Column: An American girl in Paris

The phenomenon that is Fashion Week is still going strong. In fact, it’s kind of hard to keep up with. Between New York, London, Milan and now Paris, fashion’s globetrotting schedule has flown by at a rapid pace.

Classic designers, such as Dries Van Noten, and up-and-comers, such as Anthony Vaccarello, already had jaw-dropping shows in Paris this week, but this is just the beginning.

Not only is Paris one of the most romantic cities in the world, it’s arguably the Mecca of the fashion industry. The gods of fashion — Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermés and Christian Lacroix — started out in France and were influenced by the endless sophistication of Paris.

I’ll be the first to tell you this isn’t a cliché. Paris really is the most sophisticated place in the world, and Parisian women really are about 100 times more stylish than anyone else. 

In fact, I know this from personal experience. Two separate trips to Paris left me positively reeling from my lack of Parisian chic. It was a bit annoying, really.
It wasn’t that every French girl wore Chanel shoes and Hermés bags. That’s a common misconception.

In fact, I hardly saw those look-at-me labels during my frequent walks down the Seine. Instead, French women wore slim pants, silk scarves, solid-colored tops and leather ballet flats. And that’s it.

Their style is the epitome of effortless chic, and it has had fashionphiles like me attempting to replicate it for years. Often unsuccessfully, I might add.

The ultra-simple French sensibility leads us to believe these women are just born stylish, that their style is natural and innate. How unfair, right?

Though this isn’t exactly true, it really does seem like the French don’t even have to try to look fabulous. It just happens.

Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion passes, style remains,” and this immediately applies to French style — in fact, it might only apply to French style. French women never look overdone or dated; they’ve mastered the perfect blend of past and present.

This idea makes “trends” seem slightly ridiculous. In 50 years, we’ll be wondering why we bought neon pants and crop tops, while French girls will have zero regrets about their cap-toe heels and tweed skirts.

Some of my personal style icons are the women who truthfully created the classic, inimitable French style that will never be considered “out.” Brigitte Bardot is famous not just for her trendsetting hair but for her elegant shift dresses, cropped pants and little jackets, with no loud prints or accessories in sight.

A more recent source of inspiration is Charlotte Gainsbourg (daughter of famous French musician Serge Gainsbourg). Charlotte embodies the classic French philosophy, but she successfully modernizes it. She isn’t afraid of a bold print or architectural heel, and she’ll wear boyish loafers with girly mini skirts, once again achieving a perfect balance.

French model and actress Lou Doillon also takes French style to the next level. She repeatedly looks classic and unfussy, but her eye-catching ensembles often include a strong pop of color or interesting little detail. One of my favorite Doillon outfits includes a vintage brocade coat layered over a summery (and very modern) coral dress. Simple, unexpected and timeless — what could be better?

As someone who loves a great stack of bracelets and mixing bold prints, the simplistic French style feels like shocking new territory for me. But on those days when I feel like I have no inspiration, though my closet is overflowing with options, French style is the perfect solution. Skinny jeans, a loose blouse, my favorite ballet flats and a dainty scarf don’t look at all boring. Instead, they’re perfectly minimal.
Sometimes less really is more.

— emfarra@indiana.edu