A Tale of Two Cities: The French Girl vs. The Brit
Since well before Charles Dickens penned “A Tale of Two Cities” London and Paris have been compared in various regards, from culture to writers to architecture. But, perhaps, the biggest face off between these two metropolises has been over which city’s residents reign superior in the style sector. Rooted in an extensive haute couture heritage, you’ll often see timeless, high quality basics coalescing with a simple, effortless street style in the City of Light. The classic French girl has a certain brand of insouciance that’s often mimicked, but seldom matched. Yet, that’s not to say that London style doesn’t pack a punch in its own right. You only need to go as far as hopping on the tube or wandering down a quaint street in order to bear witness to the clashing style influences that often take an experimental turn. British street style tends to defy any singular definition, though I found it to bring a common punk aesthetic and edge to traditional techniques. Bearing this in mind, I set out in each of these fashion capitals to explore how the individuals that walk their streets put a twist on these style personas.
London Macrotrend: Athletic Inspired Streetwear
When in London, I was particularly drawn to the more diverse, artistic neighborhoods where edgy millennials and buttoned-up businessmen converged at charming open markets. The eclectic area of Shoreditch most epitomized this, with its graffitied walls and plethora of quaint vintage stores. While there were many variations of streetwear that wandered the streets, I was surprised to find a common athletic influence within many of the looks. The first of such a look that I encountered was a more feminine take on athletic streetwear, where this particular girl paired a retro Nike tennis dress with crew socks and Air Force Ones sporting the same familiar logo. With its hip-hugging A-line silhouette and zip-front detail, her tennis dress is a unique interpretation of the athletic streetwear trend, which often is worn in the form of track pants or sporty jackets. What I loved most about this outfit was the way in which she made a commonly androgonous look her own and feminized it with a piece that perfectly accentuates her figure. The second athletic inspired ensemble I came across was a more classic approach to the streetwear trend. This Brit opted for a brightly hued Dickies T-shirt and Kappa track pants, both popular street style brands. To complete the outfit, he played off a white stripe that runs down the leg of his pants with a pair of bright white Nike Air Max sneakers. Along with vintage-inspired sunglasses and chunky gold rings, he used bold accents to differentiate an otherwise simple look.
London Microtrend: Neon Accents
When scouring the streets of London for distinct trends, a common theme in many of the outfits I saw was a bold pop of neon color. While some people incorporated these bright hues in subtler ways, like a neon pink purse or electric yellow shoes, others opted for more daring looks. This woman, in particular, elevated the trend with a neon lime green and python print combination, which unexpectedly works together better than one would assume. While neon colors at one point were seen as tacky, they’re now being worn in such a way that they instead add a unique cool factor.
Paris Macrotrend: Relaxed Smart Wear
Whereas the styles of London were very experimental and street style influenced, I found those of Paris to be more smart and sophisticated. Home to a very diverse mix of communities and architecture, Le Marais proved to be the best district of Paris in terms of the fresh and trendy fashions sported. I noticed various similarities in Le Marais district of Paris and the Shoreditch neighborhood of London, from the eclectic vintage stores to the intersection of historic and industrial architecture. Yet, the street style of Le Marais took on a more refined and intelligent influence - something that isn’t that unexpected within this city where Parisians are known to usually maintain an air of sophistication. The first of the relaxed smart wear ensembles that I came across was a younger and more trendy approach to the look. In pairing a rust toned blazer and crisp white slim-fitting trousers with elements like her sporty white Fila sneakers, this French girl seems to enjoy playing around with different styles in a way that elevates simple pieces. She fully embraces her personal style and the poses she effortlessly struck for me expressed that appreciation for fashion to me instantly. The second of the relaxed smart wear outfits that I encountered while wandering Le Marais district comprised of three simple and minimalistic pieces. This Parisian opted for a crisp white collared button down shirt, subtly feminized by sleeves that blousooned just a bit at the cuffs, and structured navy pants. What would usually be a quite business casual look is given an even more relaxed, yet fresh feel with her mustard yellow New Balance sneakers.
Paris Microtrend: Neon Accessories
Similar to in London, I found neon colors to be making their comeback on the streets of Paris. However, keeping in line with the more refined way of Parisians, these neon colors were incorporated in more subdued ways, rather than the daring variations of Londoners. These neon pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens were incorporated into the purses, jewelry, and, more than anything, the shoes that Parisians accessorized their outfits with. The most daring interpretation of the neon color that I found while in Le Marais was in these eye-catching neon orange Nike Air Max sneakers that gave a simple T-shirt and jeans a daring pop of color.
In this face off of European fashions, I found that these bustling metropolises had much more in common when it came to the styles sported than I anticipated. Ultimately, I found the bold and sporty styles of Londoners to resonate with me a bit more than the effortless chic way about Parisians - though that may just be attributed to my intimidation by the careless and cool French girl. While London is much more daring and experimental than it’s smarter and more refined Parisian counterpart, the street style in both cities were similar in the confidence that each wearer of these fashions exuded.