Three Weeks in Europe: Fashion Forward in Paris

If there’s one city in the world where it’s fun to check out who’s wearin’ what, that would be Paris. I am by no means a fashionista, or even a semi-slave to fashion, but you can bet that after a week in Paris I never leave the house without being accompanied by a nice large scarf.

For some fun and free entertainment, my friend Sandy and I took in a fashion show at Au Printemps de la Mode, one of Paris’ popular department stores. They hold them every Tuesday at 10 AM on the seventh floor. It’s free and you don’t need reservations and they didn’t make a fuss when I took photographs (without a flash).

Well, Sandy and I agree that the large, colorful scarves the male model was wearing were a bit much. It was more like he had a tablecloth wrapped around his neck than a fashion accessory. I tried to picture my hubby Bob swathed in a bright orange bolt of fabric while mowing our property on his bright orange Kubota.

Call the cops!

Both Sandy and I lusted after a darling blue Marc Jacobs coat but were disappointed in the finale. Yes, it was a bride, but he/she actually wore a very simple plain white sheath. Very blah. Plus, the he/she in question is a female model who had to be a male in her former life. What with the shoulders, the hips, the legs, and the hands it was straight out of the movie The Crying Game.

Another fabulous Parisian department store, Galeries Lafayette, holds fashion shows on Fridays at 3 PM in their “Salon Opera” on the seventh floor. We were on our way to Giverny that day to see Monet’s house and gardens, so we had to pass. The weekly shows are also free, just e-mail them a month in advance: [email protected].

In lieu of seeing models strut their skeletal stuff at Galeries Lafayette, we hit the Champagne bar. Bathed in pink and looking like Barbie’s personal cocktail lounge, we sipped Champagne while perched on stools and snacked on complimentary munchies. Don’t take photographs… our host and bartender was quite upset when he noticed me surreptitiously taking a photo of him.

So what’s the trend in Paris this spring besides the requisite scarf at all times? White, lots of white. Especially short and sassy white trench coats. And BIG jewelry, much of it in black. And even BIGGER sunglasses, none of those Bob Dylan hippie spectacles.

And the best place to see the world pass by?

From an outdoor cafe, of course.

One Response to Three Weeks in Europe: Fashion Forward in Paris

  1. What a fab tip about Printemps! I never knew that. Now all I need them to do is open a branch here in Marrakech:-)

    PS LOVE your blog name!

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