Can You Affordably Dress Like A Parisian?

Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of articles about dressing like a Parisian. However, I haven’t noticed any articles on how to affordably dress like a Parisian. I thought this was interesting because not everyone has a lot of money to spend on clothing. Although, you could make the argument to save up and buy as you go.

I’ve studied abroad three separate times. Once being in lovely Paris one Summer! I adored Paris and Paris in the Summertime is very different from Paris in the Winter. In the Summer, the streets are plagued with tourists and it can be quite hard to try to spot locals. However, when I was studying in Italy during the Fall and Winter months, I visited Paris for the first time. The city is truly gorgeous and the way people dress reminded me so much of a chic French New York. I can say that when I read these articles about dressing like a Parisian, it is referring to the style of these Parisians I saw during that particular time.

Dressing like a Parisian, especially in the cooler months, means black, black, and more black. Additionally, neutral shades and horizontal stripes are a must for your wardrobe. I remember during my orientation when I arrived in Paris, it was told that a Parisian always has at least one striped shirt in her closet. Needless to say, I ran down to the Champs Elysees to purchase a striped shirt. However, I was sadly surprised to find out that horizontal stripes did not look good on me!

Dressing like a Parisian, especially in the cooler months, means black, black, and more black. Click To Tweet

To affordably dress like a Parisian, you have to have the bare essentials. Now, I know that many French women really care about the quality of their clothes and I do too! Nevertheless, my money is tight and I know many others suffer from the same. So I thought why not give some advice on how you can affordably dress like a Parisian!

As a note, I don’t have affiliate links in this post nor do I use them at all on my site at the time I am posting this. Additionally, I would highly recommend sourcing your clothes from ethical places. Keep in mind that ethical fashion does cost more, but just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s ethical. Please consider looking in your closet first and using items from there before buying additional clothes. Many of these places mentioned here are great sources to affordably dress like a Parisian, but they most likely are not ethical fashion.

The Trench Coat

A trench coat in the cooler months is a must! A tan or black one will do just fine! Opt for this trench coat from Old Navy that’s $54! You can also try a TJMaxx (or TKMaxx) or a Target or Primark. From my experience, a trench coat is probably going to be the hardest thing to find to affordably dress like a Parisian. Additionally, it’s most likely going to be the highest priced ticket item in your shopping cart. The good news is that a tan or black trench coat is going to look great paired with almost anything!

The Sweater

It’s getting cooler so you should probably opt for a sweater that’s not too thick but not too thin! The palette to dress affordably like a Parisian is black, white, and gray. Basically, you want to aim for neutral colors. Asos has this super cute black sweater (and tan and gray ones like it) for $16.

The Scarf

The mini scarf! It’s such a French cliche! You can actually get a mini scarf at Urban Outfitters. In fact, they have a ton right now. Opt for this cute black and white mini scarf for $14. They currently have a sale on them (2 for $20) so get it while you can!

The Pants

Now I got my black pants from TJMaxx, but I absolutely love these from Asos, which are $45. From my understanding, there has to be a slim fit, which really makes the outfit chic. Nothing like yoga pant or legging material. H&M has a black tailored pant coming in at $15.

The Boots

Last, but not least, the black boots. As mentioned before, to affordably dress like a Parisian you need some black shoes. This could be black flats, loafers, heels, or boots. I find that black flats and heels are the easiest things to find and loafers are perhaps the hardest. What about the classic black bootie? Since it is getting cooler, we’re in luck! I got my favorite pair of black booties from DSW (a bit more pricey), but check out this sleek bootie from Charlotte Rouse for $30. Not quite your style? What about these from Asos for $45?

I hope you enjoyed this post! Very rarely do I dabble in fashion, but I was really shocked to see that there weren’t any articles on how to affordably dress like a Parisian! If you liked this post or if you think I shouldn’t write any more fashion tips, please let me know down in the comments!