Fashionable Friends

April 6, 2017

Spring in Paris is tricky. One day its warm, birds are chirping and the sun is bright, then as soon as you pack up your winter necessities it is gloomy and cold as winter. It is a bit of a struggle to figure out what the Paris weather will do next. While taking pictures for class, my friends and I decided to experiment with this concept of contrast in spring, with light and dark. We found our favorite outfits and spring location, Jardin du Luxembourg, and captured the two contrasting outfits.

The First is the dark/ black outfit that consisted of a black, tank, LoveShackFancy jumpsuit with a tie in the middle, paired with a leather jacket, and thin stocking socks under a pair of puffball high tops from Anthropologie. This outfit was finished off with silver accessories. We paired the dangerous look with a slightly dangerous setting, and took pictures of this outfit in the Parisian street outside of the gardens.

The other outfit was the lighter and softer one, with all white pieces. This outfit consisted of white jeans and sneakers, and a simple, textured, white short-sleeve shirt from Zara, with pearl earrings. This look was a little more innocent looking, so we placed it in settings that matches the coloring as well as the spring feeling it gave. We used the flowers to help brighten up the pictures, while also giving it a spring sensation and matching the sweet and adorable look of this outfit compared to the dark one.

Overall, these two looks are very different but make sense in the varying weather of Paris in the spring. This collection gives options for how to make the most of your sunny and cloudy days, with very diverse looks.

A Familiar Face

April 15, 2017

Paris is great for discovering strangers in stylish clothes; walking down new, little streets wearing the latest French trends. Every once in a while though, it’s great to spot someone you know setting those trends and being that stylish person that turns heads on the Parisian streets. This week that person was my little sister as she visited my life in Paris and brought her style with her.

Sometimes she is hard to read… how long did it take you to create that masterpiece of an outfit? Or did you throw that on because you rolled out of bed late and it happened to look cool? Many times it is the latter, but on this day she created a brilliant outfit from a few simple, new pieces she picked out. These separates became a whole and her outfit became my next blog post.

I snapped some pictures while she strutted through Jardin de Luxembourg. She pushed away my camera but when she saw these shots of her, she ended up grabbing my phone to get a closer look. Her pairing of seemingly random pieces ended up blending together easily. She started off with a plain blouse and a pair of almost pajama-like pants. A soft material, cropped and light blue, they make for the perfect pj bottoms. However, they are sold at Urban Outfitters as a new summer style. Pairing these pants with a pair of Parisian looking flats with the tassel- like top, she added a level of sophistication to the casual pants.

Spring in the City

March 26, 2017

Spring has sprung in Paris and the new styles of the season have been popping up around the streets. Although the weather isn’t quite as warm as I would expect it to be, people of the city are getting excited and pulling out their new spring items little by little. These two looks are ones I found to be common and cute, and expect to see more of as spring settles in.

The first is centered around this peach colored skirt that seemed to be a slightly structured material. This subject paired it with a red, white, blue and black graphic t-shirt. Over this she put a jean jacket- an easy pair that matches everything. And finished off her look with a thick yellow and navy bandana headband and orange/ light pink rimmed sunglasses. For shoes she used a pair of plain white converse (definitely new). This combination demonstrates someone who seems to know fashion well. She paired many diverse and not matching pieces, and created an outfit that works together perfectly for a fun spring look.

The next girl (on the right of the photo below) uses similar items, leading me to believe these are going to be the most popular looks this spring in Paris, and possibly elsewhere as well. This subject used the jean jacket as her central item, however hers was a large, oversized and baggy jacket, as opposed to the fitted one in the photo above. Both jean jackets nonetheless. She used a plain white t-shirt underneath, and skinny black jeans with black and white sneakers as her less vibrant and more basic pieces. The other highlights of her look come from the top: The bright orange and multicolor bandana headband, and the big black bug-eye sunglasses. These two accessories make this look a little more special and exciting, and show the similarity to the look above. Bandana headbands are coming in fast, and sunglasses never quite go out of style. Also notice her silver rings as a final touch and great addition to her slightly boho look.

These are the sightings of Paris’ new street style statements for 2017. Soon they will be more than likely covering the city in all forms. Can’t wait to see the many variations to come!

Gare de Nord

March 13, 2017

I don’t typically write about men’s fashion, or even study it very much for that matter, but in Paris it is more prominent and easier to appreciate. I have been noticing the lively men’s street style a lot since I have been in Paris and have been hesitant to document it. However, while on an excursion with my photography class I spotted some intriguing men’s style, and with camera in-hand, I snuck a few shots.

It’s not everyday that I spot a confident man in floral pants on the street, so it caught my eye as soon as I exited the Gare de Nord. This outfit was not too outrageous, and didn’t seem attention seeking, but rather a casual personal choice. These floral jeans had just enough pink in the design to make them exciting, and just enough green to keep them toned down. When zooming in, it seems that the floral pattern is hand-painted onto the pants, which makes me wonder where he got them or if he painted them himself. To pair these pants with a black and muted, olive green flannel was a perfectly masculine choice in my opinion. This combination offered a little bit of European flare and thrill, while also keeping the outfit practical.

The bright white, new-looking, Reeboks with a slight platform, prove to us again that this man is clearly focussed and concerned on his style. To top off his careful look, a Gucci duffle bag sits at his feet as he smokes his cigarette waiting for something outside of the train station. He keeps his aviators on and earphones in, completely unconcerned with the  people around him. He definitely noticed me, however, taking his picture but I don’t think he seemed to care. Perhaps he knew I was admiring his sense of style.

 

Bundled Up

March 18, 2017

Street fashion is a huge part of Parisian culture. Walking around in Paris it is easy to spot fashion trends on every corner- capturing them is the hard part. I was able to snap a quick shot of this woman on my way to class today. Paris is still a bit chilly, although spring is on the horizon. But being cold is no reason to sacrifice fashion. And everyone in Paris knows it. 

The trick is to layer. We can spot a few layers in this photo, especially on her top half. A discrete black, floral shirt is popping out on her wrist and serves as her bottom layer. Over that she wears a black hoodie, covered by the green and off-white, aztec poncho. (The poncho is definitely what caught my eye.) She adds to her warmth with a cream beanie and aviator sunglasses. Her two braids add an even more boho touch to her casual, edgy look. On the bottom she wears black baggy jogger/sweatpants and my personal favorite touch, the platform, black patent leather shoes.

With each piece dissected, the outfit seems simple and casual. But it caught my eye, and once I focussed on it, I realized all of the many elements that had been put together. She took many simple and comfortable pieces and put them together for the perfect boho look for a casual day on the streets of Paris.

Layer layer layer!

Then and Now: Bibliotheque Forney

March 9, 2017

Bibliotheque Forney: Fashion & War (1914-1918)

This exhibition at Bibliotheque Forney displayed clothing on mannequins as well as photography, fashion plates, and drawings from 1914-1918 to illustrate the fashion in combination with the war. The first thing I noticed when I arrived and saw the pieces was the similarity I saw when comparing them to my own wardrobe. I decided to see exactly how similar they were and see what pieces I could pull out of my closet that resembled the museum pieces.

First I noticed this emerald green dress. Although, I don’t have much of this color in my closet, I also noticed the detailing and beading on the dress which immediately reminded me of one of my favorite recent purchases from Free People. The dress is a white, sheer dress, meant to be worn with a slip. It is covered in white and silver beading as well as embroidered detailing as well. The two are very different, but for being a century apart, are also surprisingly similar in ways.

 

The second piece I recognized was in many of the illustrations and old photographs. There were dark jumpsuits worn by many of the women in the images. I immediately thought of a black LoveShackFancy, satin long sleeve romper. The pieces are obviously meant for different occasions but are surprisingly similar in their shape and color as well. The only major difference seems to be that the LoveShack jumpsuit is loose and flowy, whereas the older jumpsuits were fit a bit tighter to the body.

 

Another piece I related to was a little dress in an illustration. It is a mini dress with long sleeves. Although I only found one piece in my closet in Paris, I think I this is a popular design that I have many of. This design is a timely one, it is simple and girly for any time and many occasions. I found a loose romper in my closet with a similar shape. The dress in the illustration also has a paisley pattern on it, where the romper has a similar textured design on the side of the sleeves.

Ultimately, I found it very interesting that many of my own clothing could be compared to such old pieces. I also think its interesting to look at the images side by side to see the evolution of fashion over time and how things are similar as well as very different.

The Parisian Sleeve

March 6, 2017

The most noticeable fashion trend in Paris is a timeless one- the puffy and voluminous sleeve. This trend has been a classic European look for years and is still a steady style on the streets of Paris that comes in many different forms. I have found many examples of these throughout stores in Paris the past few weeks. In almost any store in Paris it is possible to find a sweater or some form of a top with a flowing or volumized sleeve. Many have a wide sleeve with a tight wrist, and others have an increasingly wide sleeve to the end. These sleeved pieces can be found in stores such as Zara, Pimke, and Naf Naf.These sleeves are a recognizable French symbol of fashion, a modern version of historical French dresses from the 19th century.

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Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

Shiny Shoes

February 19, 2017

Another weekend in a new country means opportunity to discover the latest fashion trends in Europe. What an opportunity. This weekend some girl friends and I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark. The first most noticeable thing about the city was its absolutely bitter temperature, which made fashion a little bit difficult to spot and more difficult to wear. However, it was easy to pick up on some of the new and unusual trends that were blanketing the city.

The first style I happened to notice from the many bus trips I took, was the shiny shoe. And by this I mean men and women’s black leather boots with a patent leather toe (like the front rubber toe of a classic converse shoe). It was difficult to decipher whether it was a style or a brand that made these boots so popular but I definitely noticed them passing me by all day long. I also picked up on a style I am hoping I can figure out how to master, myself. Many women in Europe, but especially Copenhagen, have been layering flowing, gaucho-style pants in a work pant material, with sneakers or loafers, and a long trench coat/ peacoat. The coats often reach their knees or ankles, and are layered over a turtleneck. This outfit looks a bit ‘thrown together’ but is also daring and bold.

As for me, I was slightly unimpressive, as I was covered in a parka and scarf. I resembled more of a marshmallow in the cold wind than any type of high fashion model. However, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and focus on observing those around us- especially when they have good taste in shoes.