By Megan Araghi, News Correspondent

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to live minutes from the Eiffel Tower in arguably one of the chicest arrondissements – or municipal districts – of Paris’ famed Left Bank. For seven months, I was exposed to bar none style, elegance, originality and grace.

Of course, its no secret that Parisians are internationally championed for their effortless elegance, refined culture and sophistication. So much so that the idea of the Parisian woman has been cultivated and morphed into a mythical status.

Stalk the streets of Boulevard St. Germain, Rue Jacob, or take a café viennois at famed Café de Flore in Saint Germain-des-Près and you will find women donned in stylish ensembles of slimming cigarette pants, a loose blouse, ballet flats and an ungodly amount of original jewelry pieces placed artfully to polish off the ensemble. It is chic, refined, whimsical and feminine.

While Americans cherish comfort and convention when it comes to clothing, Parisians undoubtedly have the upper-hand in the realm of fashion and aesthetics. Sweats and T-shirts may be the default uniform for us across the Atlantic, but the French strive to wear anything but. Parisians overall err on the side of originality, and value bringing individuality to their style. Americans believe toting a Louis Vuitton everywhere translates to being stylish, but the French know better.

In fact, the French make it a point not to show how expensive an item of clothing is, but rather opt for something that exhibits true taste and originality. This drive to avoid anything ostentatious and instead cultivate an original outfit is the core mentality which dictates their fashion choices, and dramatically distinguishes them from Americans.

On the whole, the French wear more neutral colors than Americans. The most common articles of clothing that I saw were by far blazers, which pull together any ensemble, especially with ballet flats and cropped pants. Nothing the Parisian wears is ever overdone, garish or vulgar. Even at clubs, you will not find a Parisian girl wearing some anatomically-revealing dress, like the kind you might find on Boylston Street on a Friday night.

During my first clubbing experience in Paris, I found the girls to be much more covered and have much more originality in their clothing choices. Some donned an almost “hipster” look, also very typical of the younger people in Paris. Where any style deemed outside the norm is generally turned away from in America, it is wholly embraced in Paris.

It’s no surprise that Parisian men, like their female counterparts, also exude style unequivocal to American men. The look of the Parisian man is cultivated, refined and painstakingly put-together. The pairings of a blazer, fitted jacket, button-down shirt, slim pants and a pair of pointed loafers are found on nearly every man. For the younger Parisian man who prefers to sport a more unconventional style, the “hipster” look, or some variation, is most prevalent. This includes button-down shirts under cardigans or pulls, fitted pants and pointed loafers.

Style, overall, is not a choice, but a lifestyle for the Parisian. Even if they are simply doing errands for the day, they strive to look presentable. Having had two close French girlfriends in Paris, I learned that this is not a vanity issue, but rather a cultural one. The French believe that being well-dressed and looking presentable is simply a politesse and courtesy to others.

The American pastime of wearing sweats or work-out clothes in public is something non-existent on the streets of Paris. The Parisian would not be caught dead wearing sweats in public. In fact, when I returned to the States a few weeks ago, I found it strange to see people walking on campus in sweatpants, sweatshirts and flip-flops.

Parisians fundamentally understand style in a way most Americans don’t. To some it may simply be clothing, but clothing ultimately is communicative of cultural ideals and mentalities. The cultural ideal of French women investing far more time in their physical appearance than Americans also communicates the value of aesthetics to the French.

The style of the Parisian reflects a more refined knowledge of what style is and is not; they possess a polished understanding of how to assemble an outfit. And that notorious ‘je ne sais quoi’ of the Parisian woman? It comes from their inherent confidence in the beauty of their own skin.

For the Parisian, the ultimate product is always casually elegant, original, feminine, and unbelievably refined with a hint of whimsy and artfulness to make an outfit look anything but conventional and boring.