Fashion

[Vivian]

We've just returned from our annual trip to France...Paris, Bordeaux, and the Charente countryside. Weather was cold and rainy but we had a fantastic time. Here's what I saw women wearing:

Scarves are bigger than ever. It was quite chilly but I suspect French women would have been wearing scarves anyway. I saw few prints in clothes; women wore mostly solid neutral colors in natural fabrics like linen. I also saw many varieties of the white blouse. Heels were still high, some still had platforms, and some were pointy (men's shoes were very pointy). However, I also noticed 60's style pumps with lower, thicker heels and slightly rounder toes. Some had embellishments like bows, and women wore them with pants although I saw many skirts and dresses. Lace was popular. Jewelry was huge, chunky, and in very vibrant colors. Younger women all seemed to be wearing Converse-style basketball sneakers in a variety of colors. I didn't see many platform sneakers so I guess that trend will soon be passé. Handbags came in all shapes and sizes. Stores are still selling the Grace Kelly-style handbags, a classic, but I also saw big slouchy shoulder bags and more highly structured patent leather bags, one of which I purchased in black with hot pink trim.

It seems each year that I go to France, there is more variety in what women wear. There's a rules-were-meant-to-be-broken attitude about fashion that French women handle very well. On a personal note, the day we left our last hotel, headed for the train to the airport, I wore a Louis del'Olio jacket in a vibrant pink. I had on simple black pants and a black shell, accessorized with my new art deco jet necklace and jet bangle bracelet (my biggest splurge in French shopping). The woman at the reception desk told me I looked très chic. I almost died!