Paris is the city of love, light, fashion, food, and art. Its inhabitants exude elegance, culture, and confidence to near-goddess status. They eat carbs, take lovers, and embrace all their imperfections. What sets French women apart is that they are unapologetically confident. They never leave the house without looking elegant, they roll their eyes at mediocrity, and they believe in living a quality life, full of passion, sensory exploration, and style.
To live like a Parisian you must ooze chic, look perfectly imperfect, take pleasure in everything you do, kiss in public, slow down and enjoy yourself. Want to capture all that effortless glamour? Here are a few of the tips I’ve picked up during my visits to Paris:
Parisian Beauty
Parisians find beauty in their imperfections. A gap in her teeth is a sign of character and would never be closed with braces. The idea of the Parisian beauty routine is to have the “I woke up like this look,” meaning natural makeup and tousled hair. Makeup should look natural, except for the lips. French women generally steer clear of eyeliner, but the lips are usually a shade of red. Contouring is a no-no because it changes the shape of their face, instead, aiming for both natural and sensual, they catch light by using a highlighter on their cheeks, brow bones and Cupid’s bow of the lips.
Dress like a Parisian
Effortless elegance, tomboyish charm, crisp minimalism and sophisticated tailoring — these are the attributes of Parisian style in a nutshell. French women are deliberately simple, versatile and practical. To dress like a woman of Paris, spend your money on a few quality staples to mix and match. Wear neutral tones that include darks like navy, black and grey. Avoid cheery shades and patterns. Flats are a popular shoe choice, probably due to the uneven cobblestone streets of Paris. But it goes along with the less is more philosophy. Elegantly flattering sunglasses, a silk scarf and understated earrings are all essential Parisian accessories.
Dine Like a Parisian
It’s all about moderation when it comes to dining. Parisians eat proper lunches and buy fresh groceries each day. They love farm-to-table eating and spending time in cafes sipping dark espressos. The key to dining Parisian style is drinking water. If you do this, you can drink all the wine and eat all the dark chocolate, baguettes, croissants and cheese you desire (or, in my case, vegan cheese and pastries!). Avoid processed foods and opt for locally produced veggies, fruit, nuts, and olives.
Live like a Parisian
The best way to capture and bring home the Parisian aesthetic and way-of-life is to experience it yourself — like a local. So hop on a plane to Paris, and choose a luxury home rental over a hotel. Specifically, when in Paris choose to stay in a house in the city. We found the super-charming Pecquay Townhouse (Paris’ 4th oldest townhouse) through a vacation rental company called Luxury Travel Book. Staying in a real Parisian home is the best way to really live (and learn about) the Parisian lifestyle.
The Parisian Attitude
Speak loud, speak proud. Speak your mind … if you feel like it. You might call a Parisian arrogant, but it’s only because they have the “Je ne sais quoi” attitude that charms and delights those she encounters. Sulking is only appealing if you do it the French way — with good posture and a twinkle in your eye.
Home Décor, Paris-Style
Naturally, the sophisticated French style extends to interiors. The rules include:
- Don’t over-style. It’s undone but done. In other words, it shouldn’t look like you bought everything in one store.
- Incorporate touches of lavishness like silk drapes, complex wallpaper and an oversized mirror.
- Add sparkle with a vintage crystal chandelier.
- Integrate aromatic and aesthetically pleasing elements like seasonal/local flowers from the market and a wooden essential oil diffuser.
To truly live a Parisian lifestyle, you have to adopt the attitude of minimalist hedonism. If you’re not sure what that means, just remember that quality trumps quantity, old trumps new (in most cases), and classic trumps trendy. Simple, right?!
I love that adapting to anyone else’s notion of what you should be is an aberration for French women. Self-help books and lifestyle courses are the preserve of the “feeble Brit.” LMAO
On the flipside, I heard that “special place in hell for women who don’t help other women” that Madeleine Albright spoke of has been exclusively cordoned off for French women, who long ago realized that sharing their diet and style tips or handing over the number of their (excellent) dermatologist – even to their best friends – is a fool’s game known as “cosmetic kamikaze” amongst the French non-sisterhood. It’s every woman for themselves in this brittle, competitive land.
Did you know that Paris’s Sorbonne University offers Britons summer courses on the virtues of being French – including a course “dissecting the role of women in French history, literature and the arts,” which will cover everything from “the contemporary French female body” to “ageing gracefully” and “female diplomacy”?
Is it true that European countries do not place nutrition labels?
I’ve been reading about Parisian fashion style and I discovered that French are known for their sartorial savvy. Is it hard to adapt?!
I’m reading your dads book, Ockham’s Razor (I’m loving it) and just finished the Paris section when you catch a glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe for the first time and exclaim “That is magnificent!”. I am so glad I found your blog it has inspired me to do the Paris staycation next summer! Ps tell your dad thanks and I’m going to use his book as my guidebook for France! Merci?✨?
That’s great! I’ll definitely tell him. Thanks so much for leaving a comment and letting me know! xox
Great photos and article!
I love your article, we also rent an apartment for the month we stay, and live for 30 days the Parisian life. We go early in the morning to the bakery for oven fresh croissants and a crisp warm baguette ! And we visit, of course as early as possible, the neighborhood market where the men and the ladies spend great time to buy everything fresh for today’s lunch and dinner. Yes, you need to be dressed and wear at least some lipstick to fit in! We are also close to Bon Marche which is a great place for people watching. It is fun to see the ladies pick little wonders of pastries and tarts for tonight’s dinner or negotiate with the butcher what the best cut of meat for the beef stew is!
All is done very loud and with lots of energy… And staying in line is not their strength!
It is a colorful fun city and while their, do how the Parisians due… Drink your coffee with a glass of water while people watching In a cafe and make reservations for a great restaurant to have dinner that night or prepare a fresh meal with all the farm fresh ingredients and a good bottle of wine!
Amazing article!! very useful Tips. Parisian style is famous all over the world. French people take pride in how they look, and they take pride in how they dress. You won’t see them dressing down for comfort outside the home.
The real French style is not only about clothes, it’s more about a behavior.I would say that French girls dare things and they assume to be free. I wonder if, besides fashion stuff, it’s not the reason why they are like a mystery and object of fascination for so many people.