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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Paris winter style

Since Parisian women are so stylish, I made a point to keep an eye on what they were wearing while we were visiting France this fall.
Why do French women seem so stylish? So put-together?

Here's what I observed in general:
1. The women wear little make-up and what they do wear is subdued, with the exception of an occasional bright lip.
2. Very few women "do" their hair: no curling, layering, perming, straightening. Nearly everyone had long, natural hair either straight down or in a loose top knot or a low ponytail. I didn't even see a lot of bangs.
3. While French women seem to spend less time on their appearance than, say, an American (maybe one from Texas), they pay attention to detail so they look well-groomed. Our flight to France was overnight, and as one French passenger awoke she stretched, unwrapped her blanket, and immediately applied lipstick!
4. French women are not overweight. They are generally quite slim, never obese. It was startling to return to the US and realize how very heavy our population has become.

What I noticed the women were wearing this winter:
1. Skinny pants and jeans without a single exception. I never saw another style.
2. Dark colors, almost universally, once in a while a hint of color but nothing like a bright red or chartreuse shirt.
3. Scarves, casually wrapped around and around the neck, not tied.
4. Neat little ankle boots, either flat or with a low (1 or 2") heel. Parisians walk a lot, and this is a practical, comfortable choice. I became obsessed with these little boots and now I am on a quest for the perfect version.

Obviously after all this snooping I had to buy some clothes for moi. Of course!
I got all this for 90 Euros:

Teal print scarf and dark (almost black) teal cigarette slacks.
Freaking gorgeous slinky silk blouse in cream with black trim. I love this top.

Flat ankle boots. No, these are not the perfect ankle boot. They are just a temporary solution.

These are almost the perfect ankle boot, but I got them in the US.

What are you wearing this winter?

7 comments:

  1. I love boots and Paris. I'm wearing shorts and flip flops today. Some days it's jeans. I suck at fashion.

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  2. I'm with MILF. My idea of fashion is ripped jeans and a hoodie.

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  3. I like a wrap dress and tall flat boots. But that's not just this winter, it's pretty much the past few years. And in another 20 lbs I might try out some skinny pants.

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  4. I love Parisian fashion! I love the fact that they aren't walking around in ginormous heels all the time even more. :)

    Most days I wear a skirt or a dress since its easier to fit clothes to my waist than to my runner thighs. If I do wear pants, they're stretchy cropped Audrey Hepburn type pants. And ballet flats.

    I like the ankle boots but it's super hard to find a good pair!

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  5. This sounds a lot like how woman are in Quebec..well I would say educated women..I know that sounds so bad but it is like that. They are very much like French women. the flat boots you got are my kind of boots!! at 5'10" it has to be flat!! :)

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  6. I got nothing here...

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  7. The Parisian really are such a classy culture. They are so great at accessorizing with the perfectly styled scarf. I like their minimalistic approach to hair and make up. They always look so pulled together without looking so made up, which I really like! I noticed the skinny pants trend when i was there 2 years ago as well. In general, they always look like they are wearing well tailored clothes.

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