French Sophistication

Bonjour!  It's Caroline.

I've just moved to Brussels, Belgium, as of yesterday.  I love it so much, and I definitely think I will enjoy living here.

Brussels is very metropolitan, and has beautiful architecture and a lovely atmosphere.  However, one thing I noticed, of course, was the clothes!  At this time of year, the weather is fairly chilly, but comfortable enough to get by with a light jacket.

There are two main groups of people in Brussels:  the French and the Flemish.  I have always loved French magazines and so on, but I'm finally really seeing the French style in action, and I've decided that it's absolutely my favorite.

French woman make style look so easy.  They put together very simple pieces in elegant ways, but manage to look like they just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing they saw.  It's incredibly impressive, and very feminine and classic.

Their hair and makeup looks very un-done.  Secretly, they spend quite a bit of time on it, but it looks as if they, again, rolled out of bed and spent two minutes doing it.  This is a skill I must absolutely master.

I've seen a few types of outfits that hit me in particular, and so I went on Polyvore and made a couple for you!  (And I love how the French wear color, as opposed to the Italian aesthetic of dark blacks and grays.)

French 01 by jabberbabywokky featuring a button jacket

This particular style I took from the lady in front of us on the plane.  Her hair was perfectly mussed, and she just looked so elegant.  It's amazing how she looked elegant even in converse shoes and jeans.  I was deeply impressed, to say the least.

French 02 by jabberbabywokky featuring retro pumps


Most of the people in this particular area, where we're staying temporarily, are business people.  The business women wear very cute shoes, mostly with shorter heels as opposed to the Italian stilettos, and wide-leg pants, which are very on-trend.

French 03 by jabberbabywokky featuring a biker jacket

I've seen several women, mostly younger ladies, wearing a simple trench coat or a leather jacket with summer dresses and bare legs.  It's not quite so cold that this is strange, and I think it looks very put together, especially with a top-knot and some ballet flats.  The trend of slightly masculine jackets with a feminine dress and girlish accessories is very popular here, from what I can tell, and I love it!

That's all for now, but tell me... would you wear the French style?

-Caroline