Picture Jungle

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Back in Paris I am, after a fun and chilly trip to Canada. Ze problem? Paris is equally chilly and as I stepped out to take pictures today, we all looked like Bibendum ('Bibenda'?). So as a sacrificial offering to the Goddess of Sun, I decided to post my fall-time pictures here. You will find the rest of this series on our "Making of" page that you should, most definitely, check.

What's next now? I think I'll find my amateur models in the Paris Metro where a warm breeze blows :) In the meantime, enjoy these and thanks again Aslon - the other deity - for being such a terrific photographer.

The Magazine Pictures That Followed Me This Season

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To close off 2009 in style, here is a collection of some pictures that most inspired me this season.

From the French magazines, give thanks for these moments of beauty to the designers of: Sonia Rykiel, Georges Rech, Christian Lacroix, Balmain, Versace, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Karl Lagerfeld, Barbara Bui, Sandro, Jean-Claude Jitrois, Paule Ka, Dolce & Gabbana, Cos, Isabel Marant, Guy Laroche, Valentino, Kenzo, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dior, DSquared, Emporio Armani, Eric Bompard, Naf Naf, Acne, Dimension, Dries van Noten, Escada Sport.

Hasta la Vista to next year... now off you girls go to celebrate!

On Length

If you've ever wondered what length to wear your pants, I found the perfect model as I couldn't explain to you better.

Now, this is gospel: we are talking about two different kinds of lengths... that of the front side and that of the back side.

The front side has to fall such that the pants mark a slight break (I know, it sounds like a math exercise ;) Slight break though, otherwise you'll look like a teen. As for the back side hem, it needs to be slightly longer than the front and about 3/4th down from the top of your high heel. Actually, it's precisely 3/8th down (between 1/2 and 3/4 - yes, math).

Ok you may say, but how about the lady below? Isn't she utterly fashionable?

If I were her, here's what I would have said to myself while dressing up that morning:

- I know my shoes are this awesome blue, and I want to watch them all day - as I am now by the way. So I'll roll my jeans up...

- Of course, I don't want to look silly rolled up, so I think I'll wear large jeans :)

- Because I'm playing with length, I'll need to coordinate this short bottom with a short top (mixing instead of matching silhouette lengths would make the look too complicated, as already blue shoes can be: no long coats or trench coats here pls).

- Because I'm playing with colors, I'll need to match these baby blue shoes with another childlike color. A pink cartoon print tee, while highly unlikely in every closet, is just what I need... Otherwise I would have gone for something white or grey.

- Because I'm looking like a kid with these colors and these round toes with a strap, I made the right decision by wearing my boyfriend's rolled-up jeans ;)

CQFD*

As a standard though, please follow the lead of the main protagonist here, who's decidedly got all her lengths right (hair, sleeves, sweater, heels)...

*CQFD: Ce qu'il fallait démontrer. Literally means "what needed to be proven" or "case made". This widely used expression is originally applied when solving math problems...

Pure Beauty

If I was a man, I'd ask her to quit smoking and marry me.

Profiled: Emmanuelle Seigner

Emmanuelle Seigner is a French actress/singer/model, married to cult film director Roman Polanski (a little Rosemary’s Baby for you?), sister of another famous actress and granddaughter of Louis Seigner, a monument of French theater. This is for introductions…

Now - and apart from her famous associations - I’ve always been fascinated by this woman.

First, because of her evident beauty and raw sexuality. Second, because she’s proof that the most potent beauty ingredient is love. Third, because she has a style of her own, yet is unafraid to be versatile: here the icy blonde à la Grace Kelly and the diaphanous Californian babe, à la Sharon Tate of course…

Style-wise, this lady is typically Parisian, wearing extremely simple garments and in her case, an almost absence of accessories. It’s very smart, because while the goal is to downplay her strong presence, the result is to enhance her mirroring abilities as she is, definitely, a mirror to our fantasies*.

For more pictures, click on our making of page.

* as seen above, the “fantasizer” group strongly and universally including men from 13 to about 75 years old ;)

That Generation

A bit of Patti Smith rock, a little Sonia Rykiel frivolity and an unapologetic dose of practicality with her sneakers and, wait a minute, waist bag? This lady’s telling us that, in the end, it’s all about freedom.

Veeeery generational :)

So, in order to honor this woman - just as she'd expect - on this early Monday morning, ladies and ladies, please find our Etsy picks (of the week?)

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Treasure Hunt

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♫♫♪ La la laaaaaa ♫♪♫♪♪♪. Every time I come across these boots, I start singing like a child who's just discovered a treasure. Unlike Tavi, the genius 13 year-old who rapped for Comme des Garçons' collaboration with H&M, my singing's more solemn and in line with my age (and Castafiore readings as a kid ;)

Anywayyyy, why you may ask? Because mythic shoe designer Pierre Hardy has waved his magic wand over these pairs, designed for GAP... and priced at Eur. 114 in Europe (by the way, watch for increasing numbers of US companies looking into serving European markets - and making you ladies happy - thanks to their currency exchange benefits... :)

The heels and straight angles make these shoes serious and bossy, while the colors and texture make them very bohemian. This unlikely combination is what did it for me, how about you?

Daily Life

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Simplicity Pays

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Ahh, the lady in blue... She blew my mind with her outfit, but also her smile and generosity. "Merci Madame", and although charm's not in what you wear, here's why I loved you:

- you are aware that a good accessory is an investment, not a cost: a luxury bag (which doesn't have to be as expensive as this Hermes) while costing much will serve you well for years.

- you understand that while your accessories can be expensive, frankly your clothes don't have to be. This lady's pants and shirt are well tailored, but can also be found in any shop.

- you know that blue and orange match. Light blue with light orange, dark blue with dark orange, funky blue with funky orange... whatever the combination, check your color wheel: these two are complementary colors and as such instinctively activate a sense of esthetics in us.

Le détail qui tue*: her pants, shirt and soles of exactly the same color.

*the detail that kills me!

Forward To The Summer... "Pre-summer" Actually

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Originally, my entries were not going to feature designer collections, advertisements do enough of that... But blogs being a work in progress, I finally quit resisting Alexander McQueen's pre-Spring/Summer 2010 collection :) Besides, I can imagine a lot of these looks hitting the streets of Paris next year, like the tight geometric dresses. What are you waiting for H&M?!

Accessorized

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In time for next year's fluorescence, this is from designer Leila Piedayesh.

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... and then, these shoes... :)

Mademoiselle à Paris

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When my photographer friend Aslon and I went on our first picture spree in early October, we came across this young lady that to me represented French style completely. Everything in her look is calculated, and yet, she appears laid back and casual.


The colors: brown, beige, light blue (jeans) and light green. It's a subdued combination that works, with an emphasis on the brown accessories - a color that's easy to use.


The look: it's "round" - the dots on her shirt, the round-edged boots, the studs on her bag. Look well and you'll see her belt buckle has a round element to it too!


The spirit: a sweet biker lady who combines soft colors with torn shorts, old boots and aviator glasses.

Le détail qui tue*: her Vanessa Bruno tote, that is soooo outdated (French women like to make statements to the effect that, really, they don't care about fashion ;), her round bob.


*the detail that kills me!

Bienvenue

So this is it, 31 Million's blog. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have preparing it!

Our concept is simple: if 31 million French women manage to achieve what is known as French style, then you can too.

This blog will post pictures of the women of Paris, updated regularly, as well as profiles of ladies we think have a great sense of fashion. These are women like you and me, so feel free to comment as well as make these looks your own!

Finally, do check the 31million website, where you can sign up for my French style and nutrition classes in my current city Amsterdam, and rent clothes and accessories with a "French Touch" from the site's dedicated platform.

Bienvenue chez nous!

Nicky