How many times can a fantasy be recycled and repurposed until it feels attainable? In the canon of women’s self-improvement, the French-girl ideal—the most persistent and prescriptive of the fantasies—is always just one pouty red lip, marinière, and pair of skinny jeans away from becoming real.
A quick Google image search for French girl reveals a host of eminently familiar faces, each more calculated in its composition of faux effortlessness than the one before it. Model and actress Jeanne Damas, our generation’s Jane Birkin, figures among the first twenty results, alongside equally as slender, tousled-hair brunettes. The sole non-white exception is a woman from this story about defying beauty tropes. Never mind that French girl is used as a stand-in for Parisian—a conflation we likely owe to the framing of the 1950s and 1960s mavens of popular culture like Françoise Hardy and Brigitte Bardot as French icons, but who remain eminently tied to Parisian mythology—their reverence to a billion-dollar archetype is as reductive to the real women of Paris as it is to the women aspiring to be them.
There’s a plurality of Parisian styles and personalities—that’s obvious from walking the streets of Paris. But with more and more women using social media to access and share a more diverse sample of images, experiences, lifestyles and opinions, the disconnect between fantasy and reality is growing deeper and more glaring. If author and journalist Sophie Fontanel has given the middle finger to the notion that there is a codified set of rules for fashion and beauty over fifty, the women highlighted below are proudly showing the way for a younger generation of women who are ready to express themselves free from the grips of a generations-old myth.
Anlya Mustapha, 27
“The mainstream, accepted image of the Parisian woman is embodied by sophistication and elegance on slender, tall, white women. If something stands out as Parisian in style, it’s in their simplicity—not necessarily in color or print but in the total look. Yet on the ground, the style leans ultra-casual. There’s streetwear and minimalism. The dolled-up look we see time and again isn’t actually the norm.
“Women of color generally don’t find themselves in the classic representations of Parisian women, in terms of fashion or makeup. A red lip might be common on a white woman, but we might go for something entirely different. We can’t all be reduced to a few images or to one archetype. Luckily, there’s been a democratisation of makeup and beauty, which now leans very American (think: contouring, highlighting). That has been a step toward liberating Parisian women to express themselves as they wish. That’s a good start.
“I discovered modest fashion as a style through Dina Torkia when I was studying in London. It’s far more present in the U.K. than in Paris. But I’d also say my style is Parisian insofar as it is meant to be elegant, simple, minimalist. I like oversized and androgynous pieces—that’s Parisian, too.
“Modest fashion allows me to express my femininity and the plurality of my identities, as a woman and practicing Muslim. It’s not an attempt to respond to or address the systemic Islamophobia that continues to plague France—the idea that Muslim women may not be ‘French enough’—because that message, told through fashion, wouldn’t be heard by the people and populations who espouse such beliefs. The photos I share of my style, rather, are targeted to other women like me: women who may not have the confidence to seize the legitimate place they deserve in society. And it’s not only Muslim women—it’s anyone who may not feel accepted or legitimate.
Anlya’s favorite places to shop: “The Frankie Shop for a more traditionally Parisian esthetic and Kenza B, which specializes in modest fashions.”
Ellie Nesmon, 32
“Parisian style has always been synonymous with elegance, effortless chic and with an antiquated image that no longer matches reality. Parisian women aren’t always in ballet flats, sporting a marinière or a beret—thank goodness!
“I’m from Martinique. and I’ve lived in Paris for several years. I express the dualities of my identity through fashion. One day, I’ll wear a lot of prints and colors and very feminine cuts that remind me of the island. Another, I’ll embrace neutral colors and classic, more masculine cuts that convey a more traditional Parisian chic. I don’t need to choose between Paris and the Caribbean. Fashion allows me to be a chameleon. That’s why I love it so much.
“I hope women see that, through my style, the parisienne isn’t necessarily a blonde with poker-straight bangs, but rather a cosmopolitan woman who isn’t necessarily born in Paris, but is well-traveled and draws inspiration from other cultures. She defines her own style, which is modern and fun.”