I have a conundrum… I need to save every penny I can for Paris shopping. But I also want to buy a few special pieces to wear on my trip. Fall is my absolute favorite season and with all the gorgeous new clothing coming out, it’s going to be a living hell being on a No buy.
Here’s what I have on my Paris outfit wish list now. As I said last week, I am pretty underwhelmed with the JC Fall roll out. Nothing looks like it will be flattering on me. So most of my wish list is from Anthropologie. I don’t think that Anthro is particularly Parisian but I am not going to try and look like a local, as if I could even come close. I do think Anthro has the perfect fit and aesthetic for me in Pair-ee
What is on my J.Crew wishlist is the wool Professor blazer. I am praying the fit is good! Although maybe not… If it’s boxy, that is money in the bank for me. LOVE the Colleen Rose flats too
LOVE the plaid trench/jacket. It says "French" to me, just a perfect blend of style & classic shape. It seems versatile, too.
I like the pants, and they'd look great under the trench. Same with the skirt. You could mix & match them to make different outfits. BUT do you need them? Or do you have other basic bottoms that could do the work of these? I mean, you can get pants & skirts any time of the year, but the unique shirts only once.
Think about what you'd want to see yourself in when you're 10+ years older and looking at pics of the trip. What feels the best on & photographs well? If it were me, I'd probably go with the trench, and then either go with one other item that made me feel super special, or try save my pennies for fabulous shopping in Pair-ee.
Those Colleen flats are freakin' cute! They kind of remind me of the shoes Marilyn Monroe wore in a scene going up the stairs in the 7 Year Itch (they were white with lil' white flower poufs on 'em that looked sooo similar). I remember them, b/c I wanted them to be mine…(sigh)
Okay, my vote is go with the trench & the shoes if you can swing it, then leave the rest to chance, LOL. That's all you need to wear to Paris – trench & shoes! Okay, I'm obviously joking in this last part here.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the top in the upper left corner, it's so Art Deco, the color, the design, everything!
xo
Jennifer
http://milliedeel.blogspot.com/
The Colleen Rose flats are gorgeous- I hadn't seen them yet! Like you, I was so underwhelmed with what I saw for J Crew for Fall (I feel like I'm the only one, too, ugh) so I didn't look that closely. I might have to go take another peek at those flats. *swoons*
I love everything you picked out from Anthro! I have no idea how the Parisians do things since I've never been there, but you get two big thumbs up from this not-very-well-traveled lady.
LOVE the Colleen Rose flats – they were the first thing that stood out to me in the Fall lookbook. Love love love!!
Love your picks. I do understand your tortured position!
I tend to buy for my holiday's before I go. For some reason I have no interest in shopping when I am away. Maybe because it is boring for my husb, or maybe because I generally only shop online. It's like a disorder now! haha
Of course, Paris is a different story!
Let us know what you will bring. Please do a review of the Professor!
Cute flats! And I had the same dilema when I went to Europe! It's definitely a toughie!
Hmm, this is a tough one. I say go for the trench and save your $ for Repetto and clothing boutiques. Choose your favorite pieces from your current wardrobe and brainstorm some go to outfits beforehand (like one for sightseeing and walking around/ museums, one for a fancy dinner, one for shopping, etc.). Then when you get there you can splurge on the special items you find and even wear them while you're there.
The most important accessory in Paris is the scarf! Make sure you pay attention to how they tie them…I've really become a scarf snob since my visit.
I've been living in Paris for about 3 years now and may I offer a few tid bits on Paris dressing
Not a big fan of ballet flats for such a trip. They are not very padded at the sole so you might suffer the long walks (I don't wear them to go to work the paved street are so cumbersome and the concrete in the subway so hard) and since it can be quite rainy in autumn it would be one of the best options to end up with soaked feet…
As a north american I love skirts like the red one you have but it is a style that barely exists here. French think it just cuts the silhouette and looks childish. I have 3-4 skirts I do not wear anymore that are just like that one for over boredom of comments. Best way to be stamped tourist from 100 feet away.
Never both short sleeves and short tops. Enough said.
Always well studied layering and scarves. I agree with Telly… scarves scarves scarves all over
Accessories…
And fit. For men having custom made shirts is very usual and I now have my pants made to order. Space being so scarce people buy less but splurge more…
I highly recomment the trench !
For shopping you will really enjoy yourself… just beware of the exchange rate that is really not on your side and stuff is Paris is already expensive as is (ohhh so expensive…). (yet exchange rate is on my side hehe, I live by jcrew tall clothes as tall lines are scarce in France… I have it delivered to my mom in Canada and shipped back
)
If you want to see pictures go to the website of Garance Doré or on the La Redoute catalogue section soft grey http://www.laredoute.fr/achat-soft-grey-femme-voir-toute-la-collection.aspx?categoryid=57380215. That catalogue order brand is not the best quality but it gives a good idea of Paris's casual look.
Enjoy your packing ! (I love packing for a trip !)
Diana- Genius point about pics 10years from now! I will definitely keep that in mind.
Chloe- I'm glad I'm not the only one not seeing it in JC right now
S- Great advice, thanks!
Telly- Yes! I need a new scarf or twelve
Anon-Thanks so much for your thoughts!! I'm a little baffled about what shoes to wear.. I don't know that I have any shoes that are truly comfortable, how sad is that lol.
I will definitely look at those links and see what I have in my wardrobe that will fit the look
Sounds like the coat is the big winner here.
I am going to try and check it out in store this weekend. I hope they have it because I am really not sure if I'd want a petite or regular
I know you're on a budget but from what pics you posted I know we have the same style..you would love The Elimovna Coat at anthropologie..
That blazer IS nice!! I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I know how you feel about wanting to look great in Paris…every time I go to New York I obsess over my packing, wanting to look super chic while I'm there. On the other hand, you know there will be plenty of opportunities to buy great things in Paris…so you want to save your money. It's definitely a tough decision.
Thanks Natalie, I will look for it!
Zoe-I'm really looking forward to trying the blazer. I wonder when we will see it released
Shannon, I saw the blazer in-store today. Not sure if it's an in-store only product. It's really nice-tailored, fits close to the body.
Yay! Thanks Susan, I'll look for it!
I know this may be boring, but I wore boots with knee-high socks underneath. I went in December, and it was very cold and raining. I hate for my feet to be wet, so boots it was.
When you are there, also pay a lot of attention to the use of color. My favorite color is gray, but I was in a gray-black-white rut. After my visit, I wear gray with blue, pink, yellow, green…any color under the sun! I love the Parisian style and I feel like I learned a lot, and I was only there for 10 days!!
I saw that plaid coat in-store last night. Cute but the fabric was so stiff and rough (does that make sense?) I didn't even try it on because it didn't seem like it could possibly be comfortable. I was eyeing it too, but it's a pass for me.
Tried that skirt on in navy last night (pic on my blog) and it's adorable. I loved the color you posted as well.
Oh and you need the Wavelet blouse! I love it.
Thanks for your thoughts Kim! I saw the plaid coat in store today and your right, it is stiff.
I couldn't try it on because they only had sz 6 and up but it felt too heavy as well. I don't think it will work for my trip.. I want something you can through over your arm or bag when the day warms up.
How lucky for you, Shannon! You'll have such a great time shopping, eating, and people watching and of course, seeing the sights! If I may throw in my 2 cents, I must say Anon 9:23 is spot-on with her advice. I would save your money for shopping in Paris and look to what's already in your closet to put together outfits. The 2 most important things: comfortable shoes and a great jacket/outerwear. We were there last May and it was warm enough to just wear a lightweight boyfriend blazer. We did a lot of walking around the city (there's great neighborhoods to explore!) so comfy shoes are a must. I saw a lot of gladiator sandals and Converse and surprisingly, few ballet slippers. Maybe consider finding a pair of comfortable-but-edgy and low-heeled booties to wear with skinny jeans (which, along with leggings, were what most of the hip young things wore). Wear a great scarf with your trench or leather jacket or blazer and you're good to go! No one will care what's underneath the jacket; in fact, most of what I saw were very basic, American Apparel-type tees beneath the stylish scarf & jacket topper.
After you get a flavor for what the stylish Parisians wear, go splurge and get that great bag, shoes, or jacket as a great souvenir of your trip! Just remember that most stores & boutiques close on Sundays and keep much shorter hours than in the US so do your shopping on Saturday or weekdays. Have fun & post your finds!
Thanks for your post Francesca! You've reminded me to get back on track with what I need to be shopping for. I need to focus on a jacket and comfortable boots and stop being distracted by pretty tops lol.