I haven’t been able to blog for a while because my camera is broken and phone photos just don’t cut it for outfit posts. I will have a new camera for the new year so maybe my new year’s resolution will be to keep on top of my blogging! Anyway instead, here is a photo update from a lovely but cold December in Paris…
I’m back home for Christmas now in Bristol but only until Friday because of work (boo!). I love Christmas – bring on lots of food and presents!
Today in Paris was so beautiful! It was first day of wall to wall sunshine since I arrived so I went for a stroll around my area, Montmartre. It is such a picturesque area of the city and I took to the less touristy backstreets with my camera in hand.
Blue skies and sunshine meant that it was cold so I wrapped up warm in my latest vintage find, a black textured fur coat that bought yesterday for just €10! I will be doing a guide to vintage shopping in Paris because it really is the best city for cheap vintage shops!
These outfit photos were taken down a cute cul-de-sac consisting of houses, which is unusual for Paris and its rows of dominant Haussmann buildings.
Et voilà, some of the beautiful photos from my walk. In other news, yesterday in the Marais I was asked to pose for a Street Style photo and then straight afterwards I spotted French hotty Clémence Poésy crossing the road!
Blazer – vintage / Disco leggings – American Apparel / Boots – Dune (old) / Fur scarf – Topshop (old) / Bag – Longchamp / Socks – Primark
Hello! I’m sorry that things have been a bit quiet for a while but I have been super busy getting ready to move to Paris! I arrived on Wednesday and there have, of course, already been various difficulties but having lived here before, I expect this. Other than this, I am loving being reunited with my other half, (temporarily) living in Montmartre and pretending to be Parisienne.
This is what I wore today on a lovely stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries. I am obsessed with tartan at the moment and I picked up this fab oversized blazer at Beyond Retro near Brick Lane when I was last in London. These chelsea boots are nearly two years old and I haven’t worn them for ages but I’ve rediscovered them! I love it when that happens.
As entry to many museums on the first Sunday of the month is free, we then popped into Musée d’Orsay, which formerly was a rail station, to see some great pieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gough and Picasso.
As this is a new chapter to my life I thought it might be fun to change the blog up a bit! Of course I still adore fashion and being in the fashion capital of the world is only going to increase this but I am thinking of expanding the blog to a more general lifestyle blog, talking about great places to go in Paris and what I have been doing, as well as purely fashion based posts. This may also prompt a name change but I’m not sure. Let me know what you think!
I have just got back from a long weekend city break to Lisbon! It is a lovely place – very hilly, full of tiles and cobbled streets and of course it was HOT. I sometimes struggle to deal with heat over 30 degrees (which it was) but the outfit above was perfect for keeping relatively cool. These outfit photos were taken inside the Cloisters of the Jeronimos Monastery, which was so beautiful I could not resist having some snaps done!
-Travel Guide-
On our first morning, to get our bearings, we went on a free walking tour with a local guide and it was amazing! It was over 3 hours long and he introduced us to some of the backstreets that the normal tourist would not come across. The way he mixed the history of Lisbon with his own experiences in the different areas is best for learning about a new place. He even introduced us to a lady who makes this traditional Lisbon cherry liquor called Ginjinha. It was pretty strong for midday and I could not drink more than a little cup but I would recommend trying it!
A trip out to Belém is definitely worth the 20 minutes tram ride. This is where the Monastery and Cloisters are, as well as this lovely tower in the sea. We were eventually able to appreciate its views after mastering a moronic and amusing electronic system of controlling people up and down the thin spiral staircase. Oh, and you HAVE to try the Pastéis de Belém for the best custard tart you have ever tasted.
I recently went on a city break to Barcelona where I had to check out what the local vintage shops had to offer. Here is a little guide of some of the best ones to visit if you’re ever in town.
The best street to head for if you’re looking for vintage is Carrer de la Riera Baixa in the Raval district. This small and short street contains a total of eight quite different vintage shops. Here is a selection of them:
Kilostore
The concept is simple really. Each type of clothing is priced per kilogram and you can weigh the clothes yourself on the retro scales in the middle of the shop. Choose from ball gowns to tea dresses; from sequin tops to denim shirts; from woolly jumpers to Adidas jackets and from bags and belts to Converse trainers priced at €15.
Billie Jean
This beautifully decorated vintage parlour has a great choice of what I would describe as, more delicate vintage. There is the usual offer of Levi denim shorts for €20 and cute dresses for €25, but unlike the others also sells lacy underwear, jewellery and trinkets. Don’t miss the €5 bargain rail at the back of the shop!
De Faralaee
This is the only shop on this street that offers a mix of new and vintage clothing. New items such as cute tops with collars, printed t-shirts and skirts are priced around €25. The vintage section consists of a couple of bargain rails and a rummage box. This way of selling vintage is always a bit more of an effort for the customer, but personally I love it. You’ll always find a gem, which I did. I purchased a lovely red shirt for just €5.
Lullaby
The last shop on the street is one that you certainly should not miss. There is an excellent selection of bags and shoes as well as beautiful blouses priced at just €20 – being a shirt enthusiast I had to try a couple on! Take a look at the range of jewellery too – from delicate to chunky and bright pieces. As if this wasn’t enough, the vibe of the shop is fantastic too, with music blaring and the couple in charge joking with customers and dancing around.
And if you want even more vintage…
Holala! Plazza – Plaça de Castella, 2.
Having a few locations around the city, Holala! could be considered as more commercial than the shops of Riera Baixa. The size and layout of the shop, as well as the items on sale, gives it the feel of an American thrift store. Whether you’re after a brightly coloured t-shirt, a sequined top or even table and chairs, Holala! will have it. Everything is well organised into male/female, by item and in colour order of the rainbow that shopping here is stress free. Prices start at €20 for tees and shorts.
With a great selection of vintage on offer, it is worth a trip to this quaint street in the Gothic quarter to visit this shop. Browse the colourful tea dresses, floaty skirts and beaded tops, as well as the usual denim shorts and denim shirts. There is a good men’s section consisting of loud shirts, retro jackets and shorts. There is a great collection of ladies’ boots and they also sell roller skates!
