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Paris is the city of fashion. Especially if fashion is defined by wearing black. Parisians love to wear black; black pants, black shoes, black coats, you name it.
Parisian women are especially fond of black clothes. It is well known that “le noir, ça mincit”. Parisian women having a mild obsession with looking thin, black is their best friend.
But besides its fantastic fat-erasing skills, black is a priceless social color in Paris. With black, you go unnoticed.
Going unnoticed is the dream of every Parisian. The Parisian does not want his clothes to reveal his singularity. The only singularity worth revealing in Paris is that of the mind. Therefore, the Parisian’s clothes ought to be simple: all Parisians know that “Le noir, c’est simple, c’est bien”.
The Parisian knows his colors. Parisians look at people dressed colourfully with a fair bit of disdain.
Style exuberance in Paris is considered offensive.
The mental sanity of a person bold enough to wear such outrageous colours as yellow or red will be questioned at once by all Parisians. There is no wearing red or yellow in Paris if you are mentally sane. Blue is acceptable. Especially navy blue which has the good taste of being easily mistakable for black.
The golden rule of black wearing only finds one exception. And that is a seasonal one. In the summertime, Parisian guys get to wear white. For « le blanc, c’est simple, c’est bien ».
Parisian girls will opt for la couleur de l’été. Every summer comes with a new official color dictated by women’s magazines. Color originality has its limits.
All Parisian girls happily accept this new seasonal paradigm. Walking in the streets of Paris on a ‘blue’ summer feels like walking through an urban Smurf village.
When the Parisian boyfriend points out at the ugliness of the color, the Parisian girlfriend systematically looks at him with a mix of desperation and exasperation.
« C’est hyper tendance cette couleur cet été, tu comprends rien ».
Indeed, Parisian men could make an effort: that was a simple one.
Useful tip : Do not wear black only. A white collar is always an elegant…and simple addition.
Sound like a Parisian: « J’ me suis acheté un ptit pull noir, tout simple, super mignon… »
Tags: clothing, fashion, Paris, wearing black
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Just yesterday I was chastising myself again for my all black wardrobe and wondering if I shouldn’t make more of an effort to add a little more colour and then I come to your lovely blog and I feel redeemed. No, I will not add colour. Okay, maybe a white collar and the occasional bit of navy blue. J’adore this post in particular and your blog in general. Merci!!!
Interesting post that leads to the inevitable question: are all Parisians architects?
Men In Black (the remix). Love this post! Proves that the French elegance is interior. French women exude style, confidence and la feminité! Americans need more black. since “style” seems to be more about accessories and additions and the new “IT” item… Will Smith or French women can teach us a lesson or two.
LBR… “I come to your lovely blog and I feel redeemed”. I can die in peace. Merci.
Pierre… funny!! We’ll need a post abut haircuts to make a final decision on that…
J.E…. Well hello!! Nice to see you here my dear… eiher it is elegance interiorized or depression exteriorized, not quite sure. And for the records…I believe we all can learn something from Will Smith. In the case of French women for instance: smiling.
Well, looks like I had best not succumb to the dream and run away to Paris . Today I am wearing orange and purple and look tres unchic
Oh oh… I’m both an architecture student, and a francophile. What does that say about my hair???… and what if I want to wear funky glasses in Paris -would I be stared down by high noses and curled upper lips???
…except in spring, when every man seems to be wearing a blue checkered shirt. If you don’t know what season is, if you see those blue checkered shirts everywhere, you know that spring is here.
So true!
Last time in Paris, I immediately had to purchase a black coat, as I felt pretty akward in the metro, wearing my red jacket
Michelle… … which is ok too!!
Funy glasses, well the reactin will depend on the rest of teh outfit. If chic and elegant, you’ll be excentric. If unchic and colorful, you’ll be wack.
Nenii… well, teh haitr comment applies to guys architects I’d say. so you’re safe
David… surprisingly enough, I own a couple of these. being utterly rebellious, I wear them year round. How are you?… we should catch up!
Mlle Diff… “I immediately had to”: girls will be girls?!
Nice to know that I’m really a Parisienne at heart, with all my black clothes. Except that I often add something pink (quelle surprise, n’est-ce pas?!). I suppose that demotes me back to the provinces …
Joli la photo de la fille dans le jardin!
Oui, le noir cest toujours mignon! Et surtout indispensable dans l’armoire d’une parisienne. Pour le collier blans, j’ai un doute par contre!!!!
Pinklea… rest assured: pink is the second most Parisian color. Usually for guys but hey…
Marquis… merci! (elle n’est pas de moi…)
Anne… le col blanc, c’est le côté sage et vaguement religieux. Toujours efficace de sembler plus propret qu’on ne l’est.
black is also the favorite color in new york city. new yorkers are just so uncomfortable in the spring and summer — no matter what they’re told by fashion magazines and shop windows, all those pastels and brights make them more than a little nervous. i have often seen the collective sigh of relief on that first cool rainy day in september when everyone can return to their black coats and shoes and boots. i like to shake things up a bit with a red scarf though…
But you forgot! You can always spot the (more fashionable- snark!) Americans in Paris during the winter- by their almost universal uniform of the corduroy jacket!
No wonder everyone is so grumpy all the time! No colour to lighten the mood. And how dull, never wanting to stand out, to be like everyone else, to just be completely forgettable.
Or a scarf – you forgot to mention the Paris women’s flair with scarves, to change the look of the black “uniform.” So true about being “invisible” and “blending in.” In Madrid a couple of years ago, I looked longingly at a red Burberry coat. But I knew I could never get away with that red in Paris. So I bought the same coat in brown (and have regretted it ever since).
Bonnie Ann… New Yorkers and Parisians should get the same shrink!
ExpatsinSingap… true! Ah!! And their New Balance Shoes!!
Fiona… It’s in similarities that real differences appear…
Paris Parfait…. Scarves could be another post, yeah! Sorry about the red coat. Did you read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – about snap decisions. Excellent and fun read!
I love this article…I think I may post about it!
Stephanie… Thank you very much. Feel free to! I lke your resolutins for 2009 BTW!
I loved your article. However, the photo of the girl sitting on the bench (near Notre Dame) is not a parisian, but is my sister, Lizzy, from Salt Lake City, Utah, who lived in Paris during a study abroad. She does have incredible chic, though, and would be flattered that she was assumed to be a local.
Robert… Thx for your kind note – glad you liked it! Hope Lizzy doesn’t mind being the Parisian egery of my modest blog. If she does, I’ll find another picture no pb! I must say I had my doubts: Parisian girls don’t really have blond hair like that. And the ones who write are usually ugly. But she did fit the bill when it comes to black!!
The picture is great!
I brought only black with me when I moved to Paris. It was certainly my best decision. Not to mention it’s much easier to pack and dress each day when you are only working with one color palette.
Robert… Thank you: all credits go to Lizzy from Utah!! See how Parisian foreigners get when they are in Paris…
Natalie… Did you also bring Prozac?!!
I last visited Paris in 9/08 and coming from NYC with my NYC wardrobe, I thought I was all set! I was glad to be so wrong with not enough black — so off I went, shopping in Paris — ooOOoo La La! YAY!
Minette… Thankfully enough, black items are not hard to find here!!
Olivier – Before going to Paris, I’d heard about the “black uniform” and I thought it had to be more of a cliché. The same is said about NY but it’s not all that true. But it seems true in Paris… by the end of my first day in Paris I was really amazed by it. I’m not so sure why or how that happens — all that black, but in thinking on it, all the black and shades of grey seem to work well against such a beautiful backdrop of the city of Paris. So I became a “scarf watcher.” That’s where all colors seem to be welcome and draped like fallen leaves. I thought I tied my scarves pretty well, but as I was told by a vintage clothing shop owner there… “one doesn’t simply tie the scarf; it is draped, like fallen leaves.” (Well, yeah, if it’s the only color to be seen, then you gotta get all poetic about how you drape it!) Oh, I so love that line — “drape it like fallen leaves…” Ridiculous yet SO true and solely owned by French women.
Greeks are the same, especially Athenians and Cypriots.
Minette… Vintage shops offer alot of fallen leaves…
Peter… Thanks for sharing. Greece is a country I don’t know enough about.
Or could it be people are just too afraid of making a “faute de goût” matching anything else but black and white? Elegance is an art form; it takes time, money and some skill to build-up a well balanced collection of clothes, shoes and accessories.
That’s also why elegance is not that common and the fact that most Parisians wear black could mean that most of us lack courage, time, money and appropriate skill elegance requires.
As for the French Style (at least for men) – “Arnys” is probably the best example of what’s left from it. And I bet you won’t find a black article there. Vive la Résistance!
Balagan… Minimalism used to be a French quality. I believe it’s turning into a French disease. Resistance much needed. I’m with you.
I’m really startign to like your site, first white socks and now wearing black.. what more fashion advice do I need
As for wearing black, i wish more people would do it.. as opposed to wearhing a rainbow colored halter top that is a size 2 when it should be a size 30 
Keep up the great posts.
Oh my! Wished i read this earlier…
I’m staying with my boyfriend’s parents this summer (meeting them for the 1st time) and I have just bought asian designer silk pareos… gorgeous and expensive but its in pink (for his mother) and red (for his sister)!!!
Do i still present it to them or keep it for myself?
I’m so versatile with fashion. You name it, i have it in my wardrobe, although I’m Malaysian.
I’m guilty. I love black & detest wearing more than 2 colours at a time, other than a colourful scarf around one’sjacket . No – I’m not over weight. My MIL in France detests black. I always buy her an ensemble as a gift when I visit which she loves. But, she has no colour co-ordination, much like my hubby. My hubby pleaded with me when I went shopping with my SIL in France this summer to buy some colourful tops – which I did. BTW. My SIL, a former Parisienne, (now in Montreal) loves colours and dresses very sexy. She has always called herself a ‘coquette’..
Personally, I’ve always loved classical fashion so maybe I’d fit in, in Paris.. Each to his(her) own.
Although I grew up in Montreal, I live in another part of Canada now.
Just found your blog Olivier last week and am enjoying it. I lived in Brussels for a while and have travelled to many places in Europe, Canada and the US.
Jesse… Im afraid all my fashion knowledge was dispayed in these two articles. That’s it!
Marissa… I guess colors are ok if you’re from Asia. Hope the whold thing went well though!
Penny… Thank you very much! That was a lot of MIL and SIL action!!
How about grey? There is an utterly beautiful grey the colour of Paris rooftops. I love that non-colour. I love black too, but sometimes it can be a bit harsh in middle age.
Another point of colour popular among women my age is to hide the greys by going a deep reddish-brown. And yep, I’ve done that.
Tubular article, chapeau. I can’t explain why Paris is still la capitale de la mode with such a fashion fascism.
For more colors, please let me suggest to have a look at my creations on http://www.bobcarpenter.fr , even though I’m parisian.
After living in Paris for a while and returning home to California, I was practically blinded walking into a shop. I had forgotten about all the colors!
Black is the New Yorkers favorite color – in 1989.
This is too funny, but so true. I find myself wanting to wear black all of the time and I don’t even live in Paris. (Although I definitely want to go visit.)
Black has a lot of great qualities, including the one that makes you look slimmer. I personally am a big fan of black and gray. I have more of those two colors in my wardrobe than any others.
Lagatta… Well, grey is the color of the skies, siedwalks, roofs and souls in Paris. I know that Burgundy color you’re referring to. Vert bouteille also works in the same vein. Assez chic, catho prout prout.
Bob Carpenter… Nice plug! Well, can you name a great French couturier since Jean-Paul Gaultier?
Claire… Ahhh… California….
Thomas… Was 1989 really 21 years ago?
Paris Fan… You joyful you!
This maybe upsetting to Parisians and francophiles, but there is an abundance of evidence to demonstrate that black first became fashionable in Melbourne, Australia.
Chris… Wow, I had no idea black was invented somewhere between late 18th and early 19th century in Australia. I’m so candid at times!
A white collar ? Navy blue ?? No way !
Do you want us to go back to those dreaded years in catholic schools ? En vérité, le noir ne fait pas qu’amincir : Le noir, c’est chic
Une Parisienne… Not sure moving from navy blue to black is a compelling sign of style emancipation. Plus chic, chic… Is black still chic if it’s what everybody wears?! Is chic compatible with numbers? (Just asking questions here.
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I love wearing black (even if it’s a full black from top to bottom), it is simplifies one character of the wearer, elegant!
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