What makes a difference
I know this topic was already printed in several books and got published on thousands of blogs, but since I’ve been in Paris for the first time – sixteen and overstrained from so many well-dressed people around me – I was fascinated by the style of Parisian women. They have this particular effortless – chic look and you just can’t tell what makes it so special and good. It looks like they are all following the same rules, a secret styling code. I wanted to find out about this and did a huge research – later I designed a collection inspired by the results – but I’ll tell you another time. The important thing is : it’s all about the balance in the outfit – concerning shape, color, material, styles – and the details.
These pictures weren’t taken in Paris but I think they could have – regarding the outfits :
Patterned coat with a brooch, overknees, a simple bag, black glasses and red lipstick
You have a really eye – catching coat – biggest part of the outfit – so you step back with colors and prints in accessories, pants, shoes. As the coat has a wider cut, your pants are more close fitting
You have black over the knee leather boots that give you a more chic appearance – so your bag is just a jute bag
You put a little golden brooch on your coat – to give it a personal touch – and it’s not too much because you’re not wearing any other jewelry
You’re wearing quite sophisticated black sunglasses – so you just leave your hair uncomplicated as it is, waving around your pretty face
Your lipstick is part of the outfit – put your finger over the lips in the photo and imagine this red shade would be missing – noooo
Sounds easy but if she would have a ballerina bun instead of loose hair it wouldn’t work – if she’d wear sneaker instead of overknees it wouldn’t work (- thats what I meant with details).
It all looks so well-thought-out and at the same time like she just took whatever she found in her huge, amazing closet – listening to a french indie band.
Navy coat, white blouse, colorful bag and a lot of cute bracelets
Here you can see another phenomenon that caught my eyes in Paris – many little bracelets. When I made sketches of Parisian woman they would always wear at least two of these around their wrists – it’s like another style-code-detail they use – it gives a really relaxed and casual appearance and you ask yourself : where did she get this one from – an old friend or her daughter or did she buy it in Morocco or in Cuba on a boat ?
I tried it but it didn’t look the same – of course. No matter how hard you try – I think to look like a Parisienne you have to be one – this sounds really obvious but I think you get the though.
