Me interesa mucho lo del balance en volumen, en colores y en destape de piel. Pero sobretodo el tema de la mezcla de estilos. Felicitaciones desde Puerto Rico.
Raised in a household of "if it's revealing on top, cover the bottom. If it's revealing on the bottom, cover the top" and it hasn't steered us wrong yet! Loved learning the other tips!
I'm French and I watched just out of pure curiosity when I read the title, I thought hah let's see if I follow those rules. Then you said that all french girls learn rules from their mothers / grand mothers and I thought no I didn't ! And then you explained the rules and yes I actually do remember the exact moments when my mom taught me those rules ! Hehe well done.
I did the exact same thing! I always despise when someone say "all blabla do this or know that I actually don't remember being taught these rules and I don't follow them most of the time. For example I often like to hide my body under baggy clothes but when it's very hot in the summer I will go the less dressed as I can x) It was interesting anyway. Bye
I wish my mother had taught me rules. I wore uniforms for school and for my first jobs. I think I was around 35 before I had to figure out clothing - it was hard. Pretty much settled on traditional for work and now a laid back retired woman. Thanks for this.
I'm French too, no one directly taught me those rules, but seeing how everyone dresses did😅 The only thing my mother taught me directly is to not do tone-on-tone (and my rebel teenager ass said "as if" and dressed all in red, all in green, or all in purple any chance I'd get)
I'm French, and I learned almost all of these rules when I arrived in Paris for my studies, either by observing or reading women's magazines, some were even taught to me by my boyfriend! Another rule that has served me well: when you have a small budget, you have to put the money into shoes and hairstyle, the rest is less important to look classy.
@@silviadarling3622the context is fashion. Your hair is part of your look, your bed is not. And they specifically mentioned a good haircut (meaning an experienced stylist that knows how to cut your hair well, so that it looks amazing, and grows out still looking great), not getting your hair washed.
I agree, 100%- shoes and hair and a good As an English speaking native, there is one rule of thumb when it comes to the subject of "classy" i.e. never use the word "classy." It is worse than wearing a Christmas sweater to a black tie event in June.
@@silviadarling3622 I wash my hair at home budget or not, but I travel about 3 hours round trip to ATL for cut and color. Dress from Goodwill, buy makeup at the drug store, but the hair is sacrosanct. Decor is a different question, but I agree. First work out the bed i.e. mattress, pillows, sheets, blanket/quilts/duvet ( best you can afford) then window dressing and rugs. Even when moving install your bedroom first. Also always spring for custom curtains and natural rugs.
Great advice re hair & shoes! I have seen (& continue to see) how hair in a (non-styled) ponytail and/or (sloppy, no-thought) shoes completely change the entire look. I have only recently began matching the leathers of shoes & bag. This definitely surprised me on its impact!. Someone made the comment that the "downside" to French dressing is it makes everyone homogeneous. As a woman in her mid-50's my wardrobe, I find, is turning more "French". I am grateful for this. Elegance feels wonderfully restful to the eyes & to the spirit. ❤
True! I just sent the video to my boyfriend and he loved it, because the first half of the video works just as well for men, he only has to imagine the male examples :) thank you a lot, Ariane!
The same, it is similar to what I was taught mothers would teach their daughters, though I did learn a couple of new things, specifically choosing wide styles or showing skin either at the top or the bottom but not both. Makes perfect sense, but I didn't have it as a rule.
I'm a guy and not interested in fashion, I clicked by pure curiosity and yet ended up watching the whole thing. It was honestly very interesting. If I had a daughter I'd show her this for sure. Now you should make a similar video for men because I feel most of us could really use some help 😂
Hello Frank....well said. Good potential Father attitude. Regarding learning mens' fashion....the gentleman you are will shine through any clothing "flaw". 😊
Hey you can be a guy into fashion, like me. Mens fashion isn’t really covered much sadly especially by many popular fashion youtubers, but it’s out there.
When I was only 22 (now 61 😊) I was on holiday in Spain and spotted this dark skinned French girl, with her hair up, wearing a plain white T-Shirt and French Navy wide leg ankle grazer culottes and black ballet flats....I was so mesmerised by her class and style but couldn't work out what it was, she was so chic....and now I realise it was pairing outfits down looking sharp and clean, comfortable and confident. I can remember her to this day....and there's nothing more attractive than authenticity.
As a French woman, it’s quite surprising to see all these rules in one video. We don’t learn them at once, we learn one rule at a time during all our childhood/teenage years, growing up. But yes, it’s true that we follow these in all formal settings. Some people do criticize it, because it makes our society look too homogeneous compared to other countries in which personnalities are more refleted in their clothing (like Britain for example). But I think it’s a good tool for adults, it helps elevate our looks in formal or public events and in the workplace. Thank you for sharing it with people, I didn’t think some people could not know these, since it’s quite basic to us to know them. ❤️
@@108ladylena depends where you're coming from, or which era. I learned those rules from my german grandmother, a stuck up seamstress from the bourgeoisie. My parisian grandmother had more fantasy and this 'chic sans y toucher' which is REALLY French. Risk is french, sisters Sans-culotte!
And those southern U.S. women were influenced by their French Grand-mères. If tou remember your history it was the French that settled the south first.
I'm American and as I was trying to figure out how to explain "appropriate clothing" for our 12-13 year old daughter, I made a rule that she could wear shorter shorts with a loose top or a fitted top with longer shorts or long pants/jeans. It helped us to stop disagreeing about outfits she would put on! Your video is very helpful because you broke down each style with examples.
That's funny, I made that rule up for myself in college. I used it on running clothes, but it's so similar. One tight one loose. Or one revealing and one concealing.
It's the same with makeup... if you wear a heavy eye makeup, you wear neutral lips. For dark or red lips, just mascara. For US the rule is a 2 inch heel.
@@kaitlynnp582 i wish EVERY girl would follow that rule,,, two tight pieces is Too Much. For a professional athlete on the field,,i guess it is performance clothing. real men don't want that,, every man see's all corners of her body,,, Noo,, so Yes,,, one fitted and one relaxed. Glad you came up with that,,, good fashion sense,, casual is still fashion, im learning little by little,, Ciao' grazie
The other think the French know (both men and women) is the power of the scarf. I never walk out in France without a scarf; it can elevate a basic look, keep me warm, tie in otherwise disparate wardrobe pieces, make a statement and so much more!
Loved this video but I was also thinking scarf and/or gloves were going to come up. I'm heading to France and was just thinking that I am going to buy myself a nice scarf
I moved to France 2 months ago, never having worn a scarf before (instead of winter days in the mountainsl. I had to buy one because I was freezing and didn't yet receive all my clothes from my home country, and now I'M IN LOVE WITH IT!!! it upgrades every outfit that I wear!!!
@@berosullivan8089- I'm sure you know this but match scarf and gloves. And if the gloves are leather even better! That doesn't mean matchy matchy. But they should belong together.
One thing I've learned to pay attention to is hardware (A coat with a silver zipper/a belt with a bright gold buckle/ handbag with brass metal/Rose gold jewelry, etc). When all your metals are cohesive it instantly looks more elegant.
For sure! When you find out if you are a 'cool' or 'warm' skin type, you usually stick to all silver or all gold colored metal (jewelry included) and that includes handbag hardare as well. Harder to find handbags with silver toned metal though.
It’s funny to mention bc I always thought I was weird for being picky about this in particular - I even have a video in one of my try ons where I found myself saying “oh no I didn’t realize this had gold color zippers, I never have clothes with that!” lol
Yes! The classic advice I always heard was * Match your leathers * Match your metals And most importantly * Groom your hair and your hands (which does not mean an expensive manicure) Even flawless makeup will not overcome poor hair or badly kept hands. One is temporary. The others show habit.
I love that you framed this as "rules to follow if you want to look elegant and put together," instead of "hard rules to always follow or else you're trashy and uncool." Also, thank you for the bit about larger bodies still having shapes that are worth showing off!
I love this video. Not only did you explain everything so well but you also didn’t insult or shame people who prefer dressing otherwise. Thank you for being sensitive! Looking forward to more content!
I’m Australian and in my early 50’s and I have only recently found the confidence to dress “elegantly” (in my opinion). Surprise surprise- I’m following your rules. I recently went to a fancy work conference and my basic outfits for all 5 days were- white trousers, sandals or heels, a neutral shirt or striped T and a a beige trench, or neutral jacket. A good waist defining belt and gold hoop earrings. And fabulous sunglasses! I was complimented on my style constantly. Finally! I dress like a French woman.
Can you please tell me how you were able to care for those pants for 5 days. Were they so high quakity they never wrinkled? and did you wash them.? were they very quick to dry?? I'd like to try thar, but what brand do i even look for. you were braze! what if you got a stain!! you would need another pair immediately.
This was THE BEST Style video Ive ever seen on the internet. Everyone with Daughters should share this to help them understand 'The Rules" before they try to break them
@@butterflyeffect9424 . . it's spelled 'there' to teach the 'World' . . oh & God is spelled with a Capital my Dear but thank you for highlighting the sentiment I was conveying
@@selenaclarke oh thank you for correcting my mistakes Madame JESAISTOUT, I admit that my 5th laguage is sometimes a challenge. How could we live without one who tell us how to dress and an other one who correct our mistakes. Merci merci merci merci
A summary: Heels will always make an item more feminine - around 7cm elegant, above 7cm sexy. Tucking in your shirt t-shirt or pullover will elongate your legs and emphasise your waist Balance out the volume of your outfit, never do all skinny or all baggy. Natural materials look expensive and artificial ones look cheap. So, chose cotton over polyester. Your underwear should not be visible in colour or shape. Take UW that matches your skin colour. Pick one size up for panties to avoid liners. Match leather accessories -If you are wearing brown shoes, wear a brown bag. Wide clothes make you look bigger regardless of your body size. If you are showing cleavage, don’t show legs, and if you are showing legs, don’t show cleavage. Ironed clothes make a world of difference. Limit the amount of sexy elements in your outfit, so your look doesn’t fall into tacky-sexy.
The rules are not that different tbh. As said by Meanne, instead of a handbag matched to shoes, make sure your belt matches your shoes if wearing a more classic or professional outfit like a suit. Otherwise most of the same point-based system with categories will apply. You can look well put together with a pair of sneakers, some chinos, a neutral well fitting t-shirt and a blazer. You want to be a bit more mindful about the shapes, because we're not as lucky as women in that department and have a bit less choice. And the sexy category is a bit different as well. Women can choose specific items to openly signal sexyness, but with a bit of thought we can get that too, mainly in how we wear specific items and by keeping in mind what people find attractive in a man/you. Emphasize your shoulders with a slim cut top if you don't have too much of a belly. If you are a bit more rotund (as we tend to become with age. Gods to be young again...), a slightly more flowy but well cut shirt will do. Choose a good shirt that you can keep partly unbuttoned to push the width of your upper chest and shoulders. Pants that will show rear volume but not entirely reveal the shape of your legs. It's all about small adjustments. extra tip when it comes to matching: your socks should match shoes or pants in color. If you want to look taller, match your socks to your pants, it will elongate the silhouette of the legs. Extra extra tip to train the eye: look at suits, even from different eras. On the surface, it's business attire. But it's the "manly man sexy successful" outfit for a reason. The shapes are very interesting and can be very different from one another. The variance within a three piece suit (the cuts, the lengths, the silhouette) can give you an idea about the shapes you're looking for, and what will make you comfortable, even with casual attire.
Very easy, wear pants on your legs and shirts on your arms 😂 But actually, the best advice for men that I've seen so far anywhere - find a celebrity with body and complexion similar to yours, and who's style you like, and try to recreate their casual looks for starters. You will discover a lot of things about style and yourself!
Tuba Avalon (on Yt) is female but herself often wears menswear abs reviews it/ suggests options for finding it in good quality yet trying to be mindful also of cost.
@@k.v.7681 I think matching socks is good for some categories (like maybe professional, preppy, and the traditional categories), but socks can be a super fun and subtle way for men to add personality to their outfits! Look at Booth from the TV show Bones for example- he's an FBI agent that wears office formal suits every day but he throws on some fun socks to show that he still has a quirky side underneath. You could even do socks that mostly match (like have black as a main colour to match with black shoes/pants) but that have a quirky design or print on them.
I havent matched my bag to my shoes in forever. Same with my jewelry. Outdated concepts. If you pick colors that go together either complementary or other combo - it still works quite well and less boring - like classy with a little spice.
I wouldn't match shoes to bag at all,,very outdated concept. right,,,,, colors and shades that sort of blend but are different..... no matching,,,, 'classy with a little spice' yep,,, that's when flat leopard shoes are the Coolest
But do you forget that it was french fashion houses that pushed all the trashy elements in their seasonal shows? When the overlords do it, it's OK, but should the peasants follow its not. That is rule #1. What's truly hideous are those tattoos, piercings and poison coloured hair - also the ultra fashionable portion of an entire generation of women in the west. No one has the fortitude of any organ or system to call that out because that would be against the euphemistic term known as " body art".
the red bra under a white top is something new to me! i have many white tops. thanks for the tip. I have been to France a few times and noticed the women like to go braless even on thin and translucent tops *.*
That is so true! At least the underwear is not visible then 😂 Not something I would advise if you want to look elegant, but definitely a very French thing to do for the women who like a laid-back feminine vibe, with a dash of “rebel” 👌 So glad the red bra tip helped ♥️
@@amycurtis4641 No... she advised matching your skin tone first... I have followed this advice for wearing white and cream tops for ages... but would not wear red unless my skin tone is very light.
As much as I'm a "follow your joy" person, I still find these rules really help and I apply them almost instinctively most of the time. My favourite is baggy/vs/tight. It really changes the game, especially as I get older. It's worth mentioning that nothing in these rules prevents anyone from wearing really funky clothes, it's really easy to use these rules with some pieces you might never see on an elegant French woman. There's room for lots of creativity and yet the tips will really help balance the outfit
Very true. I'm a french-speaking Swiss woman, who now lives in the US. I grew up learning all this unconsciously, but it's very easy to wear a western pearl-snap shirt as an elegant piece instead of a blazer for example, or boot-cut jeans instead of professional trousers, and get the same vibe. And don't be afraid of colors. You can also get elegant vibes using bright colors paired with grey instead of the terminally boring beiges...
Exactly, build your style, have some fun figuring things out, these rules are a great basis for how to build an outfit for specific feels. Break the rules when you want to, use them when they're helpful and aid you in being perceived the way you want to be seen. Also, I'd argue you can do baggy top and baggy bottoms *if* you define the waist and potentially shoulders. At least from a French pov, the waist is fairly key.
As someone with an artistic preference, I didn't know the rule I've always followed is the same as her rule for sexy elements - no more than two pieces in one outfit at a time. An artistic necklace and cool belt, everything else neutral. A statement pair of shoes and artistic bracelet. Everything else neutral. A little goes a surprisingly long way! All artsy can look confusing or juvenile just like all sexy can look off-putting. One can look like a creative without looking kooky! Vintage pieces can be a big piece for creative types. The best rule I ever learned there was if you wore it the first time around leave it now to the new generation. That can sound a little arbitrary but think about a woman who came of age in the '80s or 90s now wearing vintage from the '80s or 90s. Or a woman from the classic hippie era now wearing hippie pieces. It can read like a person reaching back to their personal past in an uncomfortable way, instead of pulling an element out of the design past in an intentional way. Vintage wants to look intentional and not either frumpy or misguidedly redoing one's youth. The woman who came of age in the '80s or '90s can still reach back to classic '50s. And the creative type all black outfit stands the potential of looking harsh on no-longer dewy skin. While an all navy blue outfit, or navy with elements of black will visually read the same. A navy blouse, but a cool leather jacket and black shoes still vibes creative while not putting harsh black up against one's face.
When I clicked on this video and heard "I haven't seen any of those French fashion rules on the internet", I was like "Really?... Another video about "French style"?" But the information given is actually so great! It's simple, yet genius system! I want to try it out for sure. (And I definitely need a wardrobe refresh... Haven't bought anything new in years) Thank you!
I am German and I also learned all of the rules. Somehow they are useful to know, but I have to say that I break some of them a lot. I love to wear a wide skirt and a wide top. Women in Sweden, Denmark or Japan do this as well. And yes, I do look bigger than I am, but my aim isn’t always to look as skinny and sexy as possible. Thanks for explaining. I liked the part about the story telling the most. ❤
As a parisian myself, i have to say this is pretty accurate. I think my way of categorizing is a bit different, but i unconsciously do It (like every day i'm like "how professionnal do i look and how much do i need to look it today?" And like : the rule about the number of sexy elements, definetely. I would also add a few more : - no more than 3 total colors - try to match the "cuts" (les coupes, je sais pas comment on dit en anglais) or silhouette of your main frame (shirt / jean) with your coat - colors (veeeery distinctive of french fashion) : keep it sober* (black, White, beige, Navy blue) with touches of color in general, only go wild in special occasions *Edit: as someone made me realize, "sober" in French means "simple"/"serious" as well as without alcool!
@Safi_JC that is so amazing that you invest in how you look everyday walking out the door. I never give it a thought on day to day basic, just any jeans and any T-shirt, any shoes as long as it doesn't look ridiculous 😮
@@ivyhays3478it all depends on what you do on a daily basis. Some of us have to look differently and put more thoughts into it depending on what activities are planned that day.
@@ivyhays3478I tend to rely on 'uniforms' based on what I'm willing or not willing to faff about with. For example I know I can't usually be bothered to wear shoes with a heel or jeans I can't sit on the grass in. Therefore I rely on pretty shirts and a nipped belt to elevate my comfort garb. An item of jewellery somewhere that doesn't make me feel constrained or stuffy helps make me feel as though I'm wearing an outfit rather than just clothes
Also I would add: black or white goes with any colour. And don't wear really light colours as a main if you have pale skin, this will make you look sick. And really important, top and legs witht the same colour but slightly different shades don't match well.
As a French woman, the way I "built my outfit" in the morning is : whatever is cleanish and accessible + shoes that match the color. The "story I tell" with my outfit is : I have weather appropriate cloths, you don't see private parts of my body, and here is a color I like. Not that the video is not good, but just to put things in perspective : all those rules and the whole "thinking of the category your outfit fits" is not something ALL French women think about EVERY DAY. Also as a young adult I loved to wear black bras under transparent-ish white shirts...
A thing that many people don't know about bras (at least in the US) is that band size and cup size are inverse when you're figuring out your size. So. If your bra doesn’t fit quite right and it's mainly an overflow problem, first try up a cup size or two and DOWN a band size, then go up a band size if you need to. The bigger cups are adding length to the band. Your band shouldn't be hurting you, but it should be doing just as much or slightly more of the work than your straps.
Smaller women (32 band) wearing a D cup is not the same a 36 D cup. Get the band right first. Then experiment with the cup. Band will relax over time so make sure the tighter hooks will be available for later on
Plus I find those foam cup bras that are everywhere really do not fit as well as seamed cups. They don't separate the breasts well which leads to the overflow thing.
I watched this video even if I am French because I was doubtful but all tips are true and well explained. I would also add another rule that we are told (that can summarise a part of the video): "never too much". Actually, we would ask regularly our mother or friend like "Is it too much?". Also a good tip is that if you have a doubt always ask mom and dad (if you can). Mom will know what is trendy, the social codes for special events and what looks good on you. On the other hand, Dad will always tell you (if you ask) when an outfit is not flattering. (Never expect a big approvals because he doesn't care much) Another good tip that my mother taught me is to always do your shopping alone, so you can take your time trying and thinking if you really need it, if it really looks good and you don't feel pressured about buying something that you will never wear.
This is, by far, the most helpful fashion video I have ever seen in my life. IN MY LIFE! I have always struggled with fashion and the way you explained it, using the system of points, made so much sense. I had such a lightbulb moment in my brain. Thank you so much.
@@MademoiselleSpends Pin it 😄 as a french woman living abroad, 100% agree on all of these rules, although my mom never taught me the point system, that's exactly how it is in my head ^^ and the either you show your cleavage or your legs is GOLD to look sexy but not "easy" amazing video, bien joue, continue come ca c'etait tres clair et le rythme est parfait 👌
@@MademoiselleSpends Let’s talk about the bubble charts in more detail. You did split one of them- so there are new aces and shades of gray Let’s talk about it ❤👗❤
Same, i was taking screenshots with ideas because now i know how to organize my closet: instead of all shirts in one and pants in the other, I’m going to organize my stuff into the 3 categories that i use. I spend an hour flipping through shirts that are all too sporty/casual when I’m getting ready for work. Makes no sense. Organize your stuff by their purpose and style. Truly amazing video.
I am French and I can tell you that the French style you are speaking about only concerns middle class well off women. In the video they show classy French actrices. But if you go in the street you won’t see such simplicity and elegance! But in the whole, French women are better dressed than English ones, there is no doubt about that.
all fits that would be middle class. i couldn't afford those prices,,, Aren't those like $300. pieces. the 'regular' person doesn't even mingle with people who wear those.
French women definitely dress better than the Average American as well (Im American living in France). So do French guys; in general. Also my French mother-in-law is a senior citizen; doesn’t have a lot of money but she still looks chic and put together when she leaves the house.
I felt the rule about wearing baggy clothes when you don’t feel as thin as you’d like just makes you look bigger!! Fotos helped to see the truth in this! Thank you.
Yes! The hardest thing I had to learn post partum was not to listen to the voice in my head that just wanted me to cover everything up and hide. It's wild but baggy clothes come across as body shaming oneself. They scream uncertain and insecure. It took me a while to realize that trying to hide my uncertainty and insecurity instead put it on loudspeaker. Granted there can be very few easily available options for well designed clothes. The clothing world treats non-skinny bodies like an afterthought. They simply try taking the cut of size 6 blouse or pants and sizing the pattern up for size 14. That is not how attractive clothes are made for larger women! It's demoralizing and dysmorphic not being able to walk into stores and find attractive clothes within an hour when that's what we've always been able to do. But size 12 and size 4 jeans have to be cut differently. It took me a long time to learn her rules here for bigger sizes. I learned how to stand up, place my elbows tightly against my body and bend my arms up. The place my elbows hit was always the skinniest part of my body no matter anything else. As long as I prioritized creating shape at exactly that point, I instantly looked more well-dressed. I also had to realize the rule of either legs or chest but not both. My chest definitely grew postpartum. I could play that up and maintain my waist while flowing away on the bottom. Or maintain my waist below a modest neckline, paired with a well fitting skirt ending at the knee. A lot of heavier women have killer legs! And there's nothing like tasteful leg to overcome any fear of frump. A lot of the larger bodied styles she showed had flowing pants. A tasteful skirt ending at the knee works wonders.
My mom was a seamstress from Mexico and she taught me a large handful of your tips! I hear her voice in my head when i show leg not to show chest and vise versa
Yes! So many of the women's French style videos really don't convey everything she taught here. They come across as more of someone's personal take on French style instead of a systematic breakdown that one can put back together again. This video is brilliant
This was great! Another one my mom taught me (she isn’t French but lived there for a bit) is to buy 2-4 staple pieces and build your outfit around them. She’d often get 5 outfits from each piece. Instead of having 45 cheap articles, use that money to buy 3-4 quality pieces that will elevate your outfits overall. Some examples could be a motorcycle jacket, black dress, camel coat for winter, and a lovely button down. And never underestimate the power of jewelry and accessories!
My mom also taught me that one. With proper care, quality clothes can last you a very long time, and if you're careful and more or less keep your weight, you can build a very nice wardrobe over time. You can certainly add new elements and stay current with fashion without too much money.
absolutely. It even works with cheaper stuff (maybe you don't have any money, are very young / still growing or live somewhere for a limited amount of time). Nowadays I can make that work, but it took me a long time to understand fashion (not only in a trendy way but in the way of the video) and develop my own taste. I was really bad at putting together wardrobes and the very best I could do was looking normal (jeans, shirt) but everything above that was...weird :D But I got the grip of it once I reached my early twenties. Also, I could buy my own stuff from wherever, and my body reached its adult female-shaped size.
Girl, please don't stop. Fashion was always a nightmare in my head, but I am really trying to make peace with it and figure it out my style. Watching your videos are making everything a little bit more easier. Please, continue, I'm counting on it!
I’m French, but my mom wasn’t. Never got that kind of guidance from her, but it’s nice to find that advice eventually. This is one of the most concise videos I’ve seen on the topic :) and very helpful
I was never taught how to dress, I looked ad photos and ads and cultivated similar clothing mostly from affordable used and vintage shops. This breaks it down in a much more understandable way than trying to figure it out on my own. Thank you!
It's interesting how my Greek mother taught me those rules you mentioned some decades ago...those french rules of yours apparently were the rules for every woman who wanted to be elegante back then ❤
My grandmother was Italian and she taught me basics and “fancy grandma”. I loved the additional categories you included. I noticed a lot of French women love the aesthetics of the 1970s. I do too; earth tones, textiles, shirts etc.
Hi! French here (and black)! Tbh my mom never made me learn those rules but I feel like all the things on the TV like "Les reines du shopping" and other TV shows talking about fashion (and also fashion influencers, the curvy ones for me) made me assimilate naturally all those rules. I can't say I follow them strictly as I am black, colours really look amazing on me so I go with thing that look nice while being comfortable most of the time. But when I take my time, I feel like my style changes from casual to the working one (on occasion, I don't need to wear a shirt or a blazer to go to work as I work in IT) preppy to the ones with a lot of bold colours to rock to grandma (I just love wearing pearls I guess). It's really funny. Also I do love heels but I barely wear them as it's not appropriate when you have to walk on a road with little tiny rocks or just on forest tiny roads. It's good for big cities. But when I wear heels they always have a thick heel size, but they can be short heels (3 to 5cm) to high heels (7 and more). Also I have some unique bags with really various colours so sometimes it's not possible to have the same colour for my shoes so I either stick to black or white shoes or pick a colour shown on the bag. Definitely agree that if you are curvy (or on the bigger side) it's better to wear fitted clothes or more like clothes that fit your own form while respecting the wide/fitted or fitter/wide combo for the top and the bottom. I can also note that depending of the region where you live in France people tends to dress differently but you can still notice they are really French in the way they do that.
American here 👋 This was neat. I definitely find it way more stylish to mix styles a bit within an outfit. I just never broke down the styles into these explicit categories like she does. What was missing for me was any rules for hair and jewelry. That’s also where you can mess up a look with the wrong earrings or hair style. I appreciated her comment on natural vs synthetic materials. My mom taught me that. But another rule my grandmother taught me is to invest in your shoes!! Your shoes should always be the most expensive part of your look. Nice shoes can turn an average outfit around.
My mom gave me great advice. There were 3 elements to factor in: tight/loose, short/long, neckline/decolletage. You could choose a maximum of 2 out of 3. Something can be tight and short but cover the rest of your body. Or it can have decolletage and be tight but long. You also have to take into consideration your body type. I love plunging neckines but I'm busty so that makes me look cheap. But more flat-chested women look great with them (envy!)
I am not following the 2/3 method. You are naming all three in the very next of examples …???
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@@ArtU4All I think she meant 2 out of the 3 can be the sexier option but then the third is supposed to be laid back / professional. So anything that's tight AND short AND not covering your skin is too sexy.
I am not French, but all the American Fashion magazines, used to do story after story promoting exactly what you are discussing, and try to dress that everything goes with everything else.
This is always what I’m telling my husband when he says my wardrobe is getting out of control. I have many stories to tell! I’m not French but this has always been intuitive to me. You’ve explained it beautifully 🖤
As a French woman I know our moms and grandmas teach us about skincare, dressing, hair and manners. And culture comes at the dinner table and family reunions and outings 😊
This was such a helpful video. I never thought about the "limiting sexy elements in your outfit to 2", and I also didn't realize that fitted pants on women were a bit on the "sexy" category. I wear a lot of fitted pants (mainly because they are stretchy and comfy) but I think I'll look into buying straight pants that are more flowy as well! Thank you for the video!
I have just discovered you. You appeared on my "new to you" section. I have been following Justine Le Conte, Marie-Anne Le coure and Frederique Boss for many years and they alwats give french styling tips but have NEVER explained it like this! Just brilliant . I'm in the UK so have some European dressing etiquette , but this was so informative. I have now subscribed. Keep up the great work.
Red bra, white top…who knew?? Not this lady. Thank you! I think the “art” of dressing is lost, I did not grow up learning “how to dress”. Thank you for some simple, easy, and effective rules to help with the madness that goes on anytime I get dressed!!!!
I'm NGL, I didn't have the best mother-ing or female role models in my life, and this legit was done in a way that I could understand & I can't tell you how helpful this was to watch, so, thank you.
i'm french and was working in fashion and luxury industry in paris, and i have to say this is the most accurate video on this particular topic i ever seen (and i didn't realize this rules are so specific to french fashion ˆˆ) bravo 😘
I live in France for few years and I admire the way French people dress, I did not know this rules were taught, I thought there was something unconscious that you French people know how to do. Great video, I will apply these rules since one of my new year resolutions is to improve my dressing style.
The red bra was new to me, too. I always wore beige (which also disappears under white and sheerer/paler fabrics). I was gratified to note that some of the rules I have already been following intuitively: revealed cleavage OR revealed legs; tight top with loose bottoms or vice versa. Others are new to me, and I really appreciate the information. Thank you!
This is the absolute best way I have ever heard fashion described. It took me far too long to figure this out via trail and error. It would have been nice to learn this earlier in life.
I'm entering my mid 40's, and these guidelines are super useful for people like me that still love items in my closet that I've been wearing since my late 20's, but I want to style in a more sophisticated way. Thanks!!!
Interesting video indeed. And pleasantly surprised that you showed some bigger women in it. As a big woman I often struggle in finding suitable clothes and how to style it properly.
Listening to them I figured out those are the same rules my German mother taught me as well. I of course don’t always follow all of them but knowing them gives me options and lets me control my image whether I work with or against them. Very nice summary!
I would add jewelry: either big necklace or big earrings. Never both. The same for rings and bracelets. And maximum 3 elements out or the 4 at the same time.
I was traveling in France last fall and noticed how put together many of the French women looked. I realized I need to up my game! Thanks for the tips. They make sense and are very doable..
I'm French, and I do follow most of these rules implicitly! The things I would add to your great video are: - Avoiding colors that are too bright, plain, straightforward, without nuance (my mum calls them "dumb colors"). For example, a powder pink, coral or fuschia will usually look fancier and more interesting than the sort of pink you would find in the girl section of a toy store. - Pairing colors is not always straightforward. For example, pink and red, or pink and orange, are difficult combos to pull off and may clash. I personally really dislike yellow and grey together. Yellow and black gives bee, orange and black gives Halloween... On the other hand, khaki complements all shades of red, and beige/off white elevates almost everything. Have fun, but think it through! - As it goes with the most important rule of balance, one eye-catching element per outfit is enough. Never too much, always enough. Thank you for a great video!
I actually love red and pink, it's very candy cane and I like that ❤🩷 They're often the same color just different value (Unless you mean magenta in which case, magenta is a hard color to pull off).
During the week I dress for the office, which means black, grey, navy dresses with dark coloured shirts, opaque stockings and flat leather shoes. On the weekends I dress for comfort, which means sports leggings, long or short sleeved tees and podiatrist approved sneakers. On the rare occasions that I do go out, cocktail attire is usually sufficient, and I do have a few really classy evening dresses and killer heels for really really fancy events (which happens more often in imagination than reality).
YES…. FYI…Head over to Tuba Avalon’s channel which does involve some expectation of being able to afford (at least occasionally or via “re-use websites,” or thrift stores) some high quality pieces pairing with less costly basic options NEARLY anyone can afford. even if you can’t afford it all, her insights are invaluable and delivered sardonically, wittily, and never when unkind at anyone else’s expense (just her own).
Rule of the rules in the french look way: stay natural. Don’t over makeup yourself, just use one sexy clothe on the top or on the bottom of your body. Don’t be over sexy clothed (especially after 30 years old). Stay simple, you will look great :)
I love the Polène bagas appearing in the outfits at the beginning of the video 😊 The tip on ironing/cleaning the bags is so underrated, but it makes a huge difference. Especially taking care of leather bags feel very therapeutic.
No sabía la regla de las 9 categorías, muy interesante. Pero mi mamá me enseñó varias reglas. Me enseñó a no usar la parte de arriba y la de abajo flojas: o una o la otra. Me enseñó a no combinar dos estampados diferentes. Me enseñó qué colores no quedan bien juntos. Me enseñó a combinar los accesorios, los zapatos con el bolso. Me enseñó a usar colores neutros combinados con algún color: por ejemplo, un pantalón de color neutro con la parte de arriba de color, o al revés. Me enseñó que la sencillez nos hace a todas más lindas. Etc.
Thanks for the video. I was never really taught any rules of fashion beyond "Don't go out looking trashy" and "Don't spend a ton of money on clothes." I have been trying to update my style to look a bit more put together. I loved this video!
My mother was Italian and handed me down virtually the same "rules." I was born in the U.S., and younger women here look "trashy" to me much of the time. I wondered why. LOL. Thanks for taking the time to explain European fashion ideals.
Trashy? No. I was raised in the US in the Deep South and we learned the similar rules and many more. But when it came to sexiness my mother and grandmother's emphasis was always "how to look sexier to catch his eye" never "how to avoid looking trashy." Even if their emphasis was heteronormative and sexist, I am glad they taught me what to do instead of what not to do. If you tell a child, "don't hit the dog, don't hit the dog." All they hear is" hit the dog" and if tell a teenager, "don't dress trashy, don't dress trashy" they hear "dress trashy." I see young girls and think, maybe she isn't interested in catching a man's eye/or looking sexy and good for her. Dress is self expression.
@@alenkasalej627 Fashion wasn't "born" in Europe nor does Europe "rule." Europe did its level best to "rule" the world and impose its culture, customs, mores, language, religion, law and yes dress on every living being on the planet. However the world pushed back against colonialist attempt to "rule" the world, and the world proved difficult to handle especially as Europeans were often too busy butchering each other to maintain their stranglehold. So fashion is born many places. More than trickling down as it once did, fashion trickles up from the street subcultures i.e. hiphop, Korean K-pop, skateboarding, Japanese gyaru, J-fashion etc. Also with globalization (for better or worse) the world is getting smaller and cross pollination of styles makes it difficult to know who is influencing whom. France still has enormous influence but to pronounce that Europe "rules" is ignorant, Eurocentric and utterly tone deaf.
@@pippadawg7037 Tradicional clothing is not fashion as the meaning of the word. I ment that (as intentional industry). Nothing else. Did not mean to ofend anyone.
This is amazing thank you for the awesome tips! I unconciously do a few but the wide pants and big top, I hadn't thought of but it makes perfect sense!!
New subscriber. Love this. Both of my grandmas were stylish but one grandma was chic and would have looked at home sitting in a café in Paris. She taught me this same technique. Born in the early 1920s, she didn't wear jeans until she was 70! And even then she had a heel on. I'm excited to see more of your content. Merci beaucoup, for the memories.❤👠
Absolutely amazing video! I'm not French (proud Polish-Canadian woman over here), but I was taught many of these rules by the women in my life as well. Keep up the fantastic fashion ❤
You explained it so so well! I‘m German and I feel like we aren’t really known for dressing exceptionally well but I‘ve learned all those „rules“ from my mother too ☺️
Can you please do videos on etiquette rules?? You obviously know how to walk elegantly, you understand what creates an elegant look vs sexy, etc. I’m sure you have 1000 tips on various French etiquette.
Very well analysed, structured and explained, thank you! It is true that these rules apply not only in France, yet as a French woman I learned also those rules part with my mother part with the general environment of other people, magazines and trying on clothes every morning when I was a teenager and student like "no these shoes, or coat, or trousers... really do not fit with the other elements, I need to change this before I go out lol" My mother is always very elegant but with an arty touch with a lot of colours always very well matched in a nuanced way with the accessories, jewels and shoes, for example light and dark blues. And just like her I love colours but with a simpler style. I also like to avoid the black and white basics, and I can add these rules/remarks to the "no more than three colors" : if you do not want to look too basic or classic, you can put one strong colour (yellow, orange, pink, green, blue, red...) on your top with one classic/professional colour on your trousers like black, white, brown or dark blue. OR you can do the reverse : classic colour on the top and vivid colour on the bottom. You can also replace black shoes by brown, grey or dark blue. It will give a softer tone to your look and "welcome" the more intense colours above, while black shoes will make the colours above appear sharper. Also, if you want to put the same color on different items, these items must be separated/alternated. For instance blue, green, red shoes... paired with the top, not with the trousers. I agree with the other comments. About scarves, they are a good way to add a multicolored item that is not too visible and that can match and unify at the same time tones from your shoes, top, trousers, jacket... another rule with colours is the quality and tightness of the fabric/cloth. A good quality woolen or cotton item, or a very fine clothed scarf, will make the coloured item seem more preppy. Another rule that we follow is the avoidance of the full characters that come with the different looks. Too many skin showed or high heels is the slut, too many colors is the clown, too many classic is the bourgeoise, too many sporty is... sporty (haha) so it's okay for a teenager or to go running! You can only choose to play fully one of those characters on specific occasions or if you have the specific personality and lifestyle, job that goes with it. The full ethnic style is a summer look you can wear at work as well as on holidays with a long dress and cloth or leather sandals, especially in the south, hotter part of the country. It is a way to have colours and have skin visible while remaining elegant but not preppy. But finally, I would add that blue jeans trousers are the basics for men and women that are used in a lot of occasions throughout the seasons, becoming preppy with a buttoned skirt, sporty with a sweater, or casual/professional with a wool or cotten knitten pull over. And also that French women do not generally wear high heels because one of the rules we follow is also that fashion should not prevent you from being safe, healthy, and comfortable in your movements and activities. Thank you for this very clear video which reminded me a lot of past moments because clothes are first paired with days of our life 😊
Also, make sure you’ve chosen well made clothing and that it fits well. Get a tailor to ensure your clothes lay properly, and keep your proportions in mind to keep a balanced look.
What proportions exactly? What do you mean, if you refer to natural body proportions they come in all different shapes and sizes, impossible to standarize to some beauty cannon
I'm from the north Spain, but still learnt this rules from my grandmother. She was a very classy woman from really humble roots and took a lot of pride in always look chic and put together. She taught me that taking care of your appareance is a form of self-respect and she always had impeccable nails and red lipstick on. There were also a few more about using colors and patterns I just think about them as classic style rule and I still unconsciously follow them even if I am more in the laid back/ethnic vibbes
Vidéo géniale, claire, concise ! Ça me motive pour "affiner" ma garde robe et ameliorer, je l'espère, mon style. Ça fait des années que je remets ça à plus tard parce que "non mais je vais maigrir, ça sert à rien que j'achète tant de fringues en grande taille" 🙃. J'ai 34 ans maintenant donc grosse ou pas, j'ai juste envie d'être BIEN habillée. Il y a pas mal de règles que je connaissais mais c'est toujours très utile de les avoir sous la main de façon aussi synthétique et percutante. En revanche, le détail des différents styles principaux, et comment emprunter des éléments ici et là et les assembler c'est une pépite, je n'avais jamais vu ça expliqué de façon aussi abordable et je pense que ça va BEAUCOUP m'aider à composer mes tenues et à faire des achats plus qualitatifs et que je pourrai utiliser dans des looks différents. Un grand merci 💐
As an American living in Paris, I've never had such a hard time getting dressed 👗 🙃 This was very helpful - as especially at work I feel completely confused (either too informal or too formal) Orher things I've learned and noticed in france : - leather belts are common even for casual outfits - Non-matching monochrome is both common and makes getting dressed SO much easier (ie. light green top, dark green pants) - put together looks usually have 3 colors max (ex green outfit, brown accessories and a scarf that's beige so in the same color and warmth or cool family as one of the main colors) - I agree with the comments above that a lot of people look the same :/ - See a lot of folks who know what colors suite them and they wear them very well - there are way (way way way) less tattoos, piercing, dyed hair in france compared to other western countries - which i think is too bad ! Formal with tats is hot Also, I can't with the white trainers anymore --- everyone has the same shoes ! It drives me nuts excellent video ! Chapeau ! 🎓
I have always preferred elegance over a sexy look. You shared so many great rules; however, dressing according to your size, even with underwear, is quite useful.
This is what I needed! It never occurred to me to mix different categories thoughtfully to tell a story! I always stick to wearing what I feel comfortable in (basics), but I also couldn't place why my outfits looked boring and I struggle in making my outfits look more exciting.
Excellent! Vraiment très éducatif. Je t’encourage de continuer à faire des vidéos comme ceci. On a tous besoin d’apprendre comment bien s’habiller tout en respectant notre style préféré.
Which rule did you find most useful? 👀
I lerned these wrules by my mother and grandmother too. I m Belgian
You did a grate job! Mercie beaucoup
Traditional old lady. I don't think so. Coco Chanel is not old. It's elegant and classy.
I'm french and never knew we had these rules😂
Me interesa mucho lo del balance en volumen, en colores y en destape de piel.
Pero sobretodo el tema de la mezcla de estilos.
Felicitaciones desde Puerto Rico.
Learning that Fancy Grandma is my style is the best thing I’ve heard all day
Fancy Grandma is maybe the only style that looks good on everyone, no matter the body type. After all, how one looks not good in something classy.
My style is fancy laid back grandma - honestly a state of mind I've been striving for since I was a teenager!
I agree
Same!
aaah, this is also my favourite style !!! It reminds me of the 1930s, my favourite incarnation ;-)
Raised in a household of "if it's revealing on top, cover the bottom. If it's revealing on the bottom, cover the top" and it hasn't steered us wrong yet! Loved learning the other tips!
I’ve actually never been taught that but I’ve always consciously had this rule in the back of my mind
@@Mysteriuminiquitatis1998 You can get away with so much with that one rule haha ❤ it's cool you practiced it without being taught it!
That's like the either a bright eyeshadow or a bright lipstick rule!
@@empathybadger506 Yes exactly! Always balance to set the right tone (unless it's NYE or party night something)
Same ✨👌🏼
I'm French and I watched just out of pure curiosity when I read the title, I thought hah let's see if I follow those rules. Then you said that all french girls learn rules from their mothers / grand mothers and I thought no I didn't ! And then you explained the rules and yes I actually do remember the exact moments when my mom taught me those rules ! Hehe well done.
I did the exact same thing!
I always despise when someone say "all blabla do this or know that
I actually don't remember being taught these rules and I don't follow them most of the time.
For example I often like to hide my body under baggy clothes but when it's very hot in the summer I will go the less dressed as I can x)
It was interesting anyway.
Bye
I wish my mother had taught me rules. I wore uniforms for school and for my first jobs. I think I was around 35 before I had to figure out clothing - it was hard. Pretty much settled on traditional for work and now a laid back retired woman. Thanks for this.
I'm French too, no one directly taught me those rules, but seeing how everyone dresses did😅
The only thing my mother taught me directly is to not do tone-on-tone (and my rebel teenager ass said "as if" and dressed all in red, all in green, or all in purple any chance I'd get)
Where is the patterned jacket in the ethnic grouping from? I LOVE it
@@oceanegougeon3025 well that's actually how my French mom dresses haha
I'm French, and I learned almost all of these rules when I arrived in Paris for my studies, either by observing or reading women's magazines, some were even taught to me by my boyfriend!
Another rule that has served me well: when you have a small budget, you have to put the money into shoes and hairstyle, the rest is less important to look classy.
I learned: 1., your shoes and 2., your bed. Who cares about the hair? You can wash it at home.
@@silviadarling3622the context is fashion. Your hair is part of your look, your bed is not. And they specifically mentioned a good haircut (meaning an experienced stylist that knows how to cut your hair well, so that it looks amazing, and grows out still looking great), not getting your hair washed.
I agree, 100%- shoes and hair and a good
As an English speaking native, there is one rule of thumb when it comes to the subject of "classy" i.e. never use the word "classy." It is worse than wearing a Christmas sweater to a black tie event in June.
@@silviadarling3622 I wash my hair at home budget or not, but I travel about 3 hours round trip to ATL for cut and color. Dress from Goodwill, buy makeup at the drug store, but the hair is sacrosanct.
Decor is a different question, but I agree. First work out the bed i.e. mattress, pillows, sheets, blanket/quilts/duvet ( best you can afford) then window dressing and rugs. Even when moving install your bedroom first. Also always spring for custom curtains and natural rugs.
Great advice re hair & shoes! I have seen (& continue to see) how hair in a (non-styled) ponytail and/or (sloppy, no-thought) shoes completely change the entire look.
I have only recently began matching the leathers of shoes & bag. This definitely surprised me on its impact!. Someone made the comment that the "downside" to French dressing is it makes everyone homogeneous. As a woman in her mid-50's my wardrobe, I find, is turning more "French". I am grateful for this. Elegance feels wonderfully restful to the eyes & to the spirit.
❤
These rules aren't new to me, but I've never seen them broken down and explained so well. You've created a gem with this video - thank you!
Thank you for your kind words 😊
I agree ... This is a great video!
True! I just sent the video to my boyfriend and he loved it, because the first half of the video works just as well for men, he only has to imagine the male examples :) thank you a lot, Ariane!
Same here,
The same, it is similar to what I was taught mothers would teach their daughters, though I did learn a couple of new things, specifically choosing wide styles or showing skin either at the top or the bottom but not both. Makes perfect sense, but I didn't have it as a rule.
I'm a guy and not interested in fashion, I clicked by pure curiosity and yet ended up watching the whole thing. It was honestly very interesting. If I had a daughter I'd show her this for sure. Now you should make a similar video for men because I feel most of us could really use some help 😂
Same lol
Grandpa style !
Hello Frank....well said. Good potential Father attitude. Regarding learning mens' fashion....the gentleman you are will shine through any clothing "flaw". 😊
Hey you can be a guy into fashion, like me. Mens fashion isn’t really covered much sadly especially by many popular fashion youtubers, but it’s out there.
Love the on-screen graphic showing the different styles part of each outfit
I’m so glad 😄
Yes, very good idea, so analytical and clear!
I was just commenting on that!!!! The only thing is that I wish they stay a bit longer so I can study them more.
When I was only 22 (now 61 😊) I was on holiday in Spain and spotted this dark skinned French girl, with her hair up, wearing a plain white T-Shirt and French Navy wide leg ankle grazer culottes and black ballet flats....I was so mesmerised by her class and style but couldn't work out what it was, she was so chic....and now I realise it was pairing outfits down looking sharp and clean, comfortable and confident. I can remember her to this day....and there's nothing more attractive than authenticity.
As a French woman, it’s quite surprising to see all these rules in one video. We don’t learn them at once, we learn one rule at a time during all our childhood/teenage years, growing up. But yes, it’s true that we follow these in all formal settings.
Some people do criticize it, because it makes our society look too homogeneous compared to other countries in which personnalities are more refleted in their clothing (like Britain for example). But I think it’s a good tool for adults, it helps elevate our looks in formal or public events and in the workplace.
Thank you for sharing it with people, I didn’t think some people could not know these, since it’s quite basic to us to know them. ❤️
As a german women you don't know how much that helps!! All we learn is how to dress according to the weather...
@@108ladylena depends where you're coming from, or which era. I learned those rules from my german grandmother, a stuck up seamstress from the bourgeoisie. My parisian grandmother had more fantasy and this 'chic sans y toucher' which is REALLY French. Risk is french, sisters Sans-culotte!
I learned much of this from the Southern American women in my family. But as a fashion girl, I only wanted to break all the "rules"
And those southern U.S. women were influenced by their French Grand-mères.
If tou remember your history it was the French that settled the south first.
If it wasn't for all the videos pointing out how rude french are I'd let my mind think I'd like it in France. 😂😂😂
I'm American and as I was trying to figure out how to explain "appropriate clothing" for our 12-13 year old daughter, I made a rule that she could wear shorter shorts with a loose top or a fitted top with longer shorts or long pants/jeans. It helped us to stop disagreeing about outfits she would put on!
Your video is very helpful because you broke down each style with examples.
That's funny, I made that rule up for myself in college. I used it on running clothes, but it's so similar. One tight one loose. Or one revealing and one concealing.
@@kaitlynnp582 that’s very awesome of you to do for yourself! Thanks for sharing!
It's the same with makeup... if you wear a heavy eye makeup, you wear neutral lips. For dark or red lips, just mascara. For US the rule is a 2 inch heel.
@@SirenaSpades right 2" heel, isn't their's shorter??
@@kaitlynnp582 i wish EVERY girl would follow that rule,,, two tight pieces is Too Much. For a professional athlete on the field,,i guess it is performance clothing. real men don't want that,, every man see's all corners of her body,,, Noo,, so Yes,,, one fitted and one relaxed. Glad you came up with that,,, good fashion sense,, casual is still fashion, im learning little by little,, Ciao' grazie
The other think the French know (both men and women) is the power of the scarf. I never walk out in France without a scarf; it can elevate a basic look, keep me warm, tie in otherwise disparate wardrobe pieces, make a statement and so much more!
Please make a video on ways to style a scarf, please. 😊
Loved this video but I was also thinking scarf and/or gloves were going to come up. I'm heading to France and was just thinking that I am going to buy myself a nice scarf
I moved to France 2 months ago, never having worn a scarf before (instead of winter days in the mountainsl. I had to buy one because I was freezing and didn't yet receive all my clothes from my home country, and now I'M IN LOVE WITH IT!!! it upgrades every outfit that I wear!!!
@@berosullivan8089- I'm sure you know this but match scarf and gloves. And if the gloves are leather even better!
That doesn't mean matchy matchy. But they should belong together.
When she said " ... the professional kind of sexy ... ", I was sold. This is diplomacy & tact at its finest! New sub all the way from Hong Kong!
One thing I've learned to pay attention to is hardware (A coat with a silver zipper/a belt with a bright gold buckle/ handbag with brass metal/Rose gold jewelry, etc). When all your metals are cohesive it instantly looks more elegant.
Absolutely!!!!
For sure! When you find out if you are a 'cool' or 'warm' skin type, you usually stick to all silver or all gold colored metal (jewelry included) and that includes handbag hardare as well. Harder to find handbags with silver toned metal though.
@@dutchpainter602haha also my shoes are nearly all the same color and my bags too, it makes more possibilities of combination
It’s funny to mention bc I always thought I was weird for being picky about this in particular - I even have a video in one of my try ons where I found myself saying “oh no I didn’t realize this had gold color zippers, I never have clothes with that!” lol
Yes! The classic advice I always heard was
* Match your leathers
* Match your metals
And most importantly
* Groom your hair and your hands (which does not mean an expensive manicure)
Even flawless makeup will not overcome poor hair or badly kept hands. One is temporary. The others show habit.
I love that you framed this as "rules to follow if you want to look elegant and put together," instead of "hard rules to always follow or else you're trashy and uncool." Also, thank you for the bit about larger bodies still having shapes that are worth showing off!
Agree. Not putting people down for their choices but finding a positive way to phrase decisions is always elegant!
I love this video. Not only did you explain everything so well but you also didn’t insult or shame people who prefer dressing otherwise. Thank you for being sensitive! Looking forward to more content!
I’m Australian and in my early 50’s and I have only recently found the confidence to dress “elegantly” (in my opinion). Surprise surprise- I’m following your rules.
I recently went to a fancy work conference and my basic outfits for all 5 days were- white trousers, sandals or heels, a neutral shirt or striped T and a a beige trench, or neutral jacket. A good waist defining belt and gold hoop earrings. And fabulous sunglasses!
I was complimented on my style constantly.
Finally! I dress like a French woman.
Same I’m 56 and want to start really putting in to what I wear. Finally getting confident.
Et voilà 🎉
@@tessH we can finally wear white!!! Xox
I love your casual elegance! I pretty much dress the same but in a darker palette: red, navy, charcoal grey, black and cream.
Can you please tell me how you were able to care for those pants for 5 days. Were they so high quakity they never wrinkled? and did you wash them.? were they very quick to dry?? I'd like to try thar, but what brand do i even look for. you were braze! what if you got a stain!! you would need another pair immediately.
This was THE BEST Style video Ive ever seen on the internet. Everyone with Daughters should share this to help them understand 'The Rules" before they try to break them
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank god that you are their to teach the wold that an outfit is a combination of different elements…. Pffffffff
@@butterflyeffect9424 . . it's spelled 'there' to teach the 'World' . . oh & God is spelled with a Capital my Dear but thank you for highlighting the sentiment I was conveying
@@selenaclarke oh thank you for correcting my mistakes Madame JESAISTOUT, I admit that my 5th laguage is sometimes a challenge. How could we live without one who tell us how to dress and an other one who correct our mistakes. Merci merci merci merci
I agree, very very good video and clear explanation
A summary:
Heels will always make an item more feminine - around 7cm elegant, above 7cm sexy.
Tucking in your shirt t-shirt or pullover will elongate your legs and emphasise your waist
Balance out the volume of your outfit, never do all skinny or all baggy.
Natural materials look expensive and artificial ones look cheap. So, chose cotton over polyester.
Your underwear should not be visible in colour or shape. Take UW that matches your skin colour. Pick one size up for panties to avoid liners.
Match leather accessories -If you are wearing brown shoes, wear a brown bag.
Wide clothes make you look bigger regardless of your body size.
If you are showing cleavage, don’t show legs, and if you are showing legs, don’t show cleavage.
Ironed clothes make a world of difference.
Limit the amount of sexy elements in your outfit, so your look doesn’t fall into tacky-sexy.
I like this!
Love you darling for the summary 😊😅
I am a man and I watched the entire video, so well done. Can we have a similar video for the sad gents😂
Match your belt with your shoes ;)
The rules are not that different tbh. As said by Meanne, instead of a handbag matched to shoes, make sure your belt matches your shoes if wearing a more classic or professional outfit like a suit. Otherwise most of the same point-based system with categories will apply. You can look well put together with a pair of sneakers, some chinos, a neutral well fitting t-shirt and a blazer. You want to be a bit more mindful about the shapes, because we're not as lucky as women in that department and have a bit less choice. And the sexy category is a bit different as well. Women can choose specific items to openly signal sexyness, but with a bit of thought we can get that too, mainly in how we wear specific items and by keeping in mind what people find attractive in a man/you. Emphasize your shoulders with a slim cut top if you don't have too much of a belly. If you are a bit more rotund (as we tend to become with age. Gods to be young again...), a slightly more flowy but well cut shirt will do. Choose a good shirt that you can keep partly unbuttoned to push the width of your upper chest and shoulders. Pants that will show rear volume but not entirely reveal the shape of your legs. It's all about small adjustments.
extra tip when it comes to matching: your socks should match shoes or pants in color. If you want to look taller, match your socks to your pants, it will elongate the silhouette of the legs.
Extra extra tip to train the eye: look at suits, even from different eras. On the surface, it's business attire. But it's the "manly man sexy successful" outfit for a reason. The shapes are very interesting and can be very different from one another. The variance within a three piece suit (the cuts, the lengths, the silhouette) can give you an idea about the shapes you're looking for, and what will make you comfortable, even with casual attire.
Very easy, wear pants on your legs and shirts on your arms 😂
But actually, the best advice for men that I've seen so far anywhere - find a celebrity with body and complexion similar to yours, and who's style you like, and try to recreate their casual looks for starters. You will discover a lot of things about style and yourself!
Tuba Avalon (on Yt) is female but herself often wears menswear abs reviews it/ suggests options for finding it in good quality yet trying to be mindful also of cost.
@@k.v.7681 I think matching socks is good for some categories (like maybe professional, preppy, and the traditional categories), but socks can be a super fun and subtle way for men to add personality to their outfits! Look at Booth from the TV show Bones for example- he's an FBI agent that wears office formal suits every day but he throws on some fun socks to show that he still has a quirky side underneath. You could even do socks that mostly match (like have black as a main colour to match with black shoes/pants) but that have a quirky design or print on them.
I havent matched my bag to my shoes in forever. Same with my jewelry. Outdated concepts. If you pick colors that go together either complementary or other combo - it still works quite well and less boring - like classy with a little spice.
I wouldn't match shoes to bag at all,,very outdated concept. right,,,,, colors and shades that sort of blend but are different..... no matching,,,, 'classy with a little spice' yep,,, that's when flat leopard shoes are the Coolest
I'm happy to see someone with the intestinal fortitude to call-out trashy.
LOL
But do you forget that it was french fashion houses that pushed all the trashy elements in their seasonal shows? When the overlords do it, it's OK, but should the peasants follow its not. That is rule #1.
What's truly hideous are those tattoos, piercings and poison coloured hair - also the ultra fashionable portion of an entire generation of women in the west. No one has the fortitude of any organ or system to call that out because that would be against the euphemistic term known as " body art".
Very nice. I especially liked how you did the transition shots (with the hops) showing how a change of just one article shifted the style.
the red bra under a white top is something new to me! i have many white tops. thanks for the tip. I have been to France a few times and noticed the women like to go braless even on thin and translucent tops *.*
That is so true! At least the underwear is not visible then 😂
Not something I would advise if you want to look elegant, but definitely a very French thing to do for the women who like a laid-back feminine vibe, with a dash of “rebel” 👌
So glad the red bra tip helped ♥️
The red bra trick doesn't work with deep tone skin
@amycurtis4641 ah another thing we all learned 😀
@@amycurtis4641so true I came here to say this. Red underclothes only disappear under white clothes if the wearer has fair skin.
@@amycurtis4641 No... she advised matching your skin tone first... I have followed this advice for wearing white and cream tops for ages... but would not wear red unless my skin tone is very light.
Frencho too here. I agree on all those unsaid rules! I was also expecting the makeup one "lips or eyes" in line with "legs or clivage".
and jewelry same, necklace or earings except if they are tiny. Rings or bracelet...the less you put the better is seen.
As much as I'm a "follow your joy" person, I still find these rules really help and I apply them almost instinctively most of the time. My favourite is baggy/vs/tight. It really changes the game, especially as I get older. It's worth mentioning that nothing in these rules prevents anyone from wearing really funky clothes, it's really easy to use these rules with some pieces you might never see on an elegant French woman. There's room for lots of creativity and yet the tips will really help balance the outfit
Very true. I'm a french-speaking Swiss woman, who now lives in the US. I grew up learning all this unconsciously, but it's very easy to wear a western pearl-snap shirt as an elegant piece instead of a blazer for example, or boot-cut jeans instead of professional trousers, and get the same vibe. And don't be afraid of colors. You can also get elegant vibes using bright colors paired with grey instead of the terminally boring beiges...
Exactly, build your style, have some fun figuring things out, these rules are a great basis for how to build an outfit for specific feels. Break the rules when you want to, use them when they're helpful and aid you in being perceived the way you want to be seen.
Also, I'd argue you can do baggy top and baggy bottoms *if* you define the waist and potentially shoulders. At least from a French pov, the waist is fairly key.
As someone with an artistic preference, I didn't know the rule I've always followed is the same as her rule for sexy elements - no more than two pieces in one outfit at a time.
An artistic necklace and cool belt, everything else neutral. A statement pair of shoes and artistic bracelet. Everything else neutral.
A little goes a surprisingly long way! All artsy can look confusing or juvenile just like all sexy can look off-putting.
One can look like a creative without looking kooky!
Vintage pieces can be a big piece for creative types.
The best rule I ever learned there was if you wore it the first time around leave it now to the new generation.
That can sound a little arbitrary but think about a woman who came of age in the '80s or 90s now wearing vintage from the '80s or 90s.
Or a woman from the classic hippie era now wearing hippie pieces.
It can read like a person reaching back to their personal past in an uncomfortable way, instead of pulling an element out of the design past in an intentional way.
Vintage wants to look intentional and not either frumpy or misguidedly redoing one's youth.
The woman who came of age in the '80s or '90s can still reach back to classic '50s.
And the creative type all black outfit stands the potential of looking harsh on no-longer dewy skin.
While an all navy blue outfit, or navy with elements of black will visually read the same.
A navy blouse, but a cool leather jacket and black shoes still vibes creative while not putting harsh black up against one's face.
Thanks
Thank you!! ♥️
When I clicked on this video and heard "I haven't seen any of those French fashion rules on the internet", I was like "Really?... Another video about "French style"?"
But the information given is actually so great! It's simple, yet genius system! I want to try it out for sure. (And I definitely need a wardrobe refresh... Haven't bought anything new in years)
Thank you!
I am German and I also learned all of the rules. Somehow they are useful to know, but I have to say that I break some of them a lot. I love to wear a wide skirt and a wide top. Women in Sweden, Denmark or Japan do this as well. And yes, I do look bigger than I am, but my aim isn’t always to look as skinny and sexy as possible. Thanks for explaining. I liked the part about the story telling the most. ❤
As a parisian myself, i have to say this is pretty accurate.
I think my way of categorizing is a bit different, but i unconsciously do It (like every day i'm like "how professionnal do i look and how much do i need to look it today?"
And like : the rule about the number of sexy elements, definetely.
I would also add a few more :
- no more than 3 total colors
- try to match the "cuts" (les coupes, je sais pas comment on dit en anglais) or silhouette of your main frame (shirt / jean) with your coat
- colors (veeeery distinctive of french fashion) : keep it sober* (black, White, beige, Navy blue) with touches of color in general, only go wild in special occasions
*Edit: as someone made me realize, "sober" in French means "simple"/"serious" as well as without alcool!
As an Italian living in France I couldn’t agree more with your “added” rules 👏
@Safi_JC that is so amazing that you invest in how you look everyday walking out the door. I never give it a thought on day to day basic, just any jeans and any T-shirt, any shoes as long as it doesn't look ridiculous 😮
@@ivyhays3478it all depends on what you do on a daily basis. Some of us have to look differently and put more thoughts into it depending on what activities are planned that day.
@@ivyhays3478I tend to rely on 'uniforms' based on what I'm willing or not willing to faff about with. For example I know I can't usually be bothered to wear shoes with a heel or jeans I can't sit on the grass in. Therefore I rely on pretty shirts and a nipped belt to elevate my comfort garb.
An item of jewellery somewhere that doesn't make me feel constrained or stuffy helps make me feel as though I'm wearing an outfit rather than just clothes
Also I would add: black or white goes with any colour.
And don't wear really light colours as a main if you have pale skin, this will make you look sick.
And really important, top and legs witht the same colour but slightly different shades don't match well.
As a French woman, the way I "built my outfit" in the morning is : whatever is cleanish and accessible + shoes that match the color.
The "story I tell" with my outfit is : I have weather appropriate cloths, you don't see private parts of my body, and here is a color I like.
Not that the video is not good, but just to put things in perspective : all those rules and the whole "thinking of the category your outfit fits" is not something ALL French women think about EVERY DAY.
Also as a young adult I loved to wear black bras under transparent-ish white shirts...
I like your story 😍
And I recognize Sex and the City in the black bra/sheer top 😉
@@ArtU4All never watched it, but no doubt it impacted the culture.
Know the general societal rules, then find your personal style in ways to bend/break a few rules
A thing that many people don't know about bras (at least in the US) is that band size and cup size are inverse when you're figuring out your size. So. If your bra doesn’t fit quite right and it's mainly an overflow problem, first try up a cup size or two and DOWN a band size, then go up a band size if you need to. The bigger cups are adding length to the band. Your band shouldn't be hurting you, but it should be doing just as much or slightly more of the work than your straps.
I find that the CUPS are the most important as for the band you can buy an extension for better fit.
I’d say that bands are to do as much work as they can; a well fitted bra holds even without straps
Smaller women (32 band) wearing a D cup is not the same a 36 D cup. Get the band right first. Then experiment with the cup. Band will relax over time so make sure the tighter hooks will be available for later on
@jem2250 I get so frustrated with lack of band size options. I am 30 to 31 around.
Plus I find those foam cup bras that are everywhere really do not fit as well as seamed cups. They don't separate the breasts well which leads to the overflow thing.
I watched this video even if I am French because I was doubtful but all tips are true and well explained. I would also add another rule that we are told (that can summarise a part of the video): "never too much". Actually, we would ask regularly our mother or friend like "Is it too much?".
Also a good tip is that if you have a doubt always ask mom and dad (if you can). Mom will know what is trendy, the social codes for special events and what looks good on you. On the other hand, Dad will always tell you (if you ask) when an outfit is not flattering. (Never expect a big approvals because he doesn't care much)
Another good tip that my mother taught me is to always do your shopping alone, so you can take your time trying and thinking if you really need it, if it really looks good and you don't feel pressured about buying something that you will never wear.
This is, by far, the most helpful fashion video I have ever seen in my life. IN MY LIFE! I have always struggled with fashion and the way you explained it, using the system of points, made so much sense. I had such a lightbulb moment in my brain. Thank you so much.
Oh I’m going to frame that comment 😍 I am so so happy it was so helpful for you!!
@@MademoiselleSpends Pin it 😄
as a french woman living abroad, 100% agree on all of these rules, although my mom never taught me the point system, that's exactly how it is in my head ^^
and the either you show your cleavage or your legs is GOLD to look sexy but not "easy"
amazing video, bien joue, continue come ca c'etait tres clair et le rythme est parfait 👌
@@MademoiselleSpends
Let’s talk about the bubble charts in more detail. You did split one of them- so there are new aces and shades of gray
Let’s talk about it
❤👗❤
Same, i was taking screenshots with ideas because now i know how to organize my closet: instead of all shirts in one and pants in the other, I’m going to organize my stuff into the 3 categories that i use.
I spend an hour flipping through shirts that are all too sporty/casual when I’m getting ready for work. Makes no sense. Organize your stuff by their purpose and style.
Truly amazing video.
I am French and I can tell you that the French style you are speaking about only concerns middle class well off women. In the video they show classy French actrices. But if you go in the street you won’t see such simplicity and elegance! But in the whole, French women are better dressed than English ones, there is no doubt about that.
all fits that would be middle class. i couldn't afford those prices,,, Aren't those like $300. pieces. the 'regular' person doesn't even mingle with people who wear those.
Any nation dress better than England 😂😂😂
French women definitely dress better than the Average American as well (Im American living in France). So do French guys; in general. Also my French mother-in-law is a senior citizen; doesn’t have a lot of money but she still looks chic and put together when she leaves the house.
These guidelines were not only helpful, but easy to digest. This is a fantastic video and I hope you make more like it!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
YES! I can not agree more! I immediately subscribed because of her style of presenting. The information was clear and simple but effective.
I felt the rule about wearing baggy clothes when you don’t feel as thin as you’d like just makes you look bigger!! Fotos helped to see the truth in this! Thank you.
Yes! The hardest thing I had to learn post partum was not to listen to the voice in my head that just wanted me to cover everything up and hide.
It's wild but baggy clothes come across as body shaming oneself. They scream uncertain and insecure.
It took me a while to realize that trying to hide my uncertainty and insecurity instead put it on loudspeaker.
Granted there can be very few easily available options for well designed clothes. The clothing world treats non-skinny bodies like an afterthought.
They simply try taking the cut of size 6 blouse or pants and sizing the pattern up for size 14. That is not how attractive clothes are made for larger women!
It's demoralizing and dysmorphic not being able to walk into stores and find attractive clothes within an hour when that's what we've always been able to do. But size 12 and size 4 jeans have to be cut differently.
It took me a long time to learn her rules here for bigger sizes. I learned how to stand up, place my elbows tightly against my body and bend my arms up. The place my elbows hit was always the skinniest part of my body no matter anything else. As long as I prioritized creating shape at exactly that point, I instantly looked more well-dressed.
I also had to realize the rule of either legs or chest but not both. My chest definitely grew postpartum. I could play that up and maintain my waist while flowing away on the bottom. Or maintain my waist below a modest neckline, paired with a well fitting skirt ending at the knee.
A lot of heavier women have killer legs! And there's nothing like tasteful leg to overcome any fear of frump.
A lot of the larger bodied styles she showed had flowing pants. A tasteful skirt ending at the knee works wonders.
My mom was a seamstress from Mexico and she taught me a large handful of your tips! I hear her voice in my head when i show leg not to show chest and vise versa
genuinely an incredible and informative video, this changed my mind on a lot of things fashion-wise! earned yourself a new subscriber :)
Yes! So many of the women's French style videos really don't convey everything she taught here. They come across as more of someone's personal take on French style instead of a systematic breakdown that one can put back together again. This video is brilliant
This was great! Another one my mom taught me (she isn’t French but lived there for a bit) is to buy 2-4 staple pieces and build your outfit around them. She’d often get 5 outfits from each piece. Instead of having 45 cheap articles, use that money to buy 3-4 quality pieces that will elevate your outfits overall. Some examples could be a motorcycle jacket, black dress, camel coat for winter, and a lovely button down. And never underestimate the power of jewelry and accessories!
Agree, less but high quality always. Besides it’s better for the planet.
My mom also taught me that one. With proper care, quality clothes can last you a very long time, and if you're careful and more or less keep your weight, you can build a very nice wardrobe over time. You can certainly add new elements and stay current with fashion without too much money.
absolutely. It even works with cheaper stuff (maybe you don't have any money, are very young / still growing or live somewhere for a limited amount of time).
Nowadays I can make that work, but it took me a long time to understand fashion (not only in a trendy way but in the way of the video) and develop my own taste. I was really bad at putting together wardrobes and the very best I could do was looking normal (jeans, shirt) but everything above that was...weird :D But I got the grip of it once I reached my early twenties. Also, I could buy my own stuff from wherever, and my body reached its adult female-shaped size.
Girl, please don't stop. Fashion was always a nightmare in my head, but I am really trying to make peace with it and figure it out my style. Watching your videos are making everything a little bit more easier.
Please, continue, I'm counting on it!
I’m French, but my mom wasn’t. Never got that kind of guidance from her, but it’s nice to find that advice eventually. This is one of the most concise videos I’ve seen on the topic :) and very helpful
I was never taught how to dress, I looked ad photos and ads and cultivated similar clothing mostly from affordable used and vintage shops. This breaks it down in a much more understandable way than trying to figure it out on my own. Thank you!
Same. Takes a while but we get it eventually.
My husband (from Paris) hated my bras because of the overflow (push up bras)... amazing to hear her speak about it! I learned a lot, thank you!
?? why didn't you listen to your husband??????
It's interesting how my Greek mother taught me those rules you mentioned some decades ago...those french rules of yours apparently were the rules for every woman who wanted to be elegante back then ❤
My grandmother was Italian and she taught me basics and “fancy grandma”. I loved the additional categories you included. I noticed a lot of French women love the aesthetics of the 1970s. I do too; earth tones, textiles, shirts etc.
Hi! French here (and black)! Tbh my mom never made me learn those rules but I feel like all the things on the TV like "Les reines du shopping" and other TV shows talking about fashion (and also fashion influencers, the curvy ones for me) made me assimilate naturally all those rules.
I can't say I follow them strictly as I am black, colours really look amazing on me so I go with thing that look nice while being comfortable most of the time. But when I take my time, I feel like my style changes from casual to the working one (on occasion, I don't need to wear a shirt or a blazer to go to work as I work in IT) preppy to the ones with a lot of bold colours to rock to grandma (I just love wearing pearls I guess).
It's really funny. Also I do love heels but I barely wear them as it's not appropriate when you have to walk on a road with little tiny rocks or just on forest tiny roads. It's good for big cities. But when I wear heels they always have a thick heel size, but they can be short heels (3 to 5cm) to high heels (7 and more).
Also I have some unique bags with really various colours so sometimes it's not possible to have the same colour for my shoes so I either stick to black or white shoes or pick a colour shown on the bag.
Definitely agree that if you are curvy (or on the bigger side) it's better to wear fitted clothes or more like clothes that fit your own form while respecting the wide/fitted or fitter/wide combo for the top and the bottom.
I can also note that depending of the region where you live in France people tends to dress differently but you can still notice they are really French in the way they do that.
American here 👋 This was neat. I definitely find it way more stylish to mix styles a bit within an outfit. I just never broke down the styles into these explicit categories like she does. What was missing for me was any rules for hair and jewelry. That’s also where you can mess up a look with the wrong earrings or hair style.
I appreciated her comment on natural vs synthetic materials. My mom taught me that. But another rule my grandmother taught me is to invest in your shoes!! Your shoes should always be the most expensive part of your look. Nice shoes can turn an average outfit around.
My mom gave me great advice. There were 3 elements to factor in: tight/loose, short/long, neckline/decolletage. You could choose a maximum of 2 out of 3. Something can be tight and short but cover the rest of your body. Or it can have decolletage and be tight but long. You also have to take into consideration your body type. I love plunging neckines but I'm busty so that makes me look cheap. But more flat-chested women look great with them (envy!)
I am not following the 2/3 method. You are naming all three in the very next of examples …???
@@ArtU4All I think she meant 2 out of the 3 can be the sexier option but then the third is supposed to be laid back / professional. So anything that's tight AND short AND not covering your skin is too sexy.
I am not French, but all the American Fashion magazines, used to do story after story promoting exactly what you are discussing, and try to dress that everything goes with everything else.
Love that!!
This is always what I’m telling my husband when he says my wardrobe is getting out of control. I have many stories to tell!
I’m not French but this has always been intuitive to me. You’ve explained it beautifully 🖤
😂😂😂 EXACTLY!
Thank you ♥️
As a French woman I know our moms and grandmas teach us about skincare, dressing, hair and manners. And culture comes at the dinner table and family reunions and outings 😊
This was such a helpful video. I never thought about the "limiting sexy elements in your outfit to 2", and I also didn't realize that fitted pants on women were a bit on the "sexy" category. I wear a lot of fitted pants (mainly because they are stretchy and comfy) but I think I'll look into buying straight pants that are more flowy as well! Thank you for the video!
straight leg pants are a fashion essential,,, Straight leg pants, change everything
I have just discovered you. You appeared on my "new to you" section. I have been following Justine Le Conte, Marie-Anne Le coure and Frederique Boss for many years
and they alwats give french styling tips but have NEVER explained it like this! Just brilliant . I'm in the UK so have some European dressing etiquette , but this was so informative. I have now subscribed. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for your kind words! It’s a pleasure to welcome you here!
I love the "my ladies" 😂 and i couldn't agree more about the overflow. Regular sizing the ladies helps
Red bra, white top…who knew?? Not this lady. Thank you! I think the “art” of dressing is lost, I did not grow up learning “how to dress”. Thank you for some simple, easy, and effective rules to help with the madness that goes on anytime I get dressed!!!!
Skin colour bra would also be comfy
Red disappears under white - it’s colour theory in action.
Soft Pink works too, at least for me
I was so surprised to realise I discussed everyone of those rules as a French teenager either with my mom or out shopping with friends. Very accurate!
I'm NGL, I didn't have the best mother-ing or female role models in my life, and this legit was done in a way that I could understand & I can't tell you how helpful this was to watch, so, thank you.
I don’t know why but her kindness and way of delivery made me happy! ❤ please continue being your wonderful self
i'm french and was working in fashion and luxury industry in paris, and i have to say this is the most accurate video on this particular topic i ever seen (and i didn't realize this rules are so specific to french fashion ˆˆ) bravo 😘
I live in France for few years and I admire the way French people dress, I did not know this rules were taught, I thought there was something unconscious that you French people know how to do. Great video, I will apply these rules since one of my new year resolutions is to improve my dressing style.
The red bra was new to me, too. I always wore beige (which also disappears under white and sheerer/paler fabrics).
I was gratified to note that some of the rules I have already been following intuitively: revealed cleavage OR revealed legs; tight top with loose bottoms or vice versa. Others are new to me, and I really appreciate the information. Thank you!
This is the absolute best way I have ever heard fashion described. It took me far too long to figure this out via trail and error. It would have been nice to learn this earlier in life.
As a french girl, i didn't even knew we were abiding to those rules. Good to know
I'm entering my mid 40's, and these guidelines are super useful for people like me that still love items in my closet that I've been wearing since my late 20's, but I want to style in a more sophisticated way. Thanks!!!
Late 20's,,??? You have 20 yr old clothes in your closet?? do you have room for all that
I'm French and never realized that I knew all this subconsciously 😂. Thanks for bringing all that knowledge to the surface.
I used those rules when I was looking for my own style at the age of 18. Didn't know they were French rules and that they really are rules. 🇧🇪
Interesting video indeed. And pleasantly surprised that you showed some bigger women in it. As a big woman I often struggle in finding suitable clothes and how to style it properly.
I learnt this through trial and error over time, would have been very useful to my younger self! You summarised it really succinctly!
Listening to them I figured out those are the same rules my German mother taught me as well. I of course don’t always follow all of them but knowing them gives me options and lets me control my image whether I work with or against them. Very nice summary!
I would add jewelry: either big necklace or big earrings. Never both.
The same for rings and bracelets. And maximum 3 elements out or the 4 at the same time.
I was traveling in France last fall and noticed how put together many of the French women looked. I realized I need to up my game! Thanks for the tips. They make sense and are very doable..
I'm French, and I do follow most of these rules implicitly! The things I would add to your great video are:
- Avoiding colors that are too bright, plain, straightforward, without nuance (my mum calls them "dumb colors"). For example, a powder pink, coral or fuschia will usually look fancier and more interesting than the sort of pink you would find in the girl section of a toy store.
- Pairing colors is not always straightforward. For example, pink and red, or pink and orange, are difficult combos to pull off and may clash. I personally really dislike yellow and grey together. Yellow and black gives bee, orange and black gives Halloween... On the other hand, khaki complements all shades of red, and beige/off white elevates almost everything. Have fun, but think it through!
- As it goes with the most important rule of balance, one eye-catching element per outfit is enough. Never too much, always enough.
Thank you for a great video!
Nooo plz kaki and red are horrendous together
I actually love red and pink, it's very candy cane and I like that ❤🩷 They're often the same color just different value (Unless you mean magenta in which case, magenta is a hard color to pull off).
I don’t care about fashion at all, but I’m into Asmr and your voice and way of explaining things are so relaxing for me! You seem such a nice person ❤
During the week I dress for the office, which means black, grey, navy dresses with dark coloured shirts, opaque stockings and flat leather shoes. On the weekends I dress for comfort, which means sports leggings, long or short sleeved tees and podiatrist approved sneakers. On the rare occasions that I do go out, cocktail attire is usually sufficient, and I do have a few really classy evening dresses and killer heels for really really fancy events (which happens more often in imagination than reality).
YES…. FYI…Head over to Tuba Avalon’s channel which does involve some expectation of being able to afford (at least occasionally or via “re-use websites,” or thrift stores) some high quality pieces pairing with less costly basic options NEARLY anyone can afford. even if you can’t afford it all, her insights are invaluable and delivered sardonically, wittily, and never when unkind at anyone else’s expense (just her own).
Rule of the rules in the french look way: stay natural. Don’t over makeup yourself, just use one sexy clothe on the top or on the bottom of your body. Don’t be over sexy clothed (especially after 30 years old). Stay simple, you will look great :)
I love the Polène bagas appearing in the outfits at the beginning of the video 😊
The tip on ironing/cleaning the bags is so underrated, but it makes a huge difference. Especially taking care of leather bags feel very therapeutic.
I agree! It’s like giving love to the things you own 🧡
And leather shoes. I love putting leather wax on my leather goods, it really makes a huge difference to their longevity 😊.
No sabía la regla de las 9 categorías, muy interesante. Pero mi mamá me enseñó varias reglas. Me enseñó a no usar la parte de arriba y la de abajo flojas: o una o la otra. Me enseñó a no combinar dos estampados diferentes. Me enseñó qué colores no quedan bien juntos. Me enseñó a combinar los accesorios, los zapatos con el bolso. Me enseñó a usar colores neutros combinados con algún color: por ejemplo, un pantalón de color neutro con la parte de arriba de color, o al revés. Me enseñó que la sencillez nos hace a todas más lindas. Etc.
The clarity the professionalism and the eloquence! Brava :)
Thanks for the video. I was never really taught any rules of fashion beyond "Don't go out looking trashy" and "Don't spend a ton of money on clothes." I have been trying to update my style to look a bit more put together. I loved this video!
My mother was Italian and handed me down virtually the same "rules." I was born in the U.S., and younger women here look "trashy" to me much of the time. I wondered why. LOL. Thanks for taking the time to explain European fashion ideals.
That's why fashion is born in Europe and stil rules ...
I’m Italian and I was gonna say that indeed we have the same rules
Trashy? No. I was raised in the US in the Deep South and we learned the similar rules and many more. But when it came to sexiness my mother and grandmother's emphasis was always "how to look sexier to catch his eye" never "how to avoid looking trashy." Even if their emphasis was heteronormative and sexist, I am glad they taught me what to do instead of what not to do. If you tell a child, "don't hit the dog, don't hit the dog." All they hear is" hit the dog" and if tell a teenager, "don't dress trashy, don't dress trashy" they hear "dress trashy." I see young girls and think, maybe she isn't interested in catching a man's eye/or looking sexy and good for her. Dress is self expression.
@@alenkasalej627 Fashion wasn't "born" in Europe nor does Europe "rule." Europe did its level best to "rule" the world and impose its culture, customs, mores, language, religion, law and yes dress on every living being on the planet. However the world pushed back against colonialist attempt to "rule" the world, and the world proved difficult to handle especially as Europeans were often too busy butchering each other to maintain their stranglehold.
So fashion is born many places. More than trickling down as it once did, fashion trickles up from the street subcultures i.e. hiphop, Korean K-pop, skateboarding, Japanese gyaru, J-fashion etc. Also with globalization (for better or worse) the world is getting smaller and cross pollination of styles makes it difficult to know who is influencing whom. France still has enormous influence but to pronounce that Europe "rules" is ignorant, Eurocentric and utterly tone deaf.
@@pippadawg7037 Tradicional clothing is not fashion as the meaning of the word. I ment that (as intentional industry). Nothing else. Did not mean to ofend anyone.
This is amazing thank you for the awesome tips! I unconciously do a few but the wide pants and big top, I hadn't thought of but it makes perfect sense!!
New subscriber. Love this. Both of my grandmas were stylish but one grandma was chic and would have looked at home sitting in a café in Paris.
She taught me this same technique. Born in the early 1920s, she didn't wear jeans until she was 70! And even then she had a heel on.
I'm excited to see more of your content. Merci beaucoup, for the memories.❤👠
Oh this is lovely!
Absolutely amazing video! I'm not French (proud Polish-Canadian woman over here), but I was taught many of these rules by the women in my life as well. Keep up the fantastic fashion ❤
Preppy looks very different in the US. More classic, wealthy, country club, yacht club look.
European and US interpretations of the same style are indeed very different.
How interesting!
Preppy style changed for worse last 25 years.
That was my reaction. To me, preppy has the connotation of old money and conservative style that was very popular during the 80’s in the US.
@@MademoiselleSpends Think Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger for examples of this.
You explained it so so well! I‘m German and I feel like we aren’t really known for dressing exceptionally well but I‘ve learned all those „rules“ from my mother too ☺️
One of the BEST fashion videos ever made. Very well done.
Can you please do videos on etiquette rules??
You obviously know how to walk elegantly, you understand what creates an elegant look vs sexy, etc.
I’m sure you have 1000 tips on various French etiquette.
Loved your video! As an American I had heard many of these rules over the years, but not all. I agree with everything you said!!
Very well analysed, structured and explained, thank you! It is true that these rules apply not only in France, yet as a French woman I learned also those rules part with my mother part with the general environment of other people, magazines and trying on clothes every morning when I was a teenager and student like "no these shoes, or coat, or trousers... really do not fit with the other elements, I need to change this before I go out lol"
My mother is always very elegant but with an arty touch with a lot of colours always very well matched in a nuanced way with the accessories, jewels and shoes, for example light and dark blues.
And just like her I love colours but with a simpler style. I also like to avoid the black and white basics, and I can add these rules/remarks to the "no more than three colors" : if you do not want to look too basic or classic, you can put one strong colour (yellow, orange, pink, green, blue, red...) on your top with one classic/professional colour on your trousers like black, white, brown or dark blue. OR you can do the reverse : classic colour on the top and vivid colour on the bottom.
You can also replace black shoes by brown, grey or dark blue. It will give a softer tone to your look and "welcome" the more intense colours above, while black shoes will make the colours above appear sharper. Also, if you want to put the same color on different items, these items must be separated/alternated. For instance blue, green, red shoes... paired with the top, not with the trousers.
I agree with the other comments. About scarves, they are a good way to add a multicolored item that is not too visible and that can match and unify at the same time tones from your shoes, top, trousers, jacket... another rule with colours is the quality and tightness of the fabric/cloth. A good quality woolen or cotton item, or a very fine clothed scarf, will make the coloured item seem more preppy.
Another rule that we follow is the avoidance of the full characters that come with the different looks. Too many skin showed or high heels is the slut, too many colors is the clown, too many classic is the bourgeoise, too many sporty is... sporty (haha) so it's okay for a teenager or to go running! You can only choose to play fully one of those characters on specific occasions or if you have the specific personality and lifestyle, job that goes with it. The full ethnic style is a summer look you can wear at work as well as on holidays with a long dress and cloth or leather sandals, especially in the south, hotter part of the country. It is a way to have colours and have skin visible while remaining elegant but not preppy. But finally, I would add that blue jeans trousers are the basics for men and women that are used in a lot of occasions throughout the seasons, becoming preppy with a buttoned skirt, sporty with a sweater, or casual/professional with a wool or cotten knitten pull over.
And also that French women do not generally wear high heels because one of the rules we follow is also that fashion should not prevent you from being safe, healthy, and comfortable in your movements and activities.
Thank you for this very clear video which reminded me a lot of past moments because clothes are first paired with days of our life 😊
Also, make sure you’ve chosen well made clothing and that it fits well.
Get a tailor to ensure your clothes lay properly, and keep your proportions in mind to keep a balanced look.
What proportions exactly? What do you mean, if you refer to natural body proportions they come in all different shapes and sizes, impossible to standarize to some beauty cannon
And there is no way to figure out good proportions without going into mathematical relations
I'm from the north Spain, but still learnt this rules from my grandmother. She was a very classy woman from really humble roots and took a lot of pride in always look chic and put together. She taught me that taking care of your appareance is a form of self-respect and she always had impeccable nails and red lipstick on.
There were also a few more about using colors and patterns
I just think about them as classic style rule and I still unconsciously follow them even if I am more in the laid back/ethnic vibbes
Vidéo géniale, claire, concise ! Ça me motive pour "affiner" ma garde robe et ameliorer, je l'espère, mon style. Ça fait des années que je remets ça à plus tard parce que "non mais je vais maigrir, ça sert à rien que j'achète tant de fringues en grande taille" 🙃. J'ai 34 ans maintenant donc grosse ou pas, j'ai juste envie d'être BIEN habillée. Il y a pas mal de règles que je connaissais mais c'est toujours très utile de les avoir sous la main de façon aussi synthétique et percutante. En revanche, le détail des différents styles principaux, et comment emprunter des éléments ici et là et les assembler c'est une pépite, je n'avais jamais vu ça expliqué de façon aussi abordable et je pense que ça va BEAUCOUP m'aider à composer mes tenues et à faire des achats plus qualitatifs et que je pourrai utiliser dans des looks différents. Un grand merci 💐
As an American living in Paris, I've never had such a hard time getting dressed 👗 🙃
This was very helpful - as especially at work I feel completely confused (either too informal or too formal)
Orher things I've learned and noticed in france :
- leather belts are common even for casual outfits
- Non-matching monochrome is both common and makes getting dressed SO much easier (ie. light green top, dark green pants)
- put together looks usually have 3 colors max (ex green outfit, brown accessories and a scarf that's beige so in the same color and warmth or cool family as one of the main colors)
- I agree with the comments above that a lot of people look the same :/
- See a lot of folks who know what colors suite them and they wear them very well
- there are way (way way way) less tattoos, piercing, dyed hair in france compared to other western countries - which i think is too bad ! Formal with tats is hot
Also, I can't with the white trainers anymore --- everyone has the same shoes ! It drives me nuts
excellent video !
Chapeau ! 🎓
Rule seven expanded, always go back to the hour glass shape and balance it. Great video, unfortunately we have a lot of trashy dressing in America.
Всегда пользуюсь правилом: свободный верх - обтягивающий низ или Обтягивающий верх - свободный низ. Уже лет 20.
I have always preferred elegance over a sexy look. You shared so many great rules; however, dressing according to your size, even with underwear, is quite useful.
This is what I needed! It never occurred to me to mix different categories thoughtfully to tell a story! I always stick to wearing what I feel comfortable in (basics), but I also couldn't place why my outfits looked boring and I struggle in making my outfits look more exciting.
Excellent! Vraiment très éducatif. Je t’encourage de continuer à faire des vidéos comme ceci. On a tous besoin d’apprendre comment bien s’habiller tout en respectant notre style préféré.
I will do another video about rules French people should learn once and for all: use less perfume and shower more often.