The one style lesson from Emily in Paris? Invest in a silky Sylvie shirt
The only thing that I would like more than the ability to eat as many croissants as I want without any consequence to my waistline is –sartorially speaking – to look French.
There is a frustrating lack of rules when it comes to French dressing. It’s all about the je ne sais quoi that comes from buying well and an innate sense of how to put things together, but there is one thing, I have discovered, that can be acquired on the high street.
I learnt this from the new poster-woman for French style, Sylvie Grateau, the fictional boss in Netflix hit Emily in Paris. Sylvie always looks polished, but never like she’s tried too hard – a tricky balance to nail. Everything she wears has the potential to take her from a board meeting to a client lunch to sexually-charged drinks with her hot younger lover. They’re also the kind of clothes that a woman of 58 (the age of Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, the actress who plays her) could have convincingly owned for decades. Impeccable costume design by Patricia Field and Marylin Fitoussi has made Sylvie a style icon in her own right.
Silk Suzane shirt, £100, Sezane (sezane.com); leather India trousers, £445, Whistles (whistles.com); Sandals, from a selection at Loeffler Randall (loefflerrandall.com); baroque pearl ovate earrings, £159 and dome pearl cuff bracelet, £235, both Missoma (missoma.com)
And the anchor for many of Sylvie’s outfits? A silky shirt. There’s a gold Yves Saint Laurent blouse, which she teams with an Alaïa belt (swoon); an olive green wrap-style number that was actually an altered Topshop dress; and an emerald version worn with a silver suit.
There is no barrier to entry with the silk shirt: it is universally flattering and doesn’t require any skill to style. This blouse from Sezane could be tucked into your oldest jeans, and voila: instant French chic à la Charlotte Gainsbourg.
The washable silk relaxed shirt, £122 (everlane.com); Oversized silk shirt, £299 (winserlondon.com); Silk long-sleeve shirt, £130 (jigsaw-online.com); Silk pintuck oversized swing blouse, £250 (meandem.com); Equipment signature slim fit silk shirt, £235 (farfetch.com); Heidi silk collarless blouse, £270 (cefinn.com); Gauge 81 Kura silk body, £331 (selfridges.com); Silk shirt, £59.95 (massimodutti.com); Recycled glass drop earrings, £25, (cosstores.com);Raey black leather belt, £125 (matchesfashion.com); Lilly bag, £69 (jwpei.com); Duo charm drop necklace, £27 (stories.com)
Of course, it’s not a low-maintenance garment. I don’t wear mine as often as I’d like because they’re usually in a bag by the door that I’m forever failing to take to the dry cleaner – but the newest generation are machine-washable courtesy of Boden, M&S and Jigsaw.
Sylvie’s look proves there is a shortcut to Gallic chic and it has nothing to do with trends. How do you say “Emily, eat your heart out,” in French?
The details to remember
Accessorise
This is an unfussy look, so you can go to town with jewellery
Size up
The fabric should have a nice drape to it. It shouldn’t pull at the chest or shoulders
Tuck it in
This makes for a more polished, elegant look
Define the waist
Team your shirt with high-waisted trousers or a wide belt
Play with texture
Silk looks great with tweed, denim and leather
The inspiration
Sylvie Grateau
Emily in Paris’s impeccably dressed boss, played by Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, in silky gold Saint Laurent
Kate Moss
At a Dior show, proving to the French that Brits can do low-key luxe, too
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Jane Birkin’s daughter has more je ne sais quoi than the rest of the world put together
Top tip
Cirrus No 1 steamer, £60, (steamery.co.uk)
Invest in a steamer to de-crease your shirt in seconds.
