You’ve seen the navy blue cover. It’s sitting on the coffee table of basically every Airbnb in the 11th arrondissement. It’s been a bestseller for a decade now. But honestly, most people who buy How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits treat it like a serious rulebook. They’re missing the joke.
The book wasn't written by a group of academics. It was a collaboration between four lifelong friends—Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas. One is a model and music producer, another a film director, one a screenwriter, and one an editor. They aren't trying to be your life coach. They’re caricaturing themselves.
If you go into this book expecting a step-by-step guide on how to tie a scarf, you’re going to be annoyed. It’s messy. It’s contradictory. It tells you to be a snob but also to be effortless. It tells you to never have roots showing in your hair, but then suggests that a little messiness is the height of chic. This isn't a "how-to" in the traditional sense; it's a manifesto on a very specific, slightly elitist, and incredibly charming brand of French irony.
The Myth of the Perfect Parisian
The world has an obsession with the "Parisienne." We think of Inès de la Fressange or Jeanne Damas. We think of red lipstick and striped shirts. But the authors of the How to Be Parisian book wanted to dismantle the idea that these women are perfect.
Actually, they argue the opposite.
The Parisian they describe is moody. She is opinionated. She is frequently late. She is, quite frankly, a bit of a nightmare to date. But she is never boring. This is the core value of the book: the rejection of "the middle." In a world of beige influencers and "clean girl" aesthetics, the Parisian woman described here is allowed to have bad habits. She smokes (metaphorically or literally), she eats the bread, and she definitely doesn't spend four hours at the gym trying to look like a fitness model.
Style isn't about the clothes
You won't find a list of "10 Must-Have Items" that looks like a J.Crew catalog. The book focuses on the attitude toward the clothes. One of the most famous takeaways is the idea of the "signature." You find what works for you and you stick to it until it becomes part of your DNA.
🔗 Read more: Marie Kondo The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: What Most People Get Wrong
Think about it.
If you find a pair of jeans that makes your legs look two miles long, you buy three pairs. You don't keep chasing trends. You don't let the clothes wear you. There’s a specific passage about the "white shirt" that isn't really about the cotton—it’s about the fact that you’re wearing it with the confidence of someone who just rolled out of bed with a billionaire, even if you actually just finished a 10-hour shift at a bookstore.
What No One Tells You About the Irony
The biggest hurdle for American or British readers is the sarcasm. It’s thick. When the authors say you should always be "ready for a funeral" or that you should never have a gym membership, they are poking fun at the rigid social codes of the Parisian upper-middle class (the bobo or bourgeois-bohème).
If you take it literally, you'll end up miserable.
If you take it as a permission slip to be a little more demanding of the world and a little less demanding of your own perfection, it’s actually quite liberating. The book is really about "Le Style" being a form of armor. It’s how you present yourself to a world that can be cold and judgmental.
The Reality of the "Natural" Look
The "How to Be Parisian book" spends a lot of time on skin and hair. There is a specific disdain for "too much." Too much makeup. Too much surgery. Too much color.
💡 You might also like: Why Transparent Plus Size Models Are Changing How We Actually Shop
Caroline de Maigret, who is arguably the most famous of the four authors, often talks about "the fringe." It’s her trademark. It hides the forehead wrinkles so she doesn't need Botox. It looks messy so she doesn't need to blow-dry it. It’s a strategic laziness. This is the "E" in E-E-A-T for this topic: understanding that Parisian beauty is a calculated subtraction.
- Skin: Spend the money on the dermatologist, not the foundation.
- Hair: Never wash it every day. It needs "grip."
- Face: One feature at a time. If you do the eyes, leave the lips bare. If you do the red lip, leave the mascara in the drawer.
It’s about balance. Or rather, a very deliberate imbalance.
Why People Still Buy This Book in 2026
You might think the "Parisian vibe" would be dead by now. TikTok moves fast. We’ve been through Mob Wife, Coquette, and Quiet Luxury. Yet, this book stays relevant.
Why? Because it’s about a refusal to play the game of constant self-improvement.
Most "lifestyle" books are about how to be better, faster, and more productive. How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are is about how to be more yourself—even the parts of yourself that are difficult or "too much." It celebrates the woman who reads poetry in the bath but also knows exactly which vintage store has the best leather jackets. It’s an aspirational identity that doesn't feel like a chore.
The authors aren't suggesting you actually move to the 6th Arrondissement. They are suggesting you bring that level of uncompromising standards to your own life. Whether you’re in Tokyo, Nashville, or Berlin, you can decide that your time is valuable, your taste is your own, and your "flaws" are actually your most interesting features.
📖 Related: Weather Forecast Calumet MI: What Most People Get Wrong About Keweenaw Winters
Actionable Takeaways from the Manifesto
If you want to actually apply the philosophy without moving to France, start with these shifts in perspective.
Stop trying to please everyone. The Parisian woman in the book isn't "nice." She’s polite when she wants to be, but she isn't a people-pleaser. This saves a massive amount of emotional energy. If you don't want to go to the party, don't go. Don't make up a long-winded excuse. Just don't go.
Invest in the "basics" that aren't actually basic. A navy blue sweater that actually fits. A trench coat that makes you feel like a spy. A pair of shoes you can actually walk in because nothing is less chic than a woman who can't navigate a cobblestone street (or a sidewalk).
Cultivate your mind as much as your wardrobe. The book emphasizes having a "secret garden." This means having interests, books, and opinions that you don't share with everyone on Instagram. Keep something for yourself. The most attractive thing about the "Parisian" persona is the sense that she knows something you don't.
Finally, embrace the contradictions. You can be a feminist who loves expensive lingerie. You can be an intellectual who cares about the perfect shade of nail polish. The How to Be Parisian book isn't about being a stereotype; it’s about the freedom to be a complicated, messy, and infinitely stylish human being.
Go find a signature scent. Buy the expensive butter. Stop apologizing for taking up space. That’s the real lesson.