Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Blanche Neige

Everyone wants to know what to wear in Paris for their upcoming trip.

White white white

White cardies, white shirt, white T is forever in Paris. 'Evergreen' in fact. Aways a class act.

White T shirt tails hanging out works fine.

Upstairs at WH Smith a bevy of French girls in white tops combing the English-French books.

Did Annie Hall/Diane Keeton make the white shirt chic? Or was it Chanel? Or both? What ever Frenchies are hot to buy books with English text on one page with French on the other at WH.

I thought, "Ha!" This will be Great for my French, but all the footnotes are in French. The sales person informed me these books are for French learning English not the other way around. Never mind. I bought a book of contemporary American short stories. But if you want to know how to sound like Annie Hall or Sabrina from Breakfast at Tiffanies but in French you've come to the right place.

Back to the ever-present white T-shirt. Worn with the shortie denim jacket. Perfect.

Where to get your white T? Take a look in forever hot Colette but buy maybe back home. This T with absolutely zero on it (unless you wear it inside out so the label shows) is 155€ ouch. It has Charlotte Gainsbourg's name on it. Go figure.

A plain and simple logo T at Colette is 60€. Still ouch. 

Better bring your own Fruit of the Loom with you to Paris to be safe and not sorry.

A white sweater will do fine.

Uggs with white cuffs in August. What is there to say? Mystifying.

Vans are hot hot hot and nothing new (in Colette's vitrine) but plenty of white 

Please do not ask me where, who, what, how to get these little cute numbers with the white soles. No clue.

They could be baskets by Jeremy Scott for Adidas which probably cost an arm and a leg and would go perfectly with your Fruit of the Loom nothing T.

There's a lot of white in the new movie, Sils Maria. It takes place in the Alps.

Kristen Steward carries it in her V-neck FOTL. I fell asleep and woke up at the titles so pleeze tell me what happened at the end!

Keeping on to 173, rue Saint Honoré you'll find the perfect trés chic matching all-white china at Astier de Villatte.

White food is an essential on top of your white plates while wearing our white Ts.

It's Magnums 25th birthday this year. The white chocolate pop is actually called 'White' in the freezer case so you know white is really in. Best to bring the essential accessory with a permanent white T on, your French Bull dog, non?

31 comments:

  1. Love seeing your on the street fashion shots!
    Very je n'ai sait quoi

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  2. Such simple basic looks but loaded with style and class the way the French do it.
    Fruit of the Loom here I come.

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  3. Debbie2:28 PM

    Thank you! You always make me SMILE!!

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  4. My outfit de choix.
    A white top..be it a shirt or a tshirt..although I am favoring longer short sleeves..like to just above the elbow now..:)
    It just looks better for some reason.Seem to have lost some tone up there..No big deal..
    My kids just got a balck and white chihuahua..:)
    2 spots.. balck ears..the eyes..never thought chihuahuas were my cup of tea..but..now I think he's pretty darn cute.
    Ray.


    Did you see Lucy Hilmer's series of photographs of herself through the years?
    You're an artist..I think you will aprreciate her frank exposé.
    LOVE Diane Keaton.
    To the moon and back.

    Quite fond of Charlotte Gainsbourg in films too.
    I just like looking at her:)



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  5. Dear Carol, Here's the thing: Even when I was younger I never had the tall thin body type. My theory has always been that tall thin women can wear anything & look chic, even baskets. What to wear in Paris for me is a lot of black...so I don't stand out too much as American Tourist, which I just am...Again, love your color themed posts & like your tip about the Basic White T with a manageable price. Thanks for the book/language info, I love that!

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    Replies
    1. Oh there is a genetic aspect to the French bod that can not be matched except by models from Arkansas etc. Deeply frustrating. And moving to France you instantly gain weight. Who grew up on Roquefort or 8 kinds of butter. Living here is hazardous to yr figure.

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  6. I am in the same position as Sketchbook--I never was a model type,and now am even less so( a bit softer rather than toned--and this is perfectly okay),but the idea of basic whites still is an elegant one.
    Although clothes in my circles are pleasantly casual I always will enjoy seeing the fashions in Paris,always will enjoy everything in and about Paris.
    Thanks to you,Carol,we are able to do just that!.
    .

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  7. I say ugh! To UGGS in August! Just had the pleasure of a Magnum Bar last week - what a wonderful treat. I have always had a love for white tops of all kinds - does this mean I have innate French style - oh I hope so!

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    1. It does Geri! You are a natural born French Girl under the skin!
      I am embarrassed to admit I do not own a single WHITE T at all.
      Very shame-faced here.

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    2. What better reason for a bit of a Paris shopping!

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  8. Judi in Australia1:39 AM

    I can never keep white clean.
    My travel wardrobe however has a lot of grey - for practicality! Washing is difficult on the road.

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    Replies
    1. Ah Ha!
      This is why the French are addictée au blanche.
      It separates the tourists from ze French.
      One mystery answered.
      Merci Judi!

      Delete
  9. Annabella in Philly2:08 AM

    A luxury TEA in a top Paris hotel costs a lot more than a white T unless yr shopping at Colette, but you could wear a white T-shirt to tea just fine I bet...

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  10. Sue in OR2:13 AM

    How is it the French adopt our T-shirts, denims, 'baskets' and suddenly they're classy and chic?

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    Replies
    1. Denise2:15 AM

      Meanwhile we adopt their $$$$$ Chloe, vuiton bags to look classy?

      Delete
    2. Although its exact inventor is unclear, the t-shirt traces its origins back to the U.S. Navy. According to T-shirt Spotlight, Navy officers were first issued t-shirts as undergarments around the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

      http://www.ask.com/question/who-invented-the-t-shirt

      The U.S. Army soon followed suit, adopting the t-shirt as part of the standard-issue uniform given to new recruits. Outdoor workers such as farmers, dockworkers, miners and construction workers soon began to favor the t-shirt due to its lightweight fabric, which made it easier to work in hot weather conditions. Although it was long considered an undergarment, the t-shirt entered the realm of popular fashion during the 1950s, when Marlon Brando popularized the look in "A Streetcar Named Desire."

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  11. You are helping me decide what goes in my bag for my September trip. ;-)
    I had to smile when I read this post. If you could see into my closet, you would see that half my tops are white shirts. I have a friend who only has white shirts in her closet. She says that way she doesn't have to spend time deciding what to wear. Ha!

    Carol, your posts are addicting! Thank you for sharing your life in Paris with such joie de vivre……Sarah

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  12. Damn I wish I'd asked the girl where she got her dotty baskets!!!
    Now I know what to wear to all the tastings coming up in a week.
    Black Sonia blazer (from H an M)
    White T
    Black pants (must shrink them somehow)
    New Marc Jacobs blk backpack
    Feet - ???
    Need those dotty shoes!

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    Replies
    1. PS
      Must SHRINK me too!!!

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    2. Marc Jacobs blk backpack sounds wonderful. I love your photo of pink Champagne with "White food is an essential on top of your white plates while wearing our white Ts."!

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  13. You are brilliant as usual I love your posts and wait for them every day !You make me lough about Colette shirt and Uggs in summertime ,they are orrible in every season anyway. All the best ,ciao.

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  14. Yes! I'm a big fan of the basic black and white pants and top. Then any scarf or cardigan works, too. Uggs are better than flip flops IMHO. I'm very protective of my feet and toes especially in the city. I love your fashion-on-the-street posts.

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    Replies
    1. Amazing how simple this combo is.i would hazard a guess in NYC this is not worn to anywhere, anything.
      Too simple a concept

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  15. i like your post. i wait the update

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  16. Audrey Hepburn played Sabrina (in the movie of the same name) her character in Breakfast at Tiffany's was Holly Golightly

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  17. Fun post. I just hate those designer name price tags. Even worse when you pay the extra 50 or 500 to have the name on the outside. Free advertising for them plus extra bucks! Eeek.

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  18. That's too funny. I was in St Germain-en-Laye today, a totally BCBG town in the western suburbs where the French women dress up to go shopping. So many of them were in white trousers, while my daughter was in, well, anything but and clashing too. It's great fun, like your post!

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  19. Carol, you're always on top of all the trends. You spot what's going on everywhere. fun

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  20. August 31st

    Uggs, anytime, ugh... ,-)

    #15 pic down..... LOVE!!!!

    Oh no! You feel asleep in "Sils Maria"?!? Say it isn't so! ,-) I await its opening, over here.

    À la rentrée !
    Tessa~

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  21. Tres chic en blanche....
    Do I have to put my whites away after Labor Day?
    weep weep!

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