Are the French’s outfits in Emily in Paris accurate?

I recently binged  Emily in Paris. As everyone apparently.

It both entertained and annoyed me at the same time. Everything is SO CLICHE.

Yet fun, I can’t deny!

Anyways, let’s focus on the costumes. Not Emily’s, but the french women in the show.

Is this really what french women would wear in real life?

My french stylist point of view on Sylvie and Camille’s outfits in Emily in Paris.

SYLVIE

She is a 50 something woman at a head position in a posh marketing agency working with upscale clients in a super fancy neighborhood.

Therefore she is not our average Parisian which shall be considered when appreciating the reality of her looks but a Parisian with similar lifestyle.

Let’s decipher!

Black pencil skirt, classic white large cotton shirt, sexy designer’s heels

All timeless french staples with a hint of sexyness. Totally believable. Maybe except for the height of the heel, but hey that’s fiction, let’s keep some dream component.

Red designer dress… with a matching belt and tortoise hoops

Works for me. Red is a classic color, the shape is designer yet timeless and the jewelry accessorizing is typically french.

Leather trench coat, black shirt, graphic pencil skirt, gold earrings and white pumps

Timeless colors are Parisian. So is a trench coat and some designer element like the skirt.

Kaki wrap top, black skirt, beige boots, pendant necklace, burgundy bag and designer sunglasses

All classic shades and shapes topped with designer accessories. Parisian indeed.

Designer black dress with a gold brooch and silver artsy earrings. 

Again, timeless yet creative shapes paired with daring jewels is very french. This dress is a little over the top for daytime, even by Sylvie’s standards.

Simple short sleeves thin beige jumper, statement belt and gold jewelry

Impeccable basics, statement jewels: totally french (and totally Sylvie).

Little black dress with coordinated brooch and cuff

Too dressy for daytime but très french. And you get it: impeccable timeless clothes with statement jewelry.

Snake printed blouse, tailored jacket, pencil skirt and high heels

Typical style for a night out in a fancy restaurant. Sexy parisian women are keen of animal print they wear in an understated way. Look at how Sylvie cuffed her jacket to make it more casual.

Designer dress with a very low cleavage

Guessed you went over the top with the cleavage here Sylvie. Versailles is over.

Silk fuchsia draped blouse and plum pencil skirt

Oui! Très bien!

Designer all black jumpsuit for a fancy party

Sexy yet classic. I agree.

Classic shiny coat on a daytime neutral-colored outfit

We love daytime shine indeed!

Silk printed bodycon dress

Wonderful! French women do wear prints. Notice how Sylvie toned down the accessories game with this necklace reminiscent dress? The dress IS the jewel.

Olive green evening gown, strappy sandals topped with a beige trench-coat

The shade of the dress is very chic and that’s usual to top your evening outfit with a daytime trench-coat. Oui to this look!

Sequined top with matchy earrings

I buy this outfit as well. Sequins worn in an understated manner are a Parisian’s evening staple.

Which famous Parisians does Sylvie dresses like? 

Rachida Dati, a right-wing politician who loves couture

Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert, actresses

The actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu’s own character in the french TV show 10% (on Netflix, I recommend!)

CAMILLE

Camille is in her late twenties and comes from a bourgeois family.

We mainly see her outside of her job (in an art gallery).

Navy blue oversized blazer jacket on wide legs cuffed dark blue jeans, a brown fringed bag and red santiags

You cross girls ranging from 25 to 55 yo dressed like so every day in Paris.

Fashionable beige plaid mini dress, platform Doc Martens and socks

The dress is probably to much for most Parisian. But remove the tulle puff sleeves and that’s a typical outfit. The add of chunky Doc Martens that take away some of the the sexiness of the dress is a classic Parisian move.

At night she throws on an oversize black biker jacket over it which is also totally normal.

Mom jeans tucked in santiags, matching cut out denim jacket and red jumper, captain hat.

I would dress like so on a weekend. So oui. That’s french.

Khaki trench coat and huge leather beret

We DO wear beret eventually. Yet this one is too big. Camille, I can see Patricia Field is behind all this.

Oversized victorian flounced pussy-bow white shirt, cropped black jacket, wide-legged dark blue jeans, designer bag, and designer shoes

I absolutely LOVE this outfit. Yet you would see no girl wearing this except at a fashion show. But hey, all the french DNA is here and I’d dare it if I had these designer clothes. So that’s a oui too.

Which famous Parisian does Camille dresses like

The rock chick outfits feel like what Caroline de Maigret or Lou Doillon would wear

THE OTHER PARISIANS

Camille’s mom

Burgundy dress, brown belt and gold necklace

Everything classic, everything chic, nothing too loud… That’s how a conservative posh mom who owns a chateau would dress.

Pierre Cadault’s assistant

White shirt, carrot leather pants, brown belt, statement costume necklace

Basic pieces topped with loud accessories plus burgundy lips and nails is a classic look

Head of a rival agency

Statement accessories on timeless canvas with strong lips

Again! This necklace seems a bit dated on this young woman though, yet she feels bourgeois so that’s not absurd.

The daytime jumpsuit and statement belt, oui. The super high heels on pavements? Never!!!

Non-french speaking coworker Patricia

Striped tight jacket, statement clip-on earrings and glasses

Patricia is supposed to be a true “ringarde” (which is french slang for “old-fashioned” instead of “basic as said in the show)… and she dresses like one. I believe it.

Antoine’s wife

Little black dress with statement necklace and earrings

You get it, right? Pay attention to her hair which is arranged in a very French manner

Graphic coat with gold and chandelier earrings

I would not be surprised to run in ladies dressed like this in Paris

The french teacher

Beige jumpsuit, brown statement belt, gold earrings

The teacher is stylish in a daytime “normal person” manner which makes sense. Notice her hair which are the same as the former… in a messy way which is typical here.

I wear my hair like this all the time.

Camille’s brother

Prince of wales jacket and mustard turtleneck

The only man’s look I noticed in the show. Could totally see a posh guy dressed like so.

CONCLUSION

If you want inspiration to dress like a Parisian, the show is surprisingly good!

But not as good as my books Dress like a Parisian and Why French Women wear vintage

Bises de Paris

Aloïs

Cover: that time when Emily and Sylvie dress alike in the last episode

Comments
24 Responses to “Are the French’s outfits in Emily in Paris accurate?”
  1. KC says:

    Bonjour! I really enjoyed this post! I was wondering about the high slits in Sylvie’s skirts? I can’t see those being worn on a daily basis in the office!

  2. René Arrondell says:

    Hum, je doute fort que Camille soit originaire de Normandie, ses parents sont vignerons, peu de vignobles en Normandie, de plus le cépage de leur vin étant l’inénarrable élixir, Champagne, Appellation d’Origine Controlée de la Région du même nom et la géographie étant ce qu’elle est, il est fort à parier que Camille soit champenoise. just saying…sinon votre fashion review est tout à fait juste, j’adhère, j’adore!!

  3. Yaelle says:

    Moi aussi je suis amoureuse de Sylvie

  4. Charlotte says:

    Antoine’s wife and Cadault’s assistant look the best to me. Sylvie has badly colored, thin hair, which overwhelms her face and ruins her look. She would look much better with a pixie cut.

  5. MaryAnn says:

    I agree with everything you said except one thing. I lived in Paris in the 17th arr. for 5 years and I bought bread
    everyday at the same bakery around the corner. I do not think the owner smiled at me once nor did she ever
    speak to me.

    That said, I loved every minute of living in Paris and would do it again in a heartbeat.

    Can’t wait until we can travel again.

    Mary Ann

  6. Kristine says:

    I binged watched both Emily and Dix Pour Cent during lockdown. Since I can only guess what true Parisian style is, my assumption was that the clothing in Emily was more stylized and not a true representation daily fashion. How interesting that I got it wrong! I assumed the characters in Dix Pour Cent reflected the reality of Parisian style. And I was impressed by its class and simplicity. Don’t get me wrong – the clothing worn by the French women was stunning. But I found the style in Dix more relatable. I hope this translates well.

    • Aloïs Guinut says:

      Sylvie is definitely not your average parisian and Emily is an high fashion series. Yet the looks are on point IMO!
      Though I agree with you that the outfits in Dix pour cent are more relatable

      • Kristine says:

        Your explanation of why each outfit works was most enlightening. I do hope Emily learns a bit from the chic women around her. She is young, but her style is, perhaps, a bit too exuberant? I was a bit embarrassed by her as an American.

  7. Kam Thomas says:

    I definitely feel like all these characters were pretty on point…but some of Emily’s outfits were…interesting to say the least lol

  8. H says:

    Why do you say that Versailles style tops are over!? I almost just bought one on your IG recommendation the other day! (I think you had based it off Hepburn’s look in War & Peace?) I’m very confused… And potentially disappointed bc square neck lines look best on my body type!

  9. MABdePARIS says:

    Allez, j’avoue: je suis parisienne ET je porte des bérets SOUVENT!

  10. Marji says:

    Je me souviens que dans Sex and the City les looks de Carrie à Paris n’étaient pas crédibles! (robes de bal)

    • Aloïs Guinut says:

      Là les looks sont crédibles mais néanmoins hors de prix et bien plus sophistiqués que sur la parisienne lambda. C’est la part de rêve Darren Starr.

  11. Marji says:

    Merci pour cette analyse Aloïs!

    Mais qu’en est-il d’Emily?

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