Paris Shopping: Seen on the Streets of Paris

With its roots firmly planted in French culture (the headwear gets its name from Victorien Sardou’s character Fédora) you’d expect to see the fedora everywhere in Paris, and indeed I spotted a great many—but not on men. In our devotion to Paris shopping, we’ve borrowed every other item of clothing from “men’s” wardrobes, so it was inevitable that this hat would have its turn. After a return to vogue at the beginning of the decade, the fedora is still going strong on the streets of Paris.
Large-brimmed fedoras give a more dramatic or bohemian look when paired with loose flowing hair, as I spotted on one girl taking her coffee outside. One lady wore hers with a heavy wool cardigan and long wool skirt. She was in all earthy brown tones, so the fedora made for an interesting choice. Most other fedora wearers matched their hats with the ever-popular skinny jean. I have yet to see a fedora worn with a dress here, but then it is winter.
A splash of sky blue popped out amid the dark remainders of foliage in the Tuileries Garden. The lively color was so welcome among the many shades of gray. Plus, the color really works well with blue jeans, and we all have a pair of those somewhere in our wardrobes. The blue beauty in question came from La Cerise sur le Chapeau, a fedora mecca where you can choose the color of your chapeau feutré and the grosgrain, too. I am now rather smitten with their burnt orange model…
My favorite hat I found on a lady on rue de la Verrerie. We were both shopping in the same vintage store, and I’m pretty sure her fedora was vintage. I loved the cavalier feather tucked into the ribbon, especially when paired with high boots and such a short, structured jacket. The hat and this outfit were made for each other—I can’t imagine one without the other, just as I can’t imagine Paris without its smattering of fedoras. Vive la chapeau feutré!
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La Cerise sur le Chapeau
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