Paris fashion - the essence of elegance

Mardi Jeudi do accidental chic

London and grey have long been friends. As have London and rain. Whilst I was tapping away in the office, the clouds thundered, the rain poured and the cool grey lighting scheme that London favours over all sunshine, reigned the skies. I'd like to say it was all very Dickensian but in fact it was just a bit depressing. (I had to shut the windows and change my (skinny) frappucino to a cappucino). Luckily something pinged into my inbox from Paris that made me realise that grey doesn't have to mean all doom and gloom... grey is the new gay darling.

Just look at this gorgeous smokey smock dress that says 'between seasons' with style:

Designed by Parisian boutique Mardi Jeudi, this French brand has captured to a T the perfect effortless sexy chic of French women who don't try to look sexy, but who are actually jaw droppingly, heart racingly sexy in a I-can't-take-my-eyes-off-of-you of a way.

I think the word this Poodle is looking for is allure. Mardi Jeudi are definately taking some inspiration from our home grown Alexa Chung, with their toussle-haired models and thick woollen tights. She really should model for them - the craft of Paris's designers and the Chung celeb de Londres would be a match made in fashion heaven.


Mardi Jeudi use high quality materials, their knitwear range for Autumn/Winter 2010 uses a mix of angora, cashmere and mohair - and their commitment to relaxed shapes and thick tights really makes knitwear wearable and sexy - the elusive combination. And of course, their A/W colour pallette revamps grey into delicious oyster, matt silver, smoke and stone as well as blemishes of dark navy, dark tartan and camel browns.


At the moment you'll have to head to Paris to get hold of their collection - and if going to Paris fait expres pour faire du shopping isn't a good enough reason, then what is?

Luckily, Mardi Jeudi are coming to London for Spring Summer 2011, with another irresistable collection of silks and light jersey materials, in more Parisian understated styles - the Paris Poodle can't wait!

T Shirt Talk

This is the Poodle reporting for Blogger duty. Being in England at the moment has its problems when it comes to blogging about Paris... or so I thought it would when I boarded the eurostar. However, all across England it seems that Paris has been splashed across T-shirts and magazines, as far as the eye can see. Every shop I go into welcomes me with a 'Paris je t'aime' slogan emblazoned across the chest, or a 'Je suis la plus belle' written in swirly letters. Some keep it simple and state PARIS next to an Eiffel Tower image that is decorated with glitzy gemstones. Its so English. Of course, I get it, it is trying to be French, but in the most English, insanely obvious, LOOK AT ME fashion, that is the trend this side of the channel. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the British eccentricity and outlandish approach to dressing, its just even more apparent when trying to be chic involves screaming 'J'adore Paris' across handbags, dresses, tops and jewellery. And that is the difference between us Brits and ze French. I think subtle is the key word here.

The Poodle's super quick, tres vite guide to identifying the English and ze French is as follows:

French Style: Typified by classy, subtle interpretations of the cat walk and pret a porter collections

English Style: LOUD AND IN YER FACE LOOK AT ME IM WORKING THE LOOK - ITS CHIC, IM CHIC GODDAMIT!

New Look £14.00 say it loud and clear

Of course, even the Poodle has indulged herself in the odd statement T shirt in the past. These include the following:

- Love, Peace & Lipgloss (turns out, it's not suitable for an office environment)

- Love Surf since 1985 (not strictly true as I hadn't been created then)

- Femme Fatale (as if the hot pink of the Tshirt didn't give it away)

- J'adore (I clearly couldn't afford the J'adore Dior version)

So out of these, two statements are french, and it seems that splashing the French language across our chests is once again all the rage. And why, not, it is a beautiful language. Just don't expect anyone French to be wearing one!

But the English love a bargain and if it mean's buying a piece of Paris for £6.00 then we anglophones are all ears! Thank Britain for Asos!

Ce n'est pas tres cher, mais quand meme, c'est chic!

Love the London Look

Go Aggy!

After a recent trip back to London, the Poodle has a renewed love, adoration and appreciation of the sheer audacity of British fashion and fashionable Brits everywhere. The same goes for British make up, which is also loud, proud and experimental. Clothes clash, patterns out pattern other patterns, structured jackets are teamed with billowing shirts while pork pie hats are worn with floaty dresses, vintage jewels with neon lycra from American Apparel, lip liner, stars, face painting, stripes, big lips, big eyes, everything is a fashion possibility. There are no limits to the creative potential of what you’ll find walking around the streets of London.

Florence teams sequined hot pants with a flyaway dress...

If the world is Gok’s Fashion Fix, then London is most definitely Gok, with shock tactic fashion, naff high street kitsch and tongue in cheek styling to extreme. With more dash than cash London makes fashion about fun, trying things out in fearless style, and always a smile. Yes, I’m doing Desperately Seeking Susan today, and yesterday was Bat for Lashes... the influences are evident, music and fashion are irrevocably at one in London...

The Florence and the Machine floaty night dress and big boots topped off with a shocking scarlet barnett – all images are interlocked and inter-referenced and it’s this blatant nod to popular culture, historical vintage fashion or even runway references gone mad, that is so refreshingly quirky, cheeky and indisputably cool about the way that Londonistas dress. Take a look at Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldof, London's leading ladies:

Therefore, in contrast to Gok, Paris is most certainly Brix Smith Start (although much quieter and with 90% less peroxide). Paris is the capital of fashion, the home of Chanel, the domicile of Dior and the je ne sais quoi of Yves Saint Laurent, and naturally designer rules on these streets. Parisians are innately stylish – it is part of their genetic make up. They opt for simplicity, clean lines, clean colours, sophisticated outfits which are appropriate for all occasions and situations. Parisians combine quality, simple, wearable, expensive designer pieces in shades of black, white or navy, with varying combinations of other expensive designer pieces in brown, black or grey. So, even if behind the heavy 12ft ornate doors in countless Paris immeubles along Boulevard Saint-Germain there are fireworks of creativity shooting off in the couture houses, on the street in Paris there is a dreary albeit chic winter uniform obeyed by all.

Tatou goes for classy but conventional

Pour les filles:

Minimal make up
One subtle piece of jewellery
Black trench coat
Stockings
Boots in black or brown
Little black dress
Longchamp handbag

Pour les garçons:

Dark jeans (tight fitting)
Shirt
Cashmere jumper
Black or brown trench coat – can be in leather
Black smart shoes often with a pointed toe
Therefore it really is a lovely moment for the Poodle to venture on to the colourful chaotic streets of London to breathe in the humour, the style, the jumble sale chic and the kitsch eccentricity of it all. Thank you London! Apologies to Paris but when it comes down to it, it’s London that shouts fashion loud and clear, trends are taken off of the runway and interpreted in a multitude of individual British ways. Today is a proud day for the Paris Poodle to be an English rose!

Who wins in your fashion stakes? London or Paris?

The Edge of Fashion

So the Spring/Summer shows have been paraded and assessed and one thing is for sure, edges are the accessory of the season whether they are crocheted, lacy, streamlined, ruffled or frayed. The Poodle investigates the edge of fashion....

The tearaway trend is one that has really caught my eye; I’m in love with Prada’s raw edged haut couture. Freshly cut silk blouses and shorts are shot through with the creative chaos of creation, giving a new meaning to ready to wear. Subtle but savage with threads a trailing and jagged frayed lines, this is fashion barely born.

Take a look at this:

Sophisticated but sexy, chic but not too proper, Prada has captivated the imagination of the Poodle, and the best thing is that it is thoroughly re-creatable on a budget- I’m tempted to rip, snip, cut and tear into my wardrobe, trimming length and teasing threads loose to recreate the whimsical yet feral femininity of these 2010 collections. What a fabulous crunch friendly fashion. The Poodle approves.

With this tearaway trend ripping up the runway now is the time to hurl yourself into vintage shops, charity shops and get hunting for a silk camisole, a satin patterned shirt, some skimpy shorts, and take them home with you and let the scissors loose! It may be messy but without looking ‘too much’ as the French like to say sounding ever so Anglophone. I agree! Let fashion rip!


And if the frayed edge look isn’t for you, there is a multitude of other ways to wear your hem. Karl Lagerfeld and Dolce & Gabbana opted for crochet for a home spun chic that is more gorgeous than granny, Madonna looks fabulous in D&G’s crochet wrap dress in their ad campaign although the Poodle thinks they should have let her finish her pasta before taking the shot!

Who would have thought that Madge ate carbs?

Lace is still a big OUI from the fashion authorities and if anyone did it justice on the runway it was Chanel with their fragile lace layering in shades of pastel pink and sugar white.

Luckily RARE have this great lacy number for £80 which won’t break the bank but will give you a girly edge over the fashionista competition on your next night out!

Fuffles, ruffles, frou frous and flounce flirted with many a model at the Spring/Summer shows, but the designer who really got the ruffles right according to the Poodle’s exacting ruffle standards, was Lavin, who came up with this fabulous feminine but feisty dress:


Fortunately you can buy this Lavin inspired ‘One shouldered wired ruffle dress’ on Asos for £38.00. Bargain beautiful!



How do you like your edges? Let the Poodle know your thoughts!

Forward thinking fashion...

Think fierce, flirty, feminine for Spring 2010.

So.... it's a new year - that means a new wardrobe! Get ahead and scan the Jan' sale rails and charity/vintage shops for pieces that echo the 2010 Spring trends that will see you through the seasons. The Poodle and her style spies recommend the following...

Look out for corseted, boned tops and dresses - although they suggest boudoir, the fashion authorities have spoken - underwear is set to be the new outer-wear for Spring - that means dainty lace, transparent fabric, sculpting whale bone corsets and bustier tops. Think Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour, but dumb the look down so you can pull it off on the street, without being mistaken for a streetwalker.

Other than sumptuous silks, lady like lace lace and lolita lingerie inspired dresses, Spring 2010 is calling for other wardrobe staples...for example, the baby doll dress like this one from Luella:

As for colours, if you come across ivory, black, nude and beige, then you should be bang on trend for Spring - the barely there palette of pastels is back with the odd exclaimation of black punctuation! Take Lagerfelds word for it at Chanel:

Cutesy, short, flirty and fun - that is what Spring dressing should all be about - and although it may be dark and cold outside, there's no time like the present to prepare for future fashions whilst foraging through the sales this month!