Winter Style

Here’s a little look at some stylish people I’ve noticed lately. It’s more of a challenge in winter, when being warm and waterproof are an integral part of looking good. As always, my eye goes to colors, shape and flair, regardless of the particularities of the body wearing the clothes. Lots of coats, because it’s winter and we’re mostly sitting at outdoor cafés or shopping at outdoor markets and Christmas markets.

For example, this woman wasn’t young, but I thought she looked great. Her coat swung dramatically in the breeze. She had a cool scarf, which I didn’t get in the shot. With her bad-ass boots, she walked like she was on her way to chair a meeting of the Board to Run the World.

Quite another bad-ass. Partly shaved head, and the longer bit is dyed a pastel rainbow. Tartan shawl flapping long out of the coat. Jeans tucked into boots. Not my look, but she gets points for having A Look, call it My Little Punk Pony. Life would be boring if everybody wore classic, dark suits.

More classic, more typically French. The big paisley shawl adds a lot to an otherwise undaring look. How easy is that? Toss a shawl around your shoulders, and voilà! Instant flair. It’s attainable.

This one is interesting. Classic haircut and business suit meet patterned tights and combat boots. I haven’t found any combat boots that fit my wide feet, but they LOOK comfortable. They certainly change the attitude on an outfit. I bet her co-workers answer “how high?” when she says “jump.” Good for her.

More boots. Zebra print with leather jacket to move beyond your usual black-and-white outfit.

I think this is the same woman–red coat, hat. Both times she has red footwear–boots at the top and escarpins (pumps) at the bottom. And why not–with a pretty red coat, why not continue with a red accessory–but just one, not too many. She could have gone too far with a red hat, red bag, etc.

Speaking of colorful coats, I was at a café when a woman left wearing a canary-yellow single-breasted reefer coat. Around her neck, she had a multicolored silk scarf that had a hint of yellow in the design. White jeans with a frayed hem, and camel boots. I told her she looked great. I saw her again a few days later–hard to forget the yellow coat–and she was wearing it with black trousers and trainers. Looked great. Sorry I didn’t get her photo.

A few photos of what the younger ones are wearing. Monochrome is popular. Big shoulders are back! Also the kids seem to be dressing up–fewer ripped jeans, or, if they wear them, it’s with something “fancy.” High/low combos.

Buffalo check coats are everywhere, not just in these colors but also lots of black and white and even other colors. Notice: a French woman wearing a beret. They really do! She’s pretty monochrome, too–cream beret, cross-body bag and shoes, and the coat is in neutral tones.

I thought these two were cute, too. The flowing skirt with trainers, and the fuchsia sweater. The classic camel coat with trainers. There seems to be a shift toward wool coats and away from duvet or puffer jackets. You still see them–sometimes I count a dozen within a block–and they are undeniably practical, not weighing a ton yet being warm. But they fall down in the looks department.

As for me, my two main coats are each decades (yes, plural) old. And they still look good. In fact, I got compliments just last week on my 25-year-old long, gray Russian-style coat with frog closures and black “fur” trim at the cuffs and the stand-up collar. It could be vintage, except I’ve had it since it was new. One of the best cost-per-wear purchases I’ve ever made.

How do you style up your coat game? What trends are you seeing?

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Steps to Sophistication

I started this post a while ago, after I saw “Emily in Paris,” the social-media-drenched, Gen-Z version of “Sex in the City,” transported across the Atlantic. It’s a confection as substantial as a Ladurée macaron and equally delicious. The City of Light even outshines the series’ gorgeous star, Lilly Collins.

Fashion Distraction

A little escapism today to a time before lockdowns and social distancing, when we walked the streets in crowds of people! Remember that? Like an eternity ago, n’est-ce pas?

A few months ago…Christmas decorations were still up. Such crowds are unthinkable now.

Back then, when spring was just unfolding and we roamed the streets freely and unmasked, I was noticing a number of women with, shall we call it assertive taste. Assertive in that they seem to know what they want and don’t care about what anybody else thinks. Oblivious to mutton as lamb snarks. Confident. Regardless of whether you like it or not. Because when a young woman wears something a little outrageous, it’s simply outrageous and maybe courageous, but never some sort of crime against the eyeballs of the public.

Put together, especially the one on the left.

And so I salute the sartorial derring-do of these women. I wonder whether everybody being stuck at home for so long will make us all either more attuned to fashion when we get out, or much less. I have paid zero attention to clothes since the lockdown. No appetite for it at all. (It seems I am not alone in letting go of appearances. This article says lipstick sales are down 82%, eye makeup down 68% and deodorant down 45%.)  And you? Do you dress for yourself, for others, for your partner? Maybe all three, depending on the circumstance? Are you daring or classic?This woman caught my eye because she was a good decade or two older than me but that didn’t stop her from rocking a short leather skirt, leather beret and tall boots, with a little leopard, of course. My reaction was “you go, girl!”There were quite a few beret sightings before the weather warmed up and we had to stop going out.This woman clearly has something in mind. This outfit isn’t a willy nilly closet grab, like throwing on a jeans and a T-shirt. The tiered skirt is interesting; I bet there’s a story to it. And the headscarf, which is not a simple bandana but has layers. It isn’t something I would try, but I commend her for her use of color and mix of patterns. Life would be boring if everybody dressed like the mannequin in the top photo (which is more or less what I wear, but with flats).Wide, cropped pants are a thing. Worn with brogues or “creepers,” as the French call them. A challenging silhouette, but most of the women I see wearing it clearly do not care about looking taller and thinner. The wide pants are comfortable, and being cropped you don’t worry about the hem, and the flat shoes also are comfortable. They are dressing for themselves. Chapeau!I suspect this one dresses for him. If that makes them happy, then fine. Rad haircut!Another rad haircut with an otherwise very classic look. My haircut is the same as in the black-and-white photo of me with missing front teeth. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. In my defense, it’s the same cut as Anna Wintour. Something my husband or kid can cut for me–a plus these days! (I doubt Anna’s hubby is cutting her hair, though.)This woman is someone I worry about. I used to see her regularly diving through trash cans and fishing out half-eaten food. Even in the dead of winter, she had no more than a big sweater. I wonder what has become of her and how she ended up like this. We are lucky to have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Concerns about fashion feel frivolous in the face of a pandemic, though sometimes they’re a welcome distraction.

Are you dressing up these days? Or is getting dressed at all enough of a victory?

 

 

 

 

Looking Good in Bad Weather

Good riddance, Gloria. Spain and southern France were pummeled earlier this week by Tempête Gloria, which flooded a bunch of places, including Carcassonne, where the Aude river ran into the streets despite having a large floodplain where vineyards, vegetable farms and parks are adapted for soaking up surplus water.

We didn’t get out much, because il tombait des cordes (literally, it was raining ropes–imagine rain falling so hard it seems like ropes–but more akin to raining cats and dogs). Now the sun is out again and it’s in the mid-50s F. As you can see from the photos, even bad weather here is pretty mild, except when we get three months of rain in two days, and even then it wasn’t cold.

I’m seeing lots of young women wearing black tights or semi-opaque nylons with white athletic shoes and skirts, like in the top photo. Sometimes the skirts are short, sometimes long like the one above. I don’t follow sneaker trends but hers seem unusually spiky. Also, the guy next to her has some very colorful Nikes.Winter white is another trend. The young woman’s white skirt, this woman’s white pants. Do you wear a sweater as a scarf? It gives her a nice color accent, and, hey, if it turns out to be colder than she thought she can put on the sweater for an extra layer. Practical!A white coat. Her boots were interesting but my toes hurt just looking at those heels. Another white coat, with white boots. And a scarf. Always a scarf. Even on men. Hanging insouciantly.You also can coordinate your white coat with your white dog. However big it looks, in reality it was bigger. HUGE.Red is even more popular as a coat color. Note that the top of her bag is red. This coat had a lovely swing to it as she walked, thanks to the pleats in the back.All-in for red.She looked so good–straight posture, good haircut, shiny shoes, cleverly tied scarf, that red coat. Also red accents, on the right, or all blue, on the left. The audacity of a red artificial flower in her hair–I love it. I want to sit and have coffee with her and hear all about her life, because I bet it’s interesting. Not easy to see, but she’s wearing a long red pencil skirt with flat red boots.A monochrome look also is popular. This woman paired gray glen plaid pants with gray high-tops and a gray coat.A different neutral–camel. Her bag was in the same Burberry-esque tartan as her scarf. For all I know, they’re both real Burberry; I didn’t ask to check the lablels. Boots and coat both camel. It all went with her hair, something I noticed with lots of women, especially redheads. French women pay attention to which colors work for them and they make the most of it.She was just one of the redheads I noticed wearing coppery colors. There were several others whose photos didn’t turn out. Once you notice one, you see so many! What impresses me is that this shade is hard to match, and it isn’t always on trend, so you can’t just walk into a store and expect to find what you want in that shade. They must collect and curate constantly, making sure what they choose will last several seasons.This is quite a different shade of red, and it matches her coat exactly. She gets points for confidence.Another example of flamboyance, with an oversize hat and a furry coat. You don’t wear that to blend in. She also looked like she would be interesting.

How do you cope with winter? Do you hunker down in black and wait for it to be over, or do you have a fantastic, fun coat that makes you happy every time you put it on? I’ll cop to being boring in black–black sweater dress with black leggings, black boots, black bag, and either a brown or dark gray coat, depending on the weather. I have fewer and fewer clothes as time goes on, and wearing forgettable clothes makes them seem less monotonous. Are you also a minimalist or, like some of the examples here, more flamboyant?

Last Fall Looks

Before everybody bundles up in winter gear, here are a few final fashionable moments from this fall.

The woman at the top has it all: Mustard. Orange. Leopard. Rolled cuffs. Great glasses. Great hair. You can’t really make it out, but her bag was orange with a narrow turquoise-green strap, picking up on the turquoise in her shirt. This one is the opposite: monochrome from head to toe. I cut off her also awesome hair (simple bob) but even her graying blonde color went with her clothes and looked good.More mustard. Two examples of what to wear for Saturday shopping. I like to think their choices reflect their personalities. I love the flowing duster but I’m not much of a flowing kind of person. Much more of a blazer type. How about you?Speaking of flowing, lots of long dresses worn with sneakers. Love it. Same day, not that long ago! It was warm! I love that she went for bold color. You can’t really tell but she had great posture and moved fast through the crowd.Another long dress, this one with impractical boots. The skirt was tiered and very big when the wind took it, but otherwise made of a material that hung straight down. Interesting.I love the straight business skirt worn with sneakers.This is a lousy photo but it was to show the little details: a canvas bag with a cool rope handle, the shirt cuffs folded over the sweater.

One thing I’m seeing in shop windows but not so much on the street are high-waisted pants, especially dressy wool pants. Shown with shirts or sweaters tucked in. I like it.

The fashion sightings are getting harder as we move into the rainy season. Folks are covered up and it’s hard to take pictures while holding an umbrella. Although I have to say that even if it’s raining, don’t forget your sunglasses. Sometimes you need them AND the umbrella at the same time. Crazy. When I lived in Brussels it was the opposite: even if the sun was out, it would be only momentary and you’d better have an umbrella ready.

Are you colorful or neutral? Bohemian or business?

French Summer Fashion Summary

Before the weather changes too much–and it’s very summery here today–here are the street style photos I’ve gathered over the past two months.

Some “trends” include white dresses, like the one above. Though a printed sheath dress like her friend’s, with flat sandals, is very popular as well. And note the two girls on the left with their short skirts, tucked-in tees and white tennis shoes–another look among the younger set.

Flowing. Cotton tote bags are de rigueur, as much if not more than straw bags.

With a print–floral or abstract (and more tote bages!).

Metallic accents are everywhere. In the top photo, the woman in white has metallic accents on her bag and sandals. The dress below has gold leaves all over it. I saw so many women in versions of this dress, some long, some very short, some, like this one, short in front and long in back. There was a woman at the market in a long, Greek goddess version of it, and she walked as regally as the dress deserved (and disappeared into the crowd before I got my phone out).

 

Metallic sandals.

The woman was so crisp on a hot day. Slick chignon. somewhat structured straw bag, perfectly pressed dress and ramrod posture. She brings me to another trend: crisp and tailored.

With two more trends: white pants and metallic shoes. And as soon as the temperatures drop below 85 F, bring out the scarf.

Looking dressy in jeans. Great haircut.

That jacket, with the collar popped! More great hair. And how about the snakeskin boots.

Airy but structured. 

Something you see often here: young men in starched shirts. This one is rocking the fanny pack as bandolier.

Maybe crisp, for athleisure (black and white!), but what grabbed my eye was the way he is wearing his fanny pack as a neck bag. Daring.

While we’re on people doing their own thing, here are a few more. I admire their confidence.

Sorry for the blur, but I was trying to catch up. Red gingham shirt and RED GINGHAM UMBRELLA!!! You go, guy!

A vest/duster with Modigliani’s portrait of his lover, Jeanne Hébuterne. But it isn’t simply a print–it isn’t exactly the painting. I’m betting the wearer did a tribute. Unique. Too cool.

Zebra with snakeskin. I love it. Also, that she wears driving gloves to steer her walker. It can’t be easy for her to walk, but here she is, navigating the market crowd, and with tons of class. Inspirational.

Color is another trend, especially red.

I just can’t get on board with the visible bra. Her dress is so cute with that crisscross detail, and the peekaboo back is messed up by the bra closure.

And metallic sandals!

Bandana, pants, shoes in red, and cotton tote bag in a small red print that looks like a pale red from a distance. 

Which brings us to white pants. If the fabric is lightweight cotton or linen, they are worn loose.And if they’re denim they can be more form-fitting.While not a trend, per se, these women managed to look cool despite the heat. Loose dresses rule!Which looks appeal to you? Are you wearing similar styles?

Gorgeous hair, striped shirt, but above all, that BIKE.

Fashionable French Men

French men seem as keen about fashion as French women are. Here’s a look at a few trends I spotted.

French men wear scarves. Granted, not so much in July and August, although I have seen some guys with crinkled cotton knotted loosely about their necks. In cooler seasons, the gigantic cashmere scarf wrapped multiple times is as common on men as it is on women.

This guy looked like a million bucks, from his monochrome palette (and I didn’t get his perfectly shined brown shoes) to his close-cropped coiffure and beard, and the movie-star sunglasses. And of course, a scarf.

Another neutral monochrome look, another scarf. Even his wicker basket goes with the color scheme. Getting groceries doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look good.

The biggest trend is with the pants. The young ones are going for a very lean silhouette with what’s called “carrot” pants that are a little big on top and that taper to a tight ankle. And then they either crop them or wear them rolled up. With white socks.

This is a local celeb, one of the Frères Rayz, two brothers who are THE DJs, and I agree they are very talented. He was at the start of the Color Run. Notice his pants have a plaid pattern, almost like dress pants. But very different.

Even in the store windows.

Color is another trend. BRIGHT color. Be bold! Be not afraid to mix! Dare to match your shoes and pants!They manage to look good even while biking.A jacket even in hot weather. I thought this guy was so dignified, and his assistant was so attentive.Do you see the same trends where you are? What of these rolled-up carrot pants? And the wild colors?

South of France Street Style

What do French women wear when the weather turns warm? Long and flowing, short and sporty, or just trim and no-nonsense seem to be the major trends I spotted recently. And they aren’t afraid of color, even though black and white maintain a strong presence.

The dress on the right above was striking, even without the over-the-top coiffure and the dressed-to-be-noticed friend in white and yellow. There were lots of long skirts that caught the breeze.

Simple black and white, with sneakers. On the move.

This dress was enormous and blew way out dramatically at one point.

A rare example of heels. Somber palette but then that red bag.

Her skirt and shoes were the same metallic millennial pink. Check out the colorful bag.

Tops and pants (usually one or the other) also were billowy.

Cool, collected and chic. I just realized that pleats also seem to be a thing.

Bell sleeves and wide-legged pants.

The two silhouettes: trim or flowing.

The one on the left is similar to the look above, with a loose top over straight pants. The one on the right is a jumpsuit, another big trend.

Black and white are popular.

Just a storelength apart, dressed almost the same. Must be a trend.

Even the young ones: a black dress with sneakers; white jeans with a black top, and an all-black ensemble. And the one on the left is going for khaki shades with black.

A sharp couple. Monochrome is simple to pull off.

This isn’t black but blue, yet similar to the others, with a dark top over white pants/skirt. I love how her tote bag is similar to her pants’ print.

Sneakers reign, including with dresses. My aching feet celebrate this.

With long dresses or short ones.

Her bag was a little square straw basket. Too cute. She stuffed her jean jacket into it.

Long and short again.

Lots of colors, especially red, yellow and mustard.

Teens leaving school. They hone their taste young.

Yellow pants, and, on the right, a yellow bag.

Even her shoes were mustard.

Dressed to bike.

Florals seem to be popular, especially on pants (like the white and blue ones earlier).  Especially large prints on black.

Interesting flounce at the bottom.

As far as I know, she’s French but to me she doesn’t look like it–hair too unnaturally straight, dress too tight, heels too high.

The ones below have that je ne sais quoi easy chic I associate with French style. Absolutely nothing special, nothing to grab attention. Understated. But thought-out, neat, just so, without crossing the line into too much.

Running errands? Shoes and pants in the same color. And always a scarf.

Posture.

Anything here that you would wear (or are)? Are you seeing the same trends? It fascinates me that despite global chains like H&M and Zara, everybody does style a little differently.

South of France Street Style

Before the weather changes too much–it was downright hot yesterday–and these photos make everybody uncomfortable, I needed to give a nod to the stylish people I’ve encountered.

Aren’t they adorable? Skirts, sneakers, black motos. Even as kids, French women have class.

At least some of them. It isn’t easy to take photos! I always have other stuff in my hands and have to search for my phone (at least now I have a phone that takes photos. New for me. Such a convenience!). And my targets are on the move, sometimes very speedy. Plus there are lots of other people getting in the way. I tip my hat to those who manage to take good street style shots.

Matching couples crack me up.

As you can see in the first photo, low boots, not too bulky, with cropped or cuffed pants are popular. I also have seen a number of young women with cropped pants that are more flowy, wearing high socks that match their shoes (for example, wide black pants with red socks and red shoes). Not a look I would adopt, but if you’re a daring type…

Maroon pants, maroon shoes.

Green pants, green shoes on a guy.

Similarly, I see lots of people–men and women–matching their pants and shoes. These are just the two shots I got, but I have seen more red pants/red shoes combos than I can count. Even mustard pants with mustard Pumas. Olive green is everywhere, as I noted previously. This lovely lady was entirely dressed in sage. I have seen so many others; one who impressed me wore olive from head to toe, and her olive boots had a metallic sheen. I’ve seen other monochrome outfits as well, such as a woman in a silvery gray, with silver boots. This has always been a chic choice when done in black, but it’s in other colors, too. A French style tip that anybody can pull off anywhere–dress completely in one color. Matchy-matchy is back.This lady was dressed to travel. I blurred her face. Note her simple-yet-a-statement necklace and pretty earrings. Her red jacket was fitted and matched her suitcase. The jewelry and jacket make her look dressy despite jeans and (red) ballerinas. And she had an excellent haircut. She had a little makeup on–neither “made up” nor bare-faced. Just soignée–well-maintained.I’m not artsy or bohemian enough for this look, but kudos to her for mixing a leopard coat with an Indian bag. And her boots have embroidery. I bet she is interesting.Sorry about the awful photo, but it’s to show pants I see all over: self-tie, rolled cuffs, high/natural waist. With or without the cargo pockets, but in light, silky fabrics, not the usual twill.With the weather changing, I’ll be hunting for summer looks, and I’m still gathering men’s pics. Anything here that you would wear? Do you see the same trends where you are?

Carcassonne’s market…my style hunting ground, where locals dress to shop.

 

Fashion Sightings in the South of France

Before the weather changes too much, I want to share the street-style photos I’ve been collecting. Usually I am doing something else–I’m no Bill Cunningham, who spent hours at the corner of 57th and Fifth, snapping fashionable Manhattanites on their way to work and inventing street-style photography. So my hands are full, my phone in my bag, and I have to fish it out, open the camera (a feat in itself with bifocals) and try to catch up with my prey, often while pulling a shopping caddy and navigating market throngs.

This tumeric color is everywhere. It has more orange than mustard.

So it takes me a while to get a collection of photos. These have been collected since January, which accounts for the climatic range.

Her cape was a gorgeous blue and swung so elegantly when she walked. I liked that it had a hood.

What catches my eye are people with flair. Or personality. It’s a high bar here, because nearly everybody dresses up to go to the market or to go shopping in town. Carcassonne is far from France’s fashion epicenter, yet I appreciate that people make an effort. I’m not interested in fashionistas wearing the latest off the runway. Or young models or those who could be, who look good no matter what they put on. I like seeing real people with style.

Great haircuts everywhere. Styles that move–not perfect blowouts. I saw her again on Saturday–I recognized her bag first–and she had on a similar outfit, pants with a blazer, this time with leather patches on the elbows. 

My visiting cousin remarked on it–the contrast with farmers markets in a big U.S. city, where everybody looks like they just took a break from weeding the tomatoes to pop by the market and sell or buy some produce. It’s beyond casual to the borderline of grungy. My cousin was surprised to see a vegetable vendor here with perfectly manicured, painted nails.

Between downpours. Her raincoat was beautiful, with unusual gathers all over. Do you see how her gloves match her shopping trolley? And her scarf goes with the roses. She is carrying a slim cross-body bag. Also, note the people giving the “bise” in the background. And the guy with his beautiful straw basket. 

This lady seemed to part the crowds as she walked through the market. She had perfect posture and walked with purpose. I asked to take her photo and she agreed, saying that often happens. We chatted a while and she told me her age–78!!!!! I have seen her since at the market, recognizing her sans chapeau thanks to her shopping caddy. She is always striding like Shelley Hack in the Charlie perfume ads (speaking of which, OMG somebody has a blog just about that!). I was with a friend once when I saw her–too far to catch up. She had a great haircut (of course) and was wearing jeans with boots and a fur vest.  My friend sniffed and said something about another 40-something woman trying to look like she’s 30. I informed her that this woman was nearly double that age. That changed everything. Goals.I don’t know how old this lady is, but her hair also was impeccable. And despite walking with a cane, she had rod-ram-straight posture. Also, you can’t really see it, but she was wearing a cleverly tied scarf.

Note the couple on the left in the same photo, with matching sweaters. I should do a post on couples’ style. I very often see couples with coordinating outfits. Do they plan it, or does one see the other putting on, say, a mustard-colored sweater and then decide, hey, I’ll wear my mustard-colored jeans, to cite an example I spied on Saturday.

This is from a few months ago. I saw them again on Saturday and they were both in red, head to toe.

So much to note here. Cute straw bag. Both have sharp haircuts. Both wearing scarves–cotton for spring–and hers matches his shirt. She has on patterned tights. That leads me to another tangent: tights. Especially now that the weather is mild, but bare legs would be too much, colorful and/or patterned tights are everywhere.

 

Mustard tights, mustard sweater and a black-and-mustard scarf.

Not tights but leather (pleather?) leggings with lace cut-outs at the knees. And she had two different-colored socks.

Let’s go back to my favorite demographic: the older women who will not be invisible. Women get either ogled or ignored when they’re young, and then just ignored. I love seeing the ones who make staff spring to attention to serve them. It doesn’t depend on beauty or being tall or thin. It does seem to depend on walking into everyplace as if you owned it, like the woman below.This lady was so straight, considering she had a walker. She wore leather gloves, and when she sat down for a coffee on the terrace near me, I saw her perfectly manicured nails matched her hat. A friend of hers walked by and greeted her with the bise. Both wore dangling earrings.

This woman has my admiration for going to the market on a bike! While wearing a skirt! Note that in the photo on the right, her coat and bag match. And on the day on the right, it was raining. I want to get to know her.

 

Pop of color. 

 

Goth student? The skirt was very frilly. Not my thing, but she was clearly all-in. You go, girl!

Some colors are clearly trending. Red is big. Red with black. Red with gray. Red with red.

Her coat, which I suspect is from Spanish brand Desigual, very popular here, has red accents, and her skirt has a red and an orange stripe.

Red coat, red boots, red scarf, red bag. And, you can’t see it, but bold red lip.

Olive, sage, hedge green, whatever you want to call it, is big. I saw three women–and three men (not with the women)–in three days completely dressed in olive.

Olive shirt, jeans and jacket with mustard scarf, bag and shoes.

And camel is still going strong, a good color to bridge winter to spring to summer.Did any of these strike your fancy? Are you seeing similar trends?