French Style!

[helena]

maybe american style is more sl*tty - britney, paris hilton, nicole whatserface, jessica simpson. they all look a bit tarty....you know unlike maybe vanessa paradis who looks more classic ...... or even sienna miller who isn't really sl*tty looking albeit that she wears skimpy clothes sometimes.

 

[vintage_princess]

I have to say brands like juicy couture are not as popular over here like it is in America.

 

[Virginielle]

maybe american style is more sl*tty - britney, paris hilton, nicole whatserface, jessica simpson. they all look a bit tarty....you know unlike maybe vanessa paradis who looks more classic ...... or even sienna miller who isn't really sl*tty looking albeit that she wears skimpy clothes sometimes.

I hate the way the girls are dressing in LA. You're right about Britney, Paris, Nicole looking trashy. I can't stand what Britney Spears has done to herself as of late. That's also a very Hollywood way to dress---whereas you don't get nearly as much of that in places like New York, Boston, DC, etc. Sienna Miller could wear absolutely nothing outside and she still wouldn't look bad in my opinion. She's got terrific style.

 

[Mona1]

I was in Paris not so long ago and I was struck about the lack of taste and style that most people had.
I was in Barclone a month ago and there I experienced the same thing, people, both male and female, have no style and do not care whatsoever about they way they look. The trend in hairstyle for girls seemed to be the "hockey-cut", ie, very short in the front and long and thin hair in the back. So yuck!

On the other hand, I love London, people always seem to look stylish but still not overdone.

 

[fashionista-ta]

hey i love this topic. Im really into the european style because i live in a place where everybody looks the same (at the moment everyones going through the Sienna Miller stage)
I just love the way they can wear what they want and have the personality to shine through the clothes.
One thing however....how do u buy a couple of quality items and then wear them all the time? I always end up buying lots and lots and never wear the clothes as much as i want to cos i get bored.
I would love to buy a couple of items instead of loads

I think the key is to buy things you really, really love so you don't get tired of them. Another key is to buy separates so you can mix things up. I shop more this way with both a color and a style theme for each season, but it does take more than 4-5 pieces for me Hang on, I keep detailed records of what I buy ... I can tell you what it was for spring ...

1 bag
1 skirt
1 tee
1 top
1 blouse
1 pair jeans
2 pair capris
1 jacket
3 sweaters
3 pairs of shoes (espadrilles, slides, slingbacks)
1 necklace (gold, pearl, coral)
1 pendant (gold, coral, mother of pearl)
lingerie

OK, so that's lots more than 4-5 ... I suspect either that number includes filler pieces, or has a substantial collection backing it up ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

PS I would really be interested in a real life example of what 4-5 pieces entails if anyone can provide one ... what are your 4-5 pieces? What else are you also buying that's not counted in that number?

 

[Bonchic]

maybe american style is more sl*tty - britney, paris hilton, nicole whatserface, jessica simpson. they all look a bit tarty....you know unlike maybe vanessa paradis who looks more classic ...... or even sienna miller who isn't really sl*tty looking albeit that she wears skimpy clothes sometimes.

I agree with that. They just have more class and americans seem really casual

 

[Arug]

The French, ah oui... Their attitude shines through, that's the key of their style.
Whatever they wear they do it with grace and confidence.
Tailoring and quality of clothes make style even easier.
Every woman has a bit of French inside her, just be proud to be you and laugh at life's little things over cafe au lait.

 

[LeonieAlexandria]

Upping

 

[lifeis]

someone mentioned paris and barcelona havign no style. Ok i live in spain (not barcelona thou) and i met some guys when i went to california from barcelona and let me tell u they all look stylish to the point that they looked metrosexual.They all had this long is hair done in this messy way (planned and comed to look that way) they had their jeans falling to just they right place so u could see part of their underwear but not too much and wearing fitted tshirts. u could clearly see they did care about fashion(in their own way).

 

[discostu]

bump

 

[Fade to Black]

French style is by far my favorite to watch...with Japanese style in second place. Just the elegance, ease and sophistication even in simplicity. I think Hedi summed it up very well with the phrase, 'bien porte' ...non?

That said, in my own personal style I always aim to exude the same qualities as French style, for me they are the benchmark!

 

[sofia laetitia]

ok

i have only read the past 2 pp. of this thread, but

i'm italian and just moved to paris from london,

so i feel like commenting on this:

i think style isn't just a matter of clothes, it encompasses a way of living in general (food, cities, weather, daily routine).

in countries like france (or italy) this is very much based on 'quality', intended as making the best of what you already have, including your physical appearance, rather than wanting to change it.

maybe i'm wrong, but i feel that in london, or new york, pleople are more concerned about being hype than in most of europe, and tend to accumulate clothes, styles and even identities in relationship to trends. this doesn't happen in more tradition-based places.

having said so, i do thing that there's something special about french women's style, which i guess i could call 'sophistication', meaning making something simple become unique and glamourous, if i see what i mean.

i'm from rome, so not the most fashionable city in italy (which is undoubtely milan), but i think french women are more sophisticated than italian, because they tend to be less conformist.

 

[LeonieAlexandria]

i used to like italian alot.. but its just not that great anymore..

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

"and even identities in relationship to trends. this doesn't happen in more tradition-based places.

having said so, i do thing that there's something special about french women's style, which i guess i could call 'sophistication', meaning making something simple become unique and glamourous, if i see what i mean."

Great post! This sums up exactly how I feel on the subject. For instance if the trend is boho chic people will become that until the next trend comes around. At least that how it seems to be in the U.S. Also people dont seem to appreciate being unique, glamorous, or having a subtle sex appeal. I dont know how it is other places but thats how it is here. French women seem to get these things better and dont seem to have the need to become someone else for the sake of fashion.

 

[crankypants]

October issue of Nylon magazine is their "Paris issue." They have articles on French dressing, designers, and actors.

 

[susie_bubble]

I do visit Paris a lot and I can't deny that their style is admirable because they take the time to care about their appearance and always look like they're wearing their clothes, rather than the clothes wearing them. I also like the way they have sustained classic items that they will wear forever. Their emphasis on quality over quantity is also unrivalled.
HOWEVER (and this is a big however)......
For a city that has such an innovative and creative fashion week, the reality of their style is extremely conservative and very unimaginative. I saw a girl aged 14 who was wearing an orange turtleneck with orange shoes and an orange handbag.....all the exact same shade of orange. She looked at my green shoes which happend to be a different shade of green to the skirt I was wearing with a sneering smirk. Some Parisians' style flowed naturally because of the infinite quality of their clothing. But most looked like they tried too hard and had spent the whole night co-ordinating their outfit. There was just something very unnatural and overly-coiffed about the way these ppl dressed.
I think every city has the good, the bad and the ugly. In the case of Paris, the good is safe, bordering on bland, the bad is the good taken to unnatural heights of perfection and there is no ugly.

 

[Fuuma]

On the minus side parisian women dress like their mothers.

On the plus side their mothers have an amazing sense of style.

Just kidding, I'm a french speaker anyway so I'm just turning on my own people.

 

[cbcb]

On the minus side parisian women dress like their mothers.

On the plus side their mothers have an amazing sense of style.

LOL well put.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I do visit Paris a lot and I can't deny that their style is admirable because they take the time to care about their appearance and always look like they're wearing their clothes, rather than the clothes wearing them. I also like the way they have sustained classic items that they will wear forever. Their emphasis on quality over quantity is also unrivalled.
HOWEVER (and this is a big however)......
For a city that has such an innovative and creative fashion week, the reality of their style is extremely conservative and very unimaginative. I saw a girl aged 14 who was wearing an orange turtleneck with orange shoes and an orange handbag.....all the exact same shade of orange. She looked at my green shoes which happend to be a different shade of green to the skirt I was wearing with a sneering smirk. Some Parisians' style flowed naturally because of the infinite quality of their clothing. But most looked like they tried too hard and had spent the whole night co-ordinating their outfit. There was just something very unnatural and overly-coiffed about the way these ppl dressed.
I think every city has the good, the bad and the ugly. In the case of Paris, the good is safe, bordering on bland, the bad is the good taken to unnatural heights of perfection and there is no ugly.

No ugly ... the mind boggles

You are at least the second person to mention that condescending attitude in this thread I have been known to match things ... but I'm certainly aware that unmatched done well is better. I have always suspected that there is something wrong with people who obsessively match. Btw, I find Lucky magazine to be an excellent reminder of what unmatched should never look like B) On this month's cover, the starlet is wearing a magenta velvet jacket, brick red pants, and dusty rose/coral top. It is just so wrong, the magenta & brick red ... I want to send them a color wheel or something ... They need a Pantone intervention