What's really Fashionable?

I didn't really pay attention to male fashion trends in France, but I know that my female friends and I agreed that the men dressed well. We found that we came to appreciate guys who took time to put together their wardrobes. Sweaters with collared shirts and button downs were the most common outfits that I saw my French brother wearing. Nothing struck me as particularly noteworthy about his style, but he never dressed down. (Aka no sweatpants, t-shirts, gym shorts etc...) I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. It's nice to see that the French, both men and women, take pride in their clothing. But I like to think that an American style dictates comfort if needed. I know that I love to do my homework on Sundays in my boyfriend's fleece gym pants. It is acceptable to wear sweats out of the house without receiving disapproving glances. I loved admiring dress in France, but sometimes I reverted back to my American habit and relished in comfort spelled "P-I-T-T" across my chest.

Longchamp

Longchamp was the only handbag that monopolized French trends. Instead of encountering designer bags with "LV's" stamped across them (which I thought would be common), it seemed that every female owned a Longchamp bag. The most popular style has a distinct shape, with a narrow square bottom which expands to a zipped top with brown leather straps. The colors are basic, and come in solid black, navy, eggplant, beige, grey etc... They are pretty popular in America as well, claiming a spot among an array of competing designer handbags for 20 somethings. When I met my high school friends in Paris they wanted to buy Longchamp bags, which are cheaper than in the States. So we went to the Galerie Lafyette. As we shuffled through the Longchamp store, I heard a woman ask in a distantly familiar American twang, if they had senior citizen discounts at this store. After trying to decipher what she had said, the manager gave her a blank stare. "Because they have those back in the States yah know," she responded. Needless to say, every time I see a Longchamp bag I associate it with that woman.

Why can't we be friends?

Something that I noticed rather quickly, was that French mix brown and black, and make it look good. Once again I was quite impressed by this skill. I feel like mixing those two colors is one of the most severe fashion mistakes that one can make. Worse than wearing white after Labor Day. But they committed this crime without conscience, and I consciously tried to figure out how it was done. I noticed that it involved a lot of layering or accessories. For example, the PR (person of research) usually wore a long sleeve black turtle neck underneath a brown jacket or dress. If they wore the second look, the brown dress was accompanied with black stockings and brown heels or boots. Only the very best can accomplish this style correctly, and since the French are, in my opinion, some of the best dressers in the world, they can pull it off. I'm rather weary if I can do this however, and probably won't try.

The BoBo's

There exists a group which flaunts Parisian style with a free spirit. The BoBo's, or bohemian bourgeois, while they sound like a rock band, seek a style that defies all conventional norms. Think vintage, straight out of grandma's closet, and you will begin to understand this look. From billowy blouses, to flowing skirts, tribal patterned scarves, and faux fur, this style epitomizes bohemian. The best representative that I could find of this look is Mary Kate Olsen. It's off-beat, but when done right, exudes a carefree confidence, like "i just don't give a shit what you think" that will turn heads.

Le Marais

"The Marais, arguably, the most trend-setting and fashion forward district of Paris..." This Parisian neighborhood retains a unique blend of 17th century architecture and bourgeois flair, but exhibits a hip cultural style that makes it unique to the city. It is home to the Louvre and the Picasso Museum, as well as a proud gay population. It features trendy bars and restaurants with a vibrant night life and sports some of the most fashionable styles in Paris. One can find trendy boutiques

with designer names and hit up second-hand stores at a low price. My friend who studied in Paris said she always went to the Marais for affordable, vintage apperal. So if in Paris, keep this neighborhood on your itinerary for an less conventional experience of the city.