mercredi 18 juillet 2012

matin, midi, soir (morning, noon, evening)

Dressing during summer in the city, as much as in winter actually, is really about layering. Mornings can be a little chilly, yet by noon, you feel like you're in a permanent sauna. Unlike many other Western cities, AC is not that common in Paris and, in offices like mine, we depend on old school electric fans.

So here's a little play by play of what I'm wearing on a hot and bright summer day, like today. 

Summer mornings: Leaving for work early while it's still fresh requires a (linen) jacket and a scarf for treacherous draughts.

S’habiller pour l'été en ville, tout comme en hiver en fait, est réellement une question d'épaisseur et de juxtaposition de vêtements. Les matinées peuvent être fraiches et pourtant dès midi, on a l'impression d'être constamment dans un sauna. Contrairement à beaucoup d'autres villes occidentales, l'air conditionné n'est pas tellement répandu à Paris et, dans des bureaux comme les miens, nous dépendons de bons vieux ventilos.

Voici un petit compte-rendu de ce que je porte lors d'une belle et chaude journée d'été comme ce fut le cas aujourd'hui.

Les matinées d'été: Aller au travail de bonne heure dans la fraîcheur du petit matin requiert une veste (en lin) et une écharpe pour les courants d'air traîtres. 
 


Summer noons: At lunch break, the jacket is off and I'm at ease in a light cotton knit to grab a sandwich or eat a salad by the shade of my computer, before taking a little air, making the rounds of my favorite stores or just dive back in my latest page-turners books.

Les midis d'été: A la pause déj', la veste est tombée, la température grimpe et je me mets à l'aise dans un léger pull de coton pour avaler un sandwich ou déguster une salade à l'ombre de mon ordi avant d'aller prendre l'air, faire le tour des boutiques ou me replonger dans mes dernières lectures.


Early summer evenings: By the time I leave the office, ready to crash in the first café for a  chilling beverage, I've striped down to my camisole. Heading back home with the subway, one of my several fans is mandatory to survive most public transportation rides to remain decent till destination. 

Les débuts de soirées d'été: Au moment où je quitte le bureau, prête à m'effondrer dans le premier café pour une boisson rafraîchissante, je me suis effeuillée jusqu'au caraco.  Rentrer à la maison en métro nécessite l'un de mes nombreux éventails afin d'arriver à peu près décente à bon port. 


jacket/veste, camisole, knit/pull : H&M - pants/pantalon: Zara - sandals/sandales: Isabel Marant

15 commentaires:

  1. I love this - I have always wondered how people living in unpredictable weather plan their outfits. You've given me valuable advice I will keep in mind the next time I pack for a trip. It's the art of layering to meet practical demands, and you do it looking chic!

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    1. Thanks Lin! The weather has been quite unpredictable lately and as a consequence, I was ready for anything! Foldable flats, a mini umbrella... Right now, we're in a heat wave and the challenge is to stay neat and business-like...

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  2. The American south is the land of the air conditioning unit so having to navigate the 30 degrees Celsius plus heat in addition to icebox that characterizes many indoor establishments such as offices and restaurants is a challenge. It's interesting to see how throughout the day, you have peel off the layers! Where I live, you have to pile on the layers once you enter a building and then off again once you leave.

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    1. Oh dear! Your comment reminds me of a summer in North America, I was literally freezing whenever I went to a restaurant and of course I had packed just one thin cardi and ended up buying a denim jacket to survive the chill! Ha ha!

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  3. You handle the task of inconsistent summer dressing very well (and your outfit is making me long for autumn!). It reminds me of summer in the town where I grew up. Where I am now it goes from about 40C outside to the infamously frigid American AC indoors. I usually pack a little sweater or scarf for inside, but it's so hot here that I can't even remember the last time I even wore pants outside of my house (which, go figure, is air conditioned as well).

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    1. Thank you! Go figure, we're also in the middle (well, in the end as the weather supposedly drastically changes tomorrow!) of a heat wave and all I can think of is fall clothes! Still, I enjoy finally putting on some summer clothes and baring a bit of skin! Good luck with the heat!

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  4. I like the subtle color/texture play of your outfit. Is the scarf cotton? I have difficulty finding nice cotton scarves that are meant to look good for more than a few weeks. Around here the cotton versions are mixed with either viscose or rayon (why?) which hangs nicely on your neck but snags really easily.
    Where I live, it is hot and humid early in the morning and over the day it only becomes hotter. I keep a scarf in my car (no public transportation in the suburbs) to accompany me in cold places.
    I also wear a lot of tank top/camisoles under my top layer-I like them in a non-clinging silk which holds the heat in a cold environment but releases heat (and dries fast) when it is warm. I can't tell what the fabrics are in your outfit, but I also love cardigans made of linen/silk blends in the summer. The blend has the lightness of linen but doesn't wrinkle as fast as pure linen.
    -Missone

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    1. Thanks for the input! I love the idea of silk tops. It's both elegant and useful to keep cool, so it'd be a good alternative to my cotton/linen shirts.
      The scarf is indeed made of cotton. I live in the land of scarves. If there's an accessory you can find almost anywhere in the Paris area it's scarves! haha!
      I know mass-market stores like Uniqlo, h&m and Zara offer propose basic linen and/or cotton scarves, that's where I got some of mine, so it could be a lead in your search if, of course such stores are available in your area or online.

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  5. what a great post! i agree with Lin - it's so good to see a look functions throughout the entire day, especially in summer when you're navigating between style, practicality, coolness and comfort. love that you layer so well and look stylish at every juncture of your workday!

    also love your IM sandals - are those the handy wedges? how do they fit/feel after a whole day?

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    1. Thanks! At the end of the day, I feel like a mule carrying all the stuff and clothes necessary to "survive" !
      The sandals I'm wearing are the Merry, the flat ones. I wanted to get the Handy but by now they're sold-out in 38 of course. The wedges seemed a bit high for me too and judging by the number of Handy available on eBay and online consignment stores, I'm not sure they're that comfortable...

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  6. I just wanted to say that I love your blog. Your style is such a source of inspiration for me and so refreshingly minimalistic and very confident. I'd really love if you would do a post in the future about the jewellery you wear.

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    1. Thank you! It's very nice to read such kind words.
      I don't really wear lots of jewellery actually besides earrings, a bracelet my mom gave me when I was a teen and my watch, that's about it. Sometimes I feel like being a little bit fancier or putting on more bling but it never lasts!

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  8. This has been such a helpful post. I couldn't agree more. It's all about layering for those of us who live in colder and temperamental climate where the temperature can dip and rise during the day.

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    1. Thanks! That's why well fitting basics in non synthetic fabrics, not necessarily expensive, like tees and cardigans can be so helpful all year round. At the turn of each season, I check that my "stock" is in order. Then, it's much easier to put together an outfit.

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