Chic. Sleek. Classique.
Some words that come to mind when I think of French fashion. On a day to day basis, women here generally look more "dressed up" by American standards, although the level of dress is comparable to that of the business casual look found in New York and Boston. The one big difference, I would say, is the lack of pants. I rarely see black slacks paired with heels. The French love wearing skirts and dresses over sheer or semi-opaque tights and tall fitted boots. Zippered, calf-hugging boots are everywhere, whether they be flat riding boots with buckles or heeled boots with studs.
Little ankle booties are popular, too, dressed down with skinny jeans or dressed up with tights and a dress. Heeled or not, booties are all the rage in France. Leather, suede, tight, loose, grey, or black - it doesn't matter. You can wear them with any outfit as long as you maintain a complimentary color scheme. One of my favorite outfits consists of a striped boatneck tee, cuffed denim shorts over sheer tights, and little grey booties. Pair with a knitted beret, thick cable scarf, and classic black peacoat for optimal effect.
Lace-up military boots (or pilgrim boots) had their moment, but they were really more in vogue last season. With the period of les soldes right now in France, you see stores replenishing their sales racks with these shoes. Lace-ups will make a slight comeback in the spring, though, as sundresses reemerge from the closets just in time for the warmer weather.
I see heels in the boutiques but not as much on the streets. Even when I go to bars and clubs, it seems like the winter heel of choice is the heeled boot. Occasionally I do see black stilettos, but my theory is, the French women are naturally taller, so therefore, they don't need to wear heels for height purposes. Also...it's cold. This winter, I've been a huge fan of the oxford boot. No skin exposed, yet with all the functionality of a heel and the casualness of a lace-up.
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