My entire life, I have been a Francophile. I’m not kidding when I say this, either. I have always been in love with any and everything France. My birthday is the same as French independence day (Bastille Day), and Marie Antoinette is apparently my eighth cousin. Needless to say, I have always been drawn to France, specifically Paris, and in particular the fashion that comes from there. Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, St. Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Hermés, the list is endless. I had the opportunity to visit Paris for my sixteenth birthday in 2019, and it is safe to say that my outfits were giving American tourist. Looking back at the pictures, my outfits definitely weren’t the best. Still, I was sacrificing fashion for comfort, and I am glad I did because there is no way I would have made it wearing over-the-top looks, especially since I walked almost seventy miles the entire trip. Warning, the word chic appears about 1000 times in this article.
Shortly after my trip, a Netflix show by the name of Emily in Paris premiered and became instantly popular. I have to admit. I just recently watched the show and loved it. I don’t know how it took me so long to get into it, but once I did, there was no going back. The show’s premise is about Emily Cooper (played by Lily Collins), an American ad executive who is transferred to Paris to help with the advertising and marketing of a luxury firm. She quickly realizes how snooty French people can be but eventually finds her place in the city of love, which leads her to juggle her career and love life. One of my favorite things about the show, is its over-the-top fashion choices for its titular character. Her outfits always have something designer (which has me and viewers everywhere wondering how she can afford everything), and they are generally eccentric and chic.
French style, to me, has always been laid-back and cool while also having this immense chicness to it that nothing worn in America could even compare. The fashions aren’t flashy but give the “I look like I didn’t try, but really did” vibe. Emily in Paris changed this notion for me, though, and I think it changed a lot of other people’s perceptions of French fashion as well. Now, French fashion will always be laid-back and cool, but I think Emily in Paris has created this new sense of French fashion that is loud and crazy while also being polished and stylish. Since watching the show, I think I have subconsciously begun to incorporate Emily’s style into my own wardrobe. Within the last three months have been told that I remind people of Emily in Paris about a dozen times, and I rejoice every time. I wanted to put my wardrobe to the test, so I styled three Emily in Paris-esque outfits.
Emily’s mismatched and over-the-top outfits have become a staple of the show, and I have noticed how this style has trickled down into American trends. I am not necessarily a big fan of the mismatched vibe that is currently happening, but Emily Cooper is the master of this look, and I have to appreciate it. Whether it is a poofy coat with a tweed skirt or a checked shirt with a plaid skirt, Emily found a way to make the most peculiar styled outfits look incredibly fashionable. For my “mismatched chic” look, I chose a simple white tank, with an incredibly extravagant organza jacket, with a pink and white tweed skirt, a Louis Vuitton scarf, black boots, and red Versace sunglasses.
Another staple section of Emily’s style is definitely her chich and sophisticated looks. There is not a lot of mismatching that goes on here. Whether it is a monochromatic look or a tweed suit set, there is not much of a shock factor like there is with the mismatched outfits, but there is still the wow factor. I would categorize this as her most French-looking collection of styles due to their simplicity yet cool vibe. For my “chic and sophisticated” look, I chose a pink, puff sleeve, tweed blazer with a pink tank top, and wide-leg trousers.
The final section that I think there is to Emily’s wardrobe is her Americanized Frenchcore vibe. These looks have elements of French style, but there is always something that makes them American. To my dismay when I visited France, I bought a beret and was wearing it (thinking I would fit in), only to be berated my French locals asking why I was wearing that “silly hat.” Emily is seen wearing berets pretty often throughout the show, so of course I had to implement the infamous “silly hat” somewhere. For my “Americanized Frenchcore vibe” look I chose a white button down with a black sweater vest, a black and white checked mini skirt, black tights, black boots, a red pea coat, and a red beret.
While many may dismiss Emily in Paris, as corny and unrealistic, I really do love the show and often find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to live Emily Cooper’s life and have her fashion budget. The clothes on the show are truly something, and regardless of whether you like them or not, the style on the show is there and has changed the way that many view Parisian fashion. This Americanized view of how French fashion should be is something that many obsess over, but I think the true French way of fashion is wearing whatever makes you feel stylish, regardless of what anyone else thinks.