Parisian Street Style
The Quintessential Parisian Look
Here is the key to capturing that je ne sais quoi : wear heels with jeans and gym shoes with a sequined skirt. The Parisian woman will wear things in a way that is unexpected because she is rebellious and that is key to her personality. She will wear the jeans at night and the sequined skirt during the day it goes with her attitude that she doesn't follow fashion, fashion follows her and just when you think you have her figured out she will throw you a curve. If she typically only wears black and you become to predict her black she will show up in hot pink.
With this look it is safe to assume your first stop should be J. Crew, the place for this sort of preppy, casual but chic look. This is my first stop for a lot of my basics mainly because they have amazing sales but the big one is that they are well made. If you are looking for basics this is a good stop and the reason is quite simple. If you are just starting out and needing a new grownup capsule wardrobe with a small budget you can buy a blazer and a skirt or pants to match. As you get more money you can easily add a pair of pants and a dress that perfectly match the blazer and skirt you already bought.
Navy Blazer, to get the most of your blazer you need to determine your lifestyle. If you are a professional in a conservative company than you are better off getting a navy suit and wearing the blazer with jeans but if you don't wear suits I would go with a more casual fitted option. Either one will work for this look so it is really more about function and getting the most out of your investment.
The Regent Blazer for 198.00 at
J. Crew is a bit on the trendier side with the popped color but I do wear my navy blazer with the popped collar, I saw Lauren Becall in an interview about 30 years ago wearing a white button down shirt, navy blazer with the collar popped, wide leg khakis and a pair of converse shoes and fell in love with her style. It has a fitted, longer cut which is more reminiscent of the Lauren Becall look and it balances out the wide leg pants which is dead on for this years looks for fall and winter.
Classic Crepe 2 Button Blazer for 228.00 at J. Crew is a suiting jacket so if you need something more classic, professional this is the best option. To get the more casual feel to this casual look you can pop the collar and either roll or push the sleeves up giving you that je ne sais quoi. It's the top secret to getting that Parisian chic look, something undone.
Shopper Tip: With J. Crew if you can wait it will go on sale so you can pick it up for up to 60% off the full price you just need to be patient and check regularly. If you haven't checked out Keep I suggest you do today. You can search a particular site or just do a mass search so it takes some of the drama of tying to find the perfect thing but I use to help me find sales on items i want. You can 'keep' the blazer(s) and when they go on sale Keep with notify you.
If you either can't afford or need something right now on a budget this more trendy navy blazer is a good option on sale for 49.00 at Zara but if you have a job that requires a more professional look you are better off with the J. Crew crepe blazer. At 49.00 it is ok if you only keep it for a year.
Brenton Striped Tee for 49.00 at J. Crew
Distressed Boyfriend Jeans
Distressed reclaimed X Rocker Ponte Sur Jean on sale for 119.00 at
J.Crew with additional 40% off
Distressed Girlfriend Jean on sale for 59.00 at Gap with additional 25% off
Steal for 19.99 from Zara
Shopper Tip: If you don't like that you can tweak the look to fit your personal style whether it is a dark rinse skinny or straight leg jean. You can use a wide leg jean but I would stay away from bootleg jeans. I purchase my boyfriend jeans one size smaller because I like the fit better.
Brown Belt on sale for 22.46 at Gap with extra 25% off. Yes you can wear brown with black, thank you Donna Karan!
Black Heels, these are a staple and you should buy the best quality you can afford. If you can't walk in high heels opt for a kitten heel but they need to be pointy toed. I have had a lot of luck on Kate Spade shoes, these are 350.00
Hint: You can 'polish' and remove scuffs on patent leather with Vaseline to keep its luster. Patent leather needs less maintenance making it a better option when it comes to investing money.