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.

Parisian Chic: LBD

"𝒯he little black dress is not simply an item of clothing, it's a concept." (Fressange 32). Fressange also mentions that's it's a universal thing, and the truth is, it is. It's something that you can find all around, a nice simple black dress, that can be dressed up or down depending on the person. 

Little black dresses are meant to be styled by yourself. While taking inspiration from other people is nice, it all depends on the person wearing it. "Everyone wears hers differently" (Fressange 32). 

For example, when I wear a LBD, I usually prefer to wear it to create a "neutral slate" and to bring out a statement piece to make it pop out more.

Here you can see that I paired the dress with gold heels, mainly to match the colors up with the hardware of the purse, but otherwise there's no other accessories, other than the bright blue purse, which is my statement item. 

But if you're someone who likes a more uniformed theme, you might go with accessories of the same metal, or that give off the same vibe.

With this outfit, I paired the dress with simple lace up flats, and a gold necklace with a pearl, and also a sea inspired gold charm bracelet. This ensemble matches metals (gold), and also nautical vibes. 

While you're free to style the dress however you want, it is preferred that it's simple, and without too many focus points.

Everything here is just too much. There's 3 different colors of metals (black, silver, and gold), the black ring will blend in with the dress, there's a different style of accessory on almost every body part, and with a bright purse and flashy necklace, which are 2 statement pieces and defeats the purpose of a statement piece. However, if you can somehow rock this look and this is the style you're going for, then go for it, because a LBD is about yourself and no one else. 

To everyone who owns a LBD, how do you like to style it? Do you ever style it based on how other people style theirs? 

𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝒾 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓊𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓅 !

  𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝑀.

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

Parisian Chic: Fashion Faux Pas !

𝓐ccording to Ines de la Fressange, a French model, obtaining the Parisian style without being born in Paris is quite simple, as there are a few golden rules to follow (Fressange 11)

For this post, we'll be talking about some of the "faux pas" to Parisian fashion. I'll be giving what she and myself have to say on almost each item.

 >> While you're reading, do you guys agree with what she says? Are any of you guilty of these faux pas?<<

1. Hair Scrunchies

• "Too girly" (Fressange 68)

2. Fishnet T-shirts (Also known as mesh t-shirts)

• "Difficult to see how these could possibly flatter anyone, apart from Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan" (Fressange 69)

3. Leggings 

↳ My opinion: Honestly, when I read that leggings were a big no, I was kinda upset, because I feel like every single outfit I wear has leggings! They're such a comfortable and versatile piece of any closet, as you can dress them up or down, and too different styles. In these two pictures below, you can see that I'm wearing leggings in both!

 

4. Cropped t-shirts 

↳ My opinion: I feel like if you're a 25+ year old living in Paris, you probably wouldn't wear crop tops or see anyone wear them, but as for people our age, they're very trendy. While I do have very mixed opinions on them (I personally do not like them on myself if they're too cropped) I do think that they're appropriate in some places, but probably not in Paris if you're on the older end. 

5. Too many mixed materials

• "Satin + velvet + chiffon + tweed = textile overdose" (69).

↳ My opinion: Out of the entire 3 pages of faux pas, I feel like I agree with this the most. While it's good to have a variety of textures in your outfit, instead of having all the same fabric and texture (like double denim or wearing a leather jacket and leather pants!) Having too many different textures and fabrics is just too much going on at once, it's like mixing tons of bright colors or tons of different patterns. Sometimes just narrowing it down to two different textiles is the right thing to do.

⇾ 𝑀𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 ⇽

Style and fashion are both very flexible things. I am someone who does enjoy the Parisian style, but will I follow absolutely all of these rules? No ! I prefer to incorporate classic pieces from certain styles into my wardrobe, to create a more open ended wardrobe, that allows me to mix and match. What I got out of this section of the book, is that "oh, here are some rules, but you don't have to follow all of them as if your life depended on it, it's more for how Parisian you want to look, follow more rules if you want a more Parisian look, and the other way too". But, this section is actually quite helpful for knowing how to not look like a tourist for a trip to Paris, even if that wasn't the main goal for the book! 

𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝒾 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓊𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓅 !

  𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝑀.

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