Women Over 40 or 50: Parisian Women's Style Is in the Details

Apr 5, 2011
Christina Gregoire

Parisian Women's Style - Tu at Sainsbury's

What I saw on recent winter trip to Paris: Black lace tights, giant handbags, black or red maryjanes or boots, skinny jeans, leopard, casual hair & makeup.

I am over 50, so when I went to Paris, I studied the clothing styles of Parisian women over 40. Most of them were dressed in black but, more importantly, the little details were what set them apart from other well-dressed women from around the the world.

What Chic Parisians Are Wearing

Women in the "city of light" wear high quality, but not necessarily designer, clothing. And, the most important thing, when wearing all black, is impeccable fit. Many Parisian women, of all ages, wear their skirts above the knee, including flouncy, flared lightweight skirts worn over black tights.

Lace Tights and Cute Stockings

Chic women over 40 use legwear to jazz up their all-black outfits. One memorable woman, who was definitely well over 60, was wearing sexy, sheer black nylons with giant polka dots. Did she look foolish? Not at all. She looked spectacular. Here are the kinds of stockings they wear in Paris:

Black polka dot tights
Black lace tights
Black lace leggings

Younger women wear wildly bright (and sometimes striped) leggings. Women over 40 wear subdued, solid-color tights with their black outfits, such as: opaque hose in shades of burgundy, dark red, purple, or navy. I also saw fishnet stockings.

Extra Large Leather Handbags

Not every woman in France carried a huge bag, but there were enough to make you notice. I think that French women are onto something. If you are skinny, a large bag makes you look even skinnier. If you are a normal (American-sized or plus-sized) woman, a large handbag looks proportionally correct.

Large red handbag (Yes. I mean big like this.)
Large black handbag (Kate Moss has this down cold.)

Great Footwear

Boots are wildly popular during March because it is quite cold when the wind off the Seine weaves between the buildings. However, “older women” wear all kinds of stylish (even lavish) footwear. The main thing seems to be that Parisians buy the best shoes or boots they can afford. Well, of course, when you don’t use a car you spend a lot of time walking. Women over 40 wear everything from ballet flats to over-the-knee boots.

Some of my favorite Parisian shoes were black or red maryjanes. And, I saw more red shoes during my two weeks in Paris than I have seen since elementary school.

Denim for Women Over 40 or 50

Yes, there are lots of women of all ages wearing denim and they manage to make jeans look chic. Most women wear dark skinny jeans or denim leggings that are tucked into boots. When the days are a bit warmer, they wear their jeans with ballet flats or pumps.

Women in Paris Wear Sunglasses

Whenever the clouds break up, you will see women in large sunglasses. Some of the glasses are very dark. Others are gradient coated, so the top of the lens is darker than the bottom. Parisians, over 40, wear high-end designer sunglasses. And, that makes sense because, if a woman will spend a fortune on her shoes, she darn well will spend a fortune for something she wears on her face.

Women in Paris Wear Leopard

Leopard has been around for a while, but it is still going strong. Leopard is just as timeless as black and, for some reason, I think it looks better on women over 40 than it does on younger chicks. Leopard was one of the only patterns that I saw, along with Breton sailor stripes.

Women in Paris Wear Scarves

Do I need to tell you that Parisian women and girls really do wear long scarves? And, that's where they add prints and patterns. You will see very little jewelry on the streets of Paris.

Very Little Makeup

Most women in Paris wear very little makeup, especially during the day. They can get away with this because they devote their time and money to skincare and face products. Next time you’re in Paris, drop into one of the little “pharmacie” shops that are located on every other block to see all of the cleansers. In my opinion, the best face makeup is Chantecaille (from France).

Natural Hair

Parisian women wear their hair in a casual style, whether it's short or long. Women of all ages pull their hair up into a simple ponytail (no scrunchies, of course) or a simple bun. Ladies with curly hair leave it natural. There are fewer women with henna-colored hair than on my last trip.

So, if you want to look like you have just come back from a week in Paris, wear a good bag, big sunglasses, a great cotton or silk scarf, minimal makeup, and fabulous shoes or boots. You get extra points for wearing all black with some amazing red shoes.