Weekend in Paris

I have just returned from a quick trip to Germany, where we squeezed in a weekend in Paris. It was my first time in this very unique city and I would point out a few things:

1. there's no bad food in all of Paris
2. everyone must go
3. French women know fashion

Food

From street food, basic breakfast, to fine dining- it's amazing.  There's a level of freshness, flavor and attention to detail that appears to be their standard way of doing things.      

The City

Paris is filled with amazing sites to visit, not to mention the beauty of just walking the streets.  When we travel we like to walk as much as possible, because it's great exercise and you see a lot more on the street than you do in the subway.  We ended up staying in an airbnb for about $70 USD / per night - proof that you can do Paris on a budget.  There were no frills about this tiny flat, but this option gives you the flexibility to cook meals in to save $$.  We arrived Friday night and left Monday morning, so we had to get choosy with which venue/s we actually took time to tour.  So we decided on the Louvre, which was awesome but pretty much overwhelming.  I've never seen a more packed museum in my life!  If you go, try and visit on a weekday.

Fashion

Not wanting to look too much like a tourist, I did my research on French fashion prior to the trip.  A lot of what I read was geared more toward hipsters and the fashion elite.   I fall into neither of those categories, so I  was pleasantly surprised when I saw the casual elegance of the typical French woman.  These women are shopping/dining/doing errands and have their families in tow - not wearing barely there miniskirts in 5 inch heels.  A few things that I observed is that French women are great at accessorizing, particular to fit and the flattering drape of the fabric they wear, and are careful to not wear bright colors or patterns.  Monochrome is big there, which I will copy all day long (love love love).  In my next blog, I'm going to cover ways to integrate some of these ideas into your American wardrobe without relying on fast fashion or spending a lot of money.