You are walking through Paris. A nicely dressed, fashion-loving passerby asks you for directions. “Uh, oui, Colette? Bien sur, première rue a gauche, après la troisième…. etc. Au revoir!” Naturally, people mistake me for a vrai Parisienne. A woman who can effortlessly rattle off the city and all the important addresses from her fashionable sleeves.
But the rest of our A team (=the Amayzine Girls) are, with New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week on the horizon, definitely not planning to stand out as casual tourists, so we adopt fashion snobbery to the local dress code. Universal standards? Oh no, not in fashion land. Every city has its own style. Follow the rules:
MILAN: GEDRAAG JE ALS EEN SUPER RICHTE BITCH!
She does not hesitate to stand out through lavish consumption, exuding luxury, and emphasizing her bella donna femininity. Imitation designs, fakes, and vintage items are a sign of bad taste. She wears real fur (sorry, I find it quite sad too), real gold, and real gemstones. Summer and winter, she sports sunglasses (latest model from Prada, Versace, or something else eye-catching) for a so-called interesting, pretentious incognito look. Milanese women usually wear their hair shoulder-length with volume, and since it’s completely normal to have their hair styled weekly, it always looks well-groomed and healthy. Lips are touched up at least once an hour. Androgynous behavior is not appreciated by the average Italian macho, so preferably a shoe with a heel.
Style icon Milan: Frida Giannini
Hot labels: Gucci- Prada- Versace- Costume National
PARIJS: BON CHIC BON GENRE
You may have noticed: in everything, she seems to exude a certain nonchalance. In her way of walking, dressing, and her appearance, she is both natural and sophisticated at the same time. She makes it seem like she spends little time on it, but oh la la, everything has been thought through, and she is super confident in her own style. She finds it a challenge to mix different brands and vintage, and she is jamais overdressed, so you won’t find any bling bling on her. The Parisienne has elevated the natural beauty look to an art: little makeup and a fresh appearance. Her hairstyle looks undone . Bonus points are earned by having a too-long fringe or a so-called indifferent ballerina bun. When she opts for comfort, she chooses ballerinas. She saves sneakers for the gym.
Style icon Paris: Ines de la Fressange. .
Hot labels: Vanessa Bruno- Isabel Marant- Maje-Jerome Dreyfuss
NEW YORK: UPTOWN ROYALTY
The downtown (Soho) fashionista resembles her European sisters in every way. The uptown jet set Big Apple dresses as if she just came from a fashion shoot. The look we know from advertisements – the average American loves to be inspired by European designers – serves as her example of good taste: elegant – sophisticated – preferably exuding the luxury life. Weekly manicures, pedicures, hairdresser, and beautician are among her primary needs. Act rich, act platinum, even if she’s sitting on a dark red bank, you won’t notice. Wearing vintage is not really appreciated, as it doesn’t match her carefully manicured nails. An elegant two-piece with sneakers is not an exception. The dress code takes into account New York life, where you often have to walk a lot during the day (because shopping) and in the evening, when you go out, you don’t always have the opportunity to change. The Manolo Blahniks travel standardly in the bag.
Style icon: Olivia Palermo
Hot labels: Ralph Lauren, Victoria Beckham, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan New York
