Colour Show Off

There is a time, a day, a moment, to keep your outfits simple and let your surroundings do the show. 

That time might be around just now and I went for dark blue denim, black and white. When the trees of Paris take on their autumn hues, ranging from green, to yellow, orange and maroon, walking around and taking it all in seems like and evidence. Sadly, there are not many red trees (no maples?) and the colours are not that spectacular, but hey, that's the only kind of autumn we get here, so I decided to be happy with it as it is. We can't all live in New England, it's as simple as that.

Outfit photos copyright Vincent

Jardin des Tuileries, packed as always, but still so beautiful. There is a modern art exhibit going on as well. If you're in Paris, go check out the trees (and the art, of course). If you get cold, or hungry, or have a sweet tooth, there is always Angelina - the best hot chocolate in Paris, just around the corner.

Outfit

Jacket - a very very old inherited piece

Shirt - Mango

Jeans - and old (and sadly torn) Levi's

Bag - gift, beautiful leather

Shoes - Agnes b., gift too

Time for a Sweater

Independently of seasons, there are days when the only thing on my mind is keeping it cosy. But autumn makes the frequency of the "cosy days" hit new hights. Keeping warm (and dry) seems to be an every day battle. Cosy doesn't necessarilly mean ugly or out of style. High heels make the big old sweater seem like fashion again. I'd venture to say the bigger the sweater, the higher the heels you need... What do you say?

Fern earrings seem to channel the cosy autumn feelings as well. I still need to find myself a fireplace, to make autumn the perfect season, though. One day, maybe, who knows...

Have a cosy day, too.

Welcome, Mr Autumn

Well, I guess it's official. Indian summer is a goner and it's Mr Autumn's turn to keep us company. 

If you've been reading this blog since spring, you might remember I love to hear the "seasons' click". There is no denying it, the seasons have just clicked here alright. Woolen sweaters and scarves, foggy mornings, the air gorged with rain and the foliage that begins to change colours accordingly.

Hello, Mr Autumn.

I'm taking out my woolen socks and keeping to my oranges + tea to avoid getting sick as everyone around me!

Back to Renaissance

The other day, I wrote about how clothes or accessories can bring back amazing memories when you wear them. Sometimes, they can also transport you to a completely different time or country. It is the case with my brocade skirt. Even thought it is not real silk and it is definitely way too short to have been worn in late Middle Ages or during Renaissance, it still has an antique, exquisite and aristocratic feel to it. It is what you'd call a statement piece of clothing. With a very simple white t-shirt and flats, it steals the show. Plus, it has a bow. What more could you want ?

Maybe to take it out for a walk in the gardens of Paris and feel like a princess.

PS.: There is now a goat in charge of the lawns in Jardin des Tuileries.

Brit Chic

If you're not new to this blog, you might have noticed my love for most things British. This doesn't include crazy drinking habits and young girls puking into dustbins in the Tube. It's more about London, beautiful countryside, weather and ever changing light, green lawns, grazing sheep, rain boots, cool artists, cream tea and fashion.

We're lucky here in Paris, London came to us for a whole month. In the Printemps department store, a month long "London Mania" takes place right now. 

British designers, the Cambridge Satchel Company and Burberry, of course, with a special pop-up store. Quite nice. I kind of fancy Christopher Bailey, his sense of beauty, the models he picks (he had Cara Delevigne before anybode else noticed her!), the shows (the A/W 2012 with the rain, incredible...), his cute accent, his sense of music and the fact he has a house in Yorkshire (big plus points).

We're lucky once more here in Paris, and that's because we have the Printemps' top floor terrace with an amazing view from an unexpected place. It's for free, it doesn't end in a month and you don't have to queue for 2 hours to get up there, like at the Eiffel tower...

 

Here Comes the Sun

According to what I see on Facebook, road tripping in the USA has become a very popular summer holiday among my friends. Seeing all those beautiful pictures reminds me of that beautiful honeymoon we went on three years ago. I would go again. Anytime. Even though I am on honeymoon every day...

I don't know about you, but for me the greatest souvenirs I can bring home from a trip are things I can wear. It works a bit like my husband's scarf. If I wear them, I get to spend my day a bit where I bought them. Unfortunatelly, my amazing jeans from San Francisco are long dead, maybe because I wore them every other day... (where can I find great jeans again??). My earrings, a souvenir from Grand Teton National Park, a wonderful place in Wyoming, are still going strong. They made their way into my closet all the way from Grand Teton's Indian Arts Museum. That summer (and I hope this tradition continues), every week for several months, a different Indian know how and art was presented at the museum. I watched the lovely lady work her beads and loved it. I am ashamed to say I don't remeber if she was Hopi or Navajo, but I knew immediately, this was a souvenir that would have a special place in my heart. I had hard time choosing the right pair, they were all so beautiful.

I guess I picked the right one, for the moment and even though the golden colour is a bit faded, these are still one of the statement earrings I wear the most. 

They bring back memories of a warm summer day, of a skilled kraftswoman, of a long hike around the lake, of a huge ospray sitting on a tree, of a thundering waterfall and of sweet corn grilled on our campsite fire. 

Here came the sun, all the way from the lovely Indian lady, to make my day brighter.

Something Borrowed

I don't know about you, but I love borrowing little things to wear from my husband. Mostly t-shirts to sleep in (I am not showing you these) and scarves. We actually even have two scarves that we bought in Yorkshire and that were meant to be "scarves to be shared" from the very start. 

These are nice, but I really like the feeling of spending my day with something borrowed from my other half. It makes my sentimental and romantic self feel like we are a bit together all day even if we're each at our respective works on different sides of Paris. 

Scarves keep me warm, they keep me stylish and the borrowed ones make me feel loved and glad for my marriage. They are my secret weapons that give me self-confidence and all kinds of warmth and kindness I might need at any given moment. 

Everyone shall sometimes borrow something, to feel you have somebody with you wherever you go. It works the other way, too. Borrow and lend, lend and borrow. A scarf, a t-shirt, trousers... No limits.

PS.: My favourite jeans shorts used to be my husband's jeans (not shorts, obviously).

Rain and Underwear

This past Sunday, we got a little preview of Autumn. It rained most of the day and the temperature peaked somewhere around 14'C. I loved it. I love walking around in the rain (with a big umbrella and a hot cup of tea when I get back home).

 

Seeing the weather, we headed out to see an exhibition in the Musée des Arts décoratifs. It's probably my favourite museum in Paris, the permanent collections are great and all the exhibits we've seen there were extremely interesting, well done and lovely. 

In the past few years we've seen Hussein Chalayan, Louis Vuitton & Marc Jacobs and Fashioning Fashion. All great.

The one currently on (and till the beginning of November) is called "La mécanique des dessous, une histoire indiscrète de la silhouette". If you ever had questions about underwear in Europe from the Renaissance up to today, this is where you might find most of your answers. Oh, and you can even try some of the torture devices on.