Ooh La La (From The Argus)

Ooh La La

9:36pm Thursday 11th February 2010

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by Ellie Moss

Parisian chic is everywhere — Breton stripes, Eiffel Tower charms, 'bonjour' T-shirts — parlez vous Francais?

I come to you this week fresh from the Haute Couture shows in Paris — ok, so I didn't actually see any shows but I was there at the same time, which is practically the same thing... And my timing couldn't be better because, along with a general feeling of spring in the air (despite the bitter temperatures), this season hails the return of all things French.

In an effort to alleviate the, er, February blues and immerse ourselves in some serious sophistication, my flatmate and I threw ourselves into a weekend of moules frites, mojitos and more sightseeing than I thought possible.

On school trips (and one not-so-romantic weekend with an ex-boyfriend), the infamous Paris fashion scene always seemed to elude me — even the most dedicated fashionista would have difficulty keeping up while being carted round the Louvre in a pack of ruck-sacked children.

However, on this occasion, the city's slick style was everywhere I looked — it was Couture week after all — and even though we didn't attend any of the shows, we still felt decidedly under-dressed. We found ourselves wishing we’d taken a 'proper' coat instead of the leather jacket and smart boots instead of the Uggs. All in all, we generally felt a bit rough around the edges next to the elegant French.

My key style spot of the trip was the quilted jacket — seen everywhere from department stores to churches, bars and even the steps of the Eiffel tower. Now I’m not talking about the old school bomber... I mean long fitted puffas, preferably with a belt and always accompanied by a classic up-do or elegant Bardot bouffant. If I had a Euro for every time I saw a puffa jacket in Paris... Well, I’d definitely have had enough to stay there at least one extra day. I'm not sure if it will catch on here, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled.

How then, we ask ourselves, can we add a little 'je ne sais quoi' to our own style on this side of the Channel? Paris-inspired fashion is everywhere on the high street at the moment, but I recommend you make Topshop your first port of call for playful Parisian pieces which won't make you look like you're missing a beret and a string of onions. The Breton-striped jumpers are stylish but comfy and there are also some great dresses and tops adorned with Parisian motifs, along with lots of cute themed jewellery.

Beware though — my flatmate and I were well into the French trend before we even set foot on the Eurostar. On arrival at Gare Du Nord, however, we had to admit that flashing our French paraphernalia in Paris itself didn’t feel quite right. Super-sophisticated style had morphed into tragic tourist tat. Still, it didn’t stop us spending our last stash of Euros on matching garish pink ‘I heart Paris’ hoodies — sometimes you just have to.

I’m desperate for a nice Breton jumper but, until my purse has recovered from Paris, this Primark top (a steal at £2) will have to suffice. Classic blue and white stripes bring a touch of French class to any outfit, no matter how casual, and are perfect with simple jeans (mine are from Topshop) and a trench coat (also from Primark).

Emma: "French style for me is all about one woman, the ultimate screen siren, Brigitte Bardot. This week I'm giving her trademark 'do' a bash, because style isn't only about great clothes — and you wear your hair every day after all... So, with the help of a tailcomb (Toni&Guy do a nice fine one, available in Boots), some cheap barrel tongs (Nicky Clarke, £14.99, also from Boots) and lots and lots of hairspray (it's got to be Elnett), I'm hoping to inject my super-straight mane with a bit of the Bardot magic.

"Start with a volumising shampoo (V05 Volume Boost works for me) and forget drying your hair upside down. For maximum volume you'll need to blow it upside down, forwards, backwards, side to side and every which way you can to create movement. Next, backcomb all around the crown and wrap big sections loosely around the barrel tong in alternate directions before fixing with hairspray. To keep your big hair big all day (or night) long, Lee Stafford's Matt Fat Powder isn't cheap (£8.99 for a teeny-tiny 10g pot) but trust me, it does the job.

"Unless you're extremely blessed, you'll need a big fat pair of falsies to pay full homage to Brigitte's look. I like Ardell's 101 Demi Fashion Lashes — they're less synthetic-looking than most and give you a fuller all-round lashline rather than a feline flick. The rest of her make-up was always ultra-soft so I'm skipping the bronzer and going with a light matte base and just a hint of blush. I've mixed some foundation with a dab of Eight Hour Cream to recreate her nude lip colour but for that extra bit of ooh-la-la-oomph you could always plump for red."

Sarah: "It seems the fashion industry knew about Ellie's trip to Paris and used it as their inspiration this Spring. Paris, it seems, is everywhere — I even got a Paris-style bracelet from a friend for my birthday last week. I'm not against the new Paris look though... In my eyes its all about cropped trousers (mine are Zara, £15), striped tops (mine's H&M, £6.99), and a splash of red, teamed with another spring must-have, a trench coat I dug out of my Mum’s wardrobe, and some quirky boyish shoes (mine are from Absolute Vintage in Brick Lane, £18).

"Oxford Street branches of all your fave high street stores have whole sections devoted to the Parisian look, but if you look around they're there to be found in Brighton — you just have to throw them together and, as the French would say, Voila!"

Next week Sarah gets us feeling pretty in pastels so until then, au revoir!