Paris, With Friends (Part 2) And Some Style Spying

Style bloggers Susan B. of une femme d'un certain age and Josephine of Chic at Any Age enjoy a coffee at Les Deux Magots in Paris.

Being able to spend time with some of my blogger friends was the highlight of my visit to Paris. Above, enjoying a coffee and people watching en terrasse at Les Deux Magots.

Josephine arrived mid-day on a Sunday, and after a quick lunch near the hotel, we went straight to the Musée des Arts Decoratifs to see the amazing exhibition, “Christian Dior, Couturier du Rêve.” I took so many photos, and have been editing and selecting the best ones to show you. (Updated: here’s the post: Christian Dior, Couturier du Rêve . )

Snapping photos in Place de la Concorde, Paris. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

After the exhibition, we wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries, stopping to take some photos along the way.

Because it was Sunday and we hadn’t made any dinner reservations, we decided to take a chance and stand in line at le comptoir. Yes, I ate there two nights in a row. Both meals were fabulous, and we split the apple tart for dessert which was mind-blowingly good.

Monday we didn’t have anything specific on the schedule, so decided to do a bit of retail reconnaissance, people-watching and style snapping.

Autumn, Paris Style

Paris style trends: red and orange outerwear. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

One of the trends we observed was outerwear in shades of red, burgundy, rust, and even orange! Whether puffers, trenches or wool coats, we noticed a lot of women wearing this range of colors. Even le chien was on board.

Les Manteaux Rouges

A few other trends I noticed, but wasn’t able to capture as many images of…

Paris style trends: patterned or textured coats, puffers, metallic or embellished shoes. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

  • Patterned or textured coats and jackets. Even if a softer fabric, almost all of the outerwear I observed has shape and structure. I didn’t see many voluminous or oversized coats or jackets.

patterned sweater coat (also in Plus) | boucle coat | textured tweed coat

  • Puffer jackets in shorter lengths.
  • Classic trench coats are still ubiquitous, either in tan or black. I also noticed several women wearing longer, more drapey styles.
  • Anoraks or parkas with faux-fur accents, especially on the hood. Noticed more of these later in my visit as the weather cooled down and turned rainy. Usually in olive or khaki, occasionally black.

Les Anoraks

  • Metallic, embellished or studded footwear. As the weather turned cooler, ankle boots began to make an appearance. One look I noticed on several women (of all ages) was a short skirt with opaque black tights or leggings and short moto-style boots. (I really liked the look and may give it a try myself.) In the collage above, both of the women on the right (in the studded, quilted boots above and the metallic sneakers below) were by my best guess both in their seventies.

Les Chaussures Embellies

stylish people at a sidewalk cafe in Paris.

We ogled these pastry shop windows, and stopped in some chocolate shops to pick up goodies to take home to our respective Messieurs. We might have tasted a few too…

Macarons and pastries in Paris shop window.

les editeurs restaurant near Odéon in Paris.

The second night of Josephine’s visit, we enjoyed dinner at les editeurs. The decor is reminiscent of a personal library or study, and feels comfortable and welcoming. It was wonderful French fare on the traditional side, and I opted for the steak frites. It was quite filling so we skipped dessert.

The last morning of Josephine’s visit, we spent some time shooting outfit and scenery photos in the Jardin du Luxembourg, despite some intermittent showers. It’s one of my very favorite places in Paris.

Josephine taking photos in Jardin du Luxembourg. More at une femme d'un certain age.

one of the entrances to Jardin du Luxembourg Paris.

autumn leaves in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. More at une femme d'un certain age.

Josephine at Cafe Babylone in Paris.

I love this picture of Josephine. She has such a great smile! I hope we’re able to meet up again sometime next year.

What styles have piqued your interest this fall?

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25 Comments

  1. This is the most color I have seen on Paris Street Style this time of year. Does it seem to be more to you? They always appeared to have more neutral styling.

  2. What area do you like to stay in? I have a chance to stay in someone’s flat in the 16th Passy area. Planning a mother/daughter trip. By the way, really enjoy your blog for our age range. Thank you so much for sharing your insight and advice.

    1. Hi Melanie, each area has its charms. My personal preference is 6eme (St. Germain area). I love the vibe, and the ease of getting around from there. But Passy is lovely too, very chic. Thanks very much!

      1. Passy is very elegant, old money. I wouldn’t feel at ease there for a holiday, but enjoy venturing there. A major advantage of that part of Paris is that there is a lot of greenery and good air. And it is a very safe area.

  3. Some of these trends have been around a while (short puffer jacket, shades of red/orange, anorak with fur trim)–and I think that’s a good thing. It shows that if you adopt a trend one year, you won’t look anachronistic the next. The trends themselves are pretty classic.

  4. I notice Josephine wears multiple scarves at one time. A lighter weight one nearest her neck, and a heavier one on top: mixing pattern and color.. This is a fun thing to play with. I’m going to do more of ir!

  5. Love Josephine’s wearing of scarves with abandon! You both look fabulous and it is so great to see women looking “real” in a blog rather than done up for pics. I always love to dress when I travel not because I am uncomfortable but I am more comfortable knowing that I have a great outfit on that is also comfortable for my activities. Basically I don’t need to worry about how I look. You two are proving that the best accessory is confidence!

  6. Just seen some of the comments above. I bought my green/teal jacket from J.Crew last year. I am sure Susan can find some similar. I think I am addicted to scarves. I wear at least one nearly every day and as you can see sometimes two.

  7. I am currently in Paris and I think it may be colder than when you were here. There is very little colour most women are wearing black with some in navy or grey. However I did spot a fabulous older women wearing yellow slim trousers and a wool coat in yellow and grey. I also spotted an older Frenchman dressed beautifully in shades of green and purple. His trench coat was also purple. Most women are wearing ankle boots or lace up brogues.

    I was in Uniqlo and it is crazy busy with French men and women stocking up on down jackets of all lengths.

  8. I saw a fair bit of colour when we were there last December, more perhaps than we saw in May or perhaps it’s just more noticeable against the duller days. . . . There again next month and then for a few days in January, and I’ll see if I notice the same. Last year, I remember seeing that gorgeous ochre-to-gold colour repeated quite often, and I have to admit I was influenced to pick up a coat of a similar hue in the after-Christmas sales.

    As much as we love our Messieurs, it’s obvious that having a girlfriend to lunch and shop and people-watch with in Paris is A. Very. Good. Thing. So much fun to see you posting about these experiences, thank you!

  9. Love your blog! But recently, with your redesign, the full posts are no longer visible in Feedly’s reader, and you have to click through to read. Is this something you can fix/change back?

  10. Lovely times..I really like the photo of Josephine along Jardin des Tuileries with the breeze blowing her hair, so pretty.

  11. Oh, Sue, I love the picture of the cafe with the dog under the tables and the girls smoking their gauloises as if they have nothing to do and no worries about tomorrow. It brings back such sweet memories. Now when I sit at a Parisienne table on the sidewalk, I have to look for a place to hang my cane so it won’t trip the waiter.