Okay so I got obsessed with Parisian men’s style after my last trip. Saw all these dudes looking effortlessly cool while I felt like a tourist clown in my basketball shorts. Decided to crack their code this month.
First Step: Research Chaos
Started by drowning in Pinterest boards and street style blogs. Realized French guys don’t follow trends – they break rules but make it look intentional. Watched hours of sidewalk footage near Le Marais. Took notes until my hand cramped.
The Hunting Begins
Raid began at thrift stores hunting for “that look.” Needed neutral colors – grabbed:
- Beige chinos that actually fit my thighs
- Grey merino sweater (thin one for layering)
- Navy unstructured blazer with elbow patches
Almost bought white sneakers but remembered Parisians prefer leather boots. Found beaten Chelsea boots that smelled like grandpa’s attic. Perfect.
Test Run Disaster
First attempt: Navy blazer + wrinkled tee + jeans. Felt like I was cosplaying a banker. Too try-hard. Realized the magic’s in non-matching pieces that somehow vibe together. Ditched the jeans for those beige chinos with ankle roll.
Changed tee to slightly oversized black turtleneck. Immediately better. Added scarf loosely draped – not knotted like tourist. Critical detail.
The 5 Rules That Actually Worked
- Fit beats labels: Tailored thrift jacket looked better than my ill-fitting designer coat.
- Three colors max: Navy+beige+black became my uniform.
- One wildcard: Either textured scarf or those boots – never both.
- Texture layers: Cotton tee under wool blazer added dimension without bulk.
- “Careless” hair: Stopped over-gelling. Let my messy waves do the talking.
Winning Combo
Final armor: Dark wash jeans (no rips!), soft white shirt sleeves rolled twice, grey crew neck sweater over it, all under that navy blazer. Scarves saved my neck from looking naked. Boots tied loosely like they didn’t care. Coffee stain on sweater? Extra authenticity points.
Took this outfit for spin last weekend. Got “did you visit France recently?” at brunch. Nailed it.
