Traveling with Parisian Style

     𝒯raveling in style is a difficult thing to do, because if you wear something fashionable, you could get stuck being uncomfortable for the entire time ! Just as the Parisians have rules to normal day to day fashion, they have rules on what to pack and wear for traveling. But before I get into that, << What's your go to outfit when traveling? >>

    First thing you wan to wear are some comfy pants. This can include joggers or sweatpants. It's something that's easy to put on, and can look stylish and cute. However, "Never a skirt, never a dress" (Fressange 57).

    For tops, wear layers ! Start with a simple tank top, then a long sleeve tee, and a nice chunky sweater over the top. That way if you start feeling hot, you can just peel off a layer, but if you keep them all on, the chunky sweater can hide the other layers. Plus you'll feel better prepared, instead of having to change your shirt because you're too hot.

   Wear comfy shoes, especially if you are someone who likes to take off shoes on the ride to your destination. Avoid shoes such as boots and heels, as they can be annoying to have to put them back on, plus they aren't known to be the most comfortable. Instead, go for simple flats or a pair of sneakers.

   Finally, pack some essentials into a tote bag, like a laptop, books, magazines. Some things I like to bring along on top of that is a reusable water bottle, headphones, an extra pair of socks, and some lip balm.

𝐵𝑜𝓃 𝓋𝑜𝓎𝒶𝑔𝑒 !

𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝒾 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓊𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓅 !

  𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝑀.

Fressange, Ines de la, et al. Parisian Chic: a Style Guide. Flammarion, 2011.

Music & Art

Music and art are two things that often go hand in hand- listening to music while creating art often allows for people to focus more- so its no wounder that listening to music helps you enjoy art more while looking at it. Johan Idema talked about this, saying,"Music can articulate or enhance the emotion, thematic or dramatic aspects of art,"(32). Music allows us to tie emotion to other things, and in a place full of art, music will help bring out even more emotions, which is very beneficial when looking at or creating art. Idema also talked about how music helps us understand and see color and shapes better, saying that it helps widen our understanding of abstract art (32).

Some types of music can effect mood better then others. When thinking of music that could match with art to enhance our experiences, our first thoughts turns to classical, because of the simple elegance and calming of the music, that also fits with the time period of a lot of the pieces. I found this to be untrue.

In my experience, switching through different musical genres while walking through the museum, looking at art, I personally liked listening to R&B out of all of them. It had a similar type of mood to classical, but was ultimately more modern, and allowed me to slip into the world of art easily.

Rock also, surprisingly worked well. Even though the music became more intense compared to R&B and classical, it made it a little bit more exciting. It was also interesting how the music made the art feel more alive, and also filled the silence that the museum was encompassed in.

Listening to music did changed the way I looked at certain art pieces, and the diversity of the pieces influenced the type of music I listened to.

What does listening to music help you accomplish through out your daily life?

Idema, Johan. How to Visit an Art Museum: Tips for a Truly Rewarding Visit. BIS Publishers, 2014.

Don't Wander- Observe

Museums hold the greatest pieces of art known to man. The art ranges from different values and different styles, and each piece has its own unique connotation and creative outlook on the world. The museums in themselves that holds these masterpieces, how ever, only seem to have one purpose and one activity- a place where we can wander around looking at art. Johan Idema stated, "We turn into better observers when sitting down" (23). sitting down simply allows us to focus more, as our brain isn't focused on standing, but rather on the things happening in the world around us.

Museums are often seen as boring, as you simply feel like the only thing to do is to walk around and look, but you can always do more then that. Scattered through out museums are benches and places to sit, not simply for you to have a place to relax if you get tired of walking, but to give you the opportunity to slow down, and look. Idema explains how having benches and furniture around the museums makes us feel like we are at home and rather than a museum, and slows us down to process the art that we are looking at, and allows us to try and come up with what the art means to us.

When applying this technique, I felt as if I wasn't being as rushed, and I had more time to absorb the art and take in the details of the pieces. It made me appreciate the pieces of art more. I found it much easier to pinpoint what I exactly liked about a certain art piece. Combining this with walking up closer to the paintings afterward, it also allowed me to enjoy the art more, as it gave me a different point of view while looking at the art.

How do you feel like this could be applied to your everyday life, and not just a museum?

Idema, Johan. How to Visit an Art Museum: Tips for a Truly Rewarding Visit. BIS Publishers, 2014