Dear Banana Republic...

If you want to know why I'm returning these, just ask yourselves, "What's wrong with this picture?" I appreciate that you offer your "urban" jeans for those of us with derriere to spare, but how about making the pockets proportional? I'd rather not go about looking as if there's a postage stamp affixed to each cheek.
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This LA Life: The Big Hollywood Premiere Party™

Because of where we work and who we know, occasionally someone slips us tickets to a "red carpet" movie premiere and the "after-party," usually a noisy, Wolfgang Puck-catered affair in a giant tent set up in a parking lot somewhere.

The first couple of times we attended one of these, I was excited but absolutely panicked about what to wear. I had nothing "cool," (this is LA...), nothing remotely Sex-and-the-City-esque, and worried that we'd be barred entry at the door due to my imagined frumpitude. Of course, those worries were baseless. Sure, one sees the Starlet-Wannabees and the occasional Celebrity* but for the most part, attendees are a broad mix of people who work behind the scenes in the movie business and show up in their very best Dockers and Gap, young people dressed for the clubs they'll hit afterward, the Suits who have come directly from work, and various members of the public who have won radio contests or whatever. So (almost) anything goes. The unwritten code at these things is that it's better to be a little under-dressed than over-dressed, unless one is in the "going-clubbing-after" or "trying-to-land-a-slot-on-a-reality-show" demographics. For the rest of us, Trying Too Hard is a cardinal sin, and indicative that one is Not In The Industry. Ultimately, beyond a quick glance to ascertain that you are not Somebody Famous, no one pays any attention to what you're wearing.

We plebes do not walk the red carpet prior to the movie. We are ushered around to the side, asked for our passes 800 times, misdirected at least once, and herded like cattle first into the theater and then afterward (for those with the magic party passes) to the site a few blocks away where the music is already thumping and the lines at the bar stations are five deep. Tuesday night was no different. Usually by the time we actually get into the party tent, I'm already cranky and on the verge of sensory overload. (Despite my gregarious nature, I'm really not fond of crowds.) First order of business is an alcoholic beverage, then with the edge off I can tolerate the crush of people and noise and relax enough to observe and enjoy the scene. Best case scenario: we find some people we know to hang out with, score some seating, and locate the least crowded food and drink stations.

So what did I wear? I've learned to go with what's comfortable. Grey velvet tank and black beaded cardigan, my Gerard Darel big faux pearls, black jeans and my Fluevog boots.

To answer the questions I'm guessing you're asking:
1. No, I'm not a big Michael Jackson fan.
2. Yes, the movie is very impressive. If you are an MJ fan you will probably really love it.
3. The first vodka martini was just what the doctor ordered. The second was probably not my best move on a weekday night.

*Usually the actual Celebrities/Movie Stars™ are ushered off to a private, VIP party area, or leave once they're certain their picture has been taken.

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Foulard de la semaine

This is a slightly exaggerated version of a method of tying I observed frequently in Paris, done with the oblong or shawl-style scarves. If a larger scarf, it's often wound several times around the neck so that the ends don't hang down very far.

The Sartorialist has captured a version of this here.

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Paris Loot - les sacs!

Vraiment, I had not planned to buy any bags. In fact, I'm trying to reduce my inventory.

My first slip happened as a result of picking up some bags at Louis Vuitton for a friend.* The rumors are true; it really is cheaper to buy them in Paris. The price is a bit lower, even with the execrable exchange rate, there's no sales tax, plus non-European residents get back a 12% VAT refund. I know they've become a symbol of conspicuous consumption, but every time I visit one of the LV boutiques I surprise myself with how much I really like some of their pieces. Most of the canvas styles are lightweight and wear very well. After buying my friend's bags and realizing how much money she had saved, I caved and went for one I've actually been considering for some time. As is my tendency, I went for "classic with a twist," a classic Speedy 30 but in the Damier canvas which I prefer to the LV monogram design; it's a bit more subtle and not as often seen (or faked).

The Speedy, though handheld, is a great bag for traveling. It weighs next to nothing, holds quite a lot, and can take a lot of knocking around without showing wear. And when not in use, it folds flat for storage.

I really surprised myself with the second bag. Because one cannot buy Lancel bags in the US (except for the Duty Free shop at JFK Airport apparently) I wanted to peruse one of their boutiques just to see what these bags were about, after reading some good reviews over at the Purse Forum. Purely research, mind you; I was not familiar with their styles, and had not set out with a purchase in mind.

This bag did not catch my eye at first. I was looking at some of the simpler, more subtle styles. The sales associate pointed to one wall and indicated several bags that were 30-40% off, and that's when I noticed it. At first, the color was what piqued my interest. I loved the deep green, but this normally isn't the type of bag I go for. There's a lot of visual detail with the contrast stitching, braid trim and the drawstrings/tassels. But was a great color, it did have a strap long enough to wear the bag cross-body, it was 30% off, and the sales guy started showing me all of the different ways it could be worn...

and then I saw the lining.

I am an absolute sucker for cute lining. And this is one of the best ever.

This style of bag is called the "Premier Flirt" and it really did flirt with me, and won me over. It wasn't until later that I saw the color of the leather in natural light and realized just how rich and saturated this color is, and how high the quality of the leather.

When I unpacked at home, I discovered that the Lancel folks had also included a small book about the history and tradition of Maison Lancel. It's full of gorgeous vintage ads, drawings and photos. I'll work on translating some of it, and share more from the book in a later post. But in the meantime, below are a photo of Angèle Lancel, (whom, from what I'm gathering from the text in French was the initial brains behind the operation) and an ad for luggage in Art Deco style.

*and if you are planning a Louis Vuitton purchase while in Paris, skip the Champs Elysées and Avenue Montaigne stores, and head straight for the smaller, quiet boutique in the 6th just off Boulevard St. Germain. You'll be able to shop without having to fight your way through busloads of tourists, and will have several eager sales associates just waiting to assist you.

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Day Seven in Paris (and some additional observations on style)

Our last day began with a walk from our apartment over to Jardin des Plantes, which turned out to be further than it looked on the map as we had to walk all the way to the far side to enter. But it was a very pretty botanical garden, though many specimens were past their summer peak and beginning to go dormant for fall/winter. (So far, Jardin du Luxembourg still holds title as my favorite public garden in Paris.) We strolled and explored the gardens for about an hour, but soon the rain began to come down fairly steadily, and we decided to move on to get lunch and pick up some wines to bring home. We stumbled onto a lovely little wine shop in the 6th and began asking questions in French only to find that the manager was from California! He gave us some tastes and recommendations and we left with two bottles of very interesting reds, and picked up a couple of champagnes at another shop.

The very best part of the day, however, was being able to meet the fabulous Tish from A Femme d'un Certain Age! We rendezvoused in the afternoon at Angelina for a cup of the amazing chocolat chaud and what turned into hours of conversation. Tish is every bit as gorgeous, stylish, gracious, erudite, witty, warm and charming as you would imagine from reading her blog. We felt as if we'd known each other for years, and getting to meet her was a real treat and privilege.

Dinner for our last evening in Paris was at Christophe in the 5th (right near the Sorbonne, the streets awash with college-age kids). We'd heard that the food was great and the atmosphere lacking, but we found the minimalist, zen decor serene and soothing after a week of so much sensory stimulation. Yes, the food was as amazing as we'd heard. Back to the apartment to pack and crash, and the next day, an early morning cab to CDG. Always too soon we must leave!

I found some additional style notes I'd jotted down, and had forgotten to include in my style posts.

--Bags: hardware is minimal and mostly functional, few metallics are seen and those are more muted and subtle. (Did see some metallic shoes...gold Pumas, bronze ballet slippers.) Most bags observed still pretty substantial in size and soft, outnumbered the smaller structured "lady bags." Most of the more structured bags seen were croc-embossed (or real, peut-etre?). Did not see patent leather bags this time which were popular last fall, or flat square totes, unless cloth. Hermès Birkins still seen far more frequently than in the U.S. Some Louis Vuittons are seen, but more often the Damier canvas (my preference) than the more well-known "LV" logo design.

--Plain black tights far outnumber patterned versions, but occasionally the latter are seen, usually on younger women.

--Maquillage really is minimal and subtle, especially on les femmes d'un certain age. One doesn't see many brightly colored lips, frosted looks or obvious goopy glosses. No "raccoon" eyes. (Check out Tish's post from yesterday, enlarge the pics and you'll see what I'm talking about.) Likewise, you don't see the effects of very obvious plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures, (and if you do, the women are probably from the U.S., like the very loud and obnoxious American women who sat at the next table our second night at dinner discussing their various cosmetic procedures in more detail than fellow diners should be subjected to). No trout pout, unnaturally smooth or stiff skin, or cheekbones that could cut glass are observed among les Parisiennes.

--Not a lot of bling. I did see an occasional naturalistic rough stone or ethnic-inspired necklace, but one doesn't see women dripping in diamonds and gold chains, even the obviously wealthy ones. Jewelry is minimal and subtle for the most part.

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Paris style report: l'automne 2009 - Pants, Scarves

When it comes to les pantalons, denim continues to dominate, whether blue, black, grey or tan.

Skinny jeans, either tucked into boots or worn with ballet flats are still popular, but by no means the only style seen. Many women I spied, including les femmes d'un certain age, are wearing rolled or cropped pants (the better to showcase those great boots and shoes!).

Sometimes it's just a single, shallow roll, rather than the Full Boyfriend.

The woman wearing these pants was in her 60's and fabulous! Cropped silver hair, chic ensemble, and walking at such a fast clip with her friends that I had to follow her for several blocks to get a good shot of these pants.

Wide legged, cuffed trousers are also seen, worn at traditional lengths on women of all ages. (See yesterday's post, picture with Red Bag Woman or the second woman in the patterned coat for a typical examples.) Among the younger women, I spotted a few in baggy denim jeans/pants. What I didn't see were the very distressed or ripped denim jeans that seem to be having a heyday in LA.

One sees pants like these above, or M.C. Hammer-esque harem pants only very occasionally. The wearers appeared to be of a more artistic bent, and it does not appear that this style has made it into the mainstream, yet. Or perhaps cooler weather has consigned them to the back of armoires for the moment.

Capturing good scarf pictures was challenging, as almost everyone was wearing sweaters/coats over their scarves, due to the cool weather. However...

Les hommes are just as versed in les foulards as les femmes.

One sees every conceivable type of scarf worn, but the oblong or shawl versions wrapped several times around the neck (ends either loose or pulled up in a half-knot, which I'll show you later with one of mine) were what I observed most frequently. Much to my chagrin, I did notice that the only other women wearing Hermès carrés were quite a bit older and very conservatively dressed. When it comes to silk squares, one sees few if any fancy knots or ties; scarves are usually draped around the shoulders either over or under a coat or jacket, and loosely tied with a single knot, or worn loosely Ascot-style.

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Paris style report: l'automne 2009 - Glasses, Coats, Bags

Fully caffeinated, une femme once again takes to the streets in search of Paris style.

As previously mentioned, the predominant shape for eyeglasses among all ages is rectangular. Sunglasses show more variety, with aviators seeming to pull ahead of the pack among the more fashion-conscious.

The fur vests spotted in shop windows everywhere last year are still seeing some daylight.

I love this classic casual look below. What do we think...is the jacket Chanel or Chanel-esque?Trenches were ubiquitous, as well as leather and solid coats.

However I noticed a good number of patterned coats, and also a few with floral embroidery (which unfortunately I was not quick enough on the trigger to capture).

(Click on the one above to enlarge to see the pattern.)

The vast majority of bags seen were black, brown or grey, and of a slouchy shoulder statchel or tote style (think Gerard Darel "24" or similar), and several Vanessa Bruno totes with the sequin trim were spotted, as well as various cross-body bags. Bags sometimes provide a pop of color, most frequently red or purple.

I think the bag above is a Lancel. More about this brand to come...

Below is one of my very favorite street style shots, as it really captures how much diversity of style one sees in Paris. Click to see larger.

Next up, pants and scarves.

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Paris style report: l'automne 2009 - Boots and Sweaters

Une femme channeled her inner paparazzi a bit last week in an attempt to snap some surreptitious studies of les Parisiennes in their natural habitat.
I may have mentioned that boots were everywhere. From ankle to above-the-knee styles, les bottes seem to be de riguer right now. As I mentioned, the styles are a bit softer and more slouchy,

and often include some interesting detailing (bows, buckles, fringe, laces).

I really didn't spot many over-the-knee styles, and when I did, they were predominantly worn by younger women.

Another observed shoe trend is the low- to medium-heeled mary jane with a thick strap. Loafer/moccasin style shoes are also ubiquitous, and the occasional flat oxford/brogue style was spotted. Despite popular lore (and Fashion Week street style photos) one really doesn't see legions of women teetering around in stiletto heels.

Frequently seen were oversized, textured sweaters,

as well as those with ruffles, belts or other details.

Note that blacks, greys and other neutrals still predominate. Color, when seen, is usually worn as an accent.

More Paris style tomorrow!
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Unpacking Paris

Ah, if only I had a suitcase large enough I'd pack up Paris and bring la ville home with me....but some photos, mustards, wines, chocolates, boots, scarves and handbags must suffice. Paris is like an addiction pour moi; no matter how much I see and experience, I'm always wanting more.

(Whew! Twelve hours in coach with malfunctioning air-conditioning is not une femme's idea of Happy Trails. Still, we're happy to be home even if quite fatigués.)

Above is a small taste of some of the Paris street style pics I snapped. This woman's ensemble captures many of the predominant trends I noticed: pants tucked into boots, big textured sweater, slouchy shoulder satchel. (For the record, I'll take a pass on the big sweaters.) The guy is also wearing boots under the pants.

More to come!
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Day Six in Paris - Le Shopping

Yesterday we shopped for les cadeaux for folks back home, and a few items some friends had requested we pick up for them from Paris. We strolled up and down Boulevard St. Germain, and I was finally able to fulfill one of my Paris fantasies: a stop at Cafe Flore for a leisurely coffee and people watching from one of the sidewalk tables. These are the new boots again, worn with the black jeans, green cardigan. They have a bit of a heel, but not too much. Yes, that's a new scarf I picked up today at Gerard Darel. They'd sold out of the women's size in the leopard print, so this is a kid's one!

Last night's dinner was at Robert et Louise, and were seated downstairs in the cozy cellar. This is a really old-time Paris restaurant, for carnivores only. Everything was quite simple and good, nothing fancy, just meat cooked (barely) over a fire right in the upstairs dining room, and lovely potatoes and salad. We really enjoyed it!

Tomorrow we're planning to visit Jardin des Plantes, and the Musee Cluny if we have time, and do some more shopping, this time for some wines to bring home. Later in the afternoon we're meeting Tish from A Femme d'un Certain Age!! This will probably be my last update until next week, as we leave e a r l y Sunday morning for the long flight home.

A bientot!
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Day Five in Paris - Salon du Chocolat!!!!!!!!

This is going to be another excursion that warrants a full post next week, but let me just say...oh la la!!! Imagine a convention-sized space populated by some of the world's best chocolatiers giving out samples and selling their wares. Add some demonstrations, amazing chocolate sculptures and even fashions, and performances by musicians and dancers from some of the world's chocolate-producing regions, and you have a chocolate-lover's perfect day. We sampled until we couldn't taste another thing, and bought plenty to bring home. Fabulous!

We had an incredible dinner at Itineraires restaurant in the 5th. Even though the temperatures were dipping, it was a pleasant if brisk walk from our apartment. This is a place that's already achieved "destination dining" status, and we were lucky to be able to get a reservation. After all of the chocolate, I was hoping for something light yet savory and was not disappointed. My starter was a bit of lightly cured salmon topped with a dollop of lemon vodka sorbet, and the entree a rollup of tender lamb and a squash puree garnished with the most perfectly braised individual brussels sprout leaves. Heaven! Their desserts are also supposed to be fantastic, but after all of the chocolate, we just couldn't do it. Walking home, snapped this great pic of nighttime Notre Dame.

I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments. I've been very pleased with how my travel wardrobe has worked out so far, and wanted again to take a moment to thank Karen for helping me to coordinate.

Yes, I finally pulled out the skirt for last night's dinner! And yes, those are boots, new boots. I bought them at Arche on Wednesday; once I felt that buttery leather and slipped them on my feet, I knew they were coming home with me. They are beyond comfortable. Wore them all day underneath my black jeans and again to walk to dinner. Formidable!!!

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