Forget the baret

Bonjour!

My wine bottle savings account is on its way to being full! This will mean nothing to you. To me however this means I am one step closer to my trip to Paris.

While thinking about my plans, and day dreaming about how it     will be, I was inspired. This inspiration, as it usually does led me to Google images. As I typed in, french street style, I prepared myself for what was to come. A sea of chic women, AND men. How do you even just focus on one picture? There is something extremely different about the fashion stylings of the french. Something just so very different from the US. As I look through all the fashion that appears to happen with ease, something clicks. I am looking at a culture that appreciates fashion more than us Americans. They look at fashion as art. They are wearing fashion off the runway to walk down the street. A style that is not about picking something out because you are told it is popular, but dressing yourself to look good. Unique idea right? Well unfortunately it is unique here. In America we thrive on having what everyone else has.Why not try being dressing as a unique individual? No one else has the exact same figure as you do.  You do not have the hips that your friend does, or the chest of that model. Ask yourself what you do have. Dress that part of your body. Highlight what you have. Do not dwell on what you wish to have.  On the same note no one has had the same experiences as you have, leading them to have different taste. Why not instead of conforming yourself to fit in, you aspire to be genuinely yourself? What would that be like? what changes would you make?  How different would your style be? These are interesting questions we should all ask ourselves. There are other ways of life, and also other ways of thinking. Not only is fashion about challenging yourself, but the same goes for being a well-rounded individual.

The other thing that I noticed right off the bat is the confidence, and dare I say ambivalence. Each person being photographed for their fabulous fashion sense, looks as though they could care less. Honestly, if they are putting on a show, I bought it. They all look ,at ease with themselves. They look comfortable in their own skin. That comfort in themselves translates to the fashion coming off as effortless. Each person seems to have created their outfit to please themselves. They are missing the look of desperation. The look that I commonly see in the US. It’s the energy of trying too hard. I do not see one example while searching these pictures, of this desperation for approval. There is a charming combination of  comfort, fashion, confidence, and charisma. Combining these four things is successful outfitting. To be able to do this for yourself, you must first tackle the questions in the first paragraph. How does one exude confidence when one is not sure who they are? Beauty does come from the inside. The outer layers will follow.
So in conclusion I dare you to be french for a week, and see where it takes you.
(though I suggest leaving the fake accent out)
- Au Revoir