so, shopping in Paris? meh.
maybe it's because i can find so many of the same things in the States, but i wasn't super impressed by the selection. so many of the harder to find labels like Repetto, A.P.C., Isabel Marant, Tsumori Chisato, IRO, Antik Batik, aren't so hard to find nowadays thanks to shops in NYC and online.
or maybe it's because the currency exchange rate is still pretty rotten (although much better than over the summer). considering so many shops like Bird and Creatures of Comfort had already begun their steep markdowns, i decided to save my money.
i do, however, love
claudie pierlot, so it was particularly nice to stop by the shop. if it weren't for the exchange rate, most of her pieces would actually be quite affordable (dresses for 280 euros).
anyway, the store that i fell in love with was
L'Eclaireur. their two shops in the Marais were right down the street from us. even though many of the pieces can be found elsewhere (Marni, Dries, Margiela), the selection was perfectly edited. this is why i love places like
Impulse or
Stel's so much: not only do their shops look like my dream closet (wearable, perfectly styled, inspiring), but the owners and salespeople are clearly enthusiastic about what they do and are welcoming whether or not you're 'just looking.'
i bought my lambskin aviator hat (Issac Sellam) at the Rue Herold outpost of L'Eclaireur. every shop is a little different, and this one was gorgeous, very gothic and dark. it was also completely empty (tucked away on an alley, no signs). the saleswoman has my dream haircut, a short bob with bangs that somehow manages to avoid being too severe. i wish i had had the nerve to take a photo of her, but needless to say, i am very close to chopping my hair off.
she had me try on everything even though she knew we weren't going to buy them. i tried on a gorgeous short cashmere jacket with an accordion pleat in the back made of stiff moiré.
she also showed me an amazing seed stitch shawl with three holes for your arms or head. it was about 6 feet long, loosely knit, and 2-3 feet wide. i am pretty sure any of us could replicate this. i wish i could draw, i would sketch it for the knitters out there.
as for food, we ate at the apartment most of the time, or packed sandwiches for our expeditions. i ate way too many pains au chocolat from
legay choc. and the yogurt. why is the yogurt so darn good in europe? i think i miss that the most...
mayle aiko cardigan, was $478, now $167 (xs and m)
mayle marion wool dress, was $576, now $201 (4 and 8)
mayle pia top, was $187, now $65 (4)
rachel comey double buckle belt, was $180, now $63 (s, m, l), also in black (m).
still in not-quite-ready-for-the-baby mode. hence the carseat and exercise ball crowding my living room.
is it just me, or is there something menacing about the calf's expression?
january 5 linen dress, $140. i love the sleeves and the skirt tucks. 
tradition dress in fantastic linen print, $250. probably my favorite silhouette to wear, definitely makes me homesick.
sainte chapelle
eiffel tower on a cold foggy day
versailles gardens
institut du monde arabe (jean nouvel)
'Chinatown'--13th arr. Les Olympiades residential tower blocks
Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Haussmann's folly)--note the faux bois concrete work
Centre Pompidou from a distance
the main entrance to our apartment
through the main door
and up the stairs
32 weeks. lovely old mirror in the living room
matthew washing dishes
a neighbor's cat who liked to come inside the apartment. i named him maurice.
