What I wore in Paris
Paris style diary and holiday capsule wardrobe
I didn’t have to think too long and hard about what I wanted to pack for our trip to Paris. I knew I had minimal luggage space and I knew I wanted to attempt to re-wear garments across multiple days. I’d set myself this challenge a little while before leaving, hoping to discover my personal style in the process.
I have recently spent many hours discussing with a friend what I deem to be my style and trying to fit it into boxes or find consistencies in a Pinterest board of what I am drawn to. Another friend, who is equally as interested in this topic, told me she had read somewhere about describing your style in three words, then looking through your wardrobe and ensuring everything in it, aligned with them. I’d seen others do this and often felt very disappointed by their choice in words. Minimal, clean and chic were go-to’s. I had never thought about my style in this way, instead I had tended to think of more sartorial phrases or style subcultures to sum up the aesthetics I feel drawn to. These would most likely be workwear and utilitarian, with a lot of inspiration coming from Japan and France.
By packing less, I wanted to understand the organic consistencies of silhouettes I often reached for, layering techniques I attempted and colour combinations I was drawn to but in a forced, limited setting. And so, I wanted to create a blog including some of the looks I created whilst away.
Here is a look I wore on our first evening in Paris, when the weather was a little chilly in the night times. I enjoyed the pop of pink here, which I mentioned in my last blog, Observations in Pink. I’d mentioned that from afar, the socks made it seem I had pink ankles. This is the A-Line Mac from MHL., and its shape is one of the reasons I was so drawn to it. My pose in the mirror shows the shape off well. I have never been fussed about traditional trench coats, but this coat has the essence of a trench without the military like additions.
I broke fashion laws by wearing a navy cashmere knit under black but with the brown trousers I felt it tied it altogether yet the pink socks make for a surprising addition. I like the A-Line shape of the Mac with the barrel leg trouser shape here.
I feel very like myself in a look like this. I like the play of workwear tied into the skirt which is a jersey similar to sportswear garments. The skirt juxtaposes the shirt in a way, yet feels smart - apart from the trainers which throws it all off again. The trainers I purchased second hand and have been enjoying to wear a lot. I only brought these and the Camper Mary-Janes for this trip and felt very happy with my decision.
This photo shows some of my accessories well - the bag was a present from my partner for my recent birthday, from Gramicci. Red is my favourite colour and I enjoyed wearing this as a pop to each outfit, each day. As it was particularly sunny on this day, I wore my cotton fisherman hat, also by MHL.
I bought this pink/white breton second hand as well recently. I don’t tend to reach for very colours like pink but have enjoyed wearing this piece with my more workwear style garments. I enjoyed wearing it under this new spring dress by MHL.
Here you can see the Gramicci bag worn yet again - a pop against the patina of the Paris streets.
MUJI has become one of my new go-to’s for buying new. I do try to buy second hand 90% of the time but there are occasions, such as searching for the perfect black smock dress, where MUJI had the answer. This dress is a hemp/cotton blend and washes very well. I wore it on two of the days we were in Paris and enjoyed floating around in its volume. As a 5”3 woman, the length was long enough to feel delicately close to the ground, yet the hem high enough to show my footwear choices. Out of shot, but on this day, I wore the dress with the black New Balance.
Here it is, styled again but this time with the Camper Mary-Janes and some red wool ankle socks by Margaret Howell. I find the colour choices of Margaret Howell to always be spot on - this red is not too bright, not too burgundy and not too berry.
Another photo here, showing the shoe and sock combination a little more with the Gramicci bag in shot.
Another piece I wore repeatedly was this sage green shirt by MHL. Its texture and fact that I opted for a more oversized fit, meant it hung off the body well with a pretty drape. Its colour I enjoyed wearing with black and these cornflower blue socks to add another tone from nature.
I wore it again on our last evening out with the sportswear-like skirt from another outfit image and the same Margaret Howell red socks. I liked the play of smart garments with an athleisure finish.
I am ending my post with a photo taken in the bathrooms of the Bourse de Commerce with my Gramicci bag in clear shot. An addition to my wardrobe I have been wearing almost daily since getting. Its funny how an accessory as small as an everyday bag can suddenly make you realise the key points of your own style.
It’s clear, from looking at this photos that it is, as mentioned, elements of workwear and contrast that I am drawn to yet also making basics work hard. The MUJI dress for example, may be a simple black dress to some, but to me it is the perfect amount of volume that does not cling to the body or make me feel too frumpy. The smarter shirts with a sportswear skirt helps me understand I cannot always stick to the smart pieces all over; I have to break them up with something that gives me ease. Some of my inspiration comes from school uniforms, especially those in Japan. I like to feel playful yet put together. My sock colour combinations aid this a little - adding pops of hues that I don’t tend to wear in my main outfit.
I still have more to understand in this regard, but enjoyed reflecting and looking through the looks I put together for this trip and I hope you enjoyed seeing them too.
Thank you for reading <3