Spotting true Parisians solely by judging the clothing on their backs and the shoes on their feet is like playing the easiest game of ‘Where’s Waldo’, in which Waldo is standing dead center in an empty park wearing Hermes. Not to say that all Parisians wear Hermes.

However, the key to successfully spotting a ‘Sophie’ on the streets of Paris is this: faux pas. Though the term is of French origin, it seems funny to associate it with any Parisian woman as they rarely ever make them. And that’s what makes it so easy to spot them from a crowd of tourists.

Starting at the bottom: their feet never see flip-flops – or ‘schlep schelps’ (a clever name given to them by the Parisians, mocking the attention grabbing sound they make). Footwear is always trendy, no matter if they’re wearing jeans, tights or a cocktail dress. Gladiator sandals are a must-have item, as are converse sneakers and ankle boots that range from cowboy to prima donna. Paris-based designer Michel Perry exemplifies the ankle boot look with an amazing pair characterized with scrunched patent brown leather.


Michel Perry - 243 rue Saint Honoré, Paris

Moving upwards: hot blazing summer heat in Paris doesn’t stop these ladies from wearing any variation of leg covering. The decision to wear skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans or tights on any given day is a personal preference and not weather dependent. When tights are the winning choice, the dress (or shirt) to follow suit is almost always super short, attempting at a more sophisticated ‘pant-less’ trend. 





Designer Balmain compliments a pair of skinny jeans with the new high shoulder jacket trend set for Fall 2009.

Going a bit further anatomically north: the dress. A slightly oversized floral dress looks amazing on smaller frames (too tight is not right), keeping the accessories to a minimum allows the dress to speak for itself. Pairing with a matching green ballerina flat is the perfect way to keep this outfit casual yet maintain its uniqueness. A soft leather jacket in any appropriate color will take most summer dresses well into the fall and winter months when worn over leggings.


Missoni keeps a lightly knit dress warm by multi-layering with a sweater wrap, jacket and scarf – the colors seamlessly matching while the patterns and textiles are a magnificent mismatch of luxury.




Keep ChickAdvisor bookmarked in your browsers as you can expect to see several more updates on Paris and European fashion trends in the upcoming months. And since Europe is always light years ahead of the rest of the fashion scenes, it’s the best way to stay ahead of the trends and looking extraordinary. Maybe one day somebody will be spotting you in a crowd!

Article and Photos by Marayna Dickinson