Maryse's Most Parisian Looks

We’ve followed Maria’s example and taken a look at how to Parisian-ize your wardrobe. But what would WWE’s Queen of all things French have to say? Weren’t you wondering about Maryse’s take on all this Francophile styling? Yep, so were we! To that end, we went collecting. And now, we present to you Maryse’s most Parisian fashion moments!
 
It’s not often that we see the Sexiest of the Sexy break out her pearls, but when she does, she knows how to make a statement! In this incredible ‘shoot, she styled them with a lace bustier and neutral lace pencil skirt. Being the glamorous gal she is, she topped it all with a luxe fur coat. I’d hedge a bet that you might see a Parisian girl toughen up all that lace by topping the look with a leather biker jacket. And I’d further bet that Maryse would be right on board with that! On a different day, she might even have topped this look with the military-inspired jacket we see in her next look, which is all about casual style that still has that je ne se quoi. This is one of my all-time favorite ‘shoots of hers, set in Strasbourg and capturing Maryse’s journey around the city. She perfectly demonstrated one of my tenets of fashion: dress (stylishly) for the occasion. As glamorous as she can often be, Maryse knew just how to keep it practical for exploring, while staying completely fabulous. She paired blue denim with a simple tee and this incroyable hardware-heavy statement jacket. My favorite part of the look? Her broken-in, chocolate leather flat boots! (Wait…Maryse wears flats?! :) Oh yes…and looks fantastic doing it.). This outfit it a 101 course in keeping “laidback” seriously chic!

Maryse also has the whole "don't try too hard" angle down to a science, as she demonstrated with this simple, but effective ivory sweater and jeans combo. Her pullover has a drapey, slightly boxy fit that looks casually cool atop dark wash slim jeans. The mixed knit stitches of the sweater create extra texture and visual interest which gives this subtle statement additional impact. Ballet flats or loafers would be an oh so Parisian way of finishing this look, but I bet the ever-fierce Maryse would lean toward ankle booties, which I can heartily sign on for. She also has an intuitive grasp of classic pieces: in addition to cozy knit sweaters and denim, take these LBD's (little black dress and little burgundy dress ;). Pieces like these, with minimalist silhouettes, lend themselves to a wide variety of interpretations. Statement jewels and bold make-up shades them sexy. A trendy topper, like a bomber jacket or this cape, kicks them into fierceness. They're the ultimate chameleons: they can be anything you can dream up...which is probably why Maryse has a closet-full of them. She paired the burgundy sheath with sand platform pumps, a super chic combo, while matching the black with gray suede OTK's. Originally designed as a men's riding boot, OTK's were co-opted as women's fashion in the 60's by Balenciaga and St. Laurent and have since become iconic, making them an essential part of any Parisian girl's wardrobe.

Note also Maryse's comfort with using neutrals - alone, paired, in triplicate: she works them in every which way. In addition to the classics - black, white, ivory, beige - she employs navy, chocolate and, on occasion, a hint of blush. This refined palette elevates and brings sophistication to nearly every look. Blush warms crisp, frosty white, decadent chocolate gets an update - and a shot of fierce - when paired with beige. Even pieces that float on and off of fashion's radar, like the romper, look more polished when done in neutrals. In this case, a playful black and white stripe gives this piece a vintage twist. With her usual unerring sense of style, Maryse spiked it with red stilettos, proving once again how well neutrals play together.
It's pretty clear that Maryse would fit right in with the stylish French girls, so if you're feeling madly inspired by the Gallic fashion tradition right now, take a cue from her most Parisian looks. Try a simple sheath with pumps, a neutral romper, a tee and jeans topped with a cropped statement jacket and flat boots. Top your favorite understated look with pearls. Keep your pieces classic, your colors neutral and never, ever over-think your look:).  Have fun, mes amis!