Photo by Natalie Wang
To be honest, not a huge fan of the outfit. Wishing she had colored wellies on and a different colored bag. I don’t really get the all black outfit. I am sure this is her lazy sunday hangover outfit, to which many of us can relate. But she’s so cute cause she reminds me of my Caucasian friend Corrie in high school, in face and hair. You wonder why I even have to mention Caucasian? Well, this post has now given me a reason to add this blog’s link below…
Real reason for this post.
She came into the BeeKeeper shop. She gave me a curious look, with a head tilt, then proceeded to try on some high waisted shorts in the middle of the store. Outside the store, when asked if we could take her photo, she started posing. I suggested maybe away from the telephone?
In our second attempt at a photo we see she has taken it down a notch. Immediately. She tries to convince us, on the other side of the lens, that she is as demure and normal as anyone else. But, clearly, that is not the case. Her outfit may be mediocre to some, but she designed the button up shirt she’s wearing. Much better, I say, than another H&M or Zara piece. Boring. My favorite part of this outfit is the invisible pair of high heels she thinks she has on. She’s practical; she didn’t need to shell out $3600 for a pair of heel-less Antonio Berardi shoes. On her tippy toes, she has a lot of personality that even she can’t hide. And that is the most fashionable thing a person can wear.
After she was gone, I Google Hong Kong-ed her and found out she is a fellow designer. And that her quirky follows her everywhere she goes, and is in everything she touches.
Extra’s:
*source unknown
At first glance you might think that this is the girl who played Randy Quaid’s daughter in the 1996 blockbuster and Will Smith vehicle, Independence Day. Well, she might be, but I don’t think so. To me, she’s just an awesome vaguely European hair-blowy girl who has obviously perfected the hard science of blending comfort, elegance and style. It’s like when Newton invented calculus, but more fashiony.
The belted shirt, a classic updated.
What do you think? Does she have a PhD in casual chic?
When I lived in Paris for a summer my friends and I used to play a little game called ‘spot the American.’ Telltale signs: North Face fleece. Rainbow or Reef sandals. College sweatshirts. Loud voices. Broad gesticulations. Chanting, “U-S-A” repeatedly and for no apparent reason. (Just kidding about that last one, kind of.)
Of course my friends and I considered ourselves too continental to be lumped with the touring Yanks, and very carefully attempted to blend in with the populace whose lithe bodies, lightly tousled locks and androgynous-with-a-hint-of-the-feminine clothing choices gave them their distinctly parisienne look. Margaux (let’s call her Margaux) here exemplifies the Parisian essence that my friends and I, with dubious success, strove for.
Tell me you can’t imagine her sitting at a café in the quartier Latin smoking a Gauloise over a carafe of Bordeaux reading Sartre or discussing the finer points of love-making for hours on end. Or scooting through traffic on her Vespa with a baguette, block of brie and a poodle in tow. I could go on and on with the Paristereotypes (see what I did there?). But really, there’s not much more to say. Elle est magnifique.
The Parisienne Look:
Top by Cos
Scarf by Antik Batik
Vintage black leather belt
Trousers by Hartford
Shoes by Heschung
Glasses by Oliver Peoples
One of the best shops in Paris: Zadig & Voltaire
Real fashion should never be constrained by rules set by someone else. That wouldn’t be you. But in truth, some are more inept than others at dressing themselves or maybe they have more important matters to think about other than what they are wearing. I, on the other hand, have no important matters to contemplate, so I proceed.
I much prefer coordinating rather than matching an outfit. But if nothing else comes to mind, I guess you could match your cardigan to their boots slash shoes.
If I were to throw out some rules though, I would say the following:
Vintage shopping is unquestionably one of our favorite past times in modern day but it’s unfathomable in a country with new money. Everything must be new. But, unbeknownst to this lady, she is in fact wearing vintage. She looks effortless mixing a short girlish slinky dress with a more mature rust orange draped cardigan from her mother’s closet! Matching her cardigan to a T are her custom made leather boots. AND, most importantly to me, this young Classical composer has strapped over her shoulder a huge carry-on crocodile print leather bag. I truly believe all great leather carry-ons should dual-purpose as everyday purses as well.
Moral of the story… throw some vintage into the mix for some real personal personality. And carry-ons for everyday wear.
footnote: been reading Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead. Thanks ChanChan!
Need it:
Edgier draped cardigan
Custom made or Vintage inspired boots from Cydwoq
other Weekend/Carry-on Bags for everyday wear
Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Photo by Natalie Wang
