Good morning, from Southern California! More tea or coffee, anyone?
I just started reading "Parisian Chic" yesterday and am traveling through it as fast as I can. First off, Inge, thanks for the shout-out. My first attempt was fun to do and now that I have my book, hopefully my subsequent ones will improve measurably.
Now for the book. I really like it very much and also love the color and feel of the book itself. The cover just feels good and makes me want to refer to it often.
As Vildy commented in her review on your Books page, I would have really enjoyed seeing the photos of both mother and daughter to broaden the spectrum of the pared-down look with different generations. Special thanks to Vildy for posting a link so I was able to see the Parisian version of both women in side-by-side photos.
I have learned a lot in 24 hours! In my own private ode to Ines, I went out and bought a lovely navy V-neck sweater at Zara that I plan to wear with both black and white jeans in winter! See! I'm already making progress, because I would have never contemplated wearing black and navy together and I have only stuck my toe out a few times wearing white in winter. But, the image of her daughter in those sleek jeans and navy sweater sold me.
Her tone does not bother me in the least. It's matter of fact and she's just getting on with the business at hand. One thing that does concern me and raises a question in my mind, is that with the Parisian Chic style, I feel like I've "over-bought" in every category, from jackets, coats, tees, shirts, etc. How to blend, reduce and merge the two is now a puzzle if I choose to embrace part or much of her recommendations.
Inside my book cover, I already have a post-it note assembled with a list of items to fill in my wardrobe: Fisherman's sweater, navy blazer, more neutral tees, etc.
I agree with Small But Mighty that one lesson for me is "Mixing it Up" by combining pearls with denim or something feminine with tough. I like the edgy tension this presents as well as the unexpected.
Another section of the book I loved was What to Wear, When, because her formula is simple and easy to perform in most cases.
My brother, who loves world travel and has ever since he was a high school exchange student in Spain, deserves a shout-out, too, because on my first trip to Paris, with Nick and my parents, his hotel neighborhood was listed in Ines's book, Saint-Germain-des-Pres.
I'm a bit more reticent about the shopping and travel material she offers, because this information may become dated (shopping more so than the hotels). Still, for anyone traveling to Paris in the near future, it could be a goldmine of discovery.
Now, I'd better let someone else add to the pleasure of our first Virtual YLF Book Club with Inge beautifully hosting.
