The Anti-Parisian: I'm Not a French Girl, So Why Should I Dress Like One?
Bridget Bardot. Clemence Poesy. Marion Cotillard. Jane Birkin.
Aside from being thin, leggy, and perfectly tousled looking - these style icons also have something else in common. They're French. Why the overall beauty and fashion blogger community is so obsessed with looking Parisian - je ne sais quoi.
I saw this trend start popping up about four or five years ago. It started small - an article here or there about the refreshing au naturel style of these twenty-something Parisians. And then it escalated into some weird realm of virtue signaling and... yes, moral shaming.
All of these prescriptive articles seem to have one message in common: if you're not trying to emulate the French, you're not doing it right.
Here's the thing though. I'm not French. And I'm definitely not a Francophile - the reasons for that are long and varied and personal. So why am I supposed to be placing this particular demographic on a beauty pedestal?
Why the overwhelmingly Aryan stereotype of a French icon and not the sultry and sun-kissed aesthetic of the Italians? Why not the brightly-hued playfulness of Brazilian fashion? Why not the cute makeup looks of Korea and Japan? Why not the confident and shameless flaunting of the Russian miniskirt?
So, who is the Anti-Parisian then?
She's the one who wears Gudetama ankle socks with her power suit. She's the one who imports her skincare products directly from Seoul. She mixes patterns and isn't afraid of a short dress. She swore off heels a long time ago but would happily rock a platform sneaker. She prefers a bold lip over a smoky eye. Her favorite blouse was hand-embroidered in Romania and the local thrift shop is her favorite place for unique duds. She'd consider a nose job and wouldn't be ashamed to talk about it. She knows a sturdy raincoat is more useful than a classic trench coat.
The Anti-Parisian is proud of who she is, her heritage, and her own unique sense of fashion. She doesn't toe the line, coyly obsessed with the status quo - she sets her own trends and marches to the beat of her own drum.
I am the Anti-Parisian. Maybe you are, too.
Because there's a whole world of amazing fashion and beauty inspiration out there. There are entire communities across the globe with their own ideas on style and we would be incredibly remiss to ignore them in favor of one tiny pinprick on a map of the world...
Aside from being thin, leggy, and perfectly tousled looking - these style icons also have something else in common. They're French. Why the overall beauty and fashion blogger community is so obsessed with looking Parisian - je ne sais quoi.
I saw this trend start popping up about four or five years ago. It started small - an article here or there about the refreshing au naturel style of these twenty-something Parisians. And then it escalated into some weird realm of virtue signaling and... yes, moral shaming.
- French girls don't wear contour or highlight.
- French girls understand the necessity of a classic trench.
- French girls buy their skincare products at the drug store.
- French girls would never dream of getting cosmetic surgery.
- French girls don't try to look sexy - they're aiming for sensual.
All of these prescriptive articles seem to have one message in common: if you're not trying to emulate the French, you're not doing it right.
Here's the thing though. I'm not French. And I'm definitely not a Francophile - the reasons for that are long and varied and personal. So why am I supposed to be placing this particular demographic on a beauty pedestal?
Why the overwhelmingly Aryan stereotype of a French icon and not the sultry and sun-kissed aesthetic of the Italians? Why not the brightly-hued playfulness of Brazilian fashion? Why not the cute makeup looks of Korea and Japan? Why not the confident and shameless flaunting of the Russian miniskirt?
So, who is the Anti-Parisian then?
She's the one who wears Gudetama ankle socks with her power suit. She's the one who imports her skincare products directly from Seoul. She mixes patterns and isn't afraid of a short dress. She swore off heels a long time ago but would happily rock a platform sneaker. She prefers a bold lip over a smoky eye. Her favorite blouse was hand-embroidered in Romania and the local thrift shop is her favorite place for unique duds. She'd consider a nose job and wouldn't be ashamed to talk about it. She knows a sturdy raincoat is more useful than a classic trench coat.
The Anti-Parisian is proud of who she is, her heritage, and her own unique sense of fashion. She doesn't toe the line, coyly obsessed with the status quo - she sets her own trends and marches to the beat of her own drum.
I am the Anti-Parisian. Maybe you are, too.
Because there's a whole world of amazing fashion and beauty inspiration out there. There are entire communities across the globe with their own ideas on style and we would be incredibly remiss to ignore them in favor of one tiny pinprick on a map of the world...
Who or what inspires your overall sense of style?
Do you try to emulate a particular look or wear what feels right for you?
Let's have a debate in the comments!
This is really interesting. I did have some sort of an idea of how the French dress or style their makeup but I didn't know there was any moral shaming going on! I definitely think one should be free to express themselves however they want! Thanks for sharing this post! ��
ReplyDeleteI'm not gonna lie - this post is basically me be super shady at The Everygirl right now. They have SO many posts just about how to be 'more French' whatever that means....lol.
DeleteUgh I totally agree! I don't understand the fake French style worship. (I say fake because I think these people are thinking of a stereotype more than the real thing). I mean that look is fine and all but like you said there are plenty of other looks to be inspired by! Some styles I am inspired by: Rock and Roll, Cowgirl, nineties, hippy etc
ReplyDeleteI agree with you - I think the look being touted is mostly stereotypical, which does a serious disservice to the women in Paris who are taking fashion risks and doing their own thing, y'know?
DeleteI'm all about that rocker girl, nineties aesthetic. Go you!
Frenchie here! Although I don't know what it means to be 'French', let alone a 'Parisian'. I dress alternative, j fashion, Kawaii...
ReplyDeleteYes the tall thin white blonde girl as a role model annoys me. France is multicultural. Ms Le Pen will tell you the opposite. But to me French people are also women with a hijab and darker skin, Black girls, French girls with 'Asian features', queers (God I love singer Christine and the queens), proud fat French girls, disabled advocates, burnt people advocates (oh plz check @douzefevrier on Instagram, she's so inspirational).
It's ok if you are not a francophile, I am not an Americanophile either, I love people, not nationalities. ;)
Thank you so much for bringing your perspective as a French person. I love your blog and your fashion looks because they are very original and deviate from what most people expect French girls to look at - and I love that!
DeleteThanks for commenting! <3
You're welcome. :) A new hashtag has been launched #montreznous (#showus) if you wanna see "rreal" French girls https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/montreznous/
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thanks for sharing that!
DeleteInteresting post. I would never have thought of this or that tall, white, blonde females represented a certain 'French look'. But then I'm not much into fashion, so it's possible it passed over my head. Very thought provoking non-the-less.
ReplyDelete