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There is Style and There is Style
Style is style or is it? Women from the big cities in Europe appear to have more than those in the US. This is increasingly apparent if you shuttle between various countries. How can American women up the chic quotient develop a fashion style which makes a statement?
Milan and Paris are two major fashion capitals and if you’re in either city during the shows, be prepared to encounter crowds as well as a lot of very beautiful girls, many of whom are exceedingly young and rail skinny. The Fashion Industry has instituted recent guidelines stipulating that models should sport somewhat more weight.
The Twiggy look (supposedly) is out. Too many teenagers were dieting to the point of becoming anorexic and/or bulimic in an attempt to follow the fashion trend.
If you follow haute couture, you’ll wonder for whom these prestigious designers, such as Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, John Galliano for Dior or Yves Saint Laurent/Tom Ford for Yves St Laurent are designing. The runway presentations, albeit sometimes memorable and generating intriguing shows on the Fashion Channel, are fun to watch. But where would you wear these clothes? Only a few women will know and few outfits will be exactly what the mannequin is wearing that day.
Realistically, these dresses aren’t flying off of the racks and an estimated 1500 are made each year. Women and prêt-a-porter (ready to wear) designers adapt styles for the average woman who’s neither super-thin nor mega-rich. It’s a question of how you wear the clothes in addition to the 
accessories you select. There’s no question a person’s body type impacts how clothes look. But posture can make or break an outfit. People joke about ironed jeans – but they do look better.
Then there’s the question of hair. Many Parisian women would go without food rather than sacrifice their weekly hair appointment. It’s amazing how so many can change their look with a barrette or a ribbon. If you want to be inspired, head to Le Bon Marché on the Left Bank. For not terribly much money (relatively, that is) you can change your look by learning how to manage your hair.
Bonjour Paris readers are constantly asking what they should wear when coming to the City of Light. Generally, we’re of the black persuasion, most especially during winter months. On the other hand, many Parisian clothing stores are showing color this year. It’s hard to miss the trend as you walk by boutique after boutique. But all you need to do is buy a scarf and a purse to look “in.” And you don’t need to go to Hermes. There are plenty of inexpensive scarves and shawls to be had for less than 10 Euros. Ask the salesperson to show you how to wear it since French women have a special style which many American women find hard to imitate. Take the extra few minutes to learn so you hopefully can avoid trailing the scarf behind you.
Be sure your shoes aren’t run down at the heels. There are booths where you can have heels replaced while you wait in the bigger metro stops and train stations, Plus, if there is any purchase that’s a relative bargain in Paris, it’s shoes. Go to the blocks (such as the Rue de Rivoli) where there’s one shoe store after another.
European women generally expect to keep their clothes longer and anticipate they’ll require alterations; an expense women willingly undertake so the outfit will look made to measure. They buy a few new clothes each season during the biannual sales if possible. They tend to buy classic clothes that they can dress up or down. However, this means keeping their weight in check and not pigging out between meals. Even though there are fewer gyms in Paris, people walk faster and further. The only US city where people hit the pavement is Manhattan.
Perhaps it’s partially genetic but French women appear to be born with smaller hips and keep in shape with a personal regime. The younger people (meaning under 65) who live in my apartment building tend to climb the stairs rather than the elevator unless they’re lugging groceries.
Even in a business environment, French women tend to look sexy without being vulgar. Sophisticated French women have the ability to turn on the charm and don’t need to wear rigid ‘dress for success suits’ in order to be taken seriously. Ségolène Royal has been the ultimate case in point as she ran for President of France. The majority of French electorate may not have liked her politics, but she didn’t lose her femininity even if she lost the race.
© Paris New Media, LLC
