Stand out observations of Parisian style: everyone really dresses the same, and French women don’t wear pants. Why should they, with thighs like sticks? Just throw on a chambray button-up, belt it, and go. Personally, my thighs are in the realm of Lady Gaga, not Vanessa Paradis, so I’ll opt for stockings. Or, you know, trousers. I did get that striped Whistles dress at the sales, it’s so comfy and it has pockets! (Click on the image to see each item on Polyvore.)
Both my shop & my own aesthetic have fallen into a more simple, classic style lately and this trip was certainly inspiring as far as continuing these looks.
I was surprised at how many looks I saw that were very “blogger-style” – 90s florals, short high waisted gathered skirts, oversized silk tee shirts, super sheer cotton tees and tanks, harem pants. I think maybe blogs and the internet have cut down on regional styles??
I gravitated toward the natural relaxed “French countryside” smock-y looks – especially Bensimon, which I’ve never heard of. Stripes, chambray – so stereotypically “French” but apparently back in fashion even in Paris. My favorite things: thin leather wrap bracelets, lots of scallops, that gorgeous pale pink I call “baby fingernail pink”, classic stripes, and pearl studs. The last 2 are already a wardrobe staple for me, but I definitely want to track down a skinny belt and transform it into a bracelet…
Ok, the funny thing about this set is that I didn’t notice until I was done searching and dragging that half the things were from Colette. Oops. See, French! I win the prize. And yes, I checked the sales at Repetto (where a tall, thin French woman asked MY opinion on her shoes after looking me up and down. Ha!) but nothing was left in my size that I wanted. Damn you, average feet.
Dear magic lady,
It’s so very lovely having you back in the blogosphere! I felt like I was missing a friend the last couple of weeks and am now greedily consuming your posts. Your observations and musings were delicious to read, and particularly so given that (as others have observed) they were so honest. Real warts and all kinda stuff (not, of course, that I believe any true Frenchy would admit to having warts!).
Good luck for settling back into life – hope the wedding plans aren’t making you too nuts!
Love, love & love.
Aw, thanks for the welcome back!! It’s funny, I forget how people in blogland don’t complain, oops! Well, all in all I had a great trip, & I want to be honest, not sugar-coat!
Oh I hope you don’t think that was passive aggressive criticism! You know, compliment -wrapped-in-an-insult kinda stuff! I don’t think you were complaining! But it’s true, they often don’t complain, or whinge, gripe or even have a negative opinion often. And while I’m a firm believer in creating your own reality and everything that implies for therefore creating the world you’d like to live in, the saccharine-coated world that I find most fashion/lifestyle based blogs seem to exist in only makes me want to slap their authors. Recently another blogger I read posted about the complementary ‘gifts’ so many bloggers receive these days and the subsequent oft-gushing ‘reviews’ that are posted. I find these themes inter-related. I certainly think it’s appropriate for bloggers (obviously influential in blogland) to be sent appropriate products, I get that the producers are looking for essentially free advertising, but when it’s ALWAYS a positive rave it drives me barmy! Especially when then one reads the same kind of glowing review for the same product on a number of different blogs, the product (and the review) lose their credibility for me since it means that the producers have done a mass mail-out!
Oops, tangent!
I guess where I was going with that was to give you kudos on the fact that through your honesty, you’ve maintained (for me at least) your authenticity and integrity – and I rate those pretty damn important!
xx
I think because I cut my blogging teeth on Livejournal (10 years ago, yikes!) where people were much more open about life and talked about the positive and the negative as they happened, I don’t even notice when I’m doing it!
I’m also a pretty intense person – I’ll be like ARGH THINGS ARE SO BAD and then 5 minutes later LOOK AT THIS CAKE! I LOVE THIS CAKE! because I am a crazy passionate Italian girl at heart. Or a 5 year old. Whichever.
There aren’t too many bloggers I read who are also holding down a serious career & are far along in that career (outside of blogging) – Door Sixteen is one I can think of off the top of my head – it would be interesting to take a poll to see if attitudes change when this is the case. Work makes me tired! Anyway, I digress…
If I may be so bold as to give you a bracelet idea…Several years ago, I came across vintage cat collars (they can be disinfected!). One was a pastel pink with red rhinestones and the other was a light yellow with clear rhinestones. I wore the yellow one as a skinny bracelet and simply adored it!
Hmm! I’m really liking the thin, simple wrap look I saw there, though – very thin, very plain leather that went around the wrist 2-3 times. So pretty!