…it’s not as simple as putting on a Breton stripe top and a swipe of red lipstick. (Although both are Parisian classics.) Paris is, arguably, the fashion capital of the world. Native Parisians grow up entrenched in a culture of carefully cultivated but never overdone style. Much of the way they dress is cultural, with sartorial traditions, and classic accessories, passed down through generations, each of whom make them their own.
We all know the classic tropes of Parisian style. But what considerations does a Parisian woman really make when she gets dressed every morning? The answer to that question is vastly more complex, and often highly individual. Still, there are some basic rules that Parisians stick to that help to make them look effortlessly elegant no matter what they put on. And while half a lifetime of travelling to Paris may not make me Parisian, I definitely know how to dress like one.
Most Parisians don’t have closets. Many apartment buildings in Paris are two to three hundred years old, which means plumbing outside the walls, low cielings and petite spaces without built in storage. That means getting creative about your wardrobe, because having an excess of clothes isn’t an option the way it is for many North Americans. (I can personally attest to this, having tried, and failed, twice, to bring my entire Canadian wardrobe into a three hundred square foot apartment. The whole space effectively becomes a live-in closet.) But limitations on space forces Parisians to get creative, and also to distill their wardrobe down to true essentials. Rather than owning three black cardigans, each of which is a bit different, they will choose one perfect one and wear it on repeat.
This is part of what makes them look so put together. Parisians, for the most part, own fewer clothes than North Americans and, as a result, define their personal at a younger age out of simple necessity. Fewer options makes getting dressed in the morning, no matter what their age, a simple, effortless process.
I learned my favourite trick for simplifying the act of getting dressed from Parisians. When we moved to Paris in 2012, I’m sure that there was a garment in every colour of the rainbow in my wardrobe. The first thing I bought when we arrived was a pair of green skinny jeans. Why? Now, I don’t know, because I stick to a simple colour palette when adding pieces to my closet, and getting dressed has never been simpler.
Your colour palette will be unique to you. It can include whatever colours you like wearing, but should be limited to five or six at the most. And at least two of those five should be neutrals. That way, everything you own goes together and the guess work in getting dressed is gone. My colours, as you all know, are black, white, beige and grey, with a rare red accent. Most Parisians favour black, white and navy with accents of brown, grey and red.
Distilling your wardrobe down to true essentials is easier said than done. After all, essentials are not the same for everyone. The start of the process is defining what constitutes a wardrobe essential for you. (Parisians as a collective have a set of go-tos, but more on that later.) Once you know what your essentials are, it’s time to start shopping.
Just because Parisians choose one version of a garment where women in other countries might have three doesn’t mean they break the bank buying luxury quality pieces every time. After all, each one of them operates on a different budget, and luxury isn’t accesible to all. Beyond that, though, Parisians know that clothes that fit always look luxurious. If the best white t-shirt you’ve ever found comes from H&M, that’s the white t-shirt to buy, even if it’s inexpensive. The piece that’s worth investing in is the one that fits you best, no matter how much, or little, it costs.
It doesn’t matter what she paid for it – a garment is a commitment, especially to a Parisian, who has to give up valuable closet real estate to store each piece she buys. That means she isn’t shy about alterations, or mending. When in Paris, you’ll regularly notice tailor shops and shoemakers, both of which have all but disappeared and, for the most part, become a luxury most can ill afford in North America. Those businesses thrive in Paris because Parisians use them to get their clothing tailored and their shoes repaired regularly. They work hard to find the perfect pieces for their wardrobe. Once they own them, they treat them like the treasures they are.
There’s no harm in trying something new. But Parisians set trends, rather than following them, not just because they live in the fashion capital of the world. They are unique in their approach to experimenting with new styles and trends, taking them on one at a time and integrating them into their already thoughtfully curated wardrobe. When you pair a puffer jacket with an otherwise classic, streamlined look, it can look fabulous and, more importantly, it will make sense in the context of your personal style. If you normally stick to classics and suddenly debut a whole new athleisure look, the effect is different… even disconcerting… and suggests that you maybe don’t know your own style all that well.
Speaking of athleisure… it’s not really a thing in Paris. I still remember the first time I saw someone, I’m sure they were an American, wearing sweatpants in the French capital because it was so startling. That doesn’t mean that Parisians are opposed to dressing for comfort. Quite the opposite. They focus on finding clothes that fit well, clothes that makes them feel confident about how they look and that leads to a different level of comfort. You’ll never see a Parisian tugging at the waist band of jeans that slip down or constantly straightening an ill-fitting skirt. If you buy clothes that really work for your body, you will feel comfortable in them, even if they aren’t all made of jersey cotton.
Have you ever looked at a picture of a group of Parisians and wondered if they all called each other the night before going out to coordinate outfits? They didn’t, but it does often look that way. French culture values social conformity, although it doesn’t value ideological conformity. The French, as a collective, love rules, order, bureaucracy and queues. A Parisian never worries that she might be dressed too much like her friends, or that her outfit might make her stand out from the crowd. To her, those things aren’t nearly as important as simply looking fabulous. She knows that in the end, it’s her personality that makes her unique, not her blouse.
Many Parisians are avid, enthusiastic thrifters and vintage shoppers. The city is full of amazing high-end secondhand stores, called depot vente, as well as mid-range vintage stores and truly low budget secondhand shops, called friperies. Since Paris is a fashion capital, you’re likely to find treasures in all of them, if you’re willing to hunt. But you don’t have to wait to be in Paris to shop vintage like a Parisian. You just have to know what you’re looking for, willing to search and open to finding something entirely different that you love even more.
Parisian cobblestones are notoriously hard on shoes. There is no way around it – the streets are rough and dirty. That’s part of the reason shoemakers thrive in Paris. But because Paris is so hard on shoes, Parisians don’t always invest in them. Handbags, on the other hand, are a different story. For many Parisians, buying a CHANEL handbag for their thirtieth birthday is a rite of passage. The city abounds with Louis Vuitton Speedy handbags. Women of all ages, from all walks of life, carry designer handbags. And even if they only own one that they keep forever, they recognise them as a worthwhile investment in their wardrobe.
You have a strict neutral colour palette in your wardrobe, but you fall in love with a green dress – buy it. You’re going out after work to meet someone you want to impress – don’t worry about changing out of your work clothes. Parisians follow style rules, but what really sets them apart is their knowledge of when to relax. The great paradox of Parisian style is the way that Parisians make such a calculated effort to look like they’ve made no effort at all. And it works. If you ever find yourself looking in the mirror, wondering if what you’ve just put on is too much… take it off, then mess up your hair a bit. That’s what a Parisian would do.
If you want to dress like a Parisian, these tips will get you started on that path. But they might have left you wondering how to translate this advice to make practical changes to your wardrobe. It only makes sense – so come back next week for a list of Parisian wardrobe essentials (and my favourite places to shop for them!)
LOVE this photo compilation, AND have been so excited to read this!! I used to be obsessed with dressing like a Parisian, and anything french for that matter, and still feel like there’s so many amazing tips & nuggets of wisdom in that approach. My fave is the simplified colour palette for sure – it takes the guess work out of putting an outfit together and that’s something I very much appreciate. Clearly, I’m lazy when it comes to getting dressed! 😉
My Curated Wardrobe