Parisian Reflections (most probably caused by this sodding rain...)

If self-effacing and deprecation are traits of mine that you may have encountered on the blog and found either annoying, pointless or both then I suggest you turn away now lest you start throwing things at the screen.  Before I begin, in my defense, perhaps venturing out to Paris during the full swing of fashion week which the Facehunter calls 'aka the biggest gathering of fashionistas on the planet' proved to be just a little too ambitious and also fear not, as the outcome of this post is open-endedly positive. 

When I say 'fashionistas', I mean there were some serious hardcore, bad-ass, fashion plates walking around that would instantly reduce anybody in their own heads, however good they initially felt about their outfit.  I commented on people upping the level of being dressed-up at London Fashion Week but really, Paris Fashion Week showcased some outfit stunners that actually had me staring and gawping on the streets in curiosity and amazement which I rarely do.  I exaggerate not, as there is plenty of photographic evidence... Cafe Mode has snapped some sublime outfits over the past week, as has the Sartorialist and Facehunter.

 

As I walked through the streets of Le Marais, St Germain, around the rue St Honore, Palais Royal - basically where you are jostling for pavement space with models, big wig editors, stylists, photographers and where you're walking into cafes and waiters are actually asking you what shows are you heading off to next, I felt myself shrink dramatically.  It frightened me how articulately on-trend and richly represented by glossy editorial-worthy garments and accessories everyone was. 

The shiny patent bags that I have only previously seen in magazines which had JUST rolled into the respective flagship stores in Paris (Mulberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy.....) were hanging off people's elbows so much so that they kept on knocking into my bum when walking around in Colette. 
Looking down at the feet, again, it was like looking at Vogue's shoe round-up list - Prada, Miu Miu, Sonia Rykiel, Pierre Hardy and Balenciaga, all this season and adorned with the correct hoisery too.

      

Don't mistake this as a case of people yanking on IT bags and shoes and calling it a day.  No siree - the same attention to looking fiercely chic and a la mode applied to the clothes as well.  Miu Miu's transparent skirts, Balenciaga's jodhpurs, Burbery Prorsum's leather studded trenches, Givenchy's wide legged trousers.  It became a bit of a fashion pop quiz as people passed by and I could point out the origins of their clothes.  It seemed like the cliches that scares most people off about fashion - people who wouldn't be caught dead in last season's clothing, big sunglasses, powerful strides and might I add, if sitting amongst them in a restaurant is anything to go by, a slightly haughty attitude - were all being realised on the streets in full force.  In contrast to London Fashion Week, where anything goes and mixing and matching is the name of the game, I was properly out of my comfort zone.

My resolve had weakened and I had given into feeling ickle and rubbish because deep down, those secret materialist obsessions with Jonathan Saunders dresses, Givenchy ankle boots and studded jackets, Miu Miu frilled patent shoes and all the rest of it do exist and I can't deny that.  I'm ashamed that I did feel this way because I do pride myself on feeling relatively happy about the way I dress, without spending a huge amount of money (comparatively speaking anyway...).  I think the lowest point came when I actually bolted out of a show just as people were shuffling in to be seated because I panicked and felt so oddly out of place and not at ease.  This of course calls into question not just a simple matter of outfit insecurities but feelings about being invited to shows at all, questioning my own validity.  Too garbled a subject to be discussed here me thinks... 

      

However, after much discussion with friends in Paris and having the boyf talk some sense into me, the truth comes out and I began to question how much of that individual came out in what they wear?  Sure, they looked absolutely pristine and immaculate and sartorially correct in every way but what part of 'them' is in what they wear.  For instance, a year ago, would they have been in full on grunge gear because it was the look of the season, and hence they did that 180 in fashion, and now are donning PVC black trenches, short ankle boots and studded dresses.  I clicked over to my Style Diary and though I have dabbled in many a trend experimentation, ultimately, I still feel like they all look like 'me'.  There are continuities like layering, certain colour combos, fabrics, shapes and garment types that I favour that I still am wearing.  I'm now ever-more resolved to develope more of a sense of 'me' to stop myself from ever feeling like that again (honestly a waste of good holiday time!).   

Having been exposed to such overwhelming amounts of fashion straight A*'s in Paris, I had faltered for a moment and got swept away by the feeling of 'I'm so not worthy'.  I have come away though firstly relieved that a) it's ok to look a little bit rubbish in London and that b) if I dressed any other way, what I feel about fashion would cease to exist because I'd lose the feeling that fashion holds opportunities and frontiers to be explored.

Comments

[Baby Milo]

Some very far out clothing - although I have seem "modifications" of this clothing walking through the streets. I think it has some potential.

*cough* For the kind of money they spend they look quite terrible und unremarkable so don't worry. You can cut their heads off and stick them on each other and you wouldn't notice the difference

[Meg]

The tartan dress and plaid shirt combo is making me weak at the knees.
Tipoff: I remember ages (feels like ages cause you post a lot) ago you were looking for a pair of wet look slick jeans and I just stumbled onto a beaut pair on UO - http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/invt/5122416067777&bklist=

[Rhiannon]

I feel the same way sometimes when I see all the perfectly dressed women in the Sartorialist's fashion week coverage, and I bet it's even more daunting in person. They're so perfectly chic, usually all in black, with it bags I could only dream about owning . . . I can't imagine standing next to them. But at the same time I'm usually much more blown away by outfits that are more individual and a little quirky--the outfits in London were my favorites by far.

And I really love the way you dress, because as your bf pointed out it's completely your own, and I'd much rather see an outfit with a lot of thought put into it and lots of different elements (charity shop finds mixed with obscure designer pieces) than an immaculate, perfectly on-trend outfit that I could just as easily see in Vogue.

My favorite Style Bubble posts are definitely ones with pictures of the outfits you wear . . . I'm sure a lot of people agree!

Oh, and I should have said this before, but thanks so much for linking to my site! It made my day when I saw it. :)

[sara]

I love the plaid outfit and the jodphers outfit the most. They really flatter you. I also like the green hat outfit, even though it is more casual.

I love seeing your outfits!

[riz]

I really love the pic next to the polkadot dress. Those grey jodphur jumper pants are so awesome.

[ambika]

I really can't pick a favorite of these--the plaid & plaid? The polka dots & stripes (so 50s with the flouncy skirt!) The Prada-ish knee socks and spectators? Just so many fun combinations and very much, distinctively Susie.

I mean, jodhpurs look great on some people, especially if you're going for an ironic aristocrat thing but it is *very* trendy and bound to look strange next year.

it is so easy to feel less than in the face of the emmanuelle alts of the world. honestly...who doesn't, but you have a wicked witty sense of style and usually those tutting birds are a bit jealous deep down...i have found it's best to have a partner in quirk for these sort of outings. there is power in such a pair :)

[DJM]

Parisienne fashion show go-ers do look very pulled together there is no doubt, and whilst there might be people who think what you wear is a bit questionable, I think you look like you and your personality shines through - you aren't afraid to take chances even if it doesn't always work out. That's FUN and so you seem like a fun person because of it.
These people are seasoned fashionista's and that's their job, so of course they will always look immaculate - but that can be awfully dull!
You are young and still exploring fashion, these people LIVE it and are possibly even a bit jaded and so are all about wearing the key things of the season rather than just having fun. They are about presenting the right image for the benefit of their peers. I suppose theirs is a professional approach to fashion rather than an emotional one.
Getting it wrong can be so right!

[clover]

vogue girls ALL look like clones, wearing all the in-trends...
sure they were nice dressed in designer duds, but very boring when you look at 5 pages of the similar stuff.

[mgw]

I'm with DJM - for all their perceived edge, many of the haughty, impeccable fashionistas you encountered in Paris concede their choice to the annointed trend deciders, an ultimately risk-free result. For you, fashion obviously involves a large element of personal invention/innovation and is not merely co-optive. Yours is a deeply creative experience which requires knowledge of not only the au courant (not a particularly difficult task lets face it) but also of design in a larger context: historical, cultural, etc. To combine these elements originally (not to mention on a budget) is inherently risky and it's this embracing of risk and a willingness to flirt with potential disaster that for decades has set London apart from Paris, Milan etc. You personally create the look you wear, as opposed to simply purchasing it. I know which excites me more.

[fashionevolution]

If its any consolidation, I think you look great in all your photos because you dress in a way that is uniquely you (will looking cool as hell). I want to be bolder with my outfit choices and I always look to your blog because of this.

I've just recently started my own blog and would love if you and others took a peek :)

http://myfashionevolution.blogspot.com/

[Naomi]

There are leaders and then there are followers. I prefer to think someone like you who can be creative with what they have and not just rely on trendy and expensive items to look stylish is a leader.

where are the jodhpurs from? love them

[Scaree Gee-Oh!]

Hi, Susie! What you've come up against is resumed in the title of Godard cult movie "Contempt"... It's second nature to certain Parisian fashionistas to exude contempt as the best mode of self-defence. Like the feeling you get when you walk into an antique dealer's, wearing the "wrong" clothes or shoes... Fortunately, not all Frenchie fashion junkies are like that, as pix by style stalkers like Geraldine of Café Mode and new-kid-on-the-block Kamel of Style and the City show... Let's all wear a ribbon supporting creative dressers!

I love the checked outfit, the jodpurs,and the one with the ubiquitous nude slip!
i also think the headpieces really add something to the outfits (if that makes an iota of sense?!)
if you think about it the vogue clones may have fallen out of magazines and look scarily fantastic but looks that you create are so much more real and 'edgy'..(she says, for fear of sounding 'street')AND manage to look great.
you may stare in awe at them but i know if i saw you in the street i'd react the same way.
now i'll stop as i'm beginning to sound like a crazed stalker)
but finally, where's the twotone leotard (i think)from?
xxx

[Elli]

I agree with pretty much everyone above, the impossibly chic types seem to me to be dressing for others, adopting a kind of uniform... wanting to be thought of a certain way, to be part of the "club". Where's the fun in that? You're dressing for yourself, and probably get way more enjoyment out of fashion as a result.

[delphine]

Remember with every: it all begins in the head. If you feel comfortable with what you are wearing...then that shows: you walk with a lighter step, you head is high etc etc. When I was in Paris 2 weeks ago...there was this Japanese woman (a tourist) that was so amazing with her personal style...I got excited when I crossed paths with her again a few days later. Goes to show...
delphine

[selina]

bloggers are loosing our confidence and drive all over the place!! dreamecho and kos and i went through a fuzzy period and no, you can't go down the same way!! it must be some sort of seasonal depression or something. i always look at the paris people and think yeah i'll look like that when i'm older and can afford it, but now we can pull off the crazy stuff that they can't! throw yourself into ss08 or ebay because you can never stop expressing yourself, even a tiny bit would be a TOTAL shame, sincerly i wish i had your creativity, you need to show it!

[Géraldine]

I agree with everyone too.
I felt quite the same last week, even if I absolutely don't play as much as you with fashion :)
But there's something I really appreciate on every fashion week I cover: it helps defining my own style. The more I see people looking ridiculous because they all follow the same trends (I can't believe how many pairs of Louboutin I've seen this week), the more I want to look "true" even if it's not spectacular.
I've also noticed I always like taking pics of the same people, so I stick to them and they keep inspiring me. Not that I want to copy their style, but they make me understand what a style identity can be.

[Géraldine]

And thanks for the link!

[Lady Smaggle]

I know exactly what you mean Miss Bubble. I work in a conservative office and I get weird comments all the time about the way I dress. Both ordinary and spectacular people can make you feel awkward about your style. But I eagerly await 8am every morning so I can come into work and read your blog and remember what it's all about!

[coco]

I know it's been asked but where are the jodhpurs from??
they are so nice, i have a crush!

[helene]

hello,
As I am french, and currently living abroad in the US, I think I feel exactly what you wrote about Paris fashion week. When I look at the fashion crowd in Paris, even in the quiet "regular everyday "time might I add, everybody is wearing with stupid confidence the same latest trend, thus you are confronted to a big Nobody in each person. My best example will remain the Charlotte Leather bag from Gerard Darel: while waiting for a friend in a Cafe, I noticed in a 5 min street watch 20 of those bags, coming along with as many jersey grey dresses.Paris has such a great fashion history of challenging codes, fabrics and conventions that I can't believe my eyes anymore.This decline in innovation and individualism is recent however,and I am dreaming of some underground movement to create a revolution among those sheeps.I want to go back to some natural, ingenuous fashion times. And if I feel sometimes hysterical when I see some teens wearing new Miu Miu pumps with The college Nicolas Ghesquiere jacket, a Muse bag hanging at the elbow, I feel very proud however to cross the crowd in my own self, wearing my own combination of layered grunge, rock and neon clothes. Please, stay yourself, and be proud of it, I am so pleased to get everyday my fashion fix from your so amazing blog.

see ya

[Stephanie]

ive been reading your blog for awhile now but ive been much too lazy to comment until this post, these outfits are super amazing and perfect in every way.
i love your style, it is totally original and a hundred times better than any vogue-clone out there.
keep up the amazing fashion and blog!!

and if you have any time id love if you could check out my blog:

www.boomshakkalakka.blogspot.com

[snarky revolution]

there are out trendy wallflowers and then there are the people dress for the sake of putting themselves into the world. those people, i always love them more. afterall, anyone can replicate a magazine look.

http://www.snarkyrevolution.blogspot.com/

bubble. am i going nuts? I love the post, but the music is a hell no. Song is fine but it is LOUD, attracts attention from my boss and slows my computer. NIX.

[Tee]

I agree one hundred percent..
even in Australia there are those kind of girls, always up-to-date, always with the right hair and shoes..
but they all dress the same, they buy whats in season, whatever the shops are making them buy, its so brainless and boring!!

ps where did you get those wet look tights(if that is indeed what they are)?? i've been searching the internet for some for ages!!

[liane]

When you mentioned the 'fashion straight A's' at the end of the post, a recent article I read sprang to my mind.

The article discussed whether those who achieve in High School are ones that ultimately do very well in life (financially). A study that followed the career trajectories of a bunch of High School valedictorians found something interesting. While most of them went off to have fine careers and make oodles of upper-middle class money, one thing they noticed is that none of them had any fits of business brilliance, such as founding the next Google or Apple or something of the sort. They did very well, but not record-smashingly great.

What the article posited is that many who excel in High School are bright people who also know how to work (and work within the parameters of) the system. Knowing what to write to get good marks or accolades from teachers, however, is a far cry from genius.

It's the misfits and the dreamers that I find make the most adventurous discoveries because they have the vision to look beyond what has been proven to work. Both in school and in fashion. The wallflowers always have their moments that stun and push things into a new direction. You should be happy you hang at that cafeteria table!

[Saskia]

I totally understand what you're talking about! It's what I feel when being in London. I feel out-fashioned, not innovative at all... It's difficult to see it as inspiration only, not as criticism of your own style. It took me a while every time I've been there, stupid feelings... In the end my reflection brought me to the conclusion that the reason why I always feel that way is a lack of money and a lack of innovative clothes in german stores.
I personally adoooore the french style, the girls have elegance in their blood, you can see that. Really do envy them!

[Girl and the City]

Great outfits!!! You look totally great in each one!!

That's what I'm really excited about this season, is the total look. Not meaning from just one designer, but creating a complete look instead of just one cool thing or detail.

You have a down-pat! :-)

xox Girl and the City

[WendyB]

Please. They're probably all looking at you wishing they dared to be different.

[TP]

Hi Susie B, long time reader first time commenter. You're right, that is what puts people off fashion, but blogs like yours go to prove that fashion isn't about buying the latest expensive trend, but id-ing styles you like and putting them together in a way that is super fierce and proud! Keep it up.

[susie_bubble]

Oh gosh... so many comments to reply to in greater detail but for now before I zonk back into bed (I'm flu-ed up again...)....
Quick answers...
Jodhpurs are not jodhpurs at all...it's a jumpsuit that just happen to have that shape... they're by Steve J and Yoni P for Topshop and are alas last season (see how I don't really give a fig for seasonality...?)

Wet-look tights are just the black latex American Apparel leggings pulled down over the ankles.

[dezmond]

Well PFW is the ultimate fashion week, so you going to get the label whores and big rollers coming out in their expensive gear, standard innit...

Parisians on the whole do the elegant, stylish thing very well, they even like innovation, but done in an "elegant" way- though its takes them a while to adopt something different e.g clumpy Frye boots with dresses - they were about 3 seasons behind and i suspect this whole coloured tights trend which is still very new in Paris..viva London's creativity but too many people still look abit on the shabby side..:)

[cate]

love the jodpurs! and about these fashion women: they don´t really have a style, they only wear what´s in and you wouldn´t even recognize them anymore if you saw them a few months later - maybe they even change their face every season! myself, i love integrating elements of up-to-date fashion into my style but basically, i remain very very retro.
xxx cate

[Angie Montreal]

I think I can sum up my feelings on this quickly by saying that YOU are the type of person who INSPIRES designers, THEY are the type of people who pay the designers salary.

It's so much better to be special than perfect.

[T-Rex]

I covet the plaid outfit in the first photo. It's just perfect with the bag, shoes, and tights.

I admit I wasn't fond of the blue pants in the fourth photo when you first showed them to us. But on you, as part of this ensemble, they are very cute.

Keep doing what you are doing!

[Una]

Well, i do not see nothing remarkable in dressing like Victoria Beckham or Anna Wintour(that is in my opinion is beyond creepy), fashion is an expression of yourself, if others are deciding, by trends, what you should wear, where does our own personality go? The only thing those people are expressing is, yes I have money to buy this things and you don't.
Your style Susie has absolutely nothing do do with mine, but It gives me great pleasure to see your creations, to see your take of trends, isn't that what real fashion is all about?

[Claire (Enchant and Doom)]

I have a love/hate relationship with the fashion industry. As in, love fashion, hate the industry and 99% of the people who come along with it. I found, as long as you stay true to yourself, your style and your own interests, you'll be able to enjoy fashion. It's not that you're not "cool" enough to belong to that pack. It's just that you have different priorities in life, and your aesthetic and values lies at a different part of the fashion spectrum. It's one of the reasons I like your blog; it's real.

[Una]

I forgot! Love love the playsuit!

[susie_bubble]

Replies and comments... sorry for all the babbling!
Baby Milo: Thanks for the analysis...I think(?)
Anon: I did think a lot of them looked synonymous with each other...
Meg: You lifesaver - never thought of Fornarina....!
Rhiannon: In person is definitely scarier... but not so much that they were physically frightening but jaw droppingly lux... thanks so much btw!
Sara, Riz, : Thanks...I do love that jumpsuit!
ambika: Strange how lots of ppl are labelling my jumpsuit as jodhpurs when it's just a jumpsuit with wider hips. I'm all for trends but it was just very bizarre to see things in magazines materialised so perfectly.
anon: The boyf did prove to be a good shield...seeing as he doesn't give a fig about what ppl think and is always there to reassure me that I'm not dressed like a loon...
DJM: Hehe... your comment makes me feel like a child having a messy riot in fashion..which I suppose sometimes that's how I feel like. I don't mean to NOT strive for sartorial correctness but I sort of go with whimsies... and you're right, I am having fun precisely because it's not my job to look regimentally chic..
clover: Nothing wrong with Vogue girls - just odd to see them all on the streets like an army.
mgw: Your comment was so well-put and I'm absolutely flattered. Ppl have said that about London streetstyle but the flipside criticism is that they more often get it wrong than right... I'm not sure whether I'm comfortable with being measured up to these standards of wrong or right..
fashionevolution: Thanks and linked!
Naomi: I have no aspirations to be a leader... if I was still my own Style Bubble going about my own way, I'd be happy as can be. But when thrusted into the 'fashion world', only then do these feelings come up...
Scaree Gee-Oh: Good point! By no means am I criticising Parisian style! The fashion plates I saw in Paris were from all over the world really... You're right though - there are always exceptions and I'm inspired by them continually... how are you by the way?
Anon: Leotard from American Apparel (really must stop buying stuff from there...)... can't imagine anyone being in awe of me as in reality I am so mundane!
Elli: Precisely why I feel so out of place at fashion shindigs... where is my damn club?!
delphine: I'm fully comfortable in what I wear but we can't all be totally nochalent and carefree without the surroundings impinging on your thoughts...
selina: It was a Paris blip I promise! Everything is A-ok!
Geraldine: You inspire me with your photos as you do pick out the most inspiring dressers and I really wasn't criticising the ppl you snapped! But they do instill a sense of fear within me...like you said...Louboutin overload!
Lady Smaggle: I've discussed the 'office reaction' to my style before so this is like the flipside... thanks!
helene: Yvan from Facehunter once told me the best dressed ppl in Paris are the older generation. I'm not sure how true this is but indeed the history of French fashion says 'push the boundaries' but this doesn't really apply today...
Stephanie: Link added and welcome to Style Bubble commenting!
Snarky Revolution: Why have I only just added you? Fantastic blog btw...
Anon: I have no idea what you're talking about. There is no music on the post. I have some YouTube videos on the page but they're not on Autoplay...at least I think they're not. What music are you hearing? Is anyone else having this problem?!
liane: Hah...then I have no idea what category I fit into. Alas, at school, I was a straight A student and went onto a pretty good uni.... but I was also a misfit and a bit of a dreamer.... Gosh... what confusing stuff!
Saskia: London girls making you feel uncomfortable? Never! Anything goes here, so there's no judgement really..
Girl and the City: Merci beaucoup!
WendyB: Thats how it should go in my head, right?
TP: Gosh... if I ever put ppl off fashion with this blog I'll stop writing pronto...
dezmond: Know you love to dig me so I'll accept the 'shabby' comment with grace!
cate: And retro must be that part of 'you' in your outfits..
Angie: Very succinct indeed! I have no idea what I could possibly inspire in designers... haven't seen any Susie-ness on the catwalks as yet....lol!
T-Rex: Thank you!
Una: I'm glad you get diversity in styles and a respect for that... I will be on the lookout for personality dress traits in ppl as it is on my mind right now.
Claire: You've summed up what I am currently feeling about the industry hence my hesitance to enter it.

[Hecuba J.]

oh you definitely know better how most of these givenchy holders are/slowly are becoming empty headed. it seems so ridiculous to believe in gaining power from a dollaricious-issues outfit..

[Drusilla]

I was reading this post with a rather keen interest, and to be honest, Susie, I can understand why you felt the way you did while still thinking that your outfits, the ones you've presented here as well as stuff on stylediary and other places on the blog, are nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe your style would not have been the same had you been a Parisienne, given that London, from its streetstyle photograohs, seems fairly relaxed...but it must have been scary just the same. The closest comparison I can make is to the Barbie army I encountered in high school- though the Vogue-ettes have access to better wearables of course.

[mfm]

susie, i love your style and i would hate to see you dress like the women you described in paris. what you do, the style you have, is much rarer, and very inspiring.

O susie! I have not been to London Fashion Week but when I did Australian Fashion Week the year before last I felt exactly the same. And I had streamlined my wardrobe to what I felt was a really toned down version of my usual frippery (not ONLY to be a little less 'out-there' but for some reason decided was only allowed one small case). So I went in whatever I was wearing at the time (If I recall correctly, a lot of stuff made by me, and a lot of it was 'grunge inspired' but of course with my own flavour as only a homemade outfit can have). But every day I went to the shows to be confronted by Chloe, Chloe and More Chloe. Chloe boots, Chloe bags and more Chloe boots and bags. One day I found myself having in a fit of embarassment at what I thought was my too-poor wardrobe in a borrowed designer dress with a borrowed Fendi bag on my arm and I knew I'd made it. Into the ranks of the brain-dead. I was the perfect blend of money and thoughtlessness. There is a photo of myself on that day in Sydney in the clone outfit and I shudder every time I see it. Just looking back on this post and remembering that day I am now going to the wardrobe to play dress ups. And Susie don't ever, ever change. We are all waiting here to see what you are wearing next. Not so we can all rush to wear it to but because your attitude to dressing is so very inspiring and that's what makes the girl. It's not the $3000 handbag or the $1500 blouse. Keep up the great work.

[garance]

I really understand the way you felt, though like Géraldine I don't play that much with fashion, cause I am not really articulate in fashion. My first fashion week, when I took photos, I was fascinated by the incredible A+ It-bag something. But for the second season I photograph, I turned on more personnal styles. My readers really envoyed it, though they sometimes told me that my photos where of undedressed people. Well, ok for me. :-)

Oops, I'm so sorry for my horrible english. A kiss!

[Giselle]

I love your outfits! :)