 |
| Street scene: lady on right is only one smartly dressed |
October 2011 found me in Paris for a few days; I tacked a visit to France onto my trip to see relatives and friends in the UK. I hadn't been to France for a few years and I wanted to buy some French books at reasonable prices - not the astronomical rates I'd have to pay in my home town.
 |
| Winter doesn't have to mean dull. |
I also wanted to check out what women were wearing. After all, this is - supposedly - still the fashion capital of the world, the city that invented haute couture.
 |
| A nice pairing of color and texture |
Boy, was I disappointed! Seems that the French have succumbed to the same laissez faire attitude to dressing, which has turned much of the developed world into streetscapes of sad-looking attire.
It makes me wonder what is going on in that other francophone capital of style: Montreal. For years, no matter how hard visiting anglos tried, the Montreal women always managed to look more chic, more stylish. (I'll have to plan a visit there to check things out.)
 |
| The red in the plaid and the red bag lift this look |
There were one or two bright spots however and it was surprising where I found them. I had chosen to stay near the Gare du Nord station as that was my jumping off point from the Chunnel train and also the place to catch the train to CDG airport.
It is also a working class neighborhood, meaning that very little English was spoken - another plus, as I wanted the chance to speak French.
 |
| "Grand Magasin" - the only splash of color! |
As my pictures show, style isn't necessarily about money, or where you live and work. It's a dedication you carry in your head and rests more on creativity than cash.
 |
| "Grand Magasin" - a sea of dull! |
Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer
