These Are the New Staple Items New Yorkers and Parisians Are Wearing

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(Image credit: @mariaalia@chanelmckinsie)

New York and Paris may be on two different continents and separated by more than 3500 miles of ocean, but the two cities have a lot more in common than you'd think. Other than amazing food and fashion week presentations, New York and Paris are both cities that some of the most stylish people in the world call home.

Despite the obvious geographic differences, New York and Paris have pretty similar weather patterns, which means residents of both places typically reach for the same hero pieces. On the flip side, the vibe within both places couldn't be more different. New York has a reputation for being edgy and cool, while Paris is famous for its effortless sophistication. Given the two cities' similarities and differences, it's always fascinating to see which staples New Yorkers and Parisians reach for the most. If people from both cities are wearing it, then you can bet it's something you probably should add to your closet too.

Below, you'll find a list of the five pieces embraced by New Yorkers and Parisians alike this spring as well as examples of how dwellers of each city remix them.

Miniskirts

Blame it on Miu Miu—the miniskirt revival has overtaken the globe. It's a trend that has swelled so much that it doesn't matter if you live in Paris or New York. It girls from both cities are embracing miniskirts with wide-open arms. The preferred way to wear them seems to be with elevated pieces like an oversize shirt or a trench coat for an academic twist.

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The New York Way
(Image credit: @chanelmckinsie)

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The Paris Way
(Image credit: @annelauremais)

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Loose Trousers

If you haven't invested in a pair of baggy trousers yet, let this be your final nudge. Their seamless versatility has made them a favorite among dwellers of the two fashion capitals, who are wearing them from daytime meetings to nighttime outings. For a relaxed outfit, coordinate them with sneakers or a denim jacket.

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The New York Way
(Image credit: @janneltherese)

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The Paris Way
(Image credit: @leiasfez)

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Long Trench Coats

Spring is infamous for unpredictable weather, which might explain why New Yorkers and Parisians can't seem to leave trench coats alone. It's a decent layer for chilly days, yet it's not so stuffy that you'll be sweating by the midday heat wave. Ultra-long trench coats, in particular, are having a moment, with the dramatic length adding a touch of sharp elegance.

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The New York Way
(Image credit: @alexisbadiyi)

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The Paris Way
(Image credit: @fakerstrom)

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Cargo Pants

While the notion that French people tend to dress like Jane Birkin does ring a bit true, they also have plenty of love for cargo pants. A reoccurring staple within Paris and New York fashion circles, cargo pants are a great hero piece for casual looks. Dress them up with a fancy knit top, or let them take center stage with a simple white tee.

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The New York Way
(Image credit: @champagnemani)

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The Paris Way
(Image credit: @theblab)

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'90s-Inspired Sunglasses

You can't forget the accessories. Scan the feeds of both groups of urbanites and you'll likely see a lot of sleek sunglasses. More specifically, you'll find rectangle frames that are reminiscent of the shades worn by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and Mariah Carey in the '90s.

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The New York Way
(Image credit: @mariaalia)

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The Paris Way
(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

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Up next: This Under-$60 Parisian Lingerie Brand Was a French-Girl Secret—Until Now

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Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.