Category Archives: Personal style

Where is spring in Paris?

Ladurée strawberries

Where is spring in Paris? I am asking this as cold rain is pouring on the first day of May. The weather of the past few days makes you hesitant to shed your winter coat. It even snowed in France last week. So how can we make sure spring is present in our everyday lives as it ought to be by now?

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Spring for me reveals itself first and foremost in nature, with flowers blooming and birds happily chirping about. Which is why I fled to the flower market on the Ile de la Cité a few weeks ago when the weather was really dreary. Located a minute away from Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the lush alleys bordered by all sorts of plants and flowers will make you forget that you are in the middle of a bustling city. On Sundays, the experience is even stronger as the market welcomes birds that sing their heart out.

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To be honest, I first realized it was supposed to be spring in Paris when I noticed this box in a Ladurée window a couple of months ago.

Ladurée box

The gourmet stores have managed to bring us welcomed touches of sunshine: desserts made with spring fruits and decorated with flowers can only cheer you up.

Ladurée framboise fraises

Pierre Hermé

Fauchon

Fauchon éclair

To create a warm atmosphere in my apartment, I favor an old trick of the trade: candles with floral or green fragrances such as Diptyque’s spring selection or Cire Trudon’s Prolétaire. There is nothing more heart-warming though than sniffing a spring-like scent that you love on your wrist. For me, that would be my old favorite Chanel N°19 with notes of iris, moss and white flowers. I also splurged on Guerlain’s L’Heure de Nuit: when I tried this new perfume with bergamot, orange blossom, iris, jasmine, rose, and musk, I had to have it.

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And what should we wear? I’m not sure I’d recommend the light summer clothes sold in stores for nowadays, as I would not want you to catch pneumonia. I find it easier to play on accessories: a silk Hermès scarf tied around a sparkly Vanessa Bruno bag can easily cheer up any look. The same goes for pastel and bright nail polish: French natural brand Kure Bazaar has great new colors for this season.

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Kure Bazaar vernis bleu

And lastly, because art is the solution to many things, I love to get lost in the paintings of Impressionists to believe that I am actually walking in Giverny. These pictures of Monet’s water lilies were taken at Musée Marmottan, but I’d suggest you’d rather go to the breathtaking Musée de l’Orangerie to admire them.

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Musée Marmottan Claude Monet 2 tableaux

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Has spring really set in where you live? What are your favorite things about this season?

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Filed under Art, Beauty, Food, Paris, Personal style

French dressing in New York City

I realized during my recent stays in France that my New York City wardrobe is not exactly suitable for a Parisian lifestyle. New Yorkers tend to dress up when they go out so I felt overdressed at my favorite Montparnasse restaurant. Likewise, American women love leggings and mini-skirts, clothes that could easily lead to fashion faux pas in Paris.

To tell you the truth, this is all quite amusing, if not confusing. My closet is still largely French. My style icons (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sofia Coppola, Emmanuelle Alt) live in Paris. But I have been undeniably influenced by the fashion surrounding me in New York: more daring, more colorful and more casual (except at night). Even the change of neighborhood from Midtown to Soho played a role in my style evolution: adieu corporate looks, bonjour DKNY leggings and T by Alexander Wang mini-skirt!

At the last MOMA Night, my look was typical of this phenomenon. And yet I was wearing only French brands bought recently in Paris. Since you loved the personal style post I published in August for my birthday, I thought you’d like to see another one.

My leather jacket comes from the new Comptoir des Cotonniers collection. I treasure it for its versatility: I can wear it with jeans or leggings for a Downtown silhouette, with a skirt or a dress to counterbalance their sweetness, and with black pants for a more corporate look.

I’m wearing it over a tank top from Petit Bateau, a brand I told you about here.

The Lotarcie skirt is from the new Maje collection. I love the drapery in the front. I’ve been wearing more and more skirts and dresses since living in New York and adding a cheerful touch of bright color to my look is brand new for me. By the way, Maje just opened a 3rd store in New York on Prince Street. That’s 3 Maje stores within walking distance of my home. Very dangerous.

As for the shoes, they are the Picon model from K.Jacques. I ordered them in their tiny store in Le Marais where I chose the design, color and leather. My sandals were then made by the K.Jacques craftsmen in Saint-Tropez and lo and behold, they were delivered 2 weeks later at my New York office. I could easily wear them every day and obviously Kate Moss loves them too.

My Lanvin clutch and Hervé van der Straeten bracelet need no introduction.

Have you ever noticed an evolution in your personal style after moving to a new place, whether a country, a city or a neighborhood?

Wearing: Comptoir des Cotonniers Mora leather jacket, Petit Bateau tank top, Maje Lotarcie skirt, K.Jacques Picon sandals, Hervé van der Straeten cuff, Lanvin Happy clutch

Pictures by Sarah from Style on the Couch – Merci Sarah!

Je me suis rendue compte lors de mes récents séjours en France que ma garde-robe new-yorkaise n’était pas forcément adaptée à la vie parisienne. Les New-Yorkaises s’habillent beaucoup plus pour sortir alors j’étais “overdressed” au restaurant. De même, les Américaines sont adeptes des leggings et mini-jupes qui peuvent facilement constituer des fashion faux-pas à Paris. Bref, pas évident de s’y retrouver. Je reste une adepte des marques françaises. Mes “fashion icons” (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sofia Coppola, Emmanuelle Alt) sont françaises ou très influencées par le style parisien. Mais je suis indiscutablement influencée par la mode que je vois à New York : plus osée, plus colorée, plus casual aussi (sauf en soirée). Même le fait de déménager de Midtown à Soho a changé ma garde-robe : adieu vêtements corporate, hello leggings DKNY et mini-jupe T by Alexander Wang ! Lors de la dernière MOMA Night, j’avais un look bien représentatif de ce phénomène. Pourtant je ne portais que des marques françaises achetées dernièrement à Paris. Comme vous aviez beaucoup aimé mon style post en août à l’occasion de mon anniversaire, j’ai pensé que ça vous ferait plaisir d’en avoir un nouveau !

Le blouson en cuir vient de la nouvelle collection Comptoir des Cotonniers. Je l’adore pour son côté versatile : je le porte avec un jean ou des leggings pour une tenue rock, avec une jupe comme ici ou une robe pour casser le côté sweet, ou en veste de tailleur avec un pantalon noir. Je le porte sur un débardeur Petit Bateau. Je vous avais déjà présenté la marque ici.

La jupe vient de la nouvelle collection Maje (modèle Lotarcie). Encore une influence de New York ! Je porte en effet beaucoup plus de jupes et de robes depuis que je vis ici. La touche de couleur vive est nouvelle pour moi aussi. J’aime beaucoup le drapé devant. A propos, Maje vient d’ouvrir une 3ème boutique à New York sur Prince Street.

Quant aux chaussures, il s’agit du modèle Picon de K.Jacques. Je l’ai commandé dans la minuscule boutique du Marais où j’ai pu choisir le design, la couleur et la qualité du cuir. Mes sandales ont ensuite été fabriquées artisanalement dans l’atelier de Saint-Tropez et – surprise ! – 2 semaines plus tard elles atterrissaient sur mon bureau à New York. J’ai du mal à ne pas les mettre tous les jours. En plus, je viens de voir que Kate Moss aime bien ce modèle aussi. Je ne vous présente plus ma pochette Lanvin et mon bracelet Hervé van der Straeten.

Et vous, avez-vous déjà remarqué que vivre dans un nouvel endroit, que ce soit ville ou un quartier, influence votre façon de vous habiller ?

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Filed under Fashion, Personal style