À la parisienne by definition means in the style of a Parisian. In this case a female Parisian. À la and its other forms (au and aux) mean in the style of. So poulet a l'orange in French is orange chicken; soupe à la tomate is tomato soup. Of course, the French way of describing orange chicken and tomaoto soup sure sounds more appetizing and romantic, n'est-ce pas? Enough on your French lesson for the day.
So why have I chosen this name? I hope to share ideas with you about Parisian style, which brings up an entirely new subject. What is Parisian style? I would have to say that the idea of Parisian style is all relative. As a non-Parisian, I have my own perception of Parisian style based on what I've read and studied here in the states and experienced while traveling in Paris. Another non-Parisian may have quite different takes on their way of life. And, of course, Parisians themselves may even disagree on an exact description.
So what is my perception? Parisian style is a way of thinking- one must not have it all to look good. One must be selective. When purchasing clothing, Parisians buy what flatters their figures and they buy things that are versatile. Instead of buying five new winter sweaters, a Parisian will choose one beautiful sweater and wear it once or even twice a week! Now this mentality can be quite useful for us Americans in our unstable economy. This is also a way of learning self-control when shopping. By thinking à la parisienne one can say to a pair of shoes "I will find another pair later that is of higher quality and more useful for my wardrobe!"
Another perception I have of Parisians is that they exude confidence. From where does this confidence come? Maybe from sheer gladness of living in the most beautiful city in the world! Now the typical stereotype of a Parisian is that they are snobbish. This may or may not be true. I am not promoting a snobbish, condescending mentality. What I am promoting is a confidence built on the fact that we are all special and unique creations of God. We can also obtain our confidence from self-respect and being selective in our fashion and decorating choices.