Friday, October 23, 2009

camouflage

I've done it. I caved. I went to the Galeries Lafayette today and bought a winter coat, and its charcoal grey. I now blend in with the Parisians... 

Dressing room photo- classy.  

After the barely-above-zero weather I experienced last week (in October!!), I am now anticipating need to prepare myself to survive the elements. 

Coat shopping is almost as bad as jean shopping- you try on so many that they all start to look the same. And its so hard to find a coat that fits right! Most of them are so long that they drown me and make me look even shorter- not what I need. Another thing I had to be careful of was not accidentally falling in love with a coat that was cotton/polyester blend- the goal here is staying warm- in addition to being fashionable. Definitely something new. At home, I can throw on whatever appeals to me, and material comes in as a secondary factor, if at all. 

The Galeries Lafayette- Think NYC Macy's, or Harrod's.

This place covers 3 city blocks right behind the Opera house (one block each for womens, mens, and home), has its own entrance underground directly out of the metro, and is connected by bridges over the streets. I went through all the floors just to have a look, and they have everything. And the majority are luxury goods that are ridiculously priced. The children's department was ridiculous- I never knew there was Escada, Chloe, Dior, or Burberry for kids (and the list goes on, including lots of ostentatious frippery I would never let my kids wear)- it costs just as much as  the adult versions (but is wayy cuter). I'd expected to see all the luxury brands, but seeing it for kids just really surprised me. Would you buy a 360Euro Burberry coat for your 8 year old? The children's department was definitely emptier of shoppers than the others, though.  

After being told by my friends that I was so easy to pick out in a crowd because of my bright red coat (Salon du Chocolat: "I just look for your red coat when I get lost"), I decided maybe a change wouldn't be a bad thing. I still love my red coat, but I've started to feel really self conscious in it. Try standing in a metro car full of people in blacks and browns. It's like on top of being a foreigner, my clothes are practically announcing it before I open my mouth. I know its stupid to care, and I wish I could be nonchalant about it, but sticking out like that does not do much for my self confidence when I am in a foreign country trying to adapt- especially when any given 7 year old can speak better French than I. Anyway, I'm glad I found a coat I like that will keep me warm, and even happier that its not the same old pea coat you see on everyone in Paris. I am officially prepared for the European winter!! 

EDIT: or not...according to some cold-climate experienced friends, I now need to start looking for a hat and something that will cover my ears. And apparently, earmuffs are not fashionable anymore.


Ugh. For the record, I am now really sick of shopping and am at that point where I will throw on anything to keep warm, even if it makes me look like a kitschy cottonball. Forget fashion. Who needs fashion when you have body heat to conserve? 

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