Proud to be American or just loving the flag, Wear it!
It’s very easy to make a huge stylistic mistake like a white T-Shirt with a flag.
I found this amazing shirt online. www.nastygal.com (America Shirt)
SHEBAM! POW! BLOP! WIZZ!
Who needs fashion tips and advice when they already have style …
Sneak peek at the latest news and trends from a Parisian’s perspective.
Musthaves and things to avoid
Cowboys vs Indians
So as I said earlier, fashion trends come and go but they definitely come back. Fashion designers are artists in my opinion. They create clothes which always come from an inspiration they had. Walking in the streets, watching an old movie, going to an art exhibition … I have a few designer friends, they are great people and are really laid back. You’d think they would be always talking about the newest handbags, what this famous actress is wearing and so on … No, that’s not the case, they’re really simple people who enjoy simple stuff. My friends are well dressed, with good style but do not spend a lot of money on clothes. They pick out the best piece, that works for them and wear it with style, with no effort.
A lot of designers have been focusing on this old battle: Indians versus Cowboys. They’ve been battling themselves. From a fashion season to another one. I love these style but it’s rather hard to wear.
How would you wear these different inspired outfits?
And when?
(Isabel Marant designer)
Dream Piece …
Fashion trends are always cycles. Do not give your clothes away! Okay, if you do not have enough space in your closet please try to store them or put them in a box in your basement.One day, trust me, you’ll be happy I said that. Your daughter maybe will be happy too or even granddaughter.
The thing about Fashion I learnt and I keep on experiencing, is that what makes you fall in love with a piece and live a lifetime relationship, is the fact that this particular piece is UNIQUE. You never see it on anyone, and people just ask you where you got it. I can imagine that if you buy something at a Vintage store, you’re going to think it’s unique and you’ll be able to reach this point of “perfect” piece experience. It really depends. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past with Vintage stuff (TG it’s cheap). You buy it and then you tell yourself that it’s old and maybe doesn’t really fit or is just not what you wanted to get but couldn’t afford the dream piece in the Boutique next door. If that is your state of mind, please do not buy anything to make you feel better. Just try to put money aside and get what you truly and deeply want! Buying in quantity can be great but it’s generally a way to feel relieved that you didn’t spend it on one piece you’ll wear once and that you just cannot afford right now.
Then comes the big analysis of whether or not the piece you’re dreaming about is a “One of kind”, “never gonna find again”, “will make my life so much easier” PIECE. It can be answered asking yourself simple questions:
Step 1: Do I already own a similar piece? (example a small black clutch)
If your answer is YES you’re done here (except if you have so much money and just want to have the most awesome closet without even knowing what and when to wear something since you don’t even know that you have it (mm I’m a bit exaggerating here)
Step 2: Do I need this piece? (example for clutches: are you going to go to many events soon? Weddings, nice dinner parties?) I mean if you’re going out more often during the day, you don’t really need a new clutch)
Step 3: Do you like the material? Is the colour easy to combine with your usual outfits? That’s the most important thing. If you saw it in a magazine and a girl was wearing it at the Oscars for instance, the way she wears it is maybe going to be slightly different from your style (I’m using maybe because you could have this lifestyle, do not know who is reading my blog …)
Step 4: Is it something I can afford right now? Okay here, comes the boring, technical question we all hate. Yes we’re dying for this new piece and we do not care how much money is left on our accounts. I’d always think about how my Dad raised me when I ask myself this particular question. I feel amazing that Step 1 to 3 was successful and then comes this stupid financial issue that’s going to ruin my dream (obviously this is categorized in the superficial dreams, not really a dream I want to accomplish) It would be sad if our dreams would be only fashion ones! But you know what, being superficial from time to time is relaxing. You can finally turn OFF your brain and turn ON only your eyes!
Anyways, I found a solution for this financial issue (when it happens): Try to convince your Mom, your Boyfriend, sister … that’s the piece you’ve been looking for this entire Fashion Season (this is useful when your bday is not so far away, Hanukkah, Christmas …) always a great way to either get it as “the most amazing present” or to get a little help (you could share the cost for instance and still be a gift) Just talk about it excessively saying how good it will look with this or that, and these people will get a sense of your love and attachment to this dream piece. Trust me, this technic usually works, everyone is happy at the end.
Step 5/Alternative: Wait … Find it online: http://www.vestiairecollective.com/ (that’s the amazing website I used in France, but it’s worldwide now)
Bon Shopping
Perfect Skin
Who needs fashion tips and advice when they already have style …
Sneak peek at the latest news and trends from a Parisian’s perspective.
Musthaves and things to avoid
1st TOPIC Perfect skin
Okay LA is a sunny city, but isn’t it also the city of Angels? And I’m guessing angels are usually white. Rule number one for a Parisian in LA or a wannabe ParisianLA, “do not stay in the sun too much”. The sun here is really strong and sometimes (which I never could understand) it gives allergies you’ve never had before (little bumps on your legs or red dots on the face)
Trust me, if you want to look natural and get this French glow, put sunscreen on your face at least and use these following amazingly wonderful products I’ve been using for ever (and will never stop) …
– The BB creme: it took me so long to start using it (I can get really stubborn sometimes when people keep talking about something trendy I just do not want to buy it) This creme is a great product for healthy and smooth skins with nothing to hide really. It serves as a concealer, a foundation as well as a great daily cream. It’s way more than 3 in 1 but that’s the only way I can describe it. Buy the big tube and you do not have to put a big amount and paint your face with it. You can even mix it with your other daily cream. For people with bad skins and pimples, this cream is also very useful but you’ll still have to use your creams to fight your problems and foundation to hide them. One more time though, it’s not because you have bad skin that you have to stay in the sun thinking the vitamin D is going to make everything better. I know it helps at first but then it gets worst.
– The one and only NIVEA blue cream (do not know the exact name): This is said to be the product that will allow our enemies to stay away (wrinkles). I’ve been told to use this cream at a very early age (10 maybe). You must apply it on your neck and hands (which are usually the body parts that get the most wrinkled) on your face and entire body if you can. The only little drawback with this product is that it takes a while to get into your skin. It is the best moisturizer but it feels like you put greek yogurt on your body. So maybe try some body parts (knees, feet, elbows, neck) and the entire body obviously only when you’re sleeping alone. It can be rather a turn off to feel like butter in bed. Good night creamy.
– The famous Eight-Hour-Cream by Estée Lauder: very very sticky so this is not a normal cream. You have to apply it on your lips at least once a day and preferably at night (big amount) It has to be in your purse all through winter time (even in LA) If you’re going sailing or somewhere really windy, apply the product. It’s also very useful for little cuts on your hands. The only little probleme with this amazing cosmetic product is the smell (some men really do not like it). Kissing gets difficult because it stays on for a while after applying it. A small little amount mixed with Carmex can be a solution in that case. It is also a great way to apply lipstick easier. You can use a brush and mix the lipstick with the cream. The result is a very nice glow on your lips.
– Body cream is good but BODY OIL rocks: The only issue with the oil I must admit is the stickiness. How can you go to sleep, wear your silk nightgown without staining it? I have the solution I’ve been using for years. I know it’s expensive but it’s worth the money. The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is definitely the best, number one oil. It doesn’t really have a smell. I’d recommend buying the unsparkling one. I apply it in my hair (extremities) before going to sleep and on my body especially on my chest, neck and legs. You can also put a little drop on your eyebrows at night so they grow quicker and get healthier.
For the expenses, if you travel a lot or if you know someone who does, I recommend buying the Eight-Hour cream (duty-free) you usually make a great deal.
Perfect nails
I must say that Parisian girls (talking about the true, natural, no makeup Parisian women) have been a little out of the Nail scene. They prefer nothing or maybe transparent nail polish to make the nails look strong. I mean this is the reality. I have a lot of girlfriends in Paris who didn’t even know how to put nail polish, which brand to buy and where to go. I get it! I was the same not so long ago. It’s more of a rebellion again against society and the “other girls”. That’s usually what a Parisian would say. This other girl who looks so superficial (fake hair, fake face, fake boobs, fake nails) OMG! Obviously the Parisian do not say OMG. Wait a minute, they’re starting to say it more and more lately (which if you want my opinion is so dumb) A Parisian would say “quelle horreur”, “cata” (short for catastrophe), “la pauvre” (pity for a superficial who is too dumb to understand that she is trying too much) We, Parisian, all love that! It’s not really gossip, it’s not really mean, it’s nothing really … just reality. You’d say Notre-Dame is amazingly beautiful but Pompidou would be “cata”! Same for people walking in the street. That’s the way it works. We have never been afraid to tell a woman that she has great style and ask her where she got her boots. We prefer not saying anything to the “poor” girl who just has it all wrong. Her friends have to tell her! That’s the Parisian way of thinking, the way we deal with bad style.
Back to the nail situation, I started really doing them when I moved to NYC. At that time, Paris was really behind. We didn’t have so many “chinese” cheap nail salon. I think it may have exploded when SATC became so popular there. Now, having your nails done in Paris is easy. You still have to stay simple to stay Parisian .For any occasion dealing with the fashion or art industries, you can get crazy (different colors on each nail, weird colors, fluorescent …) Nevertheless, for the everyday wear, the nails must be natural even with nail polish on! Never try fake nails! It’s so hideous and ruins your nails. Never have long nails with color (it’s a sign of vulgarity) Stay simple: if it’s summer time (LA style) you can wear reddish, orange/red.
MonPetitLA 