Paris Archives - Page 3 of 4

Starved for Options

November 14, 2014

When B and I go to Paris, we have a standing joke that we share - basically, think of jewelry in some relatively uncommon design or motif (like a bracelet that are a bunch of hands holding each other, or earrings that look like lily of the valley), and without fail, somewhere along our walks, we will find said jewelry, and a million other things we would never have imagined... I contrast that right now with the offerings in the US, where most department stores costume jewelry departments are dominated by no more than 5 designers, and maybe three other recognizable names. There aren't any small boutiques downtown that carry smaller brands, so if I'm going to make my purchase in-person, I'm ... View the Post

Denim Shirts in Paris – 12 Versions

October 7, 2014 As I mentioned Saturday, I saw lots of denim and chambray shirts in Paris - they were worn in an amazing variety of ways... Most simple is wearing these shirts with black. This can be a nice relaxed "out for the afternoon" outfits with pants and flats, or much dressier, with a pretty skirt and clutch bag. Sleeves can be rolled, collar stood up in back - anything that personalizes your shirt and makes you happy!

A collarless chambray shirt can be a nice counterpoint to a dressy skirt. Where something lacy or floral might go WAAAAY over the top, these outfits look like you mean to be dressy, but you're not getting carried away. (and look - NO ... View the Post

What They’re Wearing in Paris – Autumn 2014

October 4, 2014

Well, the weather was so nice in Paris when we were there, at least part of the time the women were still wearing summer clothes! There's absolutely nothing more evocative than a pair of espadrilles that are about to fall apart, on the last warm days of the season... But this is what I saw:

Hosiery. Yes, it's back. Sheer black, sheer nude, opaque black of COURSE, and some interesting black on black stripes and checks. For those of us with less than perfect legs, this is good news. That dark red color that is named for every kind of wine imaginable. I'm NOT going to get into the semantics of what color is which, but I saw a lot of leather goods in shades from a very purple-ish burgundy to a much more ... View the Post

Where we Stayed, What we Ate: Amsterdam

October 2, 2014

Go to the shop on the corner. Walk to the back of the tiny shop floor, and climb the very steep and narrow stairs...

When you get to the top, you find a delightful little slice of Amsterdam paradise - this was our room at Maison Rika. Rika is a designer, and she has two shops on the same street in Amsterdam. Upstairs from one of the shops, she has two guests rooms. Just two. This is not the place to get room service at 2 a.m. This is much, MUCH nicer. When you check in, they give you keys to the store on the ground floor. You can come and go as you please, and you immediately feel like a member of the Rika family. If you can navigate these stairs, I can warmly recommend ... View the Post

Shopping in Amsterdam and Paris, September 2014

October 1, 2014

I did not shop the first four days I was in Europe, because I was escorting my two photographer friends, and we were BUSY finding great locations and walking, walking, walking! (there will soon be a new header for The Vivienne Files!) But once B and I got to Amsterdam, I began to look about. I didn't throw myself madly into the process; I waited until I saw things that had whappage; if I hadn't found anything at all that really had appeal, then I wouldn't have wasted my very hard-earned money. It's important to remember how long it takes to earn money when you go to spend it - is object "X" worth 3, 5, or 14 hours of your effort? Sometimes, you just have to conclude that the answer ... View the Post

Lessons Learned: Amsterdam and Paris

What an adventure THAT was! Belovedest and I had a wonderful time - of course we did - we were together. And we learned some things that I think are worth sharing...

If you're connecting from a plane to a train, buy your train tickets in advance, even if you can't guarantee that you'll be on time. (and of course, you can't guarantee, because you're flying in, and planes are delayed) It's MUCH less expensive to purchase train tickets in advance, and you'll be assured of a seat. B and I had been promised by a couple of different people that it was ALWAYS easy to get train tickets from Paris to Amsterdam - au contraire, my friends!

When buying train tickets, even if you don't know your return time ... View the Post

Paris vs Chicago, and a Great Quote

April 3, 2014 What does Paris have that Chicago doesn't?

Bookstores - dozens and dozens of bookstores. It used to be a joke between Belovedest and me - "Oh look - a bookstore!" when we would walk past one, but it's sort of lost it's humor, because bookstores are so common in Paris, and so very uncommon in Chicago. You might say that it's because we stayed, this last trip, near the Universities. But that's a weak explanation - from my apartment window in Chicago, I can see buildings belonging to at least 3 universities - and there are very few bookstores in the entire downtown area... And what's interesting is that the French don't spend THAT much more time reading than American ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Stayed, What We Heard

Almost 20 years ago, when Belovedest and I first went to Paris, we stayed at the Hotel des Grands Hommes (the hotel of the great men, NOT the hotel of the big guys). I don't even remember how the hotel was chosen, but we really enjoyed it, and have been back a few times since then, but not recently. But when we were planning for our anniversary, it seemed an obvious choice, and it was a BRILLIANT selection. They continue to enhance the rooms and the common areas, and literally every corner of every section of the hotel is beautiful and holds delights. Our room was small, of course, but beautifully appointed, with a bathroom that was both spacious and utterly immaculate.

Hotel des ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Ate

March 26, 2014

It doesn't surprise you, I'm sure, to hear that Paris is a pretty excellent place to dine. I can't honestly remember ever having a truly bad meal there; most of the time I feel pretty confident walking into any restaurant or cafe that's at all busy, knowing that I'll eat pretty well, and occasionally have an astonishingly fun experience. So in alphabetical order, these are the places that I can remember dining last week:

Benoit, 20 rue Saint Martin, 75004

This is where we went for our anniversary dinner, and it was a great choice. The service was that perfect balance of warmth and respect that marks the very nicest places to dine. This Alain Ducasse charmer is rather tiny, and is the ... View the Post

Paris: What I Wore, What I Bought, What They Wore

March 25, 2014 Every time I travel, I realize that I could pack less. We realistically could have been able to get through most days with jeans, a sweater, and something to dress up a bit for dinner. The items that were out of my bag continually look like this:

Our weather was changeable - most days we started with jackets and ended up carrying them my late afternoon. I found that I really enjoyed my fingerless gloves - they're sort of whimsical compromise that proved to be just warm enough. And my ballet flats were great - they have enough support to be comfortable and excellent for walking. Despite all of the stereotypes, you could wear jeans every day in Paris and blend in ... View the Post

Paris: Politics and Pollution

The first thing we noticed when we got to Paris last Saturday was that there was an election soon! The Paris government very wisely puts up temporary "walls" upon which the political posters are affixed - a brilliant solution that minimizes the amount of paper glued to walls, and gives all candidates equal opportunity to expose their ideas to the public, without having to be concerned about raising huge amounts of money.

The single most amazing thing to me when I saw these posters was that more than half of the candidates that I saw on posters were women. I know, I know, we're supposed to be used to this sort of thing by now, but after watching the interchangeable contesting the Republican gubernatorial ... View the Post

I Worry too Much about Packing, Especially for Paris…

March 7, 2014 Do you worry too much about what to pack? Anticipation is a lot of the fun, but it's possible to reach a point in preparation where you drive yourself slightly nuts; I have reached that point with preparing for Paris next week. For a while, I would just wear something that I really loved, and then (after laundering) hang it onto the rack designated for Paris packing. Okay, so now about 50% of my closet is ready to pack. Clearly not going to work out, eh? And then I get panicky - what should I take? What if I forget something I really love? Will it all fit in my suitcase? You would think that I'd never done this before, or that what I pack will be the most important thing ... View the Post