Ballet flats (Paris in Pink)

Casual shoppers, beware. The French sales are just around the corner and many a French fashionista is getting ready to pounce on items she has secretly coveted all Fall. In all honesty, though, the soldes are often the one moment of fashion folly many Parisiennes allow themselves. For decades, one market has proven remarkably resistant to passing trends: Paris. Despite jumping at the occasional fad (the Balmain-inspired shoulder pad, the hardware-adorned gladiator sandal), Parisian shoppers — both young and old — follow certain cardinal rules in their shopping habits, year-in and year-out.

The key to this eternal French chic may lie in a natural sense of restraint and discernment. In considering her past wardrobe choices, a French woman is less inclined to wonder, “What was I thinking?” because (most likely) it’s what she’s still thinking: invest in high-quality staples and err on the side of understated elegance.

An Hermes scarf, guaranteed to never go out of style (Paris in Pink)

Here are the most time-tested items that can aid your journey towards impeccable Parisian dressing.

1. The scarf. Parisians’ year-round obsession with scarves has more to do with style than climate. For warmer months, a lightweight silk scarf (think Hermès) can sass up a basic outfit. As it gets colder, reach for heavier knits.

2. The trench. This old-school staple projects refined sexiness, while also combating the relentless Parisian drizzle.

3. The ballet flat. Brigitte Bardot helped put Repetto on the map when she began traipsing around town in the brand’s dance shoes in 1956. Nowadays, a pair or two is de rigueur for any pavement-pounding Parisian.

4. The pump. For the office or evening hours, an elegant heel is the way to go. Just make sure it’s walk-able—teetering is never a good look.

Fur and pumps – the Parisian mantra (Paris in Pink)

5. Le smoking. Created by YSL in 1966, this tuxedo jacket set the precedent in sexy menswear-inspired style for women. Today, you’ll find variations everywhere from H&M to the fashion house that originated the look.

6. The black pant. It’s a no-brainer, but a well-made pair of black pants (or a few, in various cuts and materials) provide the foundation for many a Parisian wardrobe.

7. White tailored shirt. Clean, classic and always in style.

8. The classic bag. Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton. Bags that can appear too trendy in other environments somehow offer just the right touch when slung over the arm of a nattily dressed Parisian.

A classic Parisian look (Paris in Pink)

9. Touch of fur. Even the most basic outfit can be amped up by a hint of fur in the form of a hat, a stole, or a glove.

10. Minimal make-up. Well-maintained skin and hair are the domain of the French woman. Beyond that, a red lip or a kohl-lined eye can add drama—just don’t overdo it.

Finally, remember that it’s less about assembling a look than it is about owning it, so don’t forget to cultivate your je ne sais quoi.

Need a daily fashion fix? We love these:

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Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris blog. Featuring images by Camille from Paris in Pink. Camille is a French-American freelance writer living in Paris, and she adores pink! Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Elk antler chandelier. Photo: Christie’s

Text by Zeva Bellel

The dismantling of a collection of objects amassed with care and love over a lifetime can be a rather somber affair. Especially when it belongs to the dearly departed Yves Saint Laurent. Yet after the very serious, very lucrative auction this past February of the masterpieces he and his partner Pierre Bergé collected, the upcoming second YSL sale at Christie’s France has a lighthearted, uplifting air about it.

French bulldog statues. Photo: Christie’s

You see, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé had a much different aesthetic in mind for their weekend home in Deauville than they did for their museum-like Parisian pad. Created with the help of French decorator Jacques Grange, their ocean-side oasis was a Proust and Visconti-inspired pastiche of 19th century decadence.

Filled to the brim with ornate, rococo furnishings, fleur-de-lys quilted couches, oversized cushions, chinoiserie vases, Indian-patterned carpets and knick-knacks galore, the abode was a cornucopia for the senses. Exactly what a vacation home should be!

Next week’s sale at Christie’s France will give admirers and collectors the chance to take home a memento of this lesser-know, far more playful side of the designer’s style. Of the 1,200 objects to reach the auction block over the four-day sale (whose proceeds will go to fight AIDS) the majority come from Château Gabriel, the three-story manor that YSL and Bergé purchased in the early 1980s.

“The atmosphere they created was incredibly loaded. We are very far from minimalism, which is why there is such a profusion of objects,” says Simon de Monicault, furniture specialist at Christie’s France.

Wildly eclectic in terms of period, provenance and style, each piece packs a different decorative punch (an element Grange undoubtedly used to achieve such spectacular flair).

Queen Hortense Empire Chairs. Photo: Christie’s

Unlike the first sale with its multi-million-Euro lots, this one is far from elitist. Some pieces are estimated at only a few hundred Euros, while the highest, a gothic revival salon set (est. €80,000-120,000) is pittance compared to the €32 million Matisse fetched in February.

Chateau Gabriel in Normandy. Most of the objects in the auction come from here.

“It’s not the very grand things, but it’s everything else, including lots of conversation pieces,” says Jonathan Rendell, deputy head of Christie’s America.

While there are no celebrity objects in the lots, there are countless charmers and enough stuff to fill a few dozen homes. So if you’re looking to turn a ho-hum living room into one that pops, consider an enamel and rock crystal reliquary (€1,000-1,500), an elk antler chandelier (est. €6,000-7,000) or a pair of 19th century stools created for a Queen Hortense ball (est. €7,000-€9,000).

A vintage photo of Pierre Bergé and YSL. Photo: Fashionkitten.com

The rest of the sale consists of personal bits and bobs from YSL’s Parisian apartment and office, including his 14-piece French Bulldog statuette set, his Hermès crocodile luggage and a treasured collection of eponymous jewels that he kept on his bed-side table.

All in all, the sale offers YSL admirers a final snapshot of his intimate world through the objects he collected and loved. Those who don’t get to go home with a souvenir can at least leave with a smile.

………….

Auction Preview: November 12th-16th at Christie’s France,  75008 Paris (10am-6pm)
Auction Dates: November 17th-20th at Théâtre Marigny,  75008 Paris (10am-4pm)
Catalog: Click here to browse e-catalog.

This blog post was written by Zeva Bellel of Paris by Appointment Only.

Edited by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

photo courtesy of: www.lescarnetsdudesign.com

Photos Erica Berman (except above)

As the global economic climate has forced consumers to shop more selectively, it has also forced retailers to sell more creatively. Merci, Paris’ newest concept store, provides a breathtaking space where visitors can shop with a conscience. Created by Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, founders of renowned children’s clothing line Bonpoint, Merci donates all of its proceeds (after breaking even) to a co-op for young women in Madagascar.

As Merci’s website explains, the concept for the store was “born of a dream,” and this whimsical attitude comes through in the store’s layout and details. From the decorative red Fiat Cinquecento that marks the store’s main door to the taxidermy animals scattered throughout the racks of clothing, this is a space that inspires reverie—in addition to shopping, of course.

Located in a three-story loft space in the 3^rd arrondissement, Merci’s atmosphere is open and inviting; it’s the kind of place where you can spend an unrushed afternoon browsing merchandise, sipping tea, and simply exploring the space, which measures roughly 1,500 square meters. Part-loft, part-library, part-garden, the store is defined by an aesthetic simplicity that balances elegance with playfulness. In addition to housing a range of merchandise, Merci also includes a café (within the store’s “library” section) and a restaurant on the lower level.

Merci stocks everything from clothing, to flowers and garden accessories, to perfumes by Annick Goutal, to custom furniture and home goods, to second-hand books in multiple languages. Clothing offerings range from children’s merchandise (by brands like Bonpoint), to contemporary French brands (like A.P.C. and Isabel Marant), to vintage, to high-end designer labels (such as YSL and Chloé). Much of the clothing on sale has been created—and priced—exclusively for Merci.

Since opening in March, Merci has received rave reviews from in-the-know Parisians. Its ability to combine understated luxury with philanthropy sets it apart from the city’s other concept stores. So whether you’re out to buy or simply to browse, this is one address you won’t want to miss.

Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris 75003. Tel: 01.42.77.00.33.

http://www.merci-merci.com/