly dressed women 30 upwards
Again generally v slim (I myself have gained weight from 12 to large 14 in past year & so was v conscious )

One woman had an incredible all black outfit. She was in her late 20s & was cool & edgy looking & I felt myself gazing enviously after her...

Birkenstocks abounded . Small cross body bags. There was an hour long queue to get into Polene which shocked me

Lots of beautiful silky shirts at dinner in the evenings.

I don't recall seeing floral midi dresses & white trainers much

Lots of veja on both men & women.

Overall more casual than I'd expected but v groomed

I'd also love to hear about the French view of British style, @Didntmeanto6 !

@toucaninjapan Whereabouts in Japan are you? When I was last in Tokyo the predominant style was very much oversized, dressed-down and androgynous (like a more exaggerated form of normcore). I would see items labelled 'oji-san' or 'otona boys' etc. (grandpa/uncle/tomboy style) as a selling point! Like these (from Fudge_snap instagram feed):

Yes, "so British" is actually a vibe some bourgeois middle class women aspire to I think, tartan, tweed, a kind of country home style, but also a Kate Middleton vibe, tea dresses, but I have also seem "so British" used for a swinging sixties vibe/a mod inspiration, as well as a Kate Moss rock girl "déjanté" vibe.
I think there is often a real love/hate franco-british relationship, where we want to emulate each other but also there's a competition. 😅
One big thing associated with British style is the artful use of eccentricity

Thank you @Didntmeanto6 for the explanation. I think the viewpoint from another country can help us focus on what is really good about ourselves (which is always nice).

@Didntmeanto6 has reminded me that Japanese are also fascinated by the "British style". They never mention the quirky and fun side though (which defines British style to me personally), it's mostly all about long coats, tartan scarves and skirts and fair isle cardigans.

@clowniform oh that blue dress from your collage, that's definitely something I see on a daily basis in different colourways. Other outfits - not so much, oversized things - yes, but they are usually less masculine and more feminine with huge bows or ruffles, however I imagine it all depends on the area you live and work in. Were you staying in Minato ward by any chance?
My observations come mostly from what I see in the office and around it (that's why I had to mention the age/ occupation in my previous post), and occasionally from what I see people wearing around the shopping malls near a tourist attraction close to our house. It's a popular date spot so you'd usually see younger unmarried women showing off their waistline in their A-line skirts there while Japanese moms float around in their shapeless oversized dresses.

Check out Kemi Telford. She has fab designs (she's Nigerian, based in UK). I love that I can buy versions of her dresses in my local Monoprix for a fraction of the price.

Just looked up the stats and there are more smokers in the UK than in France. Also more overweight and obese - France comes 50 places after the UK on that one!

@NoStrangertotheRain I am not actually British, I'm not French either.

@Daffodilwoman I don't particularly care if women wear a bra or not. It was a noticeable phenomenon that so many were not in Paris & just an observation that I have not seen so many obviously not wearing a bra in UK

@Usernamen I find people watching fascinating. I love clothes & jewellery. I work in a creative sector & I'm used to being v observant. For me it's v natural to be interested in varying trends/ styles/ fashions in different places.

I am too OP. Nothing wrong in spotting trends.

I'm glad you started the thread, OP, in between the bickering it's been fun to read. Your observation about more bralessness is true to my experience and I think it has been the case for as long as I've been going to Paris while having functional eyes (30+ years) though I've noticed post-lockdown more (mainly younger) women also doing this in London.

@toucaninjapan Apologies if I came across as nitpicky. I totally understand that a visitor's POV will differ from a resident's, even if we were visiting friends and family rather than tourist attractions. Clearly the frilly OL crowd were all behind their desks while we were mooching around. We were staying in Meguro so plenty of the floaty linen mum-sacks to be seen (though probably of a superior meta-organic hand loomed from carbon-positive lentil waste kind my peasant eyes couldn't appreciate). Did spend a lot of of time in Shimokita due to basic muso DP which was a totally frill-free zone with a very unisex grunge uniform which made us feel both nostalgic and old 😁

bright colours are avoided.

This is the problem I have with Uniqlo. I like their clothes, but as a jewel winter most of the muted colours just don't suit me.

I agree about French men appearing more stylish than British men. When I’m out and about and indeed at work, I see an awful lot of couples where the woman is wearing make up, hair done, made an effort say in a dress, then the man is in a scruffy track suit.
Style wise it looks awful.

We don’t have any friends (male) that wear a track suit. Unless going to the gym! It’s a class thing I’m afraid. DH wouldn’t ever consider a track suit as being reasonable going out dress. Neither does anyone I know. Don’t know why women end up with these men!!

None of our male friends wear tracksuits outside the gym either. I just couldn't imagine dh going out and about in one.

As I said up the thread, in Paris there was a distinct lack of men in those awful nylon football tops which are very prevalent in the UK. I always imagine they reek of BO (perhaps they don't but the look like they do!)

We saw some beautifully dressed men out and about in Paris. No scarves as the weather was too warm but lots of shorts and nice t-shirts or rolled up sleeved shirts.

Some men, who looked like they were working, were wearing slim chino type trousers, open neck shirts and very nice leather or suede shoes.

And of course a few gorgeous men in suits, well fitting and good shoes. Saint Germain des Pres and Rue Saint Surplice were particularly good for spotting well dressed men. Some gorgeous shops on these streets too.

In Paris, it was evident that tourists were a more well-groomed bunch than the native Frenchwomen. Presumably, they dress up to enhance their holiday experience. Yet, it cannot be denied that English women, and Europeans in general, have undergone a transformation of sorts, with an uptick in body modifications ranging from tattoos to Botox. This trend hasn't gone unnoticed on social media platforms like Twitter, where English women are becoming the punching bag for their appearance, go look for yourselves. The unfairness and offence of such negativity notwithstanding, there is a kernel of truth to their criticisms. We seem to have conformed to a fashion fixation that is greatly influenced by an amalgamation of Hip-hop and the The Only Way Is Essex.

During my sojourn to Italy, I rather expected to encounter a plenitude of comely Monica Bellucis. However, my experience was mired by the overwhelming presence of artificial lips and garish stripper ensembles amongst the fairer sex...Something is definitely awry with European women's style. Perhaps an indicator of civilisational decline? The West has had its day?

Anyway. It would be misguided to suggest that this decline in style is limited to women alone, as men once dressed with a casual beauty and charm akin to 90's Hugh Grant. Now, they are all in XXXS super tight jeans with rips at the knee, gelled hair, and have had fake teeth fitted at some clinic in Turkey. Or they put in no effort at all and look like slobs à la Bill Gates.

I have to say @banthecatsfromthekitchenimmediately having spent considerable time in paris & Italy recently I don't recognise the picture you portray at all. It must depend on the locations visited?

Everyone saying the French are super stylish and slim have certainly never visited Lille.

They have a huge Primark there along with Zara and the same shops we have here. Most of the young women I saw on the metro were wear chunky trainers, leggings and puffa coats - it was winter when I was there. No different to what young British women wear.

Paris is another kettle of fish but then so is Kings Road, London. I suspect money has a lot to do with looking effortlessly stylish.

🤣

I’m sure money is a distinct factor here. People were effortlessly stylish and rather gorgeous in the S of France too. Women seem to accessorize well, and just looked as if their health and well-being mattered. The sun does that to you, of course…

Another observation from from Paris was the plethora of jewelry shops selling light and dainty pieces (plenty handmade, and not just tat).

Quite fascinated by how many independent shops there are that are surviving in Paris compared with London, where most high streets have the same chains of shops.

@Magnoliainbloom very true about the independent shops, but that seems to apply to many European cities. I loved Bologna partly because there were so many beautiful food shops scattered around the centre

I totally agree about the abundance of independent shops in Paris, and in Italy.

Although Lisbon was the city that most surprised me with the amount of independent shops specialising in things made in Portugal. From arts & crafts to clothes & shoes! It was remarkable

@banthecatsfromthekitchenimmediately is that you Jacob ( Rees-Mogg)?

Generally in France they pay attention to equilibrium. Where my parents have a house in SW France they have a big water swimming pool with wave machine etc but the jacuzzis, saunas, plunge pool etc everyone’s encouraged to use them. They have aqua biking classes (spinning in the pool) for approx €8 and in UK when I looked into them they’re rare and start at £20 a class!

Beauty salon/hair appointments and products are seen as essential and your local pharmacie sells a good range of skincare.

Some of the shops there do leave a lot to be desired but you can get some decent clothes in the supermarche. .A small independent jewellers I know in a nearby town has a great selection of earrings and other jewellery.

For health the doctor prescribes thermes if you need it. My parents house is in area with one of these.

I’ve just returned from a few days in Paris. I really enjoyed reading this thread back in the Summer so I thought I would share my observations on what is being worn in Paris this Winter.
A lot of @ParisDispatches observations still hold true I think. No obvious tweekments or tattoos and a generally casual look. I mostly noticed women more my own age rather than younger women so my comments are mostly about women 40+. I’m also aware there were many women who just looked ‘normal’ for want of a better word but I’m writing about those who looked especially good.
Firstly - there was usually only one casual item in an outfit. If the coat was padded it was combined with boots and tailored trousers. If there were jeans then the coat was tailored wool.
Outfits were co-coordinated with no more than three colours. The wool coat was set off with contrasting but matching beanie and scarf sets. Cream with black, black with red, rust with brown etc. Those oversized mohair scarfs with fringes were popular but usually plain not checked.
Women were thin. Their coats hung well.
The coats were immaculate. Not crumpled. Not bobbley.
Make up shades were very natural and understated. No massive false eyelashes. Hair was not overly styled but had a slight unbrushed texture (it was wet and windy) but it was healthy looking and conditioned.
Most of my people watching was on the metro and bars and restaurants. I found I could often guess their nationality before they said anything.