Everything I Recently Wore In Paris, As Documented By My First Grader
Not bad, kid.
Since I began sharing my travel outfits as a series for this newsletter, I’ve developed something of a content strategy: pinpoint the most skilled photographer in my press group and, if they are willing and able, recruit their help capturing my daily looks. In general, this approach has worked fairly well, and oftentimes turns into a bonding experience. They become invested in helping me get the best possible image and I, in turn, feel increasingly comfortable posing for them. I’ve made so many new friends this way!
However, when I traveled with E to Paris this past April, my usual plan went to pot. There was no one but her to take my pictures and, because I didn’t think ahead (I rarely do), I was bereft of tools like a tripod or suction cup case to act as a workaround. So I handed her my phone, and asked her to do her best - which, shockingly, was pretty amazing?!
It turns out my seven-year-old is something of a savant at finding my best angles; plus, as a bonus, she offered up some really helpful art direction as to where/how I should stand. In some ways, I suppose, this makes sense: We know each other extraordinarily well, after all, which always leads to an ease both behind and in front of the camera. You can see it in the pictures: Oftentimes I look like I’m about to laugh at something she’s saying, or that I’m amused at whatever I see just out of frame.
That said, we’re still talking about both a seven-year-old and my kid… which means she’s loath to perform on command.
“Can you please take a picture of this outfit? Right here?,” I’d often plead, noting the gorgeous lighting and lack of people on the sidewalk. She’d roll her eyes, and say no, so I’d bribe her with getting macarons. Snap, snap, snap.
“Okay this one is great but can you center me a bit more?,” I’d say, only to have her take 15 images zoomed in on my boobs, and some unhinged selfies. She’d cackle loudly as I assessed her handiwork in dismay.
But when focused and feeling helpful? E took some of my favorite travel pictures to date - which means the following line-up is a recap of my wardrobe as well as a testament to her vision. (I’m also including some photos of her, too, so you can see her stellar outfits as well… all of which I would totally wear adult versions of.)
Where I can, I’m linking to exact items we’re wearing within the text; if it’s vintage or sold out, I’m connecting you to similar styles.
A Jet-Lagged Dinner
As you may recall, our actual journey to Paris was… a rough one. So we were feeling a little blurry around the edges when we landed at our first hotel (the serene and secluded Mondovi Luxury Suites) and promptly changed for our dinner reservations at Boubalé.
But IMO we cleaned up quite nicely; me in a Michael Stars top (altered to be cropped) and vintage Comme des Garçons skirt, her in head-to-toe Misha and Puff. It was unplanned, but both our outfits incorporated rich, folkloric patterns, which felt in line with the restaurant’s ornate, colorful decor. That night was such a jet-lagged blur that I can’t remember much about what we ate other than it was incredibly good - and that we wandered into the speakeasy bar downstairs, where they were setting up the disco lighting for the evening.
Straight To Business
.. and by business, I mean shopping. Our first day, we wasted no time hitting up the extensive list of vintage stores I had pinned on my dedicated Paris Google map. I kept things simple with a straight leg white AGOLDE jeans and a long sleeve Buck Mason tee (also hemmed to be cropped). I started the day with a COS jacket; midday I switched to a perfect Mugler leather situation purchased on the fly. E wore Marques’Almeida tie-dye jeans (yes, they sell kid’s stuff!) with shiny black loafers, and a fur trim faux leather coat, both from Zara.
We meant to get back to the hotel to change before dinner but we skipped it to visit more boutiques. Later, we pretty much soiled every garment we were wearing with chocolate gelato anyways.
Day At The Museum
This was Louvre Day! Or, at least, Louvre afternoon, which meant we had the full morning to get lost exploring. We spent the bulk of our free time frolicking around Le Marais (like the SoHo of Paris) wearing several of our purchases from the day before. I went for graphic Moschino bootcut jeans from the noughties, E started in a secondhand Bonpoint skirt and changed to Petit Bateau pants we bought because she was chilly.
We were exhausted by the time we wrapped at the museum, but still had to transfer to our second hotel of the trip (the cute and colorful Padam). Upon settling in, we changed into fresh outfits and rallied for a decadent dinner at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. After ordering, I asked E to frame a picture of me in my red ‘90s Versace dress, making sure to leave out the paper sign on the wall.
This was her solution:
Some indignation (me) and hysterical laughter (her) later, she agreed to retake the image. I looked good in the re-do, but not as good as the one in which she covered the frame edges with her thumb. Le sigh.
Girls On The Go
We had a leisurely start that morning as I hit up the hotel’s teeny gym for a resistance workout while E watched the entirety of Pixar’s Up on an iPad. Then we went for a late lunch at the bistro down the street. I was wearing a maxi skirt (it’s M.M. LeFleur - size up and wear with a belt for Miu Miu vibes), long sleeve top, and loafers - a gross miscalculation, as this wound up being the warmest day thus far on our trip.
As we wandered our way through the city, I began swapping out garments for lighter ones I bought along the way. First I switched my chunky menswear shoes for newly acquired Y2K-era Prada kitten heels; then I traded my long-sleeve for a cropped Skims tank procured at Le Bon Marché (my favorite of the Parisian department stores). My look was transformed just in time for our reservation at The Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, where we ended the evening with a thick slice of marble cake and sampler dessert plate.
Ending On A High Note
For our final full day in The City Of Lights, we were due to transfer to Le Meurice but had a few hours to kill before heading over. E and I had breakfast at an Australian-style cafe near the Eiffel Tower, and then hit up the Shakespeare & Co book store, which I know is something of a tourist hot spot, but I have sentimental attachment to. (It’s also the best place in Paris to get a book in English.)
E took some truly fantastic pictures of me in my outfit - an Etro Blazer and Versace jeans (both vintage) with a Gil Rodriguez wrap top and Toteme boots — on the way over. My favorite shot was when I was photobombed by the Frenchiest French man I think I’ve ever seen.
Later, upon settling into our suite at Le Meurice, we got dressed up for dinner. I wore a Jandéqene dress made from layers of sheer and floaty silk and vintage Manolos, and she coordinated in a glitzy secondhand Gucci skirt that left a trail of sparkles in its wake.
And while we both took a few pictures of each other throughout the evening, my most cherished ones are from when we went ham using the self timer near the bathrooms.
Other guests trailed by and looked at us quizzically as we twirled and jumped around - I can only guess what they were thinking. But really, I was having too much fun to care.