I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.

[TossDaily]

So there.

EVERYBODY looked fantastic. EVERYBODY. DP and I just sat open-mouthed in fascination. Whatever their age, they looked amazing.

So I'm sitting here on a diet, wearing an Isabel Marant jumper and frantically googling 'How to turn French.'

As far as I can tell, the rules are:

1. Be thin, despite the fact you are walking down the street at 11am gnawing a cheese and ham baguette the length of your forearm.

1. Have your hair the colour and texture of natural hair.

1. Have the most amazing skin, despite the fact you have a permanent Gauloise on the go.

1. Never get pissed and lairy, despite the fact you are having a glass of red wine with your lunch and it's Tuesday.

1. Wear shoes you can walk in.

1. Have an amazing coat.

1. Know how to tie a scarf so it looks like you have slung it on and it's just choosing to snuggle up to you because you are SO FRICKING GORGEOUS.

1. Have a pharmacy on every corner that is just an Aladdin's Cave of miraculous skincare delights for less than a tenner each.

Anyone else have any tips? Joking aside, I loved the style - the shops, ohmigod the shops! It was like I'd walked into my internet shopping history.

I could actually walk around in my biker jacket without feeling like a twat.

I want to be French. Aidez-moi.

Mon sac. SockDog's preference is for eau des crottes, renard ou blaireau. And she could find some to roll in anywhere, even in the Tuileries gardens. Worse, her jewellery is limited to a tag .

There were loads of Stan Smiths knocking about, fridgepants.

cuir, the Dior exhibit is amazing, isn't it? Anyone heading to Paris must have a look before it ends (think in January). I'll dig up some pics I took when I saw it in July and post tonight.

^^

I'd say I'm sorry Janet, but I'm not Also, I never thought I'd be saying I'm lusting after a nun's pinafore dress either. It's probably a good thing I'm not a Catholic as I'd probably wear it with a hint of sideboob on display too if hot enough on holiday. I also want the really comfy looking ballerina warmup suit, just to lounge around in and regress to the age of five.

Do it mrsrhodgilbert. Paris is relatively close to me, 2 hrs and a bit with the high-speed train and it's cheap if you book in advance enough, but swap out the Marais for Canal St. Martin, I'm still agog that that lovely slice of Paris still isn't overrun with tourists. It's bliss over there.

Flo, I'm obsessed with Françoise Hardy at any age. Though I am convinced she made some sort of deal with the devil somewhere.

fridge, Japan has a long history of being very isolated, the exclusive trade post set up by the Dutch East India Company has a really interesting history especially since it's been so well documented with personal diaries. Their history of treating Korean immigrants is appalling and of course their record in the Second WW is terrifying. It's difficult as they just don't view it as racism, it's very normal to discriminate anyone even a bit tan but that goes for much of Asia.

You can pretty much spot a certain American tourist by their shoes anywhere in the world. It's a bit of a self-absorbed comment though, the French really aren't wasting their time classifying each and every individual tourist on their footwear choices, nor fainting in horror at what could be perceived as an assault on good taste, comme les Américains, they're far more concerned with themselves.

In other news, Comptoir des Cottoniers now have a private sale (various discounts 20-40%) going on, can't link as you need to have an account with them to access. It's on until the 23rd.

IRO also have a private sale (40%), again you need an account with them to log in. It's on until the 26th.

Loreak Median is like the Basque counterpart to Petit Bateau. I can't remember if it's French Basque or Spanish Basque but it has a very distinct French flavour with good quality materials with less of an emphasis on the mariniere stripes. They've just relaunched their website and brand identity (no special offers but they price down to 70% in the end of sales) and gone a bit COS/Acne Studios like in their presentation but I like their stuff. Particularly like this sweater^^ at the moment. Priced in the region of COS, but unlike COS most of it is made in the EU. Zalando also usually sell a small selection (easier delivery and returns), sizing is on the small side (think Zara, Mango, etc.)

This thread made me late for work as I had to dash home and change into something un peu plus francais. Now to sit back and read it properly.

It's the same in Amsterdam, fridge. You can tell exactly where tourists are from and subsequently what sites they'll be seeking out. Nobody is fooling anyone, I can spot an American by their body shapes alone, their high fructose corn syrup diet means they hold excess weight in a really atypical manner.

I've never understood the anxiety about being perceived to be a tourist. In Scandinavia it always means an opportunity for the locals to engage in friendly conversation with you and they usually have the best insider tips. I suppose in the old days you could be made out to be an easy target, especially a woman alone but for most of the developed world that really isn't such an issue anymore.

The other thing that gives American tourists away is that no-one wears the right size. American men wear their clothes miles too large with great flapping t-shirts and shorts like circus tents. Meanwhile the women wear their clothes far too small, where everything digs in and rides up and strain lines radiate from every seam.

If Americans sorted their fit out it would solve most of their problems.

Botemp DP has bought me the ballet warmup suit for Christmas...

TossDaily can you link it please? Thanks for starting this thread btw and also to Botemps for your significant contribution. In true sheep style I've ordered a faux fur stole JCrew leopard

Toss, does this mean I have to wait until Christmas to know what it's like? Just to clarify, by regressing to a five year old I did mean poor attempts at pirouettes, handstands, splits, and other ill advised moves for adults, not that the garment itself is childish. I genuinely love it and want the ballet slippers to go along with it to wear as slippers indoors.

botemp yes the Dior show was just swoon-inducing! I mean, just look at this, it's almost ridiculously beautiful..

I thoroughly recommend the 11th to stay in. I used to love the Marais but it's got much more touristy and expensive in the last - gulp!-20 years I've been visiting. I had my kids with me this time and the trip was family-focused but now I want to do a day trip in Paris, just me sitting in cafes and mooching around. I'd have to get up at 4am but I think it'd be worth it!

Thanks for reminding me, Cruise. Here are some of my pics. (I was a little bit more exhibition design focused)

And some more...

Mismatched, after a spell living in America, that observation is spot on. I couldn't get anything to fit me properly when I was there. Trousers were the worst.

I stacked on weight too due to there being sugar in absolutely bloody everything.

fridgepants

I can spot British people a mile off in France. TBH, it is partly build and colouring, but in terms of clothes they tend to wear loud patterns, vibrant but not always flattering colours, clashing shades, and - often - shoes that are just slightly "off" (a bit clumpy/frumpy/with odd trimmings).
I work in a university in the south of France, and the British exchange students are also immediately identifiable because they wear thin clothes, and often skimpy ones, in temperatures where the French students have their big scarves on. One Irish student wore his combo of vest top and shorts all year round last year, with a short break between late Nov and late Feb, when he wore jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt.

I'll stop now, I promise but I think I only managed to capture like 10% of the entire exhibition. If it's still there when I next visit I totally intend to go again and also am desperate to see the new YSL museum that opened quite recently.

This is the dance suit here

I also ordered this

And this

I was lusting over that ballet suit too and the shoes but couldn't justify it. Please give us your verdict, Toss.

I went with the Breton fisherman cap instead which for some bizarre reason I could justify . Been wearing baker boys for years so it's not that big a leap, I suit hats they cover my mug.

Thanks for the links. Great buys, love them all.

Love that, Tossdaily like being an extra from Fame!

I am very attracted to the priest shirts
www.detoujours.com/fr/e-shop/176-la-chemise-blanche-de-clergyman.html

Gawd only knows what I'll look like in the ballet suit, but I have a real thing for Repetto - they make my all-time favourite shoes.

Because they're dance shoes they're padded and the leather is like silk. They're the only heels I've ever been able to walk in.

I'm hoping the suit will be a nice posh onesie

Bugger it I clicked and I'm imagining myself in the onesie ballet suit again with my Rick Owens waterfall style leather jacket and leather flip flops. It makes no sense seasonally but I just love the idea of the relaxed ease it exudes basically wearing pjs in public.

Well someone has to be the priest to my nun, Cuir. I like the Sahara shirt too.

I really like the look of the 100% merino navy officer pullover, it looks to be that rare stiff fit that gives structure. I also like that it's made in the EU and the raw materials are EU sourced too. I think the list of things I don't want from de toujours is shorter than the want list.

Do they ever have a sale?

I don't know, I only discovered it a few months ago.