I’d been to Paris only once in my life. It was September of 2007, and I was visiting Europe for the first time. I had only a weekend in the city, because I was based in Hamburg and had to be back right away in time for my classes.
But in the short time I spent there, the beauty and energy of the city blew me away. Fashionably dressed women breezed disdainfully past tourists dressed in sweatpants and sneakers, and even the waiters were wonderfully snobbish as I struggled to order a café et croissant while mauling their language.
2.5 years and 5 pounds ago, by the Eiffel Tower
This is my memory of Paris: a sophisticated, sometimes unforgiving place where tourists could only wish to be part of that big, dreamlike city. Locals dressed in varying shades of black, charcoal, cream and khaki, with occasional bright spots of color from younger people.
French fashion brand Promod recently invited Geolette (one of my favorite people in the world) and I to come up with five outfits inspired by Parisian street style. The theme, they said, had to be centered on “je ne sais quoi,” which loosely translates to “I don’t know what,” but basically means a certain X-factor.
Not content with merely styling a bunch of outfits, Geolette and I came up with stories for each of our outfits. We thought of people we spotted on the streets of Paris when we visited and tried to translate them into outfits. It was quite funny coming up with the clothes, because when we dressed the mannequins, we always referred to it as a she. “She looks like she needs a little more oomph in her outfit,” Geolette would say.
We put in a little of us in every outfit, living out how we felt we would’ve dressed if we were seeing Paris through the eyes of our characters. So which one would you be? (Just click on the photos for larger versions)
The New York Socialite
“If you want to establish an international presence you can’t do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris.”
—Oscar De La Renta
“What would Blair wear?” Geolette wondered aloud while we were skimming through the racks. We liked the idea of a New York socialite visiting Paris on a whim just to get away from the Big Apple to the City of Light. We went for a simple little black dress and plaid coat with minimal accessories to reflect the sophisticated vibe of both cities (where you won’t see a lot of locals wearing bright colors). Very Audrey Hepburn in Paris When It Sizzles and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
The New York Socialite
Black dress, P2695; belt, P1695; feather necklace, P995; plaid coat, P3595
Black strappy sandals, P2695
The Writer
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
—Ernest Hemingway
Can’t argue with Hemingway; Paris was inarguably the place to be for writers back then (Hemingway too highbrow for you? Ok, how about the writers from Moulin Rouge?) Vibrant and bursting with life, it served as inspiration for the many artists who came to live there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We thought of a young woman, idealistic and full of ideas, sitting at sidewalk café and scribbling away thoughts on a Moleskine. We like the stark simplicity of this outfit, but don’t let the simplicity deceive you—it’s full of interesting details, like the sequined shoulders on the top and noodle-like strands on the scarf.
The Writer
Small details such as sequins and stripes liven up this outfit. Top, price available upon request. Black shorts, P1495; leggings, P595. Gray pumps, P2695.
Noodle-like scarf, P795
The Artist
“As an artist, a man has no home in Europe save in Paris.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche
On a related note (see “The Writer”), Paris was the center of the Bohemian movement. Channel La Belle Époque in an outfit filled with different colors and textures, reminiscent of Monet’s lily pond paintings during the Impressionist period. We like the wild mix of prints and colors in this particular outfit; it’s not typically French, but it represents the happy-go-lucky spirit of the starving young artists.
The Artist
Green tunic, P2495; purple scarf, P1295; teal scarf, P995; purple bag, P1995; lace-up sandals, P1995
The Film/Theater Student
“When I was at school at Paris, I had special lessons from Mademoiselle Antoine, an actress at the Comedie Francaise, and I was taken to every sort of play. I felt very grand.”
—Vivien Leigh
Casual, young and just a little trendy, the student look we chose for this set veered away from the usual jeans-and-shirt combination. It was partially because we wanted to try something new, and partially because neither Geolette nor I wear jeans if we can help it. We went for tights, a nice draped top, a faux leather jacket and accessorized with beads. We could imagine a slightly bored student looking over her script over a cup of coffee, sitting in a café or lying in the grass.
The Student
Faux leather jacket, P3495; gray inner tank, P495; dove gray dress with ruffle detail, P1695; black tights, P695; silver bag, P1995; necklace, P795
Subtle ruffles make this top more interesting
Rhinestone-studded sandals, P1695
The Country Bumpkin
“The country is provincial; it becomes ridiculous when it tries to ape Paris.”
—Honore de Balzac
The girl from the provence is fresh and earnest, and wears light cotton and flowing cuts for her clothes. Smelling like flowers and milled soap, our little country bumpkin can be a little naïve and a little too impressed by the big city, but catches the eye of the locals wherever she goes. Apple-cheeked and wide-eyed, she brings a breath of fresh air to the sometimes world-weary air of Paris. She knows she is not as sophisticated as the Parisiennes, but she brings her own sense of style to the city.
The Country Girl
Pink peasant top, P1495; brown multi-strap belt, P1690
We like this cutout scarf; P995
Studded brown suede flats, P1995
This ruffled cotton skirt adds texture to a relatively simple outfit; P2495
Just in case you want to see our looks up close, as well as the other bloggers’ take on on French street fashion, do pass by the Promod event at 3pm on Thursday, April 29, at the SM Megamall Atrium. See you there!
Love your country bumpkin look! so French; I lvoe the scarf, the flats and the skirt, and the belt.
Congratulations in winning from the event! Your choices here are so nice. I love the sandals for “Blair”. wweeeh
Congratulations, Bianca and Geolette!
Your post is very inspiring. I barely know anything that is French and this post is really helpful. 
Hello Miss Bianca! I love everything about this post! I’ve always been fascinated with French culture (I’m even taking up French as a language class in school), and it’s really interesting how you put all those little details in a series of outfits.
Very inspiring. I actually didn’t know that Promod was a French fashion brand, despite the fact that I already bought about 2 outfits there already — although I did notice that their pieces are European fashion-inspired. I guess it just never occured to me that it was specifically French.
No wonder.