Paris definitely takes the prize as far as style is concerned. One of the things I love most about Parisians is that they dress for themselves. They would never show up in public looking like crap, just because they are going to work and they hate their job so much, they want to look bad out of sheer spite. They prefer to look good regardless of where they are headed. Learn this trick - you'll feel better about yourself.
Men and women wear fitted coats, pants and sweaters, tall boots and skintight jeans (as likely to be seen on a 35-year old as on a 15-year old and looking good on both.) Parisians don't look like runway models, although lovely faces and figures are somewhat more commonplace (due to healthier more active lifestyle I suppose), nor do they dress head-to-toe in couture. However, most of them - even the young ones - have a distinctive dressing style. It might look weird and/or wacky, but it is always uniquely theirs.
One of the widely spread prejudice about the French is that they are over-sexed. I am not a psychologist, but in my approximation the only one anyone can be over-sexed is when he or she makes a big deal out of all things sexual. The French do no such thing - or at least the Parisians don't, as far as I can tell. Rather, sex is a natural part of life treated in a very relaxed manner, which makes life a lot easier for everyone.
Do you remember the famous Janet Jackston "wardrobe malfunction" incident? Sure you do... The entire several months, while the U.S. was ranting and raving about the whole thing, the French must have blown half of their mental fuses trying to figure out what the big deal was. I saw a woman lift her tee-shirt, bare her breast and feed her baby in the middle of a cafe at the Louvre, all the while continuing to chat with her husband and another woman at their table - probably a friend. The baby was hungry and took his time, but nobody seemed to mind, nobody tried to cover up the mother with a scarf or a napkin and nobody ran to get the museum security. The whole thing was a non-issue.
By the same token, it doesn't bother anyone, when a clerk at a clothing store asks whether you prefer a dress in a smaller size for a tighter sexier look or whether a more relaxed fit is okay... Or when a poster for Disney World - Paris peacefully coexists with a poster for Sexy Gallerie - a popular lingerie shop that was having a large sale around the time of our visit. I personally think that poster was adorable, but a company would be fined for displaying anything like that in a public place in the U.S.
I saw a white-haired woman in her mid-forties wear thigh-high boots over tights, paired with a chunky sweater and a form-fitting jacket. She didn't look slutty or dressed inappropriately for her age. She looked comfortable, at ease with her age and appearance, fit, healthy and - above all - really good (and she knew it too, judging by the way she carried herself).
In general, while we've seen all manner of fashion styles (and a couple of fashion victims), I can't recall a single person, who looked uncomfortable in his or her outfit or unhappy with his or her appearance (you know the type - people who are constantly adjusting their clothes or their hair, because something is just not perfect enough). Aside from the general preference for form-fitting clothing, the only trend is, "I wear what I like, you do the same, and we'll get along just fine." Good postures abound (most likely because people walk a lot, and their bodies eventually find the natural balance conducive to lengthy walks with minimum fatigue, which yields a good, strong, healthy posture), and are unaffected by the shoe style of any given individual - their stride remains fashion-runway light, tall and proud both atop comfy, borderline orthopaedic loafers and 4-inch stilettos.
Just as their clothes are meant to give maximum freedom of movement to the body without hiding its advantages, the shoes are meant to be extensions of people's feet: sturdy, comfortable, stylish and built to last. Shoes in Paris are outrageously expensive - 90 euro for a decent pair of pumps is considered reasonable (for comparison - a good-quality fall jacket or a cute cocktail dress can be had for one third of that price). Or you can give yourself a massive heart attack and go check out 3,000 - 6,500 euro shoes at one of the gentlemen's stores on Champs Elysees. Regardless of the price, I bet you anything those shoes are made to last forever. Parisians came across to me as largely sensible people, and I have a hard time believing they would cough up that much money on shoes before being absolutely certain they could wear those shoes for ages to come.
While Parisians appear to be very careful in selecting their clothes and accessories, they are very carefree out and about. For example, while French girls spend no inconsiderable amount of time on their makeup, they pretty much let their hair be, as long as it's more or less out of the way. According to one of the Herbal Essences' videos, it takes 5 or 6 steps and a cabinet full of hair products to get the "sexy just-out-of-bed look". The French ladies achieve the same effect in 2 steps and without any additional products aside from your basic shampoo and conditioner: they sleep on their freshly-washed hair, then roll out of bed and go. Well, they do get dressed in there somewhere, but that doesn't count as a step for arranging one's hair, does it?
French boys can be divided into two groups, as far as hair care is concerned. Group number one takes the same approach as the girls do: wash your hair, go to bed, get up and go. Group number two looks as if they have a team of hair-sculpting experts work on them.
Regardless of gender or hairdo complexity, the French don't seem to give a damn about the impact of weather upon their appearance. I've seen well made-up girls and perfectly coiffed and designer-clad guys walk around in pouring rain with no hats or umbrellas. They don't even make an attempt to hurry up and find some shelter to rescue their hairdos or outfits from the rain - just doesn't seem to bother them much.
To partake of the Parisian shopping experience, we stopped by the Champs Elysees "Gap" out of sheer curiosity, and I felt cheated.... Not by the Parisian "Gap" - oh no: it was equal parts cute, funky and stylish. I felt cheated by the American "Gap". If it had any of the stuff they have at the Parisian "Gap", I would have actually shopped there.
Champs Elysees aside, there are actually plenty of places in Paris, where one could shop for gifts or just because and not go bankrupt. For example, there is a perfectly lovely little mall at the Les Halles Metro station, which is also perfectly affordable, although it may not appear that way from the first glance. "La Redoute" in the States is considered an upscale overpriced joint for yuppy youngsters. "La Redoute" in Paris is someplace you drop by, when you discover that it's raining as you pop out of the Metro and realize you need a jacket. Oh, the selection isstill as broad - or even broader - as in the States, and the clothes vary from classy to funky with every style in between for men and women with the cutest children's department thrown in for good measure. But the prices are very reasonable, even if you convert euros into dollars.
The point? Paris offers one plenty of opportunities to dress well and look good without taking out a second mortgage on one's house, and Parisians themselves don't mind in the least, if you settle down for a people-watching session and take careful notes on the outfits you see to try them out when you get a chance.