The French have a knack for coordinating color. In Paris it was more polished, but I even saw people abiding by this principle in the countryside with simple T-shirts and jeans. I noticed three color coordinating methods in particular: monochrome, matching accessories (a variation on sandwich dressing) and building the outfit around one color.
I kid you not, I saw three men, in three different neighborhoods, sporting cherry-red ensembles, while many women would coordinate their bags and shoes to match, pulling an outfit together without trying too hard. The last tip I observed was the most unexpected. While monochrome dressing is typically building the outfit around one color, the French have a more nuanced approach. I noticed plenty of Parisians who dressed in all neutrals, save for one pop of color. Or, they would have one showy color, like green, as the main focus and use their accessories to choose coordinating colors that wouldn’t steal the show. The result was a fun, sophisticated outfit that didn’t feel like a walking rainbow.
