Tenue du jour - Hip hippie Monday

jacket: Uniqlo /shirt and scarf: h&m/ skirt: Comptoir des Cotonniers/shoes: André / bag: YSL

I have a few days off (yay!), so I'll post a bit more. 

Here's what I wore today. 

I love that Comptoir des Cotonniers skirt that I got in a consignment store a couple of years ago but find the print and colors to be a little overwheming especially when I wear it with another colorful top. 

So to tone down its boho vibe, I teamed it with a shirt and a blazer (which was much needed considering the low temperatures for August) to give a tailored edge to this outfit.

Outtakes: 3 Summery dresses and 1 chilly outfit

dress: h&m
sandals: André
bag: YSL

dress: Etoile IM

sleeveless  tee : Petit Bateau

shoes: André

bag: YSL

dress: Uniqlo
bag: Celine
shoes: André

sweater: APC
jeans and belt: h&m
bag: Céline
shoes: Lanvin

Tenue du jour - It's now or never!

I bought this dress on eBay a while ago and I think it's the second or third time tops that I'm wearing it. 

For once, as the season is coming to an end I can honestly say that I'm not fed up yet with my Summer closet!
It's a typical look I reach for on the (last) hot days: a little cotton or linen dress, sandals, a bag and voilà, done! It's pulled together yet fresh enough to stand the heat in the city.

dress/robe: Etoile IM
bag/sac: YSL
sandal(e)s: André

Tenue du jour - Enfin l'été! Summer at last!

Just when I'm starting to do some Fall shopping, the weather finally turns around. It didn't stop me from buying a mohair knit by Isabel Marant's Etoile line.
Sneak peek in the first pic.

dress/robe: H&M Trend new collection
sandales / shoes: André
sac/bag: YSL

Cette vieille chose

I've owned these corduroy trousers for more than 5 years, they've followed me throughout the years, adapting and surviving to all kind of phases: worn badboy style, clad with leather and sneakers and in a more classic way, with sharp blazers and pumps. On hold from time to time, never had I the impulse to part with them.

A few days ago, as I was meeting my mother, she pointed out the black blouse I was wearing saying  "oh cette vieille chose" (oh, that old thing!). It's  from Zara and at least 10 years old.

We couldn't help but laugh remembering when she repaired it for me and tried to figure out since when I had it in my closet.

If it ain't broke why replace it, I then added. The moment I said it, I realized that it's not that simple. What I know is that nor the trousers or the blouse were overthought purchases and yet years later I still enjoy them.

I've given up on still in perfect condition clothes in the blink of an eye without any regret, but some hold a je ne sais quoi which make them stand the test of time.

jacket and trousers: Etoile IM

shirt: h&m
scarf: Zara
sandals: Bata
bag: YSL

What I wore last thursday

I won't be ranting about the temps de cochon awful weather we've had these past weeks. I just adapted my Summer fashion aspirations and traded little colorful dresses and flat sandals for jackets, cropped trousers and closed shoes. 

When I count the very little number of times I've been able till now to wear 100% Summer clothes, it only strengthens my belief that spending and buying a lot on these "warmer" seasons is not worth it this side of the old continent.

When it comes to workwear, what I've worn most frequently lately were actually mid-season clothes: 
Etoile cropped jacket or Zara trench, conservatively cut tees (a modest round collar cut, no deep V neck, not sheer), shirts, ankle cut trousers and brogues or ballet flats. 
As for week-ends, I've relied on the same kind of outerwear, a variety of jeans, slim cargos and my destroyed sneakers. 

So in conclusion (completely self-congratulatory) I feel even more satisfied of my Summer shopping restraint.

Now if only the sun could come out, I still want to wear those little colorful dresses... No I'm not ranting, just expressing myself.

I couldn't take a pic of what I wore last Thursday so I made this Polyvore set.

What I wore last thursday by Rouge noir featuring shoulder bags

Jacket and linen tee : IM Etoile

black cropped trousers : Gap

bag: h&m

slingback patent wedges: New Look

my Opex watch and D&G eyeglasses

Backlog

M.I.A for more than a month... Sorry for this long unintentional break as these outfits pics below are actually a month old and I expected to post much earlier. 

Since then, Summer turned to early Fall or Spring depending on how optimist and upbeat one appreciate the weather.

As much as I love clothes and enjoy dressing up and down, lately my mood wasn't set into exhibiting purchases (as a matter of fact I barely did any shopping) and was too lazy to take pictures of my outfits. I was plainly bored with blogging. 

I cut down my web attendance to a minimum thinking it would be harder to avoid idle browsing on and off the web but showers of promotional mails and massive sales hysteria (I spotted a Zara store closed because of a fight with sales assistants hiding behind doors on the first day of sales !! Isn't that crazy!?) actually helped to put distance with some habits...

We'll see how it goes but I intend to keep my blog activity to a slower pace.

 Uniqlo linen jacket, h&m tee, IM Etoile shorts (SS sales), André sandals, YSL tote.

 IM Etoile dress (SS sales) the one spotted on Totokaelo, André sandals and YSL tote

h&m jacket, skirt, WE tee, New Look sandals, YSL tote

Blue Sunday

Knit: h&m

shirt: Uniqlo

trousers from Africa

sandals: André

scarf: Zara

bag: Gap

One more proof of my addiction to blue right now.

I wore that to the traditional Sunday morning trip to the market, got a few fruits and veggies, a baguette and poulet rôti (roasted chicken).
We're having a longer week-end in France thanks to the Pentecost so no work on Monday. It's so quiet in Paris, such a nice change of pace. Almost feels like Summer holidays are here.
Have a great week!

3 things

1) This is my office uniform at the moment.  

A shirt, straight/flare dark trousers paired with slight wedges or flats. Over it all, a light jacket or a trench depending on the weather and a tote. 

Straightforward, no nonsense outfit that I like a lot and repeat often.

Summer bonus: Not putting on thousands of layers which allows me to sleep longer!

jacket: Etoile IM 

shirt, trousers: h&m

sandals: New Look

bag: Céline

2) Colors of the moment: blue, beige and grey. 

All my outfits seem to revolve around these 3 colors ranges lately, combined or not. 

Navy blue can be luminous or dark depending on which color it's mixed with, conservative and preppy or completely relaxed. 

I especially have a fondness for the Touaregs indigo blue and tend to wear lots of that tint. 

Beige and grey of course are an easy complement to blue. Grey is an all season favorite so I always have my year-round basics grey to rely on : tees, trousers, skirt.

The beige/kaki range is also a no-brainer to mix, I prefer it to white which can be a bit too bright against my skin tone.

3) What to wear when the day is warm, yet it drizlles, then rains heavily, next the sun shows up and we're back to the rain? 

You get my point: crazy weather is what we're having in Paris lately. Too warm for the trench, not rainy enough for rain boots. 

In that situation, the footwear of choice were my Isabel Marant black leather boots but as I wore them all Fall Winter and Spring, I won't say I don't like them anymore, just a bit bored with them at the moment.

Then I remembered my brogues. I had worn them already at work but never on a day-off. 

Once that point was cleared up, the rest followed easily: linen jacket, navy knit and my favorite jeans rolled up.

jacket : Uniqlo

knit, jeans : h&m

scarf: Zara

brogues: New Look

bag: Céline

A la façon de...

Here's my interpretation of the Steven Alan lookbook style. 

Neutral colors, a pleated skirt, accessories kept to the minimum, slightly tailored items like a shirt or a jacket to pull it all together.  

As Lin pointed out it's easy to recreate the looks with basics from one's closet. 

Uniqlo linen jacket
h&m grey sweater, sleeveless shirt and scarf
Zara skirt
Minelli espadrilles wedges
Céline tote

Outtakes 2

A few outfits from these past days with some new items which have incorporated my closet. Just typical days-off in the city Summer dressing.

 

dress: Etoile IM

sandals: André

blouse, jeans: h&m

sandals: André

scarf: Zara

bag: Gap

jacket: Etoile IM

grey denim skirt, scarf: h&m

sandals: André

bag: Gap

cardi: h&m

sleeveless tee: ?

trousers: Zara

sandals: André

bag: Gap

jacket, boots: Etoile IM

tee: Zara

jeans: h&m

scarf: IM

bag: Celine

Last week

Hello readers, all I can muster up right now is this little outfit post.

Tuesday - work : 

Light beige jacket: Etoile Isabel Marant

navy tee: Marks and Spencer

grey bootcut trousers: Gap

high heeled sandals: André

blue batik scarf: from a Paris gare du Nord store

sequin tote: Vanessa Bruno.

Wednesday - work : 

jacket: h&m

navy tee: WE

grey pencil skirt: h&m

pumps: Jonak

Wax printed scarf: from I don't know where exactly in West Africa

bag: Gap

Thursday - work: 

trench: Zara

black and white stripped tee: Monoprix

cropped black slim: Gap

tote and scarf: h&m

Friday - Going to the movies: I was really disappointed in that "Thor" film. Expected more from Mister Branagh.

Jacket, scarf, belt, jeans: h&m

tee: bought in Niagara Falls

boots: I. Marant

bag: A. Wang

At this moment, most of my free time is consumed by the cleaning up of the house, piling up clothes, books, mags, stuff and editing what I want to keep, throw out, sell, donate. It's still a work in process but my space is getting clearer. 

As a result, my shopping has been limited to replacing one essential item, the white tee that I got from Etoile IM.

shopheist

May 3rd edit : And found a pic of my new APC stripped sweater

Net a Porter

Easter week-end

It's been so hot in the Paris area, almost as if we were already in Summer. After a little mental resistance, I finally caved in and enjoyed the warm weather. 

For this Easter week-end, I even opted for sandals and shorts!

Shirt: h&m
Trousers:IM Etoile
Sandals: Zara
Bag: Gap 

Shirt, shorts : h&m
sandals: New Look
Bag: Gap

In the mix this week

It was a girly, colorful and mixed up week in celebration of the Summer-like days we had.

- A bit of Africa, with a printed Dutch wax tissue :

I bought the tissue on a market in Africa and had a tailor make me this little skirt.

Trench: Zara Basic

Linen/cotton navy knit : h&m
skirt made in Africa 

Bag: Gap

Espadrilles wedges: Minelli

- A girly variation on Wednesday:

Trench: Zara Basic

Linen/cotton navy knit and skirt : h&m

Bag: Vanessa Bruno

Espadrilles wedges: Minelli

- Retro Africa with a Malick Sidibé "Nuit de Noël' inspiration: a  full skirt indigo cinched waist batik printed dress 

Dress made in Africa 

Bag : Vanessa Bruno

Espadrilles wedges: Minelli

Tenue du jour - Army at work

N° of army jackets/parkas in my closet: 3
N° of army trousers (slim, cargo, skinny) : 4

I think these numerus definitely non clausus (I could also add the Gap bag) qualify me as an utily clothes repeat offender. 

Maybe it's a subconscious acknowledgement of some family connections to law and order forces or the lingering of my teenager hip-hop years but I have a strong taste for anything kaki green with pockets and zips. 

Usually my slouchy army jackets are restricted to days off but my latest one is a bit more fancier so I decided to include it in my work uniform.

Army jacket, knit : h&m

Trousers: Zara

Pumps: Jonak

Bag: Gap 

scarf: Cos

Back to life, back to reality

I've had this song's chorus very appropriately in my head since I came back in Europe. 

Today, my reality is métro, boulot, dodo and will be till the next holidays. 

Trench: Zara Basic - Fall 2010

Knit: Etoile IM - Spring 2011

Cropped trousers: Gap - Spring 2011

Ballet flats: Lanvin - old

Bag : Gap - Spring 2011

Scarf: Isabel Marant - 2/3 years old

Tenue du jour - HepMoss

Clearly a case of Moss and Hepburn influence in that look.

Leather jacket  - Asos

Nude blouse - h&m

Scarf - Cos

Cropped trousers - Gap

Bag - Balenciaga 

Ballet flats - Lanvin

Tenue du jour - Spring's little pleasures

No surprises here, I'm constant with what I had in mind for Spring work look.

Some of my Spring's little pleasures are about:

• bringing back cherished items which were stored away all Winter and,
• to actually feel air on patches of skin which haven't been exposed to the outside world in months.

Today, I enjoyed both. I brought back my favorite (and only) black pumps and took off the jacket, rolled my knit sleeves to bare forearms in a warm and comfortable air. Such a great feeling.

Knit: Etoile IM (FW 2010-11)

Trousers: Zara Basic (Fall 2010)

Pumps : Jonak (Spring 2010)
Bag: Gap (Spring 2011)

Shift

It's officially Spring: the sun is shining bright, the air is warm but I took this outfit pic last Friday and at the time we were back in weather limbo mode.

I'm off to vote and enjoy this Sunday.

coat: comptoir des Cotonniers

shirt: Ann Demeulemeester

jeans: Isabel Marant

boots: Etoile

scarf: Cos

Tenue du jour - A taste of Spring

Here is what I wore yesterday on a Spring-like day in Paris, with lots of sunshine and clement temperatures (15°c !). So hard to stay confined to the office.

It was a simple outfit, grey and beige combination: grey wool jacket (my beige trench is at the dry-cleaner otherwise I would have worn it), a light cotton knit in a natural light beige color, grey tappered trousers and two-tone ballet flats.

I had brought my old and very comfortable Lanvin flats in case the Chanels were unbearable at the end of the day but the verdict is in: they are very comfortable. No pains or unpleasant rubbing. What a relief. I'd have hated if they had turned out to be one of those nasty pernicious shoes which feel great inside but are a nightmare once you actually set a footwear them in the street!  

Depending on the weather of course, variations of this look will be one of my main business uniform: jacket or trench, cropped trousers, flats or pumps, that I have to bring back from storage... Spring is in the air!

jacket, knit: Etoile IM
trousers: Zara
ballet flats: Chanel