What to pack for Paris: Expectation vs. Reality

pinterest.com/parisapartment/style

allo toute le monde, it’s been a real long time since posting last, the summer flew by and well, here i am heading back to paris tonight. it’s a quick trip with clients and I’ll be blogging from the markets so let me know if you’re looking for anything, i’ll be there till monday, staying at lorraine’s pied-à-terre in the marais. let me know if you’re interested in that too cause she rents it out and just did a makeover on it. i’ll take pics and blog about it if i get the chance.

in the meantime i’m doing my last minute packing. paris is a city of fashion and when it’s time to go makes you want to use your best stuff and be that girl (here’s where the expectation is way better than the reality). and since it’s been a summer of travel I’m on an austerity budget and want to use what i have.  it made me realize i’ve got what i need and didn’t spend much to get it.

i’m definitely not much of a clothes horse or label ho although i do love the workmanship and fabric of fine clothing. so after pulling up so many google images of pack lists that my head spun, i decided to make my own. the goal is traveling light and being ready for anything. my philosophy is ‘if you don’t have the dress, you won’t go to the ball” so here goes, what’s what and from where…

left to right and down, sorta:

Black velvet blazer by DKNY from Out of the Closet Thrift Shop

Black cashmere cardigan, J Crew

Navy sweater/shirt tail, J Crew

Black down vest, Calvin Klein, Marshalls

Navy silk dress, Tahari, TJ Maxx

Gray cashmere sweater, Tahari, TJ Maxx

Blue suede shoes by Gianvito Rossi, too small for Candy, a gift to me!

Black Nikes

Camel/gray/black jacket, Bloomie’s

Cashmere scarves, gray is calvin klein and the ivory is TPA

Black cashmere V sweater and Black tee, Helmut Lang,, Marshalls

RL travel set with blanet/eye mask/pillow, Xmas gift, thanks, Jean and Col!

3 jeans, Levis, Guess, Lucky

Black suede ankle boots, Adrienne Vittadini, TJ Maxx

Shoe bags/lingerie bag/nighty/socks

bags from ethnic stores in paris

i fully expected to bring the muffin man but since i have clients, the reality is i’m afraid he’ll be too much of a distraction to bring this time. (i think he’s mad)…and of course since this is an expectation vs reality post, i have to include an ‘inspiration post’ of what i wish this one had turned into but that will be have to be another day when i have time to play on polyvore since i’m running out of time.  i’ll just use theirs as a cheat sheet and finish up:

finally in the spirit of the day, thought it would be a good time to offer two of my favorite books for a giveaway. both are by Jennifer Scott. the first is the original Madame Chic and her latest, At Home with Madame Chic.

If you’d like to be entered to win either of them, leave your name in the comments and we’ll draw on friday. Ok, i better get back at it, see you from the other side!

thanks for all the amazing comments, i do love and miss you all so much. here’s the all packed up pic a couple of you wanted to see. the bag is lucas and it’s lightweight, from tj maxx.