Caroline De Maigret is arguably the epitome of Parisian chic. Always
impeccably yet effortlessly dressed and hiding behind her messy fringe, long ciga-
rette in hand, there’s an allure about her that’s unmistakably French. Often spotted
sauntering through the crowds (or walking in the Chanel show) at Paris Fashion
Week, she’s a street style icon, in addition to her other roles as a model, music
producer and now author. Though this substance of cool that surrounds her seems
somewhat mysterious, De Maigret has taken to pages of her new book to divulge
her best life tips alongside fellow French cohorts Sophie Mas, Audrey Diwan and
Anne Berest in How To Be Parisian. Clever and often quite comical, How To Be
Parisian is a perfect deconstruction of the French woman’s views on attitude,
culture and fashion – here's some of our favourite bits on beauty and style.
On Style
If you only own one sweater, make sure it’s cashmere. Wear a black bra under your white blouse, like two notes on a sheet of music.
Your should always have one thing left undone – the devil is in the details.
The Parisienne’s signature item is that vital detail that brings her out t together form head to toe. Whether it’s a trench coat, a pair of stilettos or a leather handbag, the item is precious. The signature item is an attitude. It is the gun in your holster that makes you feel well dressed and invincible.
The Essentials: jeans, men’s shoes, the bag, the little black blazer, ballet ats, a small silk scarf, the white shirt, a long trench, a thick scarf, the oversized sweater that slips o your shoulder, basic oversized sunglass- es, an oversized shirt, the simple but very expensive T-shirt.
If her wardrobe is made up of only black, it’s not because she’s in mourning. Quite the contrary. Black
is the colour of celebration, the colour of nights that never end, of women who pull the blinds to shut out the dawn.
The Parisienne wears very little jewellery. A ne chain, a small ring, a family heirloom. It is as discreet as pos- sible and should subtly suit you. It’s your trademark.
On Beauty
Find ‘your’ perfume before you turn thirty. Wear it for the next thirty years
Always be fuckable; when standing at line in the bakery on a Sunday morning, buying champagne in the middle of the night or even picking the kids up from school. You never know
Cut your own hair or ask your sister to do it for you. Of course you know celebrity hair- dressers, but only as friends.
Either go all grey or no grey. Salt and pepper is for the table.
Dry your hair not with a hair dryer (in fact you might as well throw your hair dryer away) but instead use two much more friendly resources: fresh air in the summer and a towel in the winter. Falling asleep with damp hair will give it an interesting shape when you wake up.
A touch of perfume on your hair, behind your ear or on the nape of your neck never did anyone any harm...
If you can’t live without your foundation, mix it with a touch of moisturiser to mute it’s e ect.
And a few strokes of mascara (Hypnose by Lancome) - be generous on your top and bot- tom lashes to accentuate your look and disguise any bags under your eyes - and bright red lipstick (Dior Addict) will not go amiss for a night out.
Short clean nails, sometimes worn with nail polish - but not always. Simplicity is key. In Fact, the French manicure is something of an enigma: it is the exact opposite of French chic.
Faux Pas: Having lip augmentation. It makes you look like a duck. Having more than two di erent colours in your hair.
Despite all these routines, the Parisienne retains her little imperfections, cherishes them even (the gap in her smile or her slightly crooked tooth, her prominent eyebrows or strong nose): these are signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect.
If you only own one sweater, make sure it’s cashmere. Wear a black bra under your white blouse, like two notes on a sheet of music.
Your should always have one thing left undone – the devil is in the details.
The Parisienne’s signature item is that vital detail that brings her out t together form head to toe. Whether it’s a trench coat, a pair of stilettos or a leather handbag, the item is precious. The signature item is an attitude. It is the gun in your holster that makes you feel well dressed and invincible.
The Essentials: jeans, men’s shoes, the bag, the little black blazer, ballet ats, a small silk scarf, the white shirt, a long trench, a thick scarf, the oversized sweater that slips o your shoulder, basic oversized sunglass- es, an oversized shirt, the simple but very expensive T-shirt.
If her wardrobe is made up of only black, it’s not because she’s in mourning. Quite the contrary. Black
is the colour of celebration, the colour of nights that never end, of women who pull the blinds to shut out the dawn.
The Parisienne wears very little jewellery. A ne chain, a small ring, a family heirloom. It is as discreet as pos- sible and should subtly suit you. It’s your trademark.
On Beauty
Find ‘your’ perfume before you turn thirty. Wear it for the next thirty years
Always be fuckable; when standing at line in the bakery on a Sunday morning, buying champagne in the middle of the night or even picking the kids up from school. You never know
Cut your own hair or ask your sister to do it for you. Of course you know celebrity hair- dressers, but only as friends.
Either go all grey or no grey. Salt and pepper is for the table.
Dry your hair not with a hair dryer (in fact you might as well throw your hair dryer away) but instead use two much more friendly resources: fresh air in the summer and a towel in the winter. Falling asleep with damp hair will give it an interesting shape when you wake up.
A touch of perfume on your hair, behind your ear or on the nape of your neck never did anyone any harm...
If you can’t live without your foundation, mix it with a touch of moisturiser to mute it’s e ect.
And a few strokes of mascara (Hypnose by Lancome) - be generous on your top and bot- tom lashes to accentuate your look and disguise any bags under your eyes - and bright red lipstick (Dior Addict) will not go amiss for a night out.
Short clean nails, sometimes worn with nail polish - but not always. Simplicity is key. In Fact, the French manicure is something of an enigma: it is the exact opposite of French chic.
Faux Pas: Having lip augmentation. It makes you look like a duck. Having more than two di erent colours in your hair.
Despite all these routines, the Parisienne retains her little imperfections, cherishes them even (the gap in her smile or her slightly crooked tooth, her prominent eyebrows or strong nose): these are signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect.
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