Channel your Inner Emily: French Inspired Outfit Ideas | Turn Style (2024)

FAQs

How do the French really feel about Emily in Paris style? ›

Mathilde Carton, editor in chief of French Grazia, is quick to point out that Emily's outfits feel out of touch with reality, both from a sartorial and a practical perspective. “From a fashion point of view, they are too bright, too showy, too cartoonish, and not versatile enough to be worn through the day,” she says.

The Golden Rule of French Style

Practically speaking, this casual-chic style is often achieved by mixing casual affordable pieces with more tailored items. It's never about things being overly precious or fancy (except maybe when it comes to handbags).

The 5 piece French wardrobe is the French version of what some of us might consider a capsule wardrobe. However, what makes the 5 piece wardrobe different is that you can focus on buying 5 new items each season.

It's characterized by neutral colors, clean lines and timeless basics. When you think of French girl style, visualize fashion and comfort coming together as one. No restrictively tight clothing or sky-high heels here. Instead, Parisian fashionistas reach for simple pieces with straight or slightly tailored silhouettes.

Take Emily as an example: she incorporated a touch of orange on her Dolce & Gabbana bag and skirt, while also opting for a yellow suit jacket that aligns with the same color family. The strategic use of complementary hues allows the outfit to flow harmoniously.

However, behind Emily's fantasy world lies the life of a real American in Paris who worked with the producer and scriptwriters to provide the inspiration for many of Emily's on-screen escapades from her real-life experiences.

French women typically invest in fewer clothing pieces that are better: You'll find a perfectly tailored black blazer, well-cut denim, booties and heels that are both classic and cool, and buttondowns that look like they might be borrowed from the boys.

They choose accessories like a scarf, necklace, or watch but keep that simple too. No makeup except lipstick and mascara maybe. They layer their clothes, wearing a nice coat, jacket, dress, or elegant sweater with a skirt or pants and a scarf of course.

– Look for natural fabrics as they are the chicest. Choose necklines that suit you. If you are busty, you may look better in a v-neck or scoop neck rather than a crew neck. Dark jeans – The French mostly avoid jeans that are torn or faded.

Can you wear short skirts in France? ›

As long as your sweater or blouse is tasteful and your shoes aren't stilettos, you can wear micro-skirts until the cows come home and fit right in. It's also worth noting that short skirts are considered age-appropriate for women of all ages in Paris, as long as they have the legs for it!

The basic rules of the 10-item wardrobe is that it consist of 10 core items each season. It does not include outerwear, occasion wear, accessories, shoes and under shirts (t-shirts, tank tops, camisoles etc) things you would wear under sweaters and shirts.

With French style, simplicity is key and a “less is more” attitude. Their fall fashion staples are things like blazers, trench coats, heeled boots, and classic sweaters. They do very little pattern and buy mostly solids of black, grey, brown, cream and camel.

Simple, high-quality basics are combined with individually selected eye-catchers to create the French look. From an unusual accessory, a special pattern, to a pair of statement ankle boots or an elegant culotte, it can be pretty much anything. However, the general rule is: less is more!

The traditional dress in France depends on the region, but consists of items like lace-trimmed blouses, aprons with colorful flowers and white, flared bonnets. The one thing that France's regional costumes have in common is that they are all based on late 18th century rural clothing.

Let that be a lesson to you: the Paris of a pretty young white woman like Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) may well be different from the Paris of her pretty young Chinese BFF in the show, Mindy Chen (Ashley Park). If you fall outside the former demographic, be careful not to project your fantasies from the wrong lens.

A bit of a mixed review for this show: (+) It is light hearted, to be watched for some fun, to pass some time, whenever you don't want to watch anything serious. It only shows the center of Paris (therefore beautiful touristic parts) and the rich life. The main character is pretty, wears colourful clothes.

The show's fictional storyline has caught the attention of many fans worldwide, and it's also received a little bit of backlash for highlighting French stereotypes, such as Parisians who love to smoke cigarettes and are more accepting of affairs than Americans.

Though the series is set in Paris, it is actually mainly spoken in English. However, a lot of the cast is French and some French is spoken throughout the series (and I must say the French is well-spoken and current). Emily arrives in Paris speaking practically no French at all, and relies on Google translate to get by.