An American Girl in Paris; Thoughts on Parisian Women's Fashion

Bonjour!

I have just returned home from my trip to Paris and as cliché as it is may sound, I fell in love with the city. In one week I managed to see so much from the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Louvre to Versailles. While exploring the notable sites I also did some observing of my own on the fashion and personal style of French women and have come to several conclusions.

Conclusion 1: "They love the color black"

This is not a surprise since French designer, Coco Chanel invented the little black dress. Most of the women wear a clothing color palette of dark tones from black, gray, to navy. 

Conclusion 2: "Scarves are wardrobe staples"

Scarves were everywhere in Paris and I loved it. I am pretty sure the ratio of women wearing scarves to not wearing scarves is 100 to 1. Needless to say, if you want to rock French fashion wear a scarf every day. This is also the one time that color is used in their wardrobes, from bold printed scarfs to bright colors.

Conclusion 3: "They like the idea of less is more for hair styling"

I'm not saying they do not do anything to their hair, I know they wash it and probably put in a styling product but the look is low maintenance. The hair is mostly worn down with natural hair texture being shown off, no curling irons or straighteners look like they are put to use. French women also keep coloring their hair to an easy and effortless look. I noticed a lot of balayage highlights and hair color as close to a natural tone as possible. My blonde-American-self stuck out just a bit in Paris. 

Conclusion 4: "Minimal make-up with a bold lip is a must"

I think Sephora might be going out of business in Paris with the amount of make-up I did not see being worn. However, French women have beautiful skin so I am sure they are purchasing quality skin care products instead of make-up. A basic make up regimen would include; tinted-moisturizer, mascara, eye liner and lipstick. I noticed a lot of bold lip color choices from reds to plums.

To sum it up, French women have a style and sophistication to their look that is incomparable to that in the states. My new daily reminder is W.W.F.W.D...."what would French women do."

Top of the Eiffel Tower (scarf one of many)

Notre Dame/Lock Bridge (look at that bright red scarf)

Versailles (floral printed scarf for the gardens, duh)

Dreaming of Paris and a Chanel Supermarket

We have a winner... Thank you to all who voted!

To begin, something amazing is in store me this coming week. I have the opportunity to travel to Paris, yes, PARIS, for one week through my university. Paris has always been a city that I have dreamed of traveling to because it is full of culture, history, art and fashion. This experience that I will embark on is sure to change my life forever and I cannot wait.

The timing couldn't be more perfect for me to bring you some insight into Paris Fashion Week which has just come to an end. The collections were all amazing but there was one in particular which required my full attention in this blog post. Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into a supermarket and it was nothing short of fabulous. Models passed through the aisles of the supermarket grabbing items off the shelves stacked with Chanel branded produce and canned goods. Some of the models even pushed shopping carts. It was a great play on pop culture and consumerism, showing that you can wear Chanel while doing everyday tasks like grocery shopping. Andy Warhol would appreciate the pop culture sentiment in Lagerfeld's show.

The hair inspiration to take away from the collection was minimalist in nature. The models hair was worn with a center-part slicked back, low pony. The look is very wearable now as we approach Spring/Summer and even into Fall/Winter. To achieve the long and sleek length of the ponytail, I recommend a hair piece to give you that added volume. In addition to the pony, Chanel added "RAGTWEEDS", strips of different fabrics that were wrapped around the pony to add that fashion element.

Photo courtesy of Benoit Peverelli

Above is the full length video from the Chanel show courtesy of YouTube. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the collection. 

Are you wow'd by the show? 

Wishing this store was real? 

Needing to re-think your "going-to-the-supermarket" attire now?

Oscars: Score Board

If you have been listening to all the social media buzz, you are sure to know that the 2014 Oscar ceremony was a success! The pizza party, famous Twitter selfie, memorable speeches and not so perfect announcements (Adela Dazeem) were all the highlights from the night. Aside from an evening of celebrating great cinema accomplishment, it was also an evening for celebrities to wear their best looks.
I noticed a more muted look for the night from make up to hair. Most of the hairstyles were worn down, with a polished finish even Emma Watson's messy look still had an elegant appeal to it.We all have our favorites and least favorites, but I want to keep it on a positive note with this blog and make it fun!
Cast your vote (poll is posted above), for your Oscar favorite from the following images. I will tally up the scores in a week to reveal the winner. If your favorite isn't on here, let me know and we can include them as well.

I was going to one for the gentlemen of the evening, but let's be honest, Jared Leto clearly has the best hair. Swoon.

All Images Courtesy of Glamour. UK.

I Adorn You

So what is trending for Spring/Summer 2014 for hair looks? Adorning your hair with accessories! In my recent issue of Glamour Magazine they did a great spread on a variety of hair adornments. I love them all.
For the free-spirit girl, there is an abundance in floral pieces. From flower crowns like Lana Del Rey to simple flower pins. The look would be complete of course with that wavy-free-flowing hair. Love it.
My other favorite is the elastic ponies with embellishments. It is a great way to take a sleek pony or even a messy pony and polish it off. There are a variety of looks from simple metallic finishes to bejeweled ties.
Headbands are also back for the season, not like they ever went away to begin with. The look for headbands ranges from decorative bands to scarves tied in bows. This will be great for the hot and or rainy weather days when there is simply no hope for our hair, and a headband will do the trick to polish off our look.

Glamour February 2014

Some of my favorite stores to find these looks include.
ASOS
Forever 21
Urban Outfitters
Nasty Gal

Happy Shopping! Happy March! Happy Heads with Headbands.