Au revoir, Paris

      As I am finishing my time here in Paris, with America being my last and final stop, there is at least one thing that I can say, without a doubt: there is no fashion like Parisian fashion. After traveling to multiple cities in a variety of countries, I have realized that no one does it quite like Paris. No where else can I get the feeling that I am watching a fashion show, when in reality I am sitting outside a café people watching.
      Though I can't say for certain that I have mastered the look of "la Parisian" myself, I can say that I have definitely learned what it takes to try. Never again will I show up to class in sweatpants, or wear the token long, puffy coat that we Americans all know and love. It is not an easily attainable look, and even the other amazing cities I've traveled to have not been able to replicate it, but I think that it is a look that all can - and will - appreciate. I can't wait to bring back what I have learned through my time here in Paris!

La Parisienne --> Yoga Pants and Flip Flops

As my semester in Paris is coming to a close I now have a better understanding of how fashion varies throughout Europe. I have been fortune enough to visit different countries and cities where people dress drastically different. Every time I travel I see why Paris is the fashion capital of the world. At first it took me awhile to get used to wearing my “day time” clothing to the gym and then changing into my workout clothing however now I can see myself doing this back home.

Taking time to put together a fashionable outfit unquestionably makes you feel better for the rest of the day. I have always been the girl to be seen in my workout clothing because I can make it fashionable and it is comfortable. Now, instead, I am going to take what I have learned about fashion throughout this semester and put together outfits each day to express myself and feel good about myself. Fashion across borders has given me a chance to blog about what I have seen and I will continue to look at fashion differently after having this experience.

Fashionable Farewells

As classes start to end and we begin to say goodbye to this amazing city that has been our home for the past 4 months I couldn't help but think about this experiment of ours. Not only did it make me more aware of things that I would never think about before but it shows that Paris truly is the fashion capital that people say it is. As a New Yorker I'm used to the all black rule but I wasn't prepared for the dress code of Paris. From every city in every country I visited I learned about their culture through the way they dressed. Between all the clothes I bought while I was here and the way my style has changed because of living here, my closet will never be the same.

4 months later

The time has come to look back and see what I have learned in my four months in Europe.  Firstly, Paris wins.  I have traveled to 8 different countries since I have been here and no other city can even compare to the fashion here.  It truly is the fashion capital of the world for a reason.  The fact that I don't feel comfortable running down the street to the store for 10 minutes max in a sweatshirt and leggings really shows the impact Paris fashion has had on me.  Sure I am excited to be back in the US and be able to wear whatever I want in public, but I have really learned how important it is to look presentable.  Something so little as a cute winter P-coat, or a new pair of booties has really shown me how to simply add in fashionable items that make a huge difference.  The Parisians have got it going on and I am going to take so much of this knowledge back with me for future shopping sprees.

Last Travels to Munich!

This past weekend in Munich, Germany was their famous Fruehlingsfest, or Spring Fest, as many others know it.  Talk about Lederhosen.  The only time I have seen this traditional garb of the Germans is on Halloween in the US when girls dress as "slutty beer girls" but at this Festival, it. was. necessary.  EVERY local was wearing a Lederhosen or Drindle (the female version).  I was there with a big group of friends from home, and many felt the pressure to conform to the tradition.  I abstained because they were quite expensive, but to live in Munich, it seems to be necessary for more than one time out of the year.  Also, girls left and right had their hair in two pigtail braids, and boys wore fedoras, another part of the dress that makes it special to Munich. It is their traditional dress, and we just use it as a costume in the US, but in this part of Europe, the tradition still lives.  
 

Putting It To The Test

We've been talking about the differences between American and European styles for weeks now, so it was time to put it to the test. The five of us recently went to The Luxembourg Gardens and had a photo shoot of sorts. We decided to take the concept behind Style Across Borders and use it as the inspiration for the shoot. Take a look below and see how we did in action!

Copenhagen and Norway

This past week was our school's spring break and I was lucky enough to travel to Barcelona (for a second time), Copenhagen, and Norway!  People in Copenhagen seriously have it going on.  Never in my life have I been in a city with more beautiful people.  Majority of the Danish I saw were youthful, blonde haired, blue eyed, and actually had great style!  They were more casual than people in Paris, but very very trendy!  This is a word thrown around in America usually describing the hipster chic style that has become very popular, but the Danish truly encapsulated this look.  The weather was lovely this past weekend there so many people were wearing flats and sandals with light colored jeans a lightweight shirt.  They layered well, and mix and matched patterns with perfection!  The style reminded me much of southern California on a chilly day.  I could definitely take some style tips from the youths of Copenhagen.

While Norway is a little farther North than Copenhagen, the weather here was 60s and sunny which brought out similar styles.  The people here were significantly less beautiful than those of Copenhagen, but shared a casual spring style.  Many of both styles resembled that of what I have seen in America and did not scream european like many cities I have visited.

Some friendly advice!

Even though I have been living in Paris for a little more than three months, I have to admit that I definitely do not have the look of "La Parisian" down yet. Of course I've tossed the big, puffy jacket, but as Spring approaches I am realizing that I can't cover up my American ensemble with a trendy Parisian coat. So, because I am not necessarily an expert, I thought it would be helpful to share something that I found. A story from fodors.com (below) shares all of the general do's and don't's of getting the Parisian look in their story, "What to Wear: How Not to look like an American in Paris." From accessories to color tips, the article tells all. No one wants to look like a tourist - even when they are - and these are a few steps to change that!

http://www.fodors.com/news/story_4536.html

Next stop...Lagos

The biggest difference that I noticed in Lagos aside from what people were wearing was the stores. The clothing stores were decorated on the outside with headbands, string bracelets and some random sweaters hanging from the ceiling. These types of shops reminded me of those the stops in the Caribbean Islands. Lagos was the first place I have traveled to throughout the past three months where I haven’t seen a Sandro and a Zadig and Voltaire. This was nice because it gave the city its own uniqueness.

Men In Lisbon, Portugal

After doing some traveling around Lisbon I did not come across any athletic wear however something that was very common were men in business suits similar to what I would see in cities like Philadelphia and New York City. I do not see a lot of this in Paris. The men here dress particularly well and differentiate themselves through fashion. If they are in a suit there is something unique about their outfit that makes them more fashionable then the rest.

In Lisbon I took a tour around the entire city therefore I was able to get a good understanding of what the fashion was like. In the most popular part of the city on the main street similar to The Champs Elysée in Paris, I saw an obscene number of men dressed in suits walking around. This reminded me a lot of America because I rarely see it in Paris.

London Style

On my recent trip to London, I most definitely saw a difference in styles between the English and Parisians.  Although there were most certainly some very well dressed people, I found that there were much more well dressed people throughout Paris than there are in London.  While both cities boast a lot of black, the styles were dissimilar in many ways.  For those of you who are familiar with the label Allsaints, which, by the way, are all over London, I would say that London style is very much in line with the Allsaints style: a lot of black, leathers, "edgy" style with silver accents and a more "punk-y" vibe.  As an Allsaints customer myself, I did love to see the styles and pieces walking down the streets of London, but missed the sophisticated vibe that one can find in Paris. 

The Burberry trench coat was also another staple of many Londoners, although it did not rain once while I was in the U.K.  While I expected to see this style of coat on older more put together men and women, I was surprised to see young people sporting the famous trench in many different ways.  One girl in particular looked to be about my age, a 20-something university student who was wearing a knee-lenth black Burberry trench, completely unbuttoned, but with the belt fastened around her waist, with sleeves rolled up, exposing a black knit sweater (sleeves were down), black ripped denim pants and black combat boots.  This look to me was a new take on the classic Burberry trench that I wasn't necessarily against. While I do prefer the more classical trench coat look, maybe accompanied by a medium wash denim, button down white shirt and a pair of loafers, I liked to see the coat worn in a different and unique way for a younger generation.  

Listen to Leandra

Ok, I admit, while being abroad I've been a bit behind on reading my go-to blogs. So today I decided to catch up on one of my all time favorites, The Man Repeller. Otherwise known as Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller has become not only a fashion blogger but the face behind an attitude in the fashion world, but that's besides the point. Two weeks ago she wrote about one of the biggest fashion staples for a Parisian woman and reworked it in three different looks that each have their own unique but awesome style. Leandra wrote about the Trench Coat.

The trench coat has long been part of the unspoken uniform for La Parisienne but has yet to cross over into American style in the same way. When I wear my trench coat back home, I wear it as a rain coat but here I have been able to wear it on a day to day basis regardless of the weather so I loved seeing one of my favorite bloggers encouraging her readers to do the same.

Me, wearing a trench coat and adding a lock to the Pont Des Arts

Do you own a trench coat? Do you wear it when it isn't raining? Let me know in the comments!

Travel Destination Number 6: Prague

           Talk about stuck in 2005.  What a difference I noticed in styles between Paris and Prague, and lets just say Paris wins. Big time.  This past weekend I visited my friends in Prague, Czech Republic.  I never thought style could be so blatantly horrible across the board for a certain place, but Prague did it.  Styles  I haven't seen in YEARS popped up daily during my visit like jean skirts, gauchos, those weird hats that look like barets with a brim.  I brought it up to my friends who study there, and they had to admit I was right.  The everyday wear for the Prague population consists of a lot of denim.

Men wear faded light blue baggy jeans, something you would never see on the streets of Paris, and generally paired it with an old non designer collared shirt.  Women wore anything and everything.  Jeans were very popular too, paired with jackets I might have worn in the sixth grade that were studded and bejeweled.  There was a lot of patterns and stripes and colors for everyone here.  Lets just say, I did not take any tips from this visit, more of a blast from the past reminding me how thankful I am that styles change as often as they do.

The Montreux Men

This past weekend I was in Montruex, Switzerland. Overall the style was a lot more casual than Paris with an emphasis on activewear. In Paris, I've noticed that overall the men dress very well and put effort into what they are wearing. It did not seem to be the case in Montreux.

This man right here is wearing a T-Shirt, Baggy Jeans, and Sneakers: the ultimate basics. 

Laer that evening however, I noticed a group of people around my age dressed to the nines for what looked like a Great Gatsby themed party. Suits, Tuxedos, Flapper Dresses, everything that evokes the 1920's. Gatsby is a theme that is used for parties across America, wether it be a wedding, sweet 16, or college party, so it was was cool to see that the theme is universal! 

Looking Good Old Sport!