April 5, 2012 by Tory Hoen
HiP Paris fave and globe-trotter extraordinaire Tory Hoen is finally back in Paris. In the next few weeks she’ll be doing the rounds of Paris’ latest hotspots, but first she shares her top Paris spring fashion picks with us here… Enjoy! -Geneviève
When I decided to spend this April in Paris, my euphoria was tainted by just one gnawing concern—what am I going to wear? We all know the Parisian spring is knock-your-socks off beautiful, but it’s a tricky season, sartorially-speaking. It can be cool and rainy one minute, balmy the next. It can feel like full-on summer on one side of the street, and winter once you cross into the shade. I’m constantly shedding and donning layers, and my normal fear of color is supplanted by an impulse to integrate bolder hues.
Although my highly unhelpful inner voice said, “Just pack everything!,” I’ve managed to narrow things down. Below is a list of 10 spring essentials that I know will serve me well this season.
1. When boots start to feel too clunky but it’s not yet sandal season, I live in my Repettos. They come in a variety of fun colors, but you can wear the classic black with just about anything.
2. While I’m not always the savviest of shoppers, I regularly high-five myself for having bought this beige trench from Comptoir des Cotonniers. I wear it constantly—open, closed, buttoned, belted—and always feel put-together, even when I’m wearing nothing underneath. Just kidding.
3. I am generally an extremist when it comes to lip color: either very sheer gloss or devil-may-care matte red. But for spring, a more carefree coral (like Nars satin lipstick in Niagara) feels like the way to go.
4. Made in their atelier in the Marais, Monsieur’s delicate gold and silver rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings add a perfectly simple accent to springtime garb. (53 Rue Charlot, 3ème arrondissement).
5. While my winter handbag is generally overflowing with unnecessary bulk—old receipts, dozens of pens, a single glove, matchbooks pilfered from various restaurants—I like to lighten up for spring. A saddle bag in a bright color, like this one from A.P.C., fits the bill perfectly. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 7 Comments »
March 1, 2012 by Erin Dahl
Posing in the Tuileries in between shows, Paris Fashion Week 2012 (Boswell)
When early March hits, something in the air changes. Models come out of the woodwork and women in New York, London, Paris and elsewhere put a bit more effort into their attire. If you’re not in the fashion industry, it’s easy to be bewildered by the overnight switch from simple booties to stilettos. Fashion week is both daunting and exciting; add a locale like Paris to the mix and both sensations are heightened. Fear not, mes amis – dressing like a chic insider for Paris Fashion Week is possible.
Think of this week as an opportunity. March also (hopefully) marks the end of winter, a season when dreary days have the masses stuck in a style rut. Fashion choices are understandably made based on the practicality of pieces rather than how they actually look. After all, freezing temperatures make it near impossible to trade your puffy coat (the one that doubles as a sleeping bag) in for a cropped leather jacket, right?
Comings and goings in the Tuileries, Paris Fashion Week 2012 (Boswell)
Now that the weather’s turning around, ditch the bulk and grab your most daring pieces. Remember that quirky vintage hat you just had to have? Here’s your chance to wear it and not hear “mon dieu” whispered more times than you can count. Or those wonderfully whimsical printed tights that you feel just a little bit funny wearing around on any old day? Pull ‘em up. Parisians embrace Fashion Week, but that’s not to say you’ll get away with what you could in, say, New York. Here are a few guidelines to aid in your PFW sartorial adventures: Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Parisian Living, Shopping | 9 Comments »
January 16, 2012 by Paige Bradley Frost
Paris is known for many things: its light, its bistros and, of course, its fashionably chic women. But what about its men? Do les hommes parisiens share that certain je ne sais quoi for which their female counterparts are so admired?
Alas, in a word, non.
Parisian men do, however, have distinctive style that manages to marry the rakish allure of Vincent Cassel or Olivier Martinez with the more bourgeois appeal of, say, Francois Cluzet. In short, his cool charm derives from an unstudied, imperfect look that works without looking overworked. Matchy-matchy, perfectly pressed and impeccably coordinated is just un-Parisian.
Here are some hallmarks of Parisian style pour homme, as seen on the city’s streets this chilly season.
Le foulard: There may be no look more “French” than an artfully tied scarf. Men are rarely seen in Paris without stylish neck wear — rain or shine. From the classic Burberry check to sumptuous cashmere or printed cotton, a casually wrapped neck is simply a must.
Les chaussures: Men’s shoes have gone narrow and pointy; classics like leather oxfords and sporty suede bucks have seemingly been stretched. A gently pointed toe is the only shoe shape that looks right right now. For weekends en ville, swap out the dress shoes for a well-worn pair of tennis — Puma or Adidas, please.
Les pantalons: Athletes with ample quads, beware: Modern Parisian trousers are très slim cut. Like those spotted on fashionable Parisiennes, slim-cut dark wash jeans for men can go almost anywhere in Paris these days. Worn with a tailored blazer or fine-knit sweater (think body-hugging), un jean works just as well for a stroll through the Centre Pompidou as it does for a dinner at a swank bistro. Whether it’s jeans, chinos or wool trousers, keep the cut close; a flared leg or tailored cuff is a definite style don’t. Continue Reading »
Posted in Design, Parisian Living, Shopping | 7 Comments »
December 29, 2011 by Badaude
Winter in Paris is the perfect opportunity to indulge in creative layering, colorful tights and stylish boots. While stylish Parisiennes abound in Paris, the people-watching on the cobblestoned streets of Montmartre is one of our favorite ways to while away a lazy afternoon on a heated café terrace. Fashion guru and dear HiP Paris contributor Badaude shares here some of her favorite cold-weather items, courtesy of the lovely Montmartro-girls, here. – Geneviève
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Written by Badaude for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Posted in Parisian Living | 6 Comments »
November 1, 2010 by Badaude
Badaude, the talented illustrator and Paris editor at the Style Bible, brings us here her top 5 fall fashion must-haves, as portrayed by her characteristic sketches of Parisiennes. Thanks to her advice we are off to start building our collection of opaque tights in bright fall hues!
What’s a French classic? We all know about trench coats and berets, though I’m not too sure many people wear them outside Amelie. There is a Paris ‘uniform’. If you want to fit in – or if you want to give it a go because, well, fifty million French girls can’t be wrong, here are the items I see on the street all the time.
Have I missed anything? Let me know…
Paris Fall Fashion Essentials – Badaude
Continue reading for more Paris fall fashion essentials…
Posted in Design, Shopping | 12 Comments »
March 31, 2010 by Tory Hoen
When it comes to footwear, there is one word that sends fashionistas around the globe swooning: Repetto. The brand is a well-kept secret that Parisians have known about since the first pair was created in 1947, but (as usual) the rest of us are just catching on. Frankly, I’m not the type to squeal over a pair of shoes—or so I thought, until I had a Repetto-related epiphany that made me realize what all the fuss was about.
The brand’s cult status dates back to the 1950s, when Rosa Repetto created an iconic ballet flat for sultry French actress Brigitte Bardot. In the 1970s, Serge Gainsbourg got on board, and the rest was history. Though the company still creates actual dance shoes, many of their styles have been co-opted by those who simply want to prance around the streets in them (myself included). Today, most self-respecting Parisiennes have at least one pair in their closets. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 8 Comments »
March 2, 2010 by Tory Hoen
womensmafia.com/tapisserie-jdsavoye.com
Brace yourself, Parisians! The Jet Set is about to descend upon the city for yet another fashion week. This year’s Ready-to-Wear shows run from March 2-10, but as we all know, fashion week is about much more than just the shows themselves. It’s about exclusive parties, insider meetings, an endless flow of champagne, and looking ultra-stylish at all times. In other words, c’est trop fashion. (Yes, in Paris, we actually use the word “fashion” as an adjective).
For those of us not directly involved in the fashion industry, Fashion Week can inspire one of two reactions: 1) dress to the nines and try to get in on the action by talking your way past the velvet ropes (good luck!). Or 2) hunker down and keep a low profile until the mayhem subsides. Whether you’re an action-chaser or an action-avoider, we have some tips for you.
Photos: Photo Agency; Sojones.com; L’Express.com
Continue Reading »
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March 1, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Photos: styleclicker.net
While there are some things you can always count on in Paris—fresh bread, the reliable Metro system, the weekly markets—there are other things you can never count on. The weather is one of these things. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up, looked out the window, dressed accordingly, and then stepped outside to find that the weather has completely changed within the span of 15 minutes. On one occasion, my picnic on the Pont des Arts began bathed in rosy summer light and ended in a torrential downpour that left me resembling a drowned rat (not a good look). On the contrary, the other day I ducked into the Metro to escape a rain shower and emerged 10 minutes later to find the sky had turned a brilliant blue.
The moral of this story? Paris is a lawless land (climatically speaking) and one must prepare for any and all possibilities. Continue Reading »
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January 29, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Gerard Laurent, Pariscool.com
I have that electric feeling that can only mean one of two things: either I’ve put my finger in a socket, or I am headed back to Paris. Luckily for me, it’s the latter. After seven months in North America, I am returning to my other home—a painfully beautiful, limestone-y, cigarette-loving, scarf-wearing, butter-flavored home. Needless to say, I’m giddy with anticipation.
For me (and I don’t think I’m the only one), Paris is a city where my imagination takes flight and I can spend entire days simply wandering, observing, tasting, inhaling, perusing, writing and dreaming. To those who see me as I go about my activities, I probably look like some kind of blissed-out idiot… but so be it. Paris is my happy place, and no matter how many times my shoe falls onto the metro tracks or I am surrounded by a pack of traveling minstrels, nothing can taint my love affair with this city. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 9 Comments »
November 2, 2009 by Haven in Paris
As the days grow shorter and the air gets colder, winter fashion hits the Parisian streets. Expert Julie Blakley gives us the lowdown on how to dress for a stylish (and warm) winter in France!
by Julie Blakley, Why Go Paris
Despite the fact that I have an ample amount of French blood pumping through my veins, I still find myself to be the fashion and style inferior to all the fabulously dressed French women when I’m traveling in France. After living in Paris through the winter, and doing enough shopping while I was there, I learned a great deal about how to dress so I wouldn’t look like a tourist when I was going to class, sipping my cappuccino or shopping. Here are a few tips on excellent winter wear in France, so you won’t stick out quite so much when walking the streets of Paris, visiting the vineyards of the Loire or bundling up in the mountains of the Alps. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 22 Comments »
Carin Olsson 
