How to live like ‘Emily in Paris’
Add continental flair with cool accessories, colorful clothes
Is there anyone out there who isn’t bingeing or hasn’t already binged “Emily in Paris,” the Netflix escapist show that stars Lily Collins (Phil Collins’ adorable daughter), cast as a 20-something American, junior-level social media pro transplanted to the City of Light?
And sure, maybe the show is pure fantasy, but — and this is a big but — who really cares? As we’re all making our way through a pandemic/dystopian nightmare that is 2020, and extremely few of us are traveling for pleasure at the moment, it’s arguably exactly the kind of surface-level, carefree, escapist fantasy many of us are craving.
So let’s bring a bit of that vibe into our own lives. Here are easy ways to do just that.
Wear over-the-top hats for no reason. Emily rocks the bucket hats, like the green and blue tartan she dons with a green winter coat (see: the Reversible Checkered
and Plaid Bucket Hat, $24.95 on bootsnbagsheaven.com). Unfortunately, she also rocks far too many a beret — a definite faux pas in France, seeing as most French don’t actually wear them. However, for those of us stuck here in Boston, berets aren’t a cringe-y cliché. So we can wear as many as we like (et voila: the Suede Beret in cognac brown, $29 on bananarepublic.com)
Rock summer-ready neon candy colors
on prêt-à-porter outfits even on the rainiest, grayest days. Sure, many are straight-up too-busy and overly Paris-fangirl (the Alice + Olivia Eiffel Tower printed blouse paired with Paris-emblazoned Christian Louboutin shoes), but others are sooo crave-worthy. Like her color blocked ASOS coat ($55.65 on asos.com) and that bright pink cashmere Kenzo coat (it’s no longer made, but a close cousin is Harris Wharf London’s Virgin Wool Overcoat in Magenta, $555 on bloomingdales.com).
Catch a wave. Maybe Emily’s secret to unfathomable happiness is those alwaysperfect beachy curls/waves. Try it out for yourself and see. Start with a few spritzes of a spray like Texture Tonic ($26 on aveda.com) and then grab a straightening iron and use it to wind your hair around. Or twist your wet hair up into buns before bedtime, and unravel the next morning for loose curls.
Emulate those eyebrows! No, we can’t all be blessed with Lily’s naturally thick, dark brown brows. But we sure can whip out a few tricks — like plucking only to shape them (never overpluck); filling in with a pencil one shade darker than your natural shade (unless they’re already dark, in which case use the same shade as your hair just to define and fill in any blank spots); and finishing with a brush to blend the effect.
Have a party with a handful of girlfriends. No, sadly not a real one. I mean get everyone on Zoom, champagne in hand, listen to and joke about each others’ problems, triumphs, fears and happiness. Doing that regularly is going to be a big part of what gets us all through winter.