So you want to be Parisienne?

Paris Fashion Week has come to an end, **cries profusely** but that doesn’t mean your love for Parisienne style has to be! Having many Parisienne friends growing up, I have been able to get a closer look at how exactly les femmes parisiennes create that certain je ne sais quoi that we all adore. 

It can be very difficult to explain that ambiance many Parisiennes are able to create, but luckily, a couple of years ago, I found a book that pinpoints just that: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are, by friends Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas. Here are some tidbits of the book that I find quite helpful on how to achieve that Parisienne-ness you’ve always wanted in your life. Amusez-vous!         

Words to Live by

(page 3)

“Aphorisms” is my favorite part of the book– pure gold. It’s short and precise, but could not be more true. Here’s some advice I find helpful:   

Items You Should Never Own 

(page 8)

The typical Parisienne woman is serious about her appearance. Here is “What You Won’t Find in Her Closet,” and by that, I mean never. ever: 

Items You Should Own 

In “The Essentials,” the parisienne woman’s essential items of her closet are listed:

Keep Your Colors Within Means….

The Parisienne never overdoes it with colors, and that is the exact reason why their outfits are always on point. Here’s a great overview on her color code:

Find Your Signature Item

(pg. 30)

To contradict what many may think, the parisienne’s wardrobe is not all designer.  Of course, she’s all about quality, but if she’s going to spend real cash on an item, it better be something that she can wear until death. 

Here are some words from the section, “Virtues of the Signature Item,” on finding your article signature:

And Lastly, Snobbisms

Two pieces of advice that are très important on keeping your look neat but rebellious in “Parisian Snobbisms”:

To conclude, sure, there may be some exceptions to these rules of being Parisienne, but something I’ve noticed the most from this book and the Parisienne women in my life is that less is more–don’t overdo it–jamais! 

Now that you have some of the most important tools for achieving le look parisienne, get out there and work it! Sure, maybe you’re not Parisienne, but a girl can dream. As Karl Lagerfeld once said, “You don’t have to be French to be Parisienne.” Yes, my dear Karl, I agree!

Written by: Lauren Sobel