Back Row with Amy Odell
Back Row with Amy Odell
Amy Odell
Emily in Paris vs. Real French Style
31 minutes Posted Jan 5, 2026 at 5:36 pm.
Why Emily in Paris works as fantasy
Dana Thomas’s real “Emily in Paris” story
Modeling and learning French beauty and style rules
French chic vs. American cool
Life as a teenage model in the 1980s
Falling in love and moving to Paris
How French women actually dress
Scarves are very important
The French style formula, explained
Handbags, pockets, and why French women don’t carry much
Men’s style in Paris vs. the "Emily in Paris" fantasy
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31:04
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Show notes
FOR PART TWO OF THIS PODCAST, sign up for Back Row Premium in Apple
or Spotify. In part two, Amy gets Dana Thomas's thoughts on Emily in Paris after watching it for the first time; how French attitudes toward plastic surgery compare to those in America; and how the French feel about the Bezos billionaire lifestyle.
In this episode of the Back Row podcast, veteran fashion journalist Dana Thomas joins Amy Odell to talk about Emily in Paris! She reveals what it was really like to actually live the fantasy of moving to Paris at 18 years old to work in fashion, how it influenced her style, and how actual French fashion is so different from the show.
CHAPTERS
Links & Resources:
Back Row newsletter
Amy Odell - Instagram
Dana Thomas
Instagram
Deluxe (book)
Gods & Kings (book)
Fashionopolis (book)
Style Files (newsletter)
This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko.
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