Leroy-Beaulieu, who lives in the chic 7th arrondissement, by herself, she says, has form when it comes to breathing oxygen into flat cyphers. In 2015, she was cast in a supporting role in Call My Agent! (originally Dix Pour Cent), the delicious French comedy drama about a team of Parisian talent agents.
Leroy-Beaulieu played Catherine Barneville, the 50-something cuckolded wife of Mathias Barneville, twinkly roue and boss of ASK agency – a thankless role that usually limits an actress to weeping, bitterness and if she’s lucky, a turn as a psycho. Leroy-Beaulieu made Catherine warm, dignified and humorous. And, because we’re talking about a stylish French production, she wore a series of cool yet relatable outfits – I spent months trying to track down a grey corduroy trouser suit she wore in one episode.
The woman undoubtedly knows how to wear clothes (her mother worked for Dior). Nor is her repertoire quite the safe, predictable story we’ve come to associate (perhaps wrongly) with French style. In Emily in Paris, there’s lots of black to be sure, including a classy lace fitted dress from Maison Valentino and a feathered jumper and trousers from Lanvin, but also judicious injections of soft, non-girlish colours such as grey, purple, burgundy and bottle green. This is an investment wardrobe, so there’s a classic iridescent brown stretch zip jacket from Alaia, a beige Valentino trench and a sleeveless belted pale blue jacket and trousers from Alexandre Vauthier, but it’s not afraid to be sexy, with bold fashion inflections such as a fringed jacket from Thierry Mugler or a metallic Saint Laurent blouse. If you’re going to do bodycon, this is how, with precision tailoring and clothes that fit – and if you’re going to wear trends, pick the ones that suit you and come around again and again.
In both Call My Agent! and real life, there are more accessible labels – Zadig & Voltaire, Maje and Ba&sh – but her arms, cleavage and legs are often on show, although not usually at the same time. Essentially, the message is the same: if you look after yourself, exercise, tweak and eat in moderation, if you buy well, for your body shape, keep it streamlined, avoid girliness and frumpish shapelessness, you really can wear almost anything, at any age.
