Having spent the holidays in California, I was struck by how often people there asked me if Parisians really dress nicely and if, when they go visit Paris, they should pack their best clothes. Indeed, having lived here a while now, I sort of have forgotten the stereotype that people have of Parisians as sharp dressers and Paris as the world capital of fashion. The latter I feel is still true. During the period when the big houses of fashion present their collection, Paris is abuzz with energy, soul and optimism rarely seen in other times.
But do all Parisians dress sharply? Now, we know that stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations that contain many inaccuracies and tend to overlook the many exceptions. So, being a jaded Parisian already (can one be jaded before one becomes a real Parisian? I guess one could in Paris), I tried to tell those who ask that in Paris there are certainly bad dressers….to be directly contradicted by those present who have been to Paris and who swore that everyone in Paris dresses to a T (Did not even have the energy to explain to them that stereotypes often lead to selective perception and that we only notice cases that confirm the stereotype and forget those that disconfirm it).
But still, maybe there is some truth to the stereotype that Parisians dress better than Americans or Australians? I try to test this idea on myself as I have noticed changes in how I look at myself and others when it comes to beauty, clothes and other important things in live ha ha. Beauty as I think it in Paris is not something that you are born with. It is something that you cultivate, something that you take time to acquire and to finesse. You have to earn your beauty. Now, if you have time and just sit at a café in le Marais, or even in Avenue Champs Elyssée and watch the men (well, for me anyway) and the women who pass by, I am often struck by the attention to details that these guys and gals have, not just the matching or complementary colors from shoes to socks to gloves and scarfs and coat, but to how everything has to hang. With their gorgeous longish dark hair brushed back, the guys would have a recalcitrant strand that falls on his face (that of course looks as if it happened by itself, though trust me, this was done on purpose). The scarf can be tied in a million ways all of which look like they took hours to tie, but very gorgeous indeed. And what’s amazing, even in the evening after being out all day, these guys still look impeccable (Me, on the other hand, I will already have wrinkled everything and spots of the sauce that I had with my lunch on several places). Even in all white, they would manage to keep it white all day and all night.
But there are also fashion-challenged souls in Paris. And of course, given the contrast to those other well dressed people, they stand out even more here. But at least one can comfort oneself in the idea that beauty is earned and nurtured. With this idea, you can always tell youself that in time you would also be beautiful (unlike the idea that you were or were not born beautiful). But nonetheless they are there and though I notice them, my visiting Australian and American friends do not (or they simply think that they must be tourists like they are).
But indeed it is a nice change to see American and Australian tourists leaving behind their t shirts and shorts to dress up when visiting Paris. I have noticed though, when there is a group of tourists distinctly American that would attract attention because of their t shirts, shorts, sandals and brightly colored baseball caps, my French friends never fail to whisper "Americains" (Americans) under their breath, but they NEVER notice the well-dressed Americans who could be sitting at the next table or walking beside us on the sidewalk. Such is the power of stereotype!
Hints for shoppers:
My favorite clothes (though I am not always able to affod) is agnes b. (store that I visit is near St Eustache behind les Halles). If you're going to spend 145 euros for a sweater better stick to basic style in black (and not other colors that would go out of style). Jeans I like are Et Vous (store at rue Etienne Marcel). Indeed, Paris is good for expensive well cut clothes but for middle range clothes, better buy them elsewhere (though Zara is moderate and can be found in Paris too).
But do all Parisians dress sharply? Now, we know that stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations that contain many inaccuracies and tend to overlook the many exceptions. So, being a jaded Parisian already (can one be jaded before one becomes a real Parisian? I guess one could in Paris), I tried to tell those who ask that in Paris there are certainly bad dressers….to be directly contradicted by those present who have been to Paris and who swore that everyone in Paris dresses to a T (Did not even have the energy to explain to them that stereotypes often lead to selective perception and that we only notice cases that confirm the stereotype and forget those that disconfirm it).
But still, maybe there is some truth to the stereotype that Parisians dress better than Americans or Australians? I try to test this idea on myself as I have noticed changes in how I look at myself and others when it comes to beauty, clothes and other important things in live ha ha. Beauty as I think it in Paris is not something that you are born with. It is something that you cultivate, something that you take time to acquire and to finesse. You have to earn your beauty. Now, if you have time and just sit at a café in le Marais, or even in Avenue Champs Elyssée and watch the men (well, for me anyway) and the women who pass by, I am often struck by the attention to details that these guys and gals have, not just the matching or complementary colors from shoes to socks to gloves and scarfs and coat, but to how everything has to hang. With their gorgeous longish dark hair brushed back, the guys would have a recalcitrant strand that falls on his face (that of course looks as if it happened by itself, though trust me, this was done on purpose). The scarf can be tied in a million ways all of which look like they took hours to tie, but very gorgeous indeed. And what’s amazing, even in the evening after being out all day, these guys still look impeccable (Me, on the other hand, I will already have wrinkled everything and spots of the sauce that I had with my lunch on several places). Even in all white, they would manage to keep it white all day and all night.
But there are also fashion-challenged souls in Paris. And of course, given the contrast to those other well dressed people, they stand out even more here. But at least one can comfort oneself in the idea that beauty is earned and nurtured. With this idea, you can always tell youself that in time you would also be beautiful (unlike the idea that you were or were not born beautiful). But nonetheless they are there and though I notice them, my visiting Australian and American friends do not (or they simply think that they must be tourists like they are).But indeed it is a nice change to see American and Australian tourists leaving behind their t shirts and shorts to dress up when visiting Paris. I have noticed though, when there is a group of tourists distinctly American that would attract attention because of their t shirts, shorts, sandals and brightly colored baseball caps, my French friends never fail to whisper "Americains" (Americans) under their breath, but they NEVER notice the well-dressed Americans who could be sitting at the next table or walking beside us on the sidewalk. Such is the power of stereotype!
Hints for shoppers:
My favorite clothes (though I am not always able to affod) is agnes b. (store that I visit is near St Eustache behind les Halles). If you're going to spend 145 euros for a sweater better stick to basic style in black (and not other colors that would go out of style). Jeans I like are Et Vous (store at rue Etienne Marcel). Indeed, Paris is good for expensive well cut clothes but for middle range clothes, better buy them elsewhere (though Zara is moderate and can be found in Paris too).
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment