The Reluctant Parisian

I love a lot of things about Paris–the architecture, the metro, the parks, the boulangeries. But I especially love the tasteful, uncomplicated style. As a Paris expat, I found that dressing like a Parisian is simple. It’s easy to spot a tourist in Paris, but it’s so easy to not look like one. My first week in Paris, an elderly French couple stopped me to ask me for directions. This felt like a stamp of approval. I must have looked un peu français, non? If you think you have to go to Paris to find French style, think again. Many of the clothes I brought from home, purchased from American brands you already know, served me quite well in Paris.

white shirt with buttoned skirt — Batignolles biomarche

The key to French style

The key to French style is to be tasteful, wear clothes that fit, and stick to classics instead of trends. If you want to know how to dress French, you just need a few classics of French style in your closet. To keep it simple, here are 7 Things Parisian women really wear. (Want to know what Parisian women don’t wear? Scroll to the bottom of the post).

French Style Essential 1: A Striped Breton Shirt

It’s impossible to overstate the perfection of a Striped Breton shirt. You can pair it with jeans, skirts, or shorts. You can dress it up or down. The neckline highlights your collarbones. It is utterly classic and utterly French–first introduced as the uniform of the French navy in 1858, later adopted by none other than Coco Chanel.

It’s fair to say I’m obsessed with Bretons. So are true Parisiennes. In Paris, you see the classic striped shirt everywhere. (Oh, the men wear them too!) The first striped Breton I ever bought was in the town of Dinan in Brittany. I’ve bought several over the years since, and the one I keep buying again and again is the classic striped boatneck from J.Crew.

Here are my favorite striped Bretons. Both the JCrew and the Boden version are less than $50. The Everlane version is, at the time of this writing, $68.

Best Lightweight Breton: JCrew’s Classic Mariner Boatneck Breton is ligthweight and drapes beautifully. It’s really soft and flattering and makes a pair of jeans look instantly effortless and polished. I buy a new one in black and white every other year and pretty much wear it to death year round.

Best Heavyweight Breton: If you want a thicker version of the Breton, the Everlane modern Breton is perfect. The Everlane Breton is constructed of thick, high-quality knit in a boxy style with a wide boatneck. It’s utterly indestructible, and it’s great for fall and winter, especially under a trench coat. This Breton has the warmth of a sweater with the look of a Breton. I’m still wearing a modern Breton that I bought from Everlane in 2015!

Best Colorful Breton: British brand Boden updates the Breton with its trademark bright, fun colors. The Ella Breton features a modified boatneck–more rounded than its counterparts at JCrew and Everlane.

French Style Essential 2 – Crewneck Sweaters in Neutral Colors

If you want to dress French for fall or winter, you can’t go wrong with a crewneck sweater. One of the best places to buy high quality crewneck sweaters that look totally Parisian is Everlane. The Everlane cashmere crew is perfection and lasts for years. I took several Everlane sweaters to Paris with me, wore them frequently through two winters, and brought them back home to California, where they still get plenty of use every time the fog rolls in. J.Crew also makes lovely cashmere sweaters in beautiful colors.

Another French style staple is the cardigan, worn alone or over a camisole. Everlane makes a beautiful, lightweight cashmere cardigan in many colors that’s perfect for fall and spring.

If you want to update your sweater look, Everlane’s cashmere polo is gorgeous and sexy.

French Style Essential 3: White Sneakers – especially Stan Smiths or Vejas

Parisian women wear white sneakers with everything– jeans, dresses, sheath dresses, short skirts, long skirts, black pants, red coats…in Paris, it seems, anything and everything goes with white sneakers. Or baskets, as they say.

Adidas Stan Smiths— white with green trim–are the most popular by far. Yes, the most Parisian shoe on the planet is named after an American tennis star.

Vejas are a French brand, and they’re a little more special, in my opinion. Marion Cotillard loves these! Just as you know Stan Smiths from the trademark green heel cap, you know Vejas from the trademark V on the side.

I have three pairs of Veja sneakers. I think Vejas make almost any outfit look a little bit cooler. Although Vejas aren’t cushiony, they are comfortable to wear all day. (Note the pair on the far right, which once walked 30,000 steps in a single day after lockdown ended in Paris). And they’re also environmentally friendly.

There are several styles of Veja sneakers, but I prefer the Veja V-12, which are better for wide feet. The V-12 is minimalist and classy, with a leather upper and a suede heel and logo. It comes in bright white, and you can get the logo in a few different colors. I love the metallic rose, but you really can’t go wrong with any V-12 or the earlier version, the Veja V-10. They’re beautiful, comfortable, and last forever. They’re not always easy to find in the US, but Shopbop has several Veja styles.

True story: When I was walking in San Francisco recently in my Vejas, a woman stopped me and said, “I love your sneakers! Your feet look like little packages!”

Really, any bright white sneakers will do. During my first year in Paris I wore bright white Filas everywhere, and French people are constantly asking me for directions, so I must have looked like I knew my way around.

French Style Essential 4: Small Crossbody Bags

Most Parisians don’t carry a bunch of stuff around in their purses, because they like to look low-maintenance. The desire to appear to be low-maintenance while being totally high-maintenance on the inside may be why Parisian women smoke so much. The purse just has to be big enough to fit your bad habit, your metro card, your phone, and a teeny-tiny Pocket edition of some slender novel with a watercolor cover.

I bought this beautiful suede mini saddle bag from Madewell to replace one I purchased on a little side street on the Left Bank and wore to death.

A crossbody bag is the purse of choice, often with a chain strap. Kate Spade’s quilted leather crossbody, available in several colors, would be right at home in Paris. So would this leather crossbody bag with a cute knot detail.

*small crossbody bags I purchased in Paris*

Personally, I love chain straps because they help a purse to hang well, and it’s pretty and delicate without being over the top.

Most Parisians dress conservatively. They add color through blouses, sweaters, and accessories, so a red bag is the perfect investment in a bit of color. While you won’t see many French women wearing animal print dresses or boldly colored pants or skirts, they’ll wear an animal print bag , red belt, or bold red purse to round out a neutral outfit.

I’ve discovered that carrying tiny bags is quite liberating. Do I need my laptop? No. Do I need a phone charger? No, because Mr. Reluctant P. is very good about putting my phone on the charger every time I take it off, which is about 19 times a day. Do I need a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, a bag of almonds, a pen, a notebook, and three lipsticks? Well, okay, maybe.

If you’re used to carrying a big bag, it will be an adjustment. You really have to be selective in what you carry with you! You’ll probably need a smaller wallet than you usually carry, just one lipstick, and a very small book.

My tiny leather crossbody bag from Balzac Paris, just big enough for a wallet and a Pocket edition book

French Style Essential 5 – Great Jeans

If you’ve ever watched Call My Agent, you’ve noticed that Andrea is usually wearing jeans. So is her young protege Camille. French women wear jeans just as much as American women do. The key is what to wear them with. Don’t wear your jeans with a baggy T-shirt. A cool sweatshirt is fine, preferably cropped.

Do wear your jeans with a pretty blouse, a fitted T-shirt and blazer, a cozy sweater or turtleneck, or a cocoon coat. Do wear your jeans with white sneakers, or with a nice pair of ankle boots.

Levis are a big deal in Paris, where the brand is much more expensive there than it is in the US. Levis straight jeans with booties are a classic Parisian look. Whereas a pair of the iconic American jeans will cost upward of one hundred euros in France, they’re still a steal in America. So are basic slim jeans in a dark wash with a nice cardigan tucked in.

Another great choice for jeans, especially if you’re curvy, is Everlane. When I’m not in a dress, I live in Everlane jeans. They have a super high waist and are made of really high-quality denim.

Of course, jeans always look great with a Striped Breton!

Try slim jeans from Levi’s for classic French style

French Style Essential 6 – Casual Dresses in Small Prints

*the author in a dress purchased in the Batignolles* *neighborhood of Paris*

I already owned a closet full of dresses before moving to Paris. This included several wrap dresses, a Parisian staple. However, Parisians favor more loose-fitting wraps, often with a small floral print. They’re much less business-like than the iconic Diane von Furstenberg wraps, more romantic and feminine. Wraps, and really any kind of fluid, loose-fitting dresses, are popular in any season. One thing you don’t really see much in Paris is boho style dresses or tight dresses.

While living in Paris, I purchased dresses during the soldes (the big sales that happen twice a year) from Ba&sh, Maje, and Sandro. These are all French brands that are special, chic, and beloved by French girls. Although they’re not inexpensive, if you shop in the Parisian way (quality over quantity), they won’t break the bank. Other terrific French brands are The Kooples, Rouje, and Sezane.

French dresses — *colorful dresses I brought home from Paris*

Other Stories on Rue Faubourg has some great dresses, and I love their sales. I brought home several with me from Paris. But you don’t have to go to Paris to dress like a Parisian.

Although Boden in a British brand, it carries some lovely shirt dresses, a classic of French style.

Champs Elysees during lockdown — Keep it simple: jeans and a black top

rain in Paris — Keep it simple: jeans and a black top

Another great American brand for French-style dresses is Kate Spade, which makes dresses in pretty patterns and flattering shapes. One dress I took with me to Paris was a knee-length silk Kate Spade wrap dress in black and white, which I continue to wear often. The stunning belted shirt dress introduced in fall of 2025 is a beautiful investment piece.

When we lived in Paris, there was a tiny shop right by the secret square (I forget the name), where I used to go every few months. I would always find one special item there–a dress, a bag, a scarf–at a very reasonable price. One day maybe I’ll remember the name. But the next time I go back to Paris I’ll definitely be stopping by.

That’s the thing about French style: it’s timeless, not trendy. The focus is on quality, not quantity.

*hot chocolate in a silk dress at Angelina*

As it happens, I brought this the floral silk dress pictured from home, just so I could spill hot chocolate on it at the iconic Angelina on Rue de Rivoli. I’ve had it forever. I never realize how long I’ve had my clothes until I’m going back through old photos and realize I was wearing them when my son was a toddler (he’s a teenager now). But that’s the thing about French style: it’s timeless, not trendy. The focus is on quality, not quantity. If you buy a dress today and can still feel confident wearing it in ten years, that’s French!

The Parisian dress silhouette: The key is to buy flattering cuts in classic, tasteful shapes. A cinched waist with a V-neck and a loose, fluid drape is a really popular silhouette.

By the way, when you look for dresses, don’t stick with solids! Parisian women love to wear florals–especially floral dresses and floral blouses. (But let’s not go crazy: you rarely see floral pants or a floral coat in Paris). The idea is to keep the pattern small. Anything by Trina Turk would stand out like a sore thumb (and not in a good way) in Paris.

French Style Essential 7 – Feminine Blouses in Floral Prints or Solids

It’s simply not true that French women only wear black. A colorful blouse with high-waisted jeans or a skirt is a mainstay of Parisian style. You should also have a white blouse in your wardrobe. Boden’s sexy lace-collar blouse drapes beautifully and is available in neutrals, pink, and polka dots. These style staples would last many seasons without ever going out of style.

Oh, and one more French Style Essential: Scarves!

The moment the temperature drops below a balmy 75 degrees Fahrenheit (don’t ask me what that is in Celcius, I still haven’t mastered the art of translating the temperature), the scarves come out. And then the scarves stay–all through fall, winter, and spring.

Even on sunny spring days, when you’ve removed all but your base layer and are starting to sweat through your Stan Smiths, they wrap their necks up in thick scarves. Either they’re terrified of being chilly, they don’t like their necks (I don’t think that’s it), or they simply cannot imagine going a moment without a scarf. You know how you feel about underwear–like, you can’t leave home without it? That’s the way Parisian women feel about scarves.

Kate spade has a lovely selection of silk scarves for spring and summer. Come September and the rentree, Parisians break out their thick scarves. The Everlane cashmere scarf , made of a super-soft cashmere, is one of those items you could wear every day. Parisian women wear their winter scarves wound up like armor high around their necks, usually with their hair tucked underneath.

Some scarves are bigger than other scarves. Snapped this well-coordinated couple on a not-that-cold day in Paris.

One of the scarves I wore most often in Paris is one bought nearly a decade ago on Gilt, a pink silk Alexander McQueen skull scarf. As you can see from the photos below, I never really learned how to tie my silk scarf. It is not as easy as French women make it look!

(In this photo, by the way, I’m with my writer friend Cara Black, author of the Aimee Leduc detective series, which begins with Murder in the Marais and covers every Paris arrondissement. Check it out before you come to Paris, and be sure to read the one set in the arrondissement where you’re staying!)

Parisian women don’t wear…

Anything over-the-top, too tight, sparkly, gaudy, or studded, is so not French. Basically, if Emily in Emily in Paris would wear it, it’s definitely not French! If Andrea, the tough, sexy talent agent on Call My Agent would wear it, it’s très français. Another great, accurate representation of youthful French style on Netflix is The Hook Up Plan.

French women tend to be both frugal and tasteful, which is why you probably won’t see them toting a giant Louis Vuitton bag. (Vintage Chanel on the other hand? Definitely!) They invest in core pieces. They may only own five blouses, for example, but at least one of them will be silk, and one will be a striped Breton.

A Note on Skirts, Parisian Style

Parisian women don’t wear anything exceedingly tight, and they don’t often do low-cut. They show legs, not cleavage. The one place they show skin is the mid-thigh and downward. Short skirts are everywhere, and it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the weather. Rain, hail, sleet, and snow do nothing to raise the hemlines. As long as your sweater or blouse is tasteful and your shoes aren’t stilettos, you can wear micro-skirts until the cows come home and fit right in.

It’s also worth noting that short skirts are considered age-appropriate for women of all ages in Paris, as long as they have the legs for it! With all that walking they do, many Parisian women can rock a mini-skirt well into their sixties. You’ll see more older women in mini-skirts in the fall and winter, when they can wear tights. Really, in Paris, it’s all about being tasteful, showing your body in its best light.

And One French Style Surprise – Black and Navy

Maybe your mother told you black and navy don’t go together. Clearly, she wasn’t French.

For Parisians, black and navy do go together. I used to think they didn’t, but then I lived in Paris, and now I’ve embraced the combination wholeheartedly. Not even Mr. Reluctant P. can dissuade me.

In Paris, these two neutrals are made for each other. Navy blazers with black jeans, black sweaters with navy skirts, navy chaussettes with black chaussures…it’s all fine. In America, if you wear navy on black, people assume you got dressed in the dark. In Paris, if you wear navy on black, people assume you understand the subtleties of color theory.

So that’s it–seven things French women really wear. If you want to dress like a Parisian, keep it simple!

If you like this post, you might also enjoy 7 Affordable French pharmacy products I use every day.

Shop the highlights:

Best shoes for walking around Paris

Bags French women wear

Madewell small crossbody saddle bag

The classic French shirt–a striped Breton

The only sweater you need to look like a true Parisienne

the cashmere crew from Everlane
the lightweight cardigan from JCrew

Did you enjoy this post? You might like How to Dress French for Fall: 5 Easy Pieces, French Style Essential: Bag Edition, and 7 French Beauty Products I Use Every Day.

Vichy 89 mineral serum — Vichy 89, at the source

Want more posts like this? I retired The Reluctant Parisian when I moved back home to California, but I still share Paris Stories at The Wandering Writer. And I’m serializing a Paris novel here.

I’m the author of six novels.

The most recent is THE WONDER TEST, which I finished while living in Paris. (The next Lina Connerly adventure will be set in Paris.) Most of by books have been translated into French, including THE MARRIAGE PACT, which is is available in 31 languages and published in France as Piege Conjugal. The Year of Fog, published way back in 2007, was a major bestseller in France as l’annee brouillard and a finalist for Elle Prix des Lectrices.

4 High Sport Kick Flare Pants Dupes under $100

By Courcelles

On 10:38 pm

In French style, Paris style

including Curvy, Petite, and Tall versions

Maybe you’ve been seeing those High Sport Kick Flare pants out in the wild or on social media. If so, you might be looking for an imitation that won’t break the bank. Way back in the early nineties, when I was backpacking around Europe the old-fashioned way–with a Eurorail Pass, a copy of Lonely Planet, and no cell phone–I noticed that everywhere I went in Europe, girls were wearing pants that were skinny on top, flared at the ankle, and slightly cropped. They wore these pants with a black ankle boot.

Thirty years later, I read in the New York Times that women are shelling out $850 (!!!) for a pair of stretch pants that look a lot like the ubiquitous Euro nineties pant, with one addition: a seam down the front.

Well, I do love a kick flare. I lived in the Madewell Cali Demi Boot Cut jean for years before they replaced them with the Kick Out Crop Jeans (also fabulous), but I wasn’t about to pay $850 for stretch pants. So I went in search of a worthy dupe for the High Sport Kick Flare pant. As it turns out, there are four good options, and three of them are under $100. All of them are on sale for Black Friday. I tried on three of the brands and ended up purchasing two of them. (Personal fit and style notes at the bottom of this post).

Two things about this pant style surprised me when I got them on: they’re super comfortable, and they’re quite a lot sexier than I expected. Like, way sexy. And the stretch makes them very curve-friendly.

High Sport Kick Flare Pants Dupe 1: Land’s End Starfish High Rise Kick Flare Pant (regularly $54.95, half off for Black Friday). Best Petite High Sport Dupe / Best curvy kick flare

Lest you think, “Wait, all these brands are just copying High Sport…” Land’s End (yes, that Land’s End!) was making a stretch kick flare pant back when High Sport was in (very expensive) diapers. Is Land’s End the OG when it comes to stretchy kick flare pants? We think so! These come in petite and tall sizes.

I bought these in navy. I should mention I bought them reluctantly, because they’re pull-on, and if you’re curvy, you know that pull-on pants that fit over your hips usually have a ginormous waist gap.

As it turns out, I love love love these! They’re the most comfortable pants of the lot, and they look surprisingly fantastic. Like, sexy fantastic. The first time I tried them on, I said to my husband, “Can I really wear these?” And he said, “You can, and you should.” Land’s End: who knew? I purchased by waist size rather than hip size. Not only did they fit over my hips, but the waist snaps right in. They’re super stretchy but hold their shape. The wide waistband is a plus, because it gives a more cinched-in look.

High Sport Kick Flare Dupe 2: Everlane Dream Kick Flare Pant ($39 on sale)

I’ve been shopping at Everlane for about twelve years. The quality is great and consistent.

The Everlane kick flare pant comes in black, tan, navy, and gray. The regular price is $98, but I purchased the black on sale for $69, and they’ve since gotten an even deeper discount. Because nobody looks good in tan pants, the tan version was on (final) sale for $25, so I threw those in my cart too. I figured if the tan version was too unattractive for public consumption, I could wear them around the house.

What I like: Everlane quality, plus the Everlane pants have a side zipper, which means they’re good for a curvy fit. The pants fit well, have a nice stretch, and are super comfortable. The big surprise was that I actually liked the look of the tan pants quite a lot and even plan to wear them out of the house. They’re definitely giving Partridge Family!

If you’re on the fence, I recommend sizing down. They have enough stretch that, if you’re curvy, you can purchase for your waist size and still be able to fit them quite comfortably over your hips.

High Sport Kick Flare Dupe 2: J.Crew Delaney Kickout Sweater Pant (regularly $148, $99 on Black Friday sale). Best High Sport Dupe for Straighter Figures

Of all the High Sport pants dupes on this page, the J. Crew version probably comes closest to the original. They’re available in seven colors, including burgundy (the color of the season), candy apple red, pink, and all the usual neutrals. Good to know: these are less curvy-friendly than the Everlane and Gap versions, so if you normally purchase the curvy edition in JCrew or other brands, these may not work for you.

High Sport Pants Dupe 4: Gap High Rise Crop Kick Pants (regularly $63, 40% off for Black Friday) Best High Sport Dupe in Red

It’s easy to forget about Gap. The brand is just too uneven, the stores too disorganized. But this is a great price point to try out the stretch kick flare pant trend. And one thing Gap offers that Everlane and Land’s End don’t is a red version. High Sport kick flare pants come in look-at-me hues like sky blue and fire engine red. The Gap version has a version called Sled Red that would look really sharp with black boots or flats and a black sweater. FYI: these are the only pants on this list I haven’t tried.

High Sport Pant Dupe Roundup

Tried on: Everlane Dream Kick Flare Pant, J.Crew Delaney Kickout Sweater Pant, Land’s End Starfish High Rise Kick Flare Pant

Verdict: Purchased and kept: Everlane Kick Flare Pant, Land’s End Starfish High Rise Kick Flare.

Fit note: I’m petite and curvy. All three pants I tried worked for length with no hemming, hitting at or above the ankles. The J.Crew pants are beautiful and high quality, but are best for less curvy figures.

If you like this post, you might also enjoy 7 Things Parisian Women Really Wear.

8 Great Black Friday Gifts for College Students

By Courcelles

On 5:46 pm

In how to dress French

So your college student will be home soon. Here are 8 great Black Friday gifts for college students, from tech deals to things to make dorm life a little nicer.

Black Friday Tech Deals

If you’ve been looking for over-the-ear headphones, this huge discount on Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones at Walmart makes them a no-brainer. ($69, regularly $199)

HP 14-inch Chromebook with Intel Processor, 128 GB hard drive, and 12-hour battery life. If you need a lightweight laptop for school or travel, or just a backup laptop for Google docs or a particular project, you’ll love this price: $129 (regularly $399) at Walmart.

Black Friday Dorm Room Deals

The best smoothie maker for small spaces, because they’re definitely not eating fruit in the cafeteria: Magic Bullet Single-Serve Blender. (I’ve been using this blender for smoothies and milkshakes forever. Small enough for a dorm room. Never breaks, easy to use and easy to clean). ($39.99, regularly $59.99).

Dorm towels wear out fast. Maybe it’s time for your college student to have a refresh. The Sonoma Goods-for-Life Quick Dry Bath Towel Set has six pieces comes in lots of colors, and is just $31.99 for Black Friday. Use code LETSGO20.

Keep it cozy with the Kookaburra by Ugg Sherpa Throw, just $23.99 at Kohl’s. Like a warm hug.

Nobody wants their feet touching the dorm floor. MukLuks slippers are on sale for $21.76. Use code LETSGO20.

Gifts Just Because

Kate Spade is a classic. The Lena Medium Satchel Bundle, which includes the iconic Kate Spade bag and a matching wallet, for just $159. Use the code MAKEITTWO.

A medium-sized shoulder bag is always a good idea, around campus or traveling home. The Lululemon Mini Shoulder bag (which isn’t so mini) is currently $68.

If you like this post, you might also enjoy 7 Things Parisian Women Really Wear.

How to Dress French: Perfect Bags for French Style

By Courcelles

On 11:33 pm

In Bags, classic French style, French girl style, French style, how to dress French, How to dress like a Parisian

French Style Essential: small bags

If you want to emulate classic French style, start with the foundation: the bag. What bag do French women wear? One quintessential element of French style is the small crossbody bag. Most Parisians don’t carry a bunch of stuff around in their purses. French women like to look low-maintenance. (The desire to appear low-maintenance while being totally high-maintenancemay be why Parisian women smoke so much.)

If you want to dress French, your handbag should be big enough to fit your metro card, your phone, your Guerlain lipstick (preferably in red), and a tiny Pocket edition of some slender novel with a watercolor cover. If your bag is big enough to hold your laptop, it’s too big. The exception, of course, is Paris Fashion Week. Only then might you see Parisians walking around with something a little bigger, like this.

Small Crossbody Bags Are Classic French Style

In general, a crossbody bag is the purse of choice, often with a chain strap. This small black crossbod y from Kate Spade is classic French style and would be right at home in Paris.

small black crossbody bag with chain strap — *black crossbody bag with chain strap from Kate Spade*

A pale pink chain crossbody is perfect for spring and summer. (Although the Kate Spade website calls it a “wallet,” Parisian women would consider it purse sized!)

A chain strap is perfect because it helps the purse to hang well, and it’s pretty and delicate without being over-the-top. This gold crossbody bag with the classic chain strap, would be perfect for a Parisian evening out.

Most Parisians dress conservatively. They add color through blouses, sweaters, and accessories. A bag is a great place to add a pop of color (notice the red statement bag I spotted on the street, against a palette of black). While you won’t see many French women wearing animal print dresses or boldly colored pants or skirts, they’ll wear an animal print bag, red belt, or bold red purse to round out a neutral outfit. And of course, red lipstick!

I’ve discovered that carrying tiny bags is quite liberating. Do I need my laptop? No. Do I need a phone charger? No, because Mr. Reluctant P. is very good about putting my phone on the charger every time I take it off, which is about 19 times a day. Do I need a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, a bag of almonds, a pen, a notebook, and three lipsticks? Well, okay, maybe. I snapped a photo of this young lady on Faubourg, wearing a bag so tiny you can barely see it. Look closely and you’ll see the chain strap slung over her cool black jacket.

A purse I bought soon after arriving in Paris and have now used for years is the small navy leather crossbody bag from Balzac Paris. If you’re used to carrying a big bag, it will be an adjustment. You really have to be selective in what you carry with you!

In fact, here I am at Musee de Balzac with my Balzac crossbody bag! (If you’re ever in Paris, Musee de Balzac has a lovely, quiet little garden and a nice attached cafe where the barista does some rather interesting, thematically appropriate foam art.)

the author at Musee de Balzac with a small crossbody bag

Here are a few of the bags I bought in Paris. I love the classic red leather bag from Sandro. It’s special to me because I purchased it just days after lockdown ended. A few shops had opened but most were empty. I was the only person in the shop, and a red bag felt like a gift to myself after the dreary lockdown. The one I use most during the winter is the brown Balzac Paris bag, which has a rich brown embossed leather.

If you must go big, go tasteful.

If, however, you just can’t fit what you need into a tiny bag, a Longchamp bag is a great choice. The Pliage is an absolute French style classic. These are quality leather pieces that you’ll keep forever. They fold over, which makes them perfect for travel. You can pack a lot into a Longchamp bag on your flight by fully expanding it, then fold it over for a smaller bag once you reach your destination. Longchamp makes a smaller version of the Pliage, called city leather tote, perfect for your strolls around Paris or anywhere.

I bought a blue leather Longchamp bag from the Longchamp store on Faubourg St. Honore a few months before we moved away, and I always use it when I travel or when I’m out and about and might buy something–as it’s big enough to fit small purchases. The classic Longchamp Pliage in nylon is also a great choice at super affordable price.

If you need to carry your laptop, a sweater, and pretty much your whole life around with you, go for something understated, like the Everlane Italian leather tote. It’s high quality leather and will last forever, so your closet won’t be full of totes you never use. When it comes to French style, quality is always more important than quantity.

If you liked this post, you might enjoy 7 Things Parisian Women Really Wear.

7 French Beauty Products For Beautiful Skin

By Courcelles

On 12:15 am

In French beauty, French beauty brands, French pharmacy products

The best French pharmacy products and where to find them

French pharmacies are magical places where the pharmacists dispense medicine, give shots, recommend everything from cold cures to beauty products, and give plenty of thoughtful skincare advice. When we moved back to California from Paris two years ago, I brought my favorite French pharmacy products home with me. Eventually, they ran out, because these are products that I use to the last drop.

Fortunately, almost all of these French beauty products are available in the US. Below, you’ll find the French beauty brands I use every day, from the iconic, lightweight, delicious-smelling oil every Parisienne has in her cabinet to the perfect serum to a “no-Botox” splurge that fills fine lines and wrinkles like a dream.

7 French Beauty Products for Beautiful Skin

1. Best French Splurge for Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Filorga Time Filler Day Cream, the no-botox filler that really works (luxury French beauty brand)

We had just emerged from the first Paris lockdown when I wandered up Rue de la Boetie to the big Monoprix tucked in an alley just behind Champs Elysses. I must have looked pretty stressed, or maybe the pharmacist was just happy to be talking to customers again, because she approached me, gestured to my face, declared that I looked “fatigue,” (sorry, I can’t find the accent mark), and motioned for me to follow her. Moments later, she thrust the jar of Filorga Time Filler into my hands.

Unlike the other products here, Filorga doesn’t go on with a weightless feel. Instead, it feels incredibly rich. Made with three types of hyaluronic acid, it claims to be a kind of “moisturizing water bomb” for your skin. It works really well as a filler, tightening the pores, plumping the skin, and reducing fine lines. It’s a bit more expensive than other French pharmacy brands, but after weeks of hardly leaving the apartment, I was happy to splurge. I have lines under my left eye due to my sleeping position over the years, and Filorga makes the lines noticeably smaller when I apply it over my serum in the morning. Filorga also makes an amazing anti-aging serum that plumps the skin, improves skin texture, and makes the perfect base layer morning and night.

Filorga is considered a luxury brand in France, though it’s still much less pricey than most American luxury brands. The products really do have powerful anti-aging effects and live up to their promise of working as a non-surgical “filler.” If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll get a lot of value with Bioderma and Caudalie. If want to treat yourself to a “no-botox” product that gets high marks for its filler capabilities, Filorga is for you.

Buy Filorga Time Filler on Amazon.

Best Eye Cream: Filorga Age Reversing Eye Cream

If you like the Filorga Hydra Filler, you might also want to try Filorga eye cream. The pharmacist gave me a sample that day, but I didn’t buy it until more than a year later. I had so many products when we left Paris, including eye creams, it took me a while to use them all. Made with peptides, hyaluronic acid, and collagen, Filorga Eye Cream quickly targets circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. It makes the skin under my eyes appear visibly plumper and minimizes dark circles.

Buy Filorga Eye Cream on Amazon.

2. Best Multi-Task Oil for Hair, Face, and Body AND Best-smelling French beauty brand: Nuxe dry oil / Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

I was delighted to discover Nuxe oil on my first trip to my neighborhood pharmacy in Paris. This light, delicious-smelling, inexpensive oil can be used on hair, skin, and cuticles. Reader, I will never go back to moroccan argon oil! Nuxe oil is a beauty miracle, a sweet-smelling multi-tasker that is a delight to the senses.

How to use Nuxe oil: I spray a few drops of Nuxe oil into my palms and blend it with my body lotion morning and night. The first time I used it, I went for a walk in the park later in the day and noticed a wonderful, light scent. I thought it was something in the park, but then I realized that the scent followed me out of the park and all the way home. That’s when I realized it was the Nuxe oil.

The Perfect Summer Oil for Skin and Hair: The air in California is extremely dry, so I rub a couple of drops into the ends of my hair after washing. If you want your friends to say, “You smell good!” when they lean in for a hug or cheek-kiss, this is the product for you! During the summer, I also keep a small bottle of Nuxe shimmer oil (Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or) on my bathroom countertop. This imparts a light golden shimmer and is perfect to use as a light highlighter on your cheekbones, rubbed in with your moisturizer on your legs, or to add shine to your hair.

Tip: You can find tiny bottles of the Nuxe dry oil, but if you go through a full-sized (3.3 ounce) bottle in a few months like I do, you’ll be happy you got the bigger size. The larger bottle comes with a high-quality spray nozzle, which makes it easy to spritz the oil onto your legs or hair. This is a product I always use to the last drop.

Buy the 3.3 ounce Nuxe dry oil on Amazon (this will easily last a year or longer). Or buy the small bottle of Nuxe shimmer oil.

On my most recent trip in November of 2023, I also picked up Nuxe body lotion, which smells divine and feels luxurious on the skin.

3. Best Serum: Bioderma Serum / Bioderma Hydrabio – Sérum concentré hydratant

Prior to moving to Paris, I had been using Boots No. 7 serum for years. I discovered Boots serum on a trip to the UK. It goes on silky smooth and is very light, but the fragrance can be overpowering. When I arrived in Paris, I wanted an inexpensive new serum to get me by until I figured out what French beauty products work best for me. The pharmacist recommended Bioderma Hydrabio serum, and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s light, silky, and has no noticeable scent.

How to use Bioderma serum: I apply the serum immediately after cleansing with Bioderma micellar water. I often put a bit on over my makeup when I come home after a long day. Technically, serum should go under your makeup, of course, but I love adding a little moisture throughout the day, and this serum is light enough to apply at any time. When I’m traveling, I often take this serum as my only moisturizer to keep my toiletries kit simple.

A 1.3 ounce bottle is about $33 at the time of this writing. A bottle usually lasts me about two months.

Buy Bioderma Serum on Amazon.

4. Best Cleanser and Micellar Water: Bioderma Créaline H2O Solution Micellaire / also called Bioderma Sensible H20 / Bioderma Micellar Water

Bioderma Micellar Water: (I bought the petite version on my Nov. 2023 trip to Paris)

You might find American brands that call themselves micellar water, but don’t be fooled! I’ve tried those, and they tend to be oily, which is exactly the opposite of what micellar water should be. Bioderma micellar water is the gold standard, and it’s easy to find in the US and relatively inexpensive. By now, we all know that over-washing your face is counterproductive–especially in the morning, when you want to retain your skin’s moisture.

How to use Bioderma micellar water: You just soak a cotton pad (not a cotton ball) with the fragrance-free, oil-free solution and press it against your eyelids to remove eye makeup (although you won’t be wearing much eye make-up in France–more on that in another post). Swab it all over your face and neck to remove makeup and dirt. That’s the only cleanser you need.

I use Bioderma micellar water first thing in the morning, before my coffee, to make my skin feel fresh. I use it again after my shower to clean my skin before applying makeup. And I use it at night before applying my nighttime moisturizer. I repeat, this is the only skin cleanser you need! It removes makeup and oil without rubbing in the evening. It’s very light and helps your skin feel hydrated.

Tip: I prefer the bottle with the pink cap! The blue-cap version isn’t just water, it has an oily texture I find unappealing, and I never once saw the blue-cap version in France. It’s about $16 per bottle, and a bottle lasts me about three months, using it at three times a day.

Buy Bioderma Micellar water at Amazon.

5. Best Gel Serum: Vichy Mineral 89 Serum

The bottle of Vichy Mineral 89 is a beautiful blue, and the product itself feels as if you’re putting the mineral waters of Vichy, France, on your skin…because you are! The number 89 comes from the fact that this serum contains 89% Vichy volcanic water. Because it contains hyaluronic acid, it plumps up your skin to minimize fine lines. I purchased my first Vichy product in the town of Vichy, where my husband and I traveled by train for a spa weekend while my son’s ninth grade class was off mountain climbing without proper gear (that’s how they do things in France).

Vichy is home to world-famous natural springs, and before its terrible run as the center of the collaborationist government during WW2, it was a playground for the creme of French society, including Napoleon. For centuries the town has been home to various mineral springs, all of which come together under a giant dome in the middle of town.

How to use it: I begin with Vichy 89 in the morning after cleansing and follow it with the Bioderma serum. I use Vichy during the day for plumping effects but rarely use it at night, because I don’t like to put anything between my skin and my resveratrol or retinol. I also have the Vichy 89 Hyaluronic Acid Eye Gel, although sometimes I just slather the regular Vichy 89 serum on my entire face, including under my eyes.

And, just to prove to you that I first got Vichy 89 at the source, this post includes a photo of me with big spa hair at the Vichy Celestins Spa Hotel back in early 2020.

Get Vichy Mineral 89 for about $29 at Amazon. Get the Vichy 89 set (including eyes and face) on Amazon.

6. Best Night Cream: Caudalie night infusion cream/ Resveratrol creme cache mire redensifiante

This is an overnight cream with resveratrol. It feels richer than most retinol creams and doesn’t irritate my skin the way retinol does. Antioxidant-rich resveratrol is considered an alternative to retinol. One thing it does that retinol doesn’t is protect your skin from sun damage.

When I woke up the next morning after trying this for the first time, my skin really did look different–glowy and rested. Because the cream is so rich, it feels especially nice in the wintertime or when your skin has been subjected to environmental stress.

Can you use both resveratrol and retinol?

Yes! You can use both resveratrol and retinol, just not at the same time. Retinol is a wonder at smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles with time, but it can irritate the skin. Because I’m a retinol super-fan, I alternate between The Caudalie Night Infusion Cream (resveratrol) and the Strivectin Retinol Night Oil, which is light but potent. Alternating between resveratrol and retinol gives my skin a break, and the Caudalie night cream just feels luxurious going on.

Caudalie also makes a br ightening day cream that smells delicious and feels great on the skin.

Buy Caudalie night cream on Amazon

7. Best Dry Shampoo: Klorane shampooing nutritive et reparateur / Kloarane Nourishing Shampoo

Before moving to Paris, I saw Klorane mentioned everywhere, so when I saw it on the shelf at my neighborhood French pharmacy, I decided to try it. Klorane shampoo comes in several different formulas for different hair types. Living on the Bay Area peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, accustomed to the fog, I’d forgotten how hard dry air is on the hair. My favorite is the nourishing shampoo, which is super moisturizing, but Klorane also makes a brightening shampoo for blonde, silver, and gray hair and a strengthening strengthening shampoo.

Get Klorane Dry Shampoo on Amazon

Vogue editors and other American beauty magazines frequently recommend Klorane dry shampoo, so I thought I’d give it a try.

I didn’t bring a blow dryer to France with me because mine wouldn’t work with French outlets, and I lived there for six months before bothering to buy one. Anyway, in Paris, the preferred look for hair is always natural–nothing over-styled, sprayed, bleached, or obviously blown out. Since I didn’t want to wait for my hair to dry in the morning, I would wash it before bed and then spritz a little dry shampoo on the roots in the morning. This gives you a tousled, natural look (at least, that’s what I’m telling myself).

By the by, I remember when U.S. magazines used to talk about “French hair,” as if it French women obtained magically sexy hair by washing it only once or twice a week. That’s a myth. Parisian women don’t walk around with dirty hair! The look is undone, not unwashed. Klorane does the trick: it’s has a fresh, light scent and disappears instantly.

Price: Buy Klorane dry shampoo on Amazon.

2025 Update: 4 More French Pharmacy Products

I returned to Paris recently and visited a few pharmacies to find all of my favorite products, plus some new ones. Here are my additional recommendations.

Best Unscented Cream for Redness and Rosacea: Bioderma Sensible AR Cream

This cream reduces redness and helps combat rosacea. Like most Bioderma products, it is fragrance-free.

Runner-up for redness and rosacea: Uriage Redness Relief Cream

Uriage Roseliane Redness Relief Cream works well but is scented.

A pharmacist recommended this to me when I lived in France, and I bought more on my trip to Paris in 2023. A light cream that you can layer over your serums and under your makeup, Uriage redness relief cream evens out skin tone. I have pale skin prone to redness, and this works beautifully. Like Vichy products, it contains thermal water.

Best for Dark Spots and Scars: Avene Cicalfate Restorative Cream

Avene Cicalfate Restorative Cream (pictured top right)

While I was at CityPharma in Paris in November of 2023, an American tourist asked me if I knew what she could use for dark spots. I recommended Avene Cicalfate. The pharmacist, who overheard us talking, seconded my recommendation. This cream has completely faded a few dark spots on my arms and cheeks that I had for years. However, I first purchased it to soften and fade a deep scar. The results were dramatic. My husband just started using it a week ago for a dark spot on his face. Avene Cicalfate has had dramatic results. If you have dark spots or scars, this stuff works!

Get Avene Cicalfate Restorative Cream

Best Brighening and Lightening Spray for Blonde Hair

I’m not blonde, but when I was in a pharmacy late one night looking for conditioner, I picked up up what I thought was a Klorane leave-in conditioner. Only once I got it home did I realize it was the Klorane Brightening spray intended to revive blonde hair! As it was all I had, I used it, and I loved how it subtly brightened my auburn hair.

Best Deodorant

Vichy deodorant: a light roll-on that works, even if you’re pounding the Paris pavement all day

So here’s a quick roundup of the best French beauty products to keep in your daily routine for soft, glowy, moisturized skin:

What to Love About French Beauty Products

The EU has tighter regulations about what chemicals can go into cosmetics, so French beauty brands tend to be more environmentally friendly and are made with natural ingredients. They also have less fragrance, so you don’t walk out of your house in the morning smelling like you slept on a bed of bad potpourri. Like all things Parisian, French beauty brands have a light touch.

And a note on French makeup: keep it light with a soft lip!

The same could be said for makeup. If you go to Paris, leave your contouring brushes and false lashes behind! Just as stilettos scream “tourist” in Paris, so does overdone makeup.

Stick with a light tinted moisturizer, mascara, and perhaps a light dusting of neutral shadow. A red lip is classic at night, but during the day, I recommend a neutral, fresh lip. I put on LaNeige lip mask on at night before bed to make my lips feel soft and moisturized int he morning.

Why I recommend a trip to a French pharmacy

the pharmacy section at Monoprix on rue de Levis in Paris

If you’re visiting Paris, I definitely recommend that you visit a French pharmacy. It’s an easy way to experience a slice of everyday French life and bring home wonderful French beauty products that you’ll actually use. Consumables make the best souvenirs. And don’t be shy! Talk to the pharmacist; she’ll be happy to help, even if there’s a language barrier. She doesn’t need to speak English to take one look at your skin, diagnose your issues, and point out the best products.

If you want a deeper conversation about skin care and you don’t speak French, visit the pharmacy section of the big Monoprix just off Champs Elysses. The pharmacists there speak English and will not only point you to the right products, but may even load you up with free samples!

Watch my video about French beauty products.

This post contains affiliate links. I have purchased and used (repeatedly) every product linked to here. I earn a small commission when you buy a product through these links, but I do not receive free products or other compensation from the brands.

How to Dress French in Any Season

By Courcelles

On 11:12 pm

In classic French style, French girl style, French style, how to dress French

5 All-Season French Classics from Affordable American Brands

We moved to Paris in August, which is the hottest time of year. Fall doesn’t get in full swing until late September, when the tourists leave, the office workers return, and the leaves in the Tuileries begin to change. When we lived in Paris, I loved wandering through the boutiques on Rue de Courcelles and browsing the street stalls in different neighborhoods. Although I did visit Galleries Lafayette a few times during the soldes, I found it too big, too crowded, too mall-like (it is, after all, a giant mall). But you don’t have to go to Paris to dress French for fall. Even before we moved to Paris, I was a fan of several American brands that offer elegant basics at an affordable price. While living in Paris, I realized these brands really do understand the secrets of French style.

If you want to know how to dress French for fall, think of these three words: comfortable, classic, simple. French style is about taste. It’s about not going overboard. It’s about dressing to flatter your body and to look your best, not to stand out in all the wrong ways.

A truly French outfit can easily transition from office to evening with a simple pair of shoes or the addition (or subtraction) of a layer.

Here are five affordable classics from American brands that would make you look like a local in Paris, and will make you feel good and put-together wherever you are.

French style classic 1 for fall: J Crew striped boatneck shirt

It doesn’t get any more French than a striped boatneck shirt. Wear this lightweight striped Breton with jeans or any kind of skirt–maxi, pencil, or mini–and you’ll look like you just stepped out of your Paris flat. It just works.

I have J.Crew striped shirts in black and white, navy and white, and multicolor stripe. I prefer the J Crew version to other Bretons (even more than the original Breton I bought in Dinan, Brittany!) because they’re super soft and lightweight enough to be worn alone in the spring and summer. They also look great with a blazer in the fall, or under a cocoon coat in the winter. It’s a true all-season staple for dressing like a French girl, or a French woman of any age. Whatever you do, don’t wear your Breton with a beret! Just because Emily in Paris would do it doesn’t make it right. Style it with jeans, a blazer, and booties or loafers. Or you could wear it with a skirt and Vejas, the ultimate French sneaker (scroll down for more about Vejas).

Everlane also makes a very high quality modern Breton. The Everlane striped shirt is of a thicker cotton. It doesn’t have the same drape as the J.Crew version, but it’s super warm and cozy and pretty much lasts forever. (I’m still wearing a Breton I bought from Everlane in 2015!). I wear my J.Crew bretons for about three years. Because the fabric is a bit thin, they do eventually develop small holes if you wear them constantly, like I do. An Everlane Breton, on the other hand, never has to be replaced, but what makes it so sturdy–the thick, indestructible fabric–also makes it less drapey.

French style classic 2: Everlane Relaxed Silk Shirt

A silk button-down is a French style staple that elevates any pair of jeans. Of course, it can also be worn with a skirt in any season.

The Everlane version is soft, luxurious, washable, and available in several colors. It’s also relaxed, understated, and high-quality. Very French! I have the Everlane silk shirts in blue, black, and tan. They feel buttery soft on the skin.

Silk button-downs are great for travel. They take up so little space in your luggage, weigh almost nothing, and can be hand-washed and dried overnight. I never travel without a silk shirt. I’ve worn them under a crewneck sweater in the dead of winter in Oslo and layered over a sundress during spring in Sicily.

You can get the Everlane silk shirt with pockets or without.

French style classic 3 for fall: Levi’s Straight Ankle Jeans

French style staple — Levi’s straight ankle jeans

Dressing French is as simple as putting on a good, well-fitting pair of jeans. In France, Levi’s are very expensive and are considered far more of a designer item than they are in the US. So if you’re traveling to Paris in any season, pack your favorite Levi’s. I like the Levi’s straight ankle jeans, because they look cool with Vejas, sandals, or ankle boots. Pair them with a white T-shirt, striped Breton, silk shirt, or white button-down, and you’re good to go.

I remember backpacking through Europe in the late nineties and noticing young women wearing cropped jeans with ankle boots. Nearly three decades later, the same style is still ubiquitous in Europe, and it still works!

But any type of jeans that look good on you will do. If this year’s trend doesn’t fit your body, don’t wear it! Just because the fashion magazines are touting wide-leg jeans or boyfriend jeans doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Choosing the best clothes for your body is a cornerstone of French style.

French style classic 4: J Crew White Button-Down Shirt

Yes, you need a white button-down! J.Crew has been making them for ages. Like a Breton or silk shirt, you can wear a white button-down in any season, alone or with a blazer, with jeans or skirts, and you’ll look right at home in Paris.

Yes, a white button-down will make you look polished, with a scarf or without. Despite having lived in Paris, I really don’t enjoy wearing scarves. My favorite accessory is a gold chain necklace with a small pendant. I have several, most of them gifts from my husband over the years. I’ll do another post on jewelry, by the way, but the secret to French style when it comes to jewelry is the same as French style in general: keep it simple, and don’t overdo it. Leave the bulky necklaces and costume jewelry at home.

French style classic 5: The perfect (and very sexy) red dress from Boden

This flowy, long-sleeved red dress from Boden ($140) manages to be sexy and totally classy at the same time. In other words, it’s incredibly French. The secret is in the flowing fabric and the cut: a V-neck, cinched v-waist, long sleeves, and slightly flared skirt. This dress easily transitions from fall to winter.

This cut, with the wide, defines waistband, is available year-round in the boutiques along Rue de Courcelles but difficult to find in American stores. For fall, wear it with sneakers or booties, and for winter, just throw on a trench coat and tights. I live in trench coats all winter, and I haven’t bought a new once since 2005 because my trench coats from Banana Republic (one black, one tan) are still wonderful! For a true style staple and capsule wardrobe item, the dress is also available in black and in two floral prints.

A note on color: Parisian women may have black coats and black shoes, but they have color in their closets too! Paris isn’t New York City. All black all the time gets boring.

The dress is siren red, so the statement is in the color. When looking for dresses, remember to go with a cut that’s not too tight. Low necks and high hems are fine, but if you want to dress like the French, don’t wear both at the same time. Showing skin at the decollate and the legs at the same time is very not French.

Goes well with…

my Banana Republic trench, in Paris circa 2011

small crossbody bag — my Banana Republic trench, in Paris circa 2011

So if you want a capsule wardrobe that would make you look like a local in Paris, just start with these five classic French styles. Add a pair of Veja sneakers or Stan Smiths to any one of these outfits, and you’ll look like you just stepped out of a Parisian bookshop. Add a small black crossbody bag to carry your pen, tiny wallet, and a single lipstick, and you’ll have nailed easy, elegant French style. If it’s cold, of course, throw on a trench coat.

In the photo, I’m wearing my black trench coat from Banana Republic in 2011, when I visited with my small son. In the photo, I’m trying to corral him outside Notre Dame. I packed the same trench coat when we moved to Paris in 2018.

If you enjoyed this post on how to dress French for fall, you might enjoy 7 French Beauty Products I Use Every Day.

About this blog: The Reluctant Parisian is the Paris expat blog of New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond, whose most recent novels are The Marriage Pact (available in French and 29 other languages) and The Wonder Test. Subscribe for free to The Wandering Writer to receive her posts on travel and writing.

Walking in Batignolles – the last au revoir

By Courcelles

On 12:29 am

In Batignolles, Coronavirus in France, Coronavirus in Paris, featured

one last stroll through Paris after lockdown

Walking in Batignolles is the final post of The Reluctant Parisian that was written in Paris. We moved back to California in November of 2020, right before the second Paris lockdown began. Some posts have been archived as I work on a memoir of the Paris years. You can now read and listen to my Paris stories at The Wandering Writer. Just go here to get my Paris stories in your inbox.

I do still post at the Reluctant Parisian occasionally about France-related books, French style, and other things still on my mind about living in the City of Light.

During our final week in Paris at the end of October 2020, I ventured out for one last walk to Batignolles. Although traffic had returned to the boulevards, the city still felt somewhat deserted. I had stirrings of affection for Paris I’d never felt before the pandemic. We’d all been in this together for such a long time. Now, when I saw the clerk at the Franprix or the machine-gun toting gendarmes along Avenue Gabriel, our “bonjours” held more warmth, our nods more familiarity.

On that quiet autumn Tuesday I set out from our home in the 8th arrondissement under a gray sky, walking the block and a half along Rue Rembrandt to Parc Monceau. The park had been my oasis in the center of the urban storm, green and vibrant in a city of browns and grays. On countless days, I had escaped our apartment and the book I didn’t feel like writing to walk through the park and order a crepe from the snack stand beside the carousel.

That Tuesday I skipped the crepe, as I had one thing on my mind: coffee. I exited the park, veered right on Ave. Georges Berger, and crossed Malsherbes, where Berger becomes Rue Legendre. The light caught me at the corner of Legendre and Toqueville, in front of the old brick house on the corner (19 Rue Legendre), so out of place among the whitewashed buildings.

I crossed the busy Rue de Rome, where ugly modern apartment buildings tower over the train tracks. The first time we walked this route, the day after our arrival in Paris, we were searching for our nephew Jack’s favorite restaurant, Crepe Couer. We didn’t yet know that everything closes in Paris in August, and the few things that don’t close for the entire month do close on Sunday.

Continue reading on The Wandering Writer

Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels and two story collections. Her books have been published in 31 languages.

Psst…Did you enjoy this post? Sign up for The Wandering Writer to get stories about Paris, travel, and writing. You can also read my serialized novella here.

Paris Lockdown Diary, Day 14 (I Think)

By Courcelles

On 8:37 pm

In Coronavirus in France, Coronavirus in Paris, coronavirus updates, expat in Paris, featured, Paris life

Bonjour! I hope you are well and safe, finding a way to navigate your shelter-in-place orders. Here in Paris, we’re on Day 14 (or is it 13? of lockdown. Our lockdown has been extended to at least April 15th. My family and I are healthy and doing well.

Paris is silent and still. A few joggers are out on the streets, a few solo shoppers with groceries. Ambulances race down the wide boulevards, sirens off. There is no need for sirens when the streets are empty. At 8 pm we go on our balconies to applaud. Against the tasteful monotony of the Haussmann facades, I spotted a colorful sign of thanks – “Merci aux soignants” – “thanks to the caregivers.”

We’re allowed to leave our apartment once a day for up to an hour to do grocery shopping or exercise. We can go up to a kilometer from our home. Our leash happens to end right at Arc de Triomphe. Anyone who has visited Paris may be able to imagine how strange it is to see L’Etoile and Champs Elysees abandoned and nearly silent.

Two days ago, on my morning run, a movement in an upper window caught my eye. It was a hand, moving the curtains aside. The movement drew my eyes to the sky above the building, where the clouds were moving swiftly past. In the strange silence, absent the usual hum of tires on the cobblestone street, the clanging of the flagpole on the adjacent building had a lovely ring.

In the video, just above that flag, you’ll see the apartment where Marcel Proust lived with his family for many years. We had been here for nearly a year before I realized I was living across the street from Proust’s former home. It bears mentioning that Proust wrote nothing in that apartment, and only began In Search of Lost Time after he had moved to a different flat, one where he was besieged by terrible neighbors doing constant construction. We too have terrible upstairs neighbors with a penchant for rowdy construction and even rowdier parties, and four young children who never take off their shoes. Fortunately, the neighbors left for their country house the day before lockdown, leaving us in a state of unexpected peace.

Our hometown in Northern California has been sheltering in place as long as France has. For those who are in areas where shelter-in-place orders were issued later, I offer a note of encouragement: two weeks in, it is getting easier to be homebound. One acclimates. One settles into new routines. Despite the restlessness, there is a sense of peace that comes with knowing your community is doing the right thing, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s also strangely relaxing. In 20 years of marriage, my husband has never spent this many consecutive weekdays at home. It is a gift and a revelation. I always assumed 24/7 cohabitation would be detrimental to marital accord, but as it turns out, one quickly figures out the new domestic choreography. (It helps if your husband has always been the better partner when it comes to dishes).

https://vimeo.com/402540768

Even our teenaged son has settled in with little complaint. For the first time in years, thanks to a shortened school day and less homework, he’s getting adequate sleep, which may be why he’s in such a good mood. (For the record, I think kids have every right to complain right now; they’re the first adolescents in 102 years to live through a pandemic, so we should all cut them some slack.)

France reported more than 400 deaths yesterday, and the hottest spot of the outbreak in the country is now Paris. Sadly, we know that deaths will continue to rise in coming days, but hopefully the rate of new infections will begin to slow. We are encouraged by the news that San Francisco is flattening the curve, but we worry about friends and family back home, especially in California and New York.

Yet I am optimistic, because I can imagine a future in which we’re looking BACK at this virus, reflecting on the way it changed our lives, instead of looking nervously ahead.

Be safe and well. Much love from Paris.

empty shelves in French store coronavirus

Stuck in Paris during Coronavirus: What I Want Everyone to Know Back Home

By Courcelles

On 6:32 pm

In Coronavirus, coronavirus updates, expat in Paris, featured

Coronavirus in France (update): Waking Up in Paris to a Travel Ban

By Courcelles

On 5:00 pm

In Coronavirus, Coronavirus in France, Coronavirus in Paris, expat in Paris, featured, Health Care in Paris, Monoprix, parc monceau, Paris life

Coronavirus in Paris Update: March 13,2020: A few hours after I wrote this post, Macron addressed the nation live on TV. He closed all schools, creches, and universities beginning Monday. Watching the address felt like watching a disaster movie play out in real life. It was a moving, sobering, speech, in which the embattled Macron exhibited leadership and intelligence.

Paraphrasing: “This is the worst health crisis France has faced in a century. This virus has no passport and knows no boundaries…” His call for unity in Europe and the world was a stark reminder of how much has been lost in terms of credibility and leadership in America in the last three years.

“We are just at the beginning of this crisis,” Macron said. “In spite of all our efforts to break it, this virus is continuing to propagate and to accelerate.”

Coronavirus in Paris Update: March 12,2020

A couple of days ago, I wrote about what it’s like in Paris during the Coronavirus outbreak. At the time, stores were stocked, schools were open, and life went on as normal.

Today, I awoke to the news that the U.S. had “banned all travel from Europe to the United Sates.” I will admit to experiencing about two minutes of panic. I clutched my husband’s arm and said, “Don’t go to work!”

He laughed and said, “I have to go to work.” Which is pretty much always the story.

I said, “What if we can never leave?”

He said, “You’ll feel better after coffee.” Which also is pretty much always the story.

For those of us prone to disaster thinking, a full-blown actual disaster is a mine field. You see, three weeks ago, before Coronavirus was much of an issue in France, I woke shaking from a dream in which Young Reluctant P. was trying to shove me out the door, screaming, “There’s no time! We have to go somewhere else now!” It was one of those dreams so vivid that, for a few moments after waking, I still thought it had actually happened. In the dream, my son was wearing his Raiders sweatshirt. I woke because I could actually feel the pressure of his hands on my arms.

The dream has come back to me many times over the last couple of weeks. But, as Mr. Reluctant P. reminds me, if all my vivid nighttime dreams–both the good ones and the bad ones–came true, we’d be living in Sea Cliff with an unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge, I’d make blueberry pies from scratch that I’d serve to Justin Trudeau*, who would be wearing a flannel shirt, and I would have to take a surprise math exam every few months–as an adult, in a room full of high school students. But none of those things ever happened. Not Sea Cliff. Not the math exams. Certainly not Justin Trudeau and the pies.

I went online and read that a certain someone’s statement had been inaccurate, and that US citizens are still allowed to return home. I read on WhatsApp that my son’s school was planning an assembly today. I thought: that is such a bad idea. So I didn’t wake him up for school. (He soon woke up anyway, because the world may end but my upstairs neighbors will still renovate their apartment all day every day, and the power may go out but the workers will still magically power their industrial-strength drills with fairy dust.)

When I went out later, I noticed that those grocery store shelves, full two days ago, were looking a little sparser. What disappears from store shelves first during times of scarcity reveals a lot about the culture. All of the regular pasta was gone, but you could still get whole wheat pasta. All of the white toilet paper–gone–but there was a whole shelf full of miniature pink toilet paper rolls.

All pasta gone, except whole what

White toilet paper: gone. Pink toilet paper: left behind.

Should you be the rare American in Paris who prefers Harry’s American Sandwich Bread in a country where fresh-baked, inexpensive bread is available on every street corner, you’ll be happy to know that Harry’s American Sandwich Bread has not left the building. Yet. Maybe not ever. If the bakeries close, all hell will break loose. After all, one of the most common French phrases is “Long comme un jour sans pain (“as long as a day without bread”).”

Nobody wants Harry’s American Sandwich Bread

Oh, to Be Back With You (California)

I worry about my friends and family back home in California, where the virus has been spreading rapidly. On the other hand, our community in Northern California, despite testing limitations, is handling mitigation so much more stridently than France. Governor Newsom has advised against even small gatherings where people cannot maintain a distance. Meanwhile, in France, with more than 500 confirmed cases in the Paris region alone, we still have public salad bars at the grocery store. I saw one today. I think salad bars are a bad idea under any circumstances, ever, but it seems particularly ill-advised during a, you know, pandemic.

Macron keeps saying the government is taking appropriate measures to address what will be a very longterm epidemic. But he hasn’t yet encouraged people to work from home. He hasn’t urged businesses to allow employees to work remotely. Nor is he advising schools to allow students to study from home.

I understand that closing schools causes disruption by preventing parents from working, and I understand that parents in professions that can’t be done from home need a place to send their children. School is a safe and crucial place for many kids and a necessity for their families. That said, Macron could limit the spread of novel coronavirus by making it clear that work, whenever possible, can and should be done from home. That would give a large percentage of Parisian families the ability to keep their children home from school.

An Oasis

I went to the park near our apartment mid-morning to get some exercise. I’ve completely stopped going to the gym, which is smelly under the best of circumstances, crowded, and poorly ventilated. The park is a miniature oasis, a godsend, a way to get a little greenery in the concrete jungle of Paris. It was recess time for nearby schools, so the kids were in the park in their bright green vests, as they always are at recess time.

In some ways, seeing large crowds of children playing tag at the park was comforting. The children seemed happy and healthy. They were loud and rowdy, as children should be during recess. They were enjoying themselves. On the other hand, a few schools with children of different grades were all running around at the same time. The CDC has advised against grade-mixing to slow the spread.

Because school groups aren’t allowed to play on the grass in the, the children were, as usual, all crowded into the dirt pathway that runs between two gates. I know you can’t and shouldn’t stop children from playing, but surely the groups could spread out a bit. Less tag, more Simon Says and jumping jacks. I’m not a teacher, and I understand it’s difficult to wrangle children, who desperately need to get their energy out. This is just a case where schools could use more serious advice from the government.

Face-planting on Dirty Yoga Mats in the Midst of Coronavirus

My son’s school held a school-wide assembly this morning. Earlier this week, they had the kids doing yoga in a basement room. The yoga mats were dirty and had not been sanitized. The room is poorly ventilated. The kids were instructed to place their faces against the mats. It’s just…why? The nurse came to homeroom to give the kids a lesson on hand washing. When one of them said, “Shouldn’t we wash our hands for 20 seconds?” the school nurse said, “10 seconds is enough.”

Long lunches die hard.

Restaurants are still in full swing at lunch time, which seems like a bad idea. But France is slow to change. When your routine is to have lunch with all of your office-mates every day, there is little effort, without government advice and leadership, to abandon those lunches in restaurants and simply carve out a space at your desk to eat. Eating lunch together is deeply embedded in the culture. But cultures must adapt in bizarre times. And this is, indeed, a bizarre time.

As WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom said yesterday, many countries are not taking Coronavirus seriously enough or acting fast enough.

“This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor. And as we’ve said before, even the high-income countries should expect surprises,” he said. “We’re concerned that in some countries, the level of political commitment and the actions that demonstrate that commitment do not match the level of the threat we all face.”

This includes the slow response of the Trump administration, which until yesterday was far more concerned with limiting the damage to Trump’s reputation than actually informing Americans of the facts and providing proper guidance. The United States still lags far behind other countries in its ability to test patients. This became symbolically clear when Tom Hanks, who was diagnosed with coronavirus along with his wife, Rita Wilson, told his followers that getting tested in Australia is easy, fast, and free.

There’s no putting the pandemic back in the bottle. Nations will now determine, by action or inaction, the severity of the pandemic.

DIY hand sanitizer

Meanwhile, I checked in with my gardienne today and was happy to see the aloe I ordered from Amazon.fr last week had arrived. My husband managed to find a bottle of rubbing alcohol near his workplace. My sister in Napa, whose husband is an infectious diseases expert (whose funding for years-long, highly effective research on just this sort of pandemic was entirely cut off by the Trump administration two years ago), had sent me a video about how to make hand sanitizer with aloe and rubbing alcohol.

So I am feeling excited about the prospect of becoming, at this late moment in my life, a DIYer. I will mix that aloe and alcohol. I will get my hands dirty…I mean, clean. Like all of us, everywhere, I will adapt.

Peace out. Stay safe. Much love from Paris. Still dreaming of California.

–Michelle Richmond, March 12, 2020, Paris

*p.s. after writing this post I saw that Justin Trudeau is in isolation.

Coronavirus in France: What It’s Like in Paris Right Now

By Courcelles

On 12:46 pm

In Coronavirus, Coronavirus in France, expat in Paris, featured, Paris life

Hi, everyone. As coronavirus continues to spread in France and around the world, I thought I’d share with you a video of what it’s like to live in Paris right now. (Scroll down to watch the video, shot in my apartment, because: Coronavirus).

No Kissing – The Ban on La Bise

Just when you think everything is business-as-usual, you go in for la bise and realize Macron told you not to. You only realize this because the other person is backing away. La bise is the traditional French kissy-kissy greeting. When we moved to Paris, it was hard to get used to kissing everybody, but now that we’ve been here more than a year and a half, it’s even harder to stop kissing everybody. It turns out, as much as I dislike socializing, j’adore non-committal, low-contact kissing.

Mr. Reluctant P., on the other hand, is elated about this turn of events (the ban on la bise, not Covid-19), because he dies a little death of the soul every time he goes to a meeting with his French counterparts and the kissing starts. He’s a man who likes his personal space as much as he likes his Mallomars. At these meetings, they start the kissing before they serve the wine (and they always serve wine at the business lunch), so he is not even a tiny bit relaxed for the incoming bises. Watching my husband try to avoid la bise is like watching a tennis match: he’s got game, but French people have more.

Dreaming of California Style “Abundance of Caution”

Mr. Reluctant P. and Young Reluctant P. and I very much want to be home, even though home is a hotbed of coronavirus in the US at the moment. Some of my son’s friends’ schools back in Northern California have closed out of “an abundance of caution.” You never really know how much you love “an abundance of caution” until you live in a country where caution is thrown to the wind. Paris schools are still open, despite the rapid spread of the virus in France and Macron’s announcement that it is now an epidemic here. (In the video, I explain why the schools aren’t closing here…yet).

Plenty of Cheese, No Hand Sanitizer

The good news is, Paris stores are still well-stocked (although there is no hand sanitizer to be found anywhere) and no one seems to be in panic mode. Except yours truly, because that is how I cope. My husband and son don’t call me The Safety Commissioner for nothing.

Empty Champs Elysess Gardens during Coronavirus

The Champs Elysees Garden at lunchtime in February 2020

I freaked out last week and placed an order for delivery from Monoprix. The two grocery bags that arrived –3 cans of tuna, 5 cans of beans, three bottles of wine, six packages of pasta, six tiny jars of pasta sauce, more salami than anyone needs, ever, CHEESE (obviously), four boxes of soup, six liters of that sad-tasting yet sturdy Euro-milk that has a shelf-life of months instead of weeks–would hardly qualify as End-of-the-World-Ready by American terms, but it was enough that the delivery guy wished me a happy party. What the French call “hoarding” is what Americans call “a regular trip to Target.” As an American family of three whose pantry could feed a French family of six for months, we’re fine. Although: those beans! Mr. Reluctant P. hasn’t eaten a bean in the 25 years I’ve known him, and, as he pointed out, he’s not about to start now. He wanted to know why I hadn’t ordered any les petites ecoliers cookies or Mallomars…as if one can find Mallomars at the Monoprix (we wish).

Fortunately, there’s still plenty of cheese.

Video (wonky) & Audio (less wonky) – What It’s Like in Paris Right Now

I apologize in advance for the audiodrift in the video. I’m going to blame it on my inept internet connection, which drops in and out multiple times in a half-hour web-surfing session. If mismatched lips and words drive you bonkers, you can listen instead of watch. The audio version of this broadcast is available on The Reluctant Parisian Podcast, or you can just scroll down to listen to the audio file.

I’d love to know how things are shaping up in your town or city, whether you’re in Europe or back home in America. Stay safe, everybody. And, you know, avec du savon, lavez-vous bien les mains. (So says The Safety Commissioner).

Update, March 9, afternoon

By the way, I went to Picard this morning to buy some basic frozen items like fish and blueberries, wrote this post, and then looked at the news, only to see that the stock market took such a beating this morning, trading has actually been halted. The headline on France24 is now “Panic triggers stockpiling frenzy.” So, even though life goes on mostly as usual in Paris and elsewhere for the moment, the pace of change is accelerated and unpredictable, and this does feel entirely different from anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime. It’s strange and discombobulating and seriously alarming. Fortunately, we still have Netflix. And books.

Update, March 10

1,412 confirmed cases, 25 deaths.

French news media is reporting that Franck Riester, the French Culture Minister, has coronavirus. To understand what a big deal this is, you have to understand what a big deal the idea of culture is in France. Culture and everything it entails, in terms of art, music, literature, film, and theatre, is at the very heart of French identity. The French are proud of their culture, and rightly so. Riester’s diagnosis is a major symbolic signpost of the magnitude of the coronavirus crisis. Imagine, for example, if, in America, the Secretary of the Treasury (let’s forget individual secretaries of the treasury and concentrate on the position and office itself) were to be diagnosed with coronavirus.

Reiser likely contracted the virus in the lower house of the National Assembly; five other members of parliament have been confirmed to have coronavirus. He appears to be feeling, fine, however. If he and other parliament members emerge unscathed from their illnesses, it will likely make France breathe a sigh of relief.

More updates soon…

A bientôt!

Michelle Richmond

The key to French style

French Style Essential 1: A Striped Breton Shirt

French Style Essential 2 – Crewneck Sweaters in Neutral Colors

French Style Essential 3: White Sneakers – especially Stan Smiths or Vejas

French Style Essential 4: Small Crossbody Bags

French Style Essential 5 – Great Jeans

French Style Essential 6 – Casual Dresses in Small Prints

French Style Essential 7 – Feminine Blouses in Floral Prints or Solids

Oh, and one more French Style Essential: Scarves!

Parisian women don’t wear…

A Note on Skirts, Parisian Style

And One French Style Surprise – Black and Navy

Shop the highlights:

Best shoes for walking around Paris

Bags French women wear

The classic French shirt–a striped Breton

The only sweater you need to look like a true Parisienne

including Curvy, Petite, and Tall versions

High Sport Kick Flare Pants Dupe 1: Land’s End Starfish High Rise Kick Flare Pant (regularly $54.95, half off for Black Friday). Best Petite High Sport Dupe / Best curvy kick flare

High Sport Kick Flare Dupe 2: Everlane Dream Kick Flare Pant ($39 on sale)

High Sport Kick Flare Dupe 2: J.Crew Delaney Kickout Sweater Pant (regularly $148, $99 on Black Friday sale). Best High Sport Dupe for Straighter Figures

High Sport Pants Dupe 4: Gap High Rise Crop Kick Pants (regularly $63, 40% off for Black Friday) Best High Sport Dupe in Red

High Sport Pant Dupe Roundup

Black Friday Tech Deals

Black Friday Dorm Room Deals

Gifts Just Because

French Style Essential: small bags

Small Crossbody Bags Are Classic French Style

If you must go big, go tasteful.

The best French pharmacy products and where to find them

7 French Beauty Products for Beautiful Skin

1. Best French Splurge for Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Filorga Time Filler Day Cream, the no-botox filler that really works (luxury French beauty brand)

Best Eye Cream: Filorga Age Reversing Eye Cream

2. Best Multi-Task Oil for Hair, Face, and Body AND Best-smelling French beauty brand: Nuxe dry oil / Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

3. Best Serum: Bioderma Serum / Bioderma Hydrabio – Sérum concentré hydratant

4. Best Cleanser and Micellar Water: Bioderma Créaline H2O Solution Micellaire / also called Bioderma Sensible H20 / Bioderma Micellar Water

5. Best Gel Serum: Vichy Mineral 89 Serum

6. Best Night Cream: Caudalie night infusion cream/ Resveratrol creme cache mire redensifiante

7. Best Dry Shampoo: Klorane shampooing nutritive et reparateur / Kloarane Nourishing Shampoo

2025 Update: 4 More French Pharmacy Products

Best Unscented Cream for Redness and Rosacea: Bioderma Sensible AR Cream

Best for Dark Spots and Scars: Avene Cicalfate Restorative Cream

Best Brighening and Lightening Spray for Blonde Hair

Best Deodorant

What to Love About French Beauty Products

And a note on French makeup: keep it light with a soft lip!

Why I recommend a trip to a French pharmacy

5 All-Season French Classics from Affordable American Brands

French style classic 1 for fall: J Crew striped boatneck shirt

French style classic 2: Everlane Relaxed Silk Shirt

French style classic 3 for fall: Levi’s Straight Ankle Jeans

French style classic 4: J Crew White Button-Down Shirt

French style classic 5: The perfect (and very sexy) red dress from Boden

Goes well with…

one last stroll through Paris after lockdown

A Strange Bonjour

Overwhelmed Hospitals

Here are my posts from the last couple of weeks on The Reluctant Parisian, tracing the mood of the city as reality crept in

Why I kept my son home before the schools officially closed (and why you should too, if you can)

The Are-We-in-A-Movie Moment

Social Distancing

Remember what they told you in health class circa 1988.

Lean in to the unprecedented gift of dedicated family time.

Dreaming of California

Coronavirus in Paris Update: March 12,2020

Oh, to Be Back With You (California)

An Oasis

Face-planting on Dirty Yoga Mats in the Midst of Coronavirus

Long lunches die hard.

DIY hand sanitizer

No Kissing – The Ban on La Bise

Dreaming of California Style “Abundance of Caution”

Plenty of Cheese, No Hand Sanitizer

Video (wonky) & Audio (less wonky) – What It’s Like in Paris Right Now

Update, March 9, afternoon

Update, March 10