Paris Shopping: Seen on the Streets of Paris

Fashion is one of the first things I think of when I’m about to wander around the streets of Paris. “What will I wear today?” is a big question when there are so many artists of dressing and well-appointed Parisians walking around. But right now when I get outside the last thing I want to do is parade up and down the boulevards, and it’s not because I’m ashamed of my clothes; it’s because I’m really, really cold. So I had to put the question to the real experts at Paris shopping—all the women out there doing the parading—how does one dress for freezing weather and still look absolutely amazing?

Parkas were out in full force, but I can’t say that any were particularly chicly worn (I’m counting myself in this category). There was one look that really stood out among all the utilitarian woolies. My friend put it well: she said, “The only way to look great and keep warm is to dress like you are a 19th-century Russian princess.” Maybe it was because she had just watched Anna Karenina. But I did spot more than a few Parisian beauties sporting Russian hats and furs to match, so I set off to capture the best of this look.

In the markets of Ledru-Rollin I found my first Russian princess. She wore all white fur with a Russian fur hat and a white fur coat. She was wonderful. She gave it a modern edge with black cat-eye frames. Gorgeous. Then I saw quite a few girls wearing fur coats. There is something so glamorous about fur (I believe most of the garments I saw on the streets were animal-friendly faux fur), and it is definitely designed to keep warm.
The next girl I think was actually Russian and I found her in Concorde. I saw her hat first of all and hurriedly chased this chic (and warm-looking) vision to take her photo. With a woolen dress that wrapped at the front, she was definitely dressed for the weather and looked amazing.
So look to St. Petersburg and stay warm and fabulous, Paris!

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