ten things I noticed about Parisian street style
and secondhand options to recreate it on your own!
As someone who majored in French language and literature in college (I dare you to name a more useless major…), I felt vindicated when I learned that one side of my husband’s family was almost all located in France. But despite the family connection, I’ve spent a pathetically small amount of time there. When I learned that another one of my husband’s cousins had planned a French wedding this year, we decided to tack on a few days in Paris beforehand. (Don’t worry, there’s an upcoming post on what I wore, including my wedding guest outfit, as well as one on all of the vintage stores I visited!)
Before this trip, I’d been to Paris only two other times: once at age nine (this was in 1999, and I tallied in my journal every single pair of black capri pants I saw on the trip) and once, for a couple days, at age twenty-six, at the tail end of a twenty-one day trip that included a road trip through Morocco, Spain, and the south of France with my now-husband. Both times were at the height of summer (hell) in a country that has historically been too chic for air conditioning. So to be able to spend a few days in Paris, as an adult, in gorgeous sunny spring weather… what a dream. I’m not going to be as bold as to say that this is a representative sample of Parisian street style (for that, and for many other reasons, you should absolutely subscribe to Irene Kim (김애린)’s newsletter), but it’s what stood out to me! Here’s what I took note of:
Funnelneck wool jackets: Most were shorter silhouettes—cropped jackets rather than coats—and several were in subtle prints, like tweed or houndstooth.
Adidas Sambas everywhere (and in pairs): I saw so many pairs of the ponyhair leopard print Adidas. I also noticed groups of people wearing Adidas together: a couple paused at a stoplight, both in black Sambas with different color stripes; two friends sitting at a sidewalk cafe, legs crossed in the same direction, wearing Adidas Sambas in different shades of brown.
Suits with sneakers: A chic update on the 1980s trope of the commuter businesswoman taking the subway in a skirt suit and Reeboks. Unlike that dated stereotype, I would bet that the women I saw were not slipping into heels once they got to the office. (Does this count as feminist progress?) There were navy suits, black suits, and grey suits, paired with sneakers as varied as classic New Balances to a sleek all-black Nike pair.
Leopard print: Including the aforementioned ponyhair Adidas, I noticed a lot of leopard print out and about, most notably on a sheer midi skirt and a fleece jacket.
Long black fringed suede duster: A woman walking by the Pont au Double, just across the river from the Notre Dame Cathedral, had on a stunning long black suede coat with fringe trim on the back. I barely noticed the rest of her outfit because I was so struck by how gorgeous the jacket was!
White peasant blouse: This woman, on her way to Café Kitsuné, was optimistic about the weather warming up (which it did). Amidst a sea of leather and wool, she wore only a simple white peasant top with puff sleeves and slightly baggy jeans.
Weird Adidas track pants jeans: A girl in the crowds outside the Notre Dame Cathedral was wearing these pants that I at first thought were a one of a kind DIY project. I have since been able to deduce that they are another limited edition Adidas item and only seem to be available on eBay right now. Unfortunately, I love them and think they are so cool.
This woman was walking up Rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement wearing an outfit that felt part Tibi, part Tyrese Haliburton—structured navy leather purse, classic blue oxford button-up, shiny burgundy pleather miniskirt, burgundy loafers, and a burgundy sweater draped over her shoulders.
I ran into this woman not once, but twice in a day—the first time as she was walking down Rue de Rivoli by Smith & Sons. I noticed her brown paneled leather bomber jacket first—the perfect foil to a pair of pinstriped slim-cut flare trousers (and black heeled ankle boots and a Sezane floral canvas tote bag to round it out.)
This woman was seated on the M1 near the Palais Royal Musee de Louvre stop wearing perhaps the perfect spring outfit: a blue Courreges baseball cap, navy culottes, a classic khaki trench coat, and black leather Martiniano tie-front flats.
I hope you make it to Paris more often! Please reach out next time 😉.
I can’t wait to see your What I Wore post!