Back in Paris?!

I took a mini-break this past weekend and jetted over to Paris for 3 days.  3 dinners, 3 lunches, 3 days to shop.  Oh wait, one of the days was Sunday, and other than in the Marais, there is no shopping to be done on Sundays.  Oh, and I was on a get-away with my dear husband, who didn't want to rabidly shop.  Not shocking.

How did I get any shopping done?!?  I consolidated the brands I wanted to look at (Massimo Dutti, Comptoir des Cotonniers, COS, Vanessa Bruno, Eric Bompard, Malene Birger) and figured that if I went straight to Galeries Lafayette, I could probably knock out a bunch of shopping in one place!  Brilliant! 

My tired husband and I arrived in Paris center on Friday morning around 9:30am, and headed straight to Galeries Lafayette after breakfast.  I was on the hunt for a couple of things and doing a little research as well.

With my research hat on, I wanted to visit Massimo Dutti, which is part of Zara's parent company.  I had seen an ad of theirs in Vogue, and liked the coat I saw so much that I started to check their stuff out online.  Price point was great, and I was really excited to see the store-in-store at Galeries Lafayette.

Unfortunately, in person, the clothing wasn't as fabulous.  It was the fabric (itchy) more than the cut of the clothing.  Maybe that's something to watch for in the future!  I'll stay tuned.

Then I put my errand hat on and raced over to the Eric Bompard section.  Yes, I love their cashmere, and this fall, I had been looking for a long, self-belted, black cardigan.  After more-than-a-little online research, I thought that the Kimono sweater was the one for me.  And sure enough, it was! (Please ignore the post-overnight-flight-room's-not-ready-ponytail.)

Image from eric-bompard.com.

Fitted sleeves, fitted at waist, and actually had an inside tie to keep the tucked flap of the sweater from shifting.  Dear husband made a face when I told him this was an investment piece, which it is.  I hope to wear it for years to come.  I had to continue my hunting there as Lisa wanted to expand her Eric Bompard v-neck sweater options; I picked up a light gray classic v-neck for her as well.

Image from eric-bompard.com.

After pawing a leopard coat in the Malene Birger section (didn't fit; was too boxy) and being disappointed with the fall lines of Comptoir and COS, I figured dear husband was running out of steam and patience, and a lunch break was needed.  I hated to leave Galeries Lafayette - the building is something else.

Over the next two days, I had some fun stops in random stores that yielded some good stuff.  While dear husband and I explored the Canal St. Martin area (beautiful!)...

... I wandered into an Antoine et Lili store.  Kind of whimsical for adults (there is a home and a kids line too), but I fell in love immediately with this cheap and cheerful, 28 Euro, silk scarf.  Totally useful!

Image from antonieetlili.com.

And later on Saturday, I found myself on rue St. Sulpice in the Vanessa Bruno store, fawning over their bags.  Again.  But for fall, they are SUEDE.  And I am a sucker for suede.  So I picked up a gray one of these. (The one on the very bottom is gray.)

Finally, I did a quick City Pharma run for Lisa's Nuxe lotion and yes, more Bioderma.  

OK, maybe I am a horder.  

I'm not sure when I might get back to Paris.  I kind of knew this weekend might come together this past summer, so I was definitely looking forward to it.  Going forward, who knows?!  Until then, I'll cozy up in my sweater(s) and scarves and every now and then, look at this photo from my run on Monday morning...

...or our walk through Luxembourg Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

À toute à l'heure! ~ JH

Unless noted otherwise, all images from Jennifer Houston.

Paris 2013: What we bought, Part 2

Even as I clicked the 'publish' button on the first post, I knew there were things I missed!  Oh well, dear readers, you will have to put up with another post on things we found in Paris.

I can't believe I forgot to include this one, which is a replacement item.  I left my Princesse Tam Tam bathrobe in Jamaica last Thanksgiving (along with other things - I have serious issues!) which I had purchased in Paris in the spring of 2012. Princesse Tam Tam is a great lingerie store in Paris that also has a swimwear line.  The robe is light cotton, knee-length, long sleeved, navy with a tie-waist.  It is, by far, the best bathrobe I've ever owned.  And not expensive either!  The total package. (They also had gray too, but I love navy.)

Image from princessetamtam.com.

It was actually the first thing I purchased upon arriving in Paris.  It packs well and is light-weight enough that you can dry your hair while wearing it without sweating.  Very important!  I was thrilled that they still had it a year later.  And while shopping with Lisa, we wandered into a Princesse Tam Tam shop where she promptly purchased one too.  She loves it just as much as I do.

(Do you see a theme here?  Yes, we have to call each other before heading out to events because we have so many same items of clothing.  But we always follow our rules of wardrobe etiquette.)

I digress.  While we were fondling that Gerard Darel suede car coat, I did happen to find a fabulous scarf!  It has TASSELS and lots of color (which, as you know, is a stretch for me).  Isn't it heaven?!

Image from maboutique.co.uk.

I think that's the end of our purchases.  We committed to seeking things that we can't find (at least easily) in the U.S., and I think we were pretty successful in staying the course on that. ~ JH

Paris 2013 - What we bought.

Finally - almost 2 months late, but we really wanted to wrap up our Paris trip and show you what we got!  Don't get TOO excited.  Our shopping endeavors were not as successful as prior trips.  Still, we did have to each check an extra bag on the plane back home.  Just saying.  So what DID we pick up?

I finally bit the bullet and bought one of Vanessa Bruno's iconic tote bags.  Very L.L. Bean looking, but updated with sequin trim.  Mine is the canvas color below, but the sequins are silver.  Love it.  Great summer bag.  Oh, and guess what?!  Lisa got one too!

Image from farfetch.com.

I picked up this top at Comptoir des Cotonniers because I thought it would be a great transition top over skinny, cropped black pants and heels.  And yes, it looks great over that.  Love the grosgrain ribbon details.

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

Speaking of Comptoir, Lisa picked up 2 dresses there that she thought would be useful for work yet fun.  What do you think?  The print dress is a no-brainer, while the white one was a lovely surprise.

Images from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

On day ONE, I HAD to swing by Eric Bompard to pick up another classic cashmere v-neck sweater.  This time, I chose a light, heather grey; if I wear it as much as I wear my navy and camel ones, it will be worth every penny.  I wear these to death in the transition seasons, with a tank top under and a scarf wrapped around my neck, over cords or jeans. I like to think of them as part of a 'uniform' that's easy to throw on and go.  But it's the quality of these sweaters that gives a polished look.  I will, in the future, try to pick one up each time I'm there.

Image from eric-bompard.com.

Onto shoes.  I'm having shopper's remorse on one item that I purchased in lieu of another that I REALLY wanted.  First, what I wanted.  I was in Printemps with Lisa and spied these gorgeous strappy heels by Francois Najar.  Hard to tell in the photo (that I took in the shoe department), but they are a shiny navy leather with a 'tortoise shell' detailed heel.  I can't even look at them right now because I love them so.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

It was our FIRST stop of the day, and I thought, well, they are REALLY expensive, so I'll come back if I love them.  The day went on, as did the week, and I kept thinking about these shoes.  On my last day in Paris, I found these shoes, the ones I eventually purchased, in Tara Jarmon.  

Images from Jennifer Houston.

Tara Jarmon is a Canadian-born, French designer who makes LOVELY clothing, shoes, and accessories.  Kate Middleton has been seen wearing her clothing.  (Lisa bought a beautiful knit sweater by Tara Jarmon, but we cannot find a picture of it anywhere for your viewing.)

Anyway, the shoes are similar in that they have this shiny but matte navy blue leather (a new trend?!), are heeled, and are strappy.  And these were many Euros less in price.  MANY.  Since it was the last afternoon and I was in the 6th arrondissement and Printemps is all the way up in the 9th, I decided that these would do.  WRONG!  Although I have worn them and do like them, they don't hold a candle to the Francois Najar heels.  Sigh...

Back to what we have versus what we should have had!  Lisa and I both hit the pharmacies HARD.  Lisa is hardcore and will set aside hours to wander through City Pharma on rue du Four.  From Lisa:

"I'm a lotion junkie and this Caudalie hand and nail cream is my latest addition.  The smell is divine and it disappears without leaving a greasy feel on hands.  J.Crew is selling this cream in store now so I know where to go when I run out.

Image from amazon.com.

I get up early everyday and this Rene Furterer Dry Shampoo saves me from washing when I just don't feel like it or have the time.  Just spray on hair, rub lightly with a towel and voila!  No more stringy hair!  Look at these ingredients...rice and corn starch powders to absorb oil and impurities, clay and silica powders also to absorb oil and impurities, colored iron oxides which add color to powder for invisibility, and essential oils of caraway, basil and peppermint which clean and balance your hair.  Plus, it smells super with extracts of basil, mint, blackcurrant.

Image from amazon.com.

I also stocked up on Klorane Dry Shampoo just for something different.

Image from amazon.com.

Nuxe makes the most amazing products with incredible scents.  I tried this rose body lotion last time in Paris.  Now whenever I wear it I feel transported back to the city. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is legendary.  This dry oil, with a unique super-activated formula combining 30% precious plant oils and vitamin E, helps nourish, repair and soften face, body and hair in a single spray."

Images from amazon.com.

If you think that Lisa's the only junkie, take a seat.  I too love the pharmacies in Paris, and my absolutely favorite product is hard to find in the U.S. and a fortune on Amazon.com.  Bioderma Crealine H2O is the BEST makeup remover I've ever used.  Gentle and thorough at the same time.  Gets EVERYTHING off your face, including eye makeup, gently.  

Image from amazon.com.

I found this product on Gwyneth Paltrow's list of favorite Parisian pharmacy items.  Not a Gwyneth fan, but fan of her product choices!  I've used it for years and get frustrated at the lack of supply.  And the prices.  Price on Amazon.com for a 500ml bottle?  Over $30.  Price in Paris?  On sale at City Pharma for 7 Euros.  Done and done.  And the baby 'travel size' that I paid, gulp, $18 for online?  On sale for 2.50 Euros.  I couldn't stop grabbing bottles.  As a result, my linen closet looks like I'm a Bioderma horder.  

Image by Jennifer Houston.

Don't judge.

Other than the requisite wine and chocolates (don't get Lisa started!), I think that wraps up our shopping adventures in Paris.  Phew. ~ LB & JH

Paris 2013 - What we saw.

And, back to report on our trips to Paris in April.  This is a quick list of what we saw, so keep your eyes out for these items and trends in the near future. 

Cobalt pants

Even my husband noticed.  Quote: "Is the new uniform blue pants and a white top?"  Everywhere.  With ballet flats.  With white t-shirt. A uniform.  Except, unlike this pic, they always had a scarf around their necks.

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

T-A-S-S-E-L-S 

On purses, on shoes, on zippers.  Anything that could have a tassel did.  And you KNOW how we love our tassels!

Images from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

Skinny Jeans

Rolled up, cropped, yet all SKINNY jeans.  SKINNY and possibly damaging to one's blood circulation.  It was a little weird not being able to tell apart an American from Parisian from sight alone.  Honestly, we missed the elegant French.  

Love of Everything Brazilian

This took us by surprise.  Bon Marche (the Mecca) had an entire Brazilian theme going on...lots of bright colors.  Different Brazilian designers and products were scattered all over the store with special displays and the Parisians were eating it up.  Lisa said there was a jewelry counter in Bon Marche FULL of Brazilian bracelets that was PACKED by French women when she was there alone one day.  Get your Havaianas out because they were, no joke, selling for 26 to 55 Euros in Bon Marche.  Honestly, I think with the Olympics in Rio in 2016, we are going to see A LOT of Brazilian influence in style, so keep your eye out and an open mind! 

Images from lebonmarche.com.

Flat Booties

Mon dieu!  But it's spring.  Time to swap out for sandals or at least ballet flats.  Short, below the ankle and flat.  Worn with impossibly skinny jeans (see above). I will definitely be getting a pair of these for fall. 

Image from mytheresa.com.

Car Coat

Sure, there was the requisite trench but also lots of other great mid thigh looks that were chic.  Lightweight fabrics, leathers, and suedes too.  Jen and I were petting this lovely one at Gerard Darel.  Purrr.

Image from gerarddarel.com.

That's the overview - stay tuned for what we actually bought! ~ LB & JH

...packing for Paris in April.

Oui, again.  And I cannot wait!  Not only to have another trip over there, but guess who will be there at the same time?  Yes, my partner-in-crime and co-blogger, Lisa!  Incroyable!  We have one entire day set aside to shop together, sans mari ou les enfants. That might seem like a lot of time, but for Lisa and I, it's as quick as a heartbeat.  We are planning and strategizing.  We will definitely keep you up to date on our adventures.

But, back to packing.  I actually pulled up last year's posts on daywear and evening wear to re-check what I had packed then.  Turns out that it's going to be a lot of the same ideas.  

For daywear:  It's tricky.  I like to look polished; after all, you never know where wandering might lead you.  The weather will change from 40s and raining to 60s and sunny.  Definitely sticking with my trench (I have a new one from J.Crew.  Check it out.) for outerwear. I will also pack an assortment of Eric Bompard sweaters along side Vince cotton tops to go on top of a variety of AG jeans and Michael Kors pants.

For evening wear:  I think I'm going to stick to the formula of pants + silk top + heels + clutch + jewelry = dinner outfit.  It's easy to pack and wear.  Of course, I don't see myself bringing less than 3 pairs of shoes to interchange between dinner outfits, but one can always dream, right? And, even though I usually bring a dress, it's more often than not left in my suitcase the entire time.  

I put together a Polyvore set with actual outfits I will be taking.  I think I'll be good to go.  Stay tuned for our findings in the City of Lights! ~ JH

W2WW - Packing for Paris

Diane Von Furstenberg chiffon top / Tory Burch cashmere cardigan / Vince top / Vince linen top, $320 / Vince top / Michael Kors t shirt / J.Crew coat / Vince cropped legging, $1,540 / AG Adriano Goldschmied jeans / Vince stripe pants, $370 / AG Adriano Goldschmied / Reiss tapered pants / DL1961 Premium Denim straight leg jeans / Jimmy Choo snakeskin pumps / Manolo Blahnik pumps / Isa Tapia strappy shoes / Tory Burch leather heels / Pretty Ballerinas ballet flat shoes, $195 / Lauren Merkin black clutch / Longchamp nylon tote bag / Cartier stainless steel watch / Gold earrings / Hermès black jewelry / Necklace / Morra Designs disc earrings / Love Quotes Scarves oversized scarve / Banana Republic cotton shawl

Shopping around Paris - Random wrap-up.

I took a break from 're-entry' today, i.e. laundry, grocery, etc., and just had coffee with another francophile friend; it was like walking back through the streets of Paris.  As we went through the photos on my iPhone and talked about the great dinners and shopping streets, it made me want to wrap up my take-aways from what I saw in Paris, both in fashion and around town.

The colors:

• Blues, both navy and cobalt, are big.  There was an interesting saffron color that accompanied many of the blue looks. 
• Vibrant orange and red, and all shades in between, were everywhere as well.  
• A hint of jewel green was peeking out from some racks here and there.  
• Pastels were hard to find to be honest.  
• Black is ALWAYS in.

What people were wearing:  

• Skinny pants (jeans, black pants) tucked into flat booties.  
• Shorter skirts and dresses paired with stockings and heeled booties (not a look that I will be daring to wear, but all the young Parisians were sporting this, when not in pants).  
• One word, booties.  
• Cute spring jackets in leathers of many colors.  
• Tribal accents.  
• Scarves, scarves, scarves.  
• People were definitely NOT wearing the outfit on the left below, even though a boutique opted to highlight it in their window. Tulle skirt over colored jeans?  Better for a 6 year old?  Non?  Had to take a pic!

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Textiles:

• Lace, in tops, dresses, skirts.  Read our earlier post to see what lace items look good here in the US.  
• Leather/suede - those cute leather jackets.  Leather in jewelry.  Suede shoes everywhere.  
• Suede in colors, in neutrals, in purses.  
• In fact, on our last day in the City of Light, we walked around our favorite neighborhood, taking in the sites and sounds.  And one final boutique, with a clutch, that had to come home.  From ba&sh, I couldn't leave it in the store.

Image from ba-sh.com.

And while my trip is over, I'm already thinking ahead to the next.  Let us know if you are headed to Paris, New York, or anywhere for that matter, and share YOUR finds.  We always like a good lead here at W2WW.  ~ JH

Shopping around Paris - Part 1.

After a morning at the Musee d'Orsay avec dear husband and dear children, I took a couple of hours alone on Tuesday to 'power shop' in Paris.  I had to arrange my thoughts, focus on what was important and the best use of my time.  I started in the neighborhood with which I am most familiar - the 6th arrondissement, around St. Germain.

I started on rue de Buci, and I hit a favorite of Lisa's and mine first - Comptoir des Cotonniers.  It's like Paris' version of J. Crew, but ten times more hip.  Great price-point.  They now have a couple of stores in New York, but there's nothing like being in Paris in one of them.  When Lisa and I travel to Paris together, we stop here first; how much we spend here sets the tone for the rest of the trip.  Either we hit it big and are eating baguettes for 5 days, or we can continue to shop.  Comptoir was showing a lot of cobalt blue in their windows...

Image from Jennifer Houston.

...which made me feel really good about the dress I purchased at Reiss a couple of weeks ago and have yet to wear.  This spring, they have a LOT of tribal prints going on, which, while not my go-to, seems to be a theme across Paris, and one we will have to watch for over the next year or 2.  Yes, I know, 'tribal' is 'huge' with the fashion mags each spring, but really, can tribal prints be popular year after year?  Should we invest it in?

Well, I succumbed.  At Comptoir.  This top fit me perfectly, was flattering, and wasn't crazy expensive, so I said to myself, 'What the heck?".  It's a black knit with 'saffron' embroidery.  Plan to pair it with skinny, cropped black pants, some bangles.  Thoughts?

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

I headed off to my next favorite store in the 'hood, Flamant.  While not fashion, it's a home furnishings store (out of Belgium), and a huge one at that.  Lots of different rooms, and great home accessories.  Found a birthday present for a friend, and several picture frames to extend our collection.  Just have to show you some photos from Flamant.  The store front, from Rue de Furstenberg, is lovely and understated.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

As soon as I enter, I'm tripping over decorative bird cages and wondering how I can pack one to take home...

Image from Jennifer Houston.

...and I'm going crazy over the dishware, glassware (although Lisa and I both have the tavern glassware we miraculously packed on our last trip), and bath goods.

Images from Jennifer Houston.

After limiting myself to the gift and 3 picture frames at Flamant, I am off to a great wine store, to purchase some 'souvenirs'.  It's the cutest store, with an English-speaking owner, which makes all the difference in the world when trying to decide what to bring home from La Derniere Goutte on rue de Bourbon Le Chateau.  They had a great Sancerre in white (and one in red that was apparently amazing) that we need to bring home.  In bubble wrap. Which I packed, along with packing tape.  (That was a trick I learned from Lisa - thanks!)

Images from Jennifer Houston.

After this, I had to stop at our rented apartment to unload packages before proceeding to one of my favorite shopping streets, rue de St. Suplice.  There are SO many fabulous boutiques on this one stretch, it can take hours to go 2 blocks.  

I started at Maje, and was interested to see a lot of lace (see dress on far left of window, but in tops as well as skirts), lots of navy, a wall of orange (ranging from tangerine to full-on-red) and a sprinking of jewel green (see pants on far right of window).

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Following Maje, I hit Vanessa Bruno.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Best known for her sequined tote bags (which you can get in Boston at dress boston, just FYI),

Image from dressboston.com.

she has great handbags as well as clothes - both Vanessa Bruno and her lower priced line upstairs, Athe Vanessa Bruno.  I scored a fabulous black sueded leather clutch a few years ago (with tassels!  I love tassels!), but didn't really score this trip.  She did show a ton of cute leather jackets, also a hot trend on the streets of Paris this spring.  Loved this white one.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Down from Vanessa Bruno is Claudie Pierlot.  Lisa introduced me to Claudie Pierlot years ago, and there are definitely wearable, fun things inside.  Lots of navys, with that orange-to-red color scheme going on.  It's good to know that Parisians are investing in navy and orange too.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

While I didn't go into Cotelac (there's a Cotelac on Newbury Street in Boston; I don't like to spend time on places that I can visit at home), I wanted to show you that they too were showing a cobalt blue in their windows, just like Comptoir.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

I next headed up rue Bonaparte to a pharmacy in search of products that Gwyneth Paltrow highlighted in her blog post about the best products in French pharmacies.  It was a fun hunt, and I purchased 3 or 4 things that Lisa and I were wanting to try.

After the pharmacy, I headed over to rue du Four, in search of rue Dragon.  Years ago, dear husband gave me an amazing gift - an afternoon with an English-speaking, personal shopper in Paris.  It was heaven.  What dear husband did not realize was that there would be years of shopping as a result of this gift.  The shopper introduced me to rue Dragon as the 'accessories street'.  There were loads of stores with all kinds of accessories, from jewelry to shoes.  You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that there were only 2 jewelry stores left, a couple of shoe stores, and the rest had been replaced by children's stores - clothing and shoes.  Such a bummer.

I did venture into the jewelry stores - mon dieu the amount of tribal jewelry!  Clearly, tribal is in more than I had thought.

Well, I have to say that a disappointing rue Dragon kind of took the wind out of my sails.  I puttered around a little on rue de Grenelle (the shoe street!), but was uninspired.  Time was ticking to dinner, so I headed back to rejoin the fam.  My takeaways from these few hours were:

• Navy is still hot for spring.
• Play with a little color from light orange to flaming red in your wardrobe.
• Add a little tribal print or jewelry to your closet.
• Keep an eye out for spring-weight leather jackets.

Hope to escape to the rive droite in the next day or 2 to check out Printemps, another huge Paris department store.  Haven't been there in over 10 years, and Lisa was wow-ed by it last spring.  Bonsoir! ~ JH