I wanted to call it "Paris for Dummies" (Paris pour les nulles), or "Quicky Paris" but I guess people are more skilled on Paris these days
(or have a tripadvisor App), so a fashion Paris on a plate it is...
I was inspired by
Garance Dore's question of what/where to visit in Paris. Reading the comments of the rest of the girls made me realise I kinda knew some good spots already: Colette, Marais & the latest hype of the & Other Stories shop. I would recommend her to go skating during Fridaynight (
here), but would I like to be responsible if the great Garance would blog about her broken leg the day after? Not so much?
Nevertheless, tons of blogs have shopping guides: I'd just add my two cents to see if you like what's served on this plate:
Neighbourhood -
Rue St. Honore
* & Other Stories
The latest member in the family of H&M, COS...only more pinteresty/tumbler-esque/etc. Funkier than Zara: I consider it Balenciaga on a budget.
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| shopping at & Other Stories |
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| shoes downstairs! |
When you can find things online the real shop might not entice you. But they actually had more than online. I totally passed on a black leather jacket with a white collar that I shoulda bought
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| LBBJ with a quirky collar detail |
*Balenciaga [replace by your own fave designer]
If only for that excellent window-instalments but for me to see the real deal in real life.
Or, something I haven't dared yet:
Chanel at Place Vendome
Alice Delilah is the model/face for Chanel, which gives it a cool girl feel again, just like Gabriella Chanel used to be in her days.
*Colette
Sometimes superfriendly goodlooking people, sometimes snobs...but I love their book-section.
* Tuileries
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| time for the park |
Probably know as
THAT place where all streetstyle photos are taken during fashionweek. Don't expect too many beautiful, fashionable people in non-fashionweeks. It's
égalité and the park is for everyone.
Mornings for the sporty crowd:
Afternoon
The romantic crowds & the tourists
But it's still a great walk and many tourist take their huge cameras with them, so you can dress up fashionable and act like your a
[retiring/overweight/underweight/in-rehab-but-almost-back-on-track-KateMossish (aka small)] model instead: it's all about attitude.
* Food
Oh right, gotta eat while you pretended to be a model at Tuileries?
There is lots of sushi but I personally don't like it (
I prefer Teriyaki). I'd say you
throw a Marie Antoinette and head for the
LaDuree instead for Macarons: Just one, and
take tiny bites, and then go running in Tuileries to get the calories
off (just kidding, unless you are really a model, ofcourse).
or,
Japanese Delicacies:
Something delicious from Aki Boulanger. It's a Japanese pastry shop close to the Louvre.
* Fragance
How to act expensive while you smell cheap or standard? Go find yourself to elite perfumer Jovoy and say you like something that matches your personality
.
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| That man was startled when I took a photo |
Marais:
After you escaped the decadence of Rue St. Honore, you do a complete turnaround and go vintage shopping at Marais...You smell expensive already, so it might diffuse the old stuff you will be sniffing soon.
So you basically avoided the scales after that
one macaron? (
Oh, who were you kidding, you finished the box within 3 minutes): Let's hit the scales for the clothes:
Kiloshop
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| weighting a pink boucle coat: €23 |
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| elegant Paris: plenty of Boucle coats |
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| another girl browsing at Kiloshop |
*I've discussed
free P'shop before
't was a whole lot busier than when I visited it in 2010: total crowdness...s
huffle and sniff...
To show off on instagram that you have more interest than fashion...or perhaps you could bring your camera and do outfitshots in secret (
sssttt, I won't tell): that would totally be more original than the Tuileries crowd on fashionblogs, right?
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| always wanted to know about 19th century Photography? |
* Food
Lots of patiserries and other good food: I sniffed too many vintage to be hungry so I haven't eaten anything in Marais.
Canal St. Martin
You've seen the expensive Rue St Honore, you got your vintage fix at Marais, now some labels you like: Maje, APC & Sandro.
Canal st. Martin is somewhat like Marais before it gotten famous, I guess. It has some fab speciality shop & some excellent outlets of the big French brands, but there are not that many tourist to be found yet. The food is excellent, varying from middle East, Thai, Nepalese, Chilean and some other varieties.
Big Department stores
There is something utterly relaxing about a department store: you find everything in a smaller range and you can even sit down for a cup of coffee (or LaDuree again).
Le Printemps:
Marc Jacobs often has this gorgeous pop-op store layout. They sell Manolos too and most of the designer brands.
Galleries Lafayette
Messier than I have seen in Marseille, actually too messy, but still fun for some cheaper cashmere. But skip it if you are just in for a quicky.
Museums/art
Art is everywhere in Paris, not just the museums:
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| in a hall in Marais |
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| Modern Art in window display |
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| Hotel: this lady's having better sensual time than me |
So much art going on in Paris: just pick the one that you fancy the most and forget about the crowd's favourites. Check the running exhibitions out beforehand for your own personal best.
That was my personal run-a-ton Paris. The women at Garance Dore's blog [here] had a lot of tips/links too. Don't do too many monuments: they will probably stay there when you are 50-something and you will finally understand the value of monuments, but now...not yet!
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