Elizabeth, only a woman with great knees could say that so confidently. (Said by one whose knees are a sore point...thankfully, not literally, most of the time.)
What a great question, though -- i.e. how much of this feeling of "Parisienne" style is related to a critical mass of others dressed in a similar way or with a similar type of self-knowledge.
And, question for study -- if Parisienne style is eminently practical, how would it translate to Miami, New York, Tel Aviv, Toronto?
How can we be Parisienne in our own backyards? What does it mean to have that kind of style?
I know that level of practicality is a real goal of my own, but then, my life shares features with Paris life in that I walk most places, the general culture is one that frowns on overt ostentation, etc.
(Love Isabelle's point on that).
Hmm. This might be a new thread.