Coming off the heels of Paris Fashion Week, I thought it would be apropos to finally pay some homage to French fashion. I can’t really pinpoint exactly when I started to admire French style, but there truly is something undeniably classy about the way their women dress and carry themselves. Being a first generation Italian-American, with a father who had some very serious Sicilian roots – I was lucky enough to have grown up traveling Europe, visiting family in southern Italy and Sicily. Because my parents both had a deep love affair with Paris, we always flew Air France to squeeze in a stop over on our travels to Italy. Truth be told, they just had the genius to realize French airplane food is better than whatever those other airlines call that stuff (I’m going with “goulash”).
Now trust me, I wasn’t some uber stylish 14 year old trampsing around Paris in Louboutins and a pencil skirt – no, I was more like the typical American teenager in shorts and sneakers. But, maybe there is something to be said about being exposed to other cultures at such a young age, and how that subconsciously influenced my style around the beautiful women I admired so much on my travels. I can also vividly remember sitting with my dad (who had an affinity for classic Hollywood movies) watching Funny Face and Houseboat, an adorable 1958 comedy starring Sophia Loren and Cary Grant. Sometimes, I flashback to that gangly teen, who hoped that someday she’d have the panache and style of those ladies.
So when all is said and done, if I had to define my style as it’s evolved over the years – picture Audrey Hepburn meets a modern-day Sophia Loren. Or at least here’s hoping, right?
The Essentials:
LBD: Ripley Rader Black A-Line Dress (I’ve never owned a dress I didn’t want to take off, ever)
Black Ballet Flats: Gap (similar here and here – after all the years of ballet, I still love slipping these on)
Cat-eye Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren (best accessory I own, and essential to complete a classic French look)
Mocha Latte & Croissant: C+M Coffee & Milk at LACMA (because nothing’s more French than that, oui?)
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