April 27, 2011

self-conscious

Rue de la Villette, Paris: 42 avril
yellow & pink
silk & wood
Rue de la Villette, Paris: 42 avril
Rue de la Villette, Paris: 42 avril
pockets & pleats
Rue de la Villette, Paris: 42 avril
silk top - Mango / belt - vintage, thrifted / pink skirt - H&M / wood & brass bangle - vintage, thrifted / socks - H&M / brogues - Primark

I had such high hopes for this outfit. I'd had it in mind for over a week, but waited and waited for a day with perfect weather to wear it - then once I finally did, it sort of, well, fizzled. Sunny pink and yellow seemed like a perfect Easter Sunday combination, but as we spent the afternoon amongst picnickers and little egg-hunters in our neighborhood park, I started to feel a little self-conscious. I felt like people were looking at me a little oddly, and began to wonder if maybe color-blocking and over-the-knee socks might a little too fashion blogger for the dix-neuvième arrondissement. This awkward feeling was not helped when a stranger (wearing a pirate earring, no less) stopped me and asked me a question about myself using a word that I didn't understand. After he cheerily repeated his question, I clumsily offered that I didn't speak French, then more or less ran off mortified.*

So despite the beautiful weather, and the lovely scenery found in abundance in the Parc des Buttes-Chamount, I wimped out on taking outfit shots in crowded public places and opted instead for the ridiculous backlighting of our kitchen. While they're not the greatest photos we've taken yet, I do at least love that the room is color-blocked too.

*I later did my best to look up what he'd asked; as best as I can tell, he either asked if I was tired or if I was selling. I am not sure which question is more unflattering, but given my lack of makeup, and my expression in that fifth photo, I can probably tell you which is more likely.
//

37 comments:

What Would a Nerd Wear said...

well pooey on all of france; i think you look lovely. i love the color combo and the knee socks (obviously).
it's a weirdly different bummer when an outfit is bloggable but not quite walk-around-in-the-street-able, isn't it?

amanda said...

so sorry emily! i love this color combo. it seems i can't have enough gold/coral/orange/tan in my wardrobe right now. i think you look fantastic! but i get it. some days i feel awesome in an outfit, so i'll try and recreate it and that time around i feel soooooooo awkward. i don't know if i was indeed crazy the first time around or was just coming to the realization. but you look pretty :)

Emily said...

Well, I think you look lovely! I love the colors and the combo of your socks and oxfords.

Patricia Payne said...

It's too bad your day turned out like that.. I really really love this outfit. Maybe one of my faves? I especially adore how the OTK socks look like an extension of your shoes.

Patricia said...

It's too bad your day turned out like that.. I really really love this outfit. Maybe one of my faves? I especially adore how the OTK socks look like an extension of your shoes.

canary said...

I was in Paris last May for the first time, and it is definitely quite conservative, surprisingly! I was able to consult a former Parisian just in time to pluck some bright colored things out of my suitcase and replace them with quiet, conservative, though not preppy items. I hardly wore my structured blazer, but I wore a dark, pleated skirt constantly. Paris, to me, was very hushed, very whispered, most of the time.

prettylittlemountains said...

I feel that way a lot living in a town full of ski bums and hippies. Just today I had a woman look me up and down and said, "Your wearing that in winter?" My response was, "Well, winter should of been over weeks ago," and gave her a smile that shut her up. I think you look great. I have been dying to try color blocking but I don't have lots of solid color tops.

Santina said...

I totally understand how you feel. Living in this small town has somewhat put a damper on my style. I don't really want to stand out too much with my wardrobe choices (I haaate feeling self-conscious), and I try to be as discreet as possible when taking outfit pics...nothing like how I would boldly pose in crowded streets back in Portland.

That said, I really like the combination of colors here, and those brogues are dreamy!

Brooke said...

emily, i love this outfit! i think you look great and that color combination is on point for easter. don't let the naysayers get you down. traveling is the perfect opportunity to try out funky new combinations since you'll never have to see a single person you pass again in your life. rock on!

Jill said...

I like it! It think it's fun!

BetweenLaundryDays said...

Aw, sorry you had a rough day in this fantabulous outfit. I think the color blocking is just divine, and you're right that it was perfect for Easter. Though I totally know how you felt; sometimes those days just come around, and they suck.

Lindzlou said...

I LOVE this. If I had been the stranger on the street, I would have asked you where you had gotten your lovely top. :-)

Amelia Lui said...

To be honest with you, this is one of my favorite outfits of yours in a while. Don't get me wrong, I usually love all of them, but this is just adorable & chic & a little sexy all in one! You look amazing. It may have just been a ton of people admiring your outfit. But whatever, if you like it then that's all that matters. Keep your chin up, I love reading your blog!

Amelia L. said...

I love this outfit. It's definitely in my top 5 of yours! It's adorable, chic, and a little sexy all in one. Don't worry about those looks, I'm almost positive it was just people admiring your outfit. It's a little daring, but who wants to be boring. As long as you're comfortable and you like it, that's all that matters. Keep your chin up, I love reading your blog!

Emily_RubySlippers said...

Oh my god! Men, realllly... I was definitely too fashion blogger in my socks and sandals the other day in Barcelona; I got loads of judgmental looks from old people, but the blog audience lapped it up! ; ) I feel your language pain: I'm currently in Germany, and after no German for five years, am facing daily humiliations. Sigh...

(L) said...

I have that same skirt! :) Also, I love the way you styled it here. I honestly never would have thought of yellow, but I like it. You inspire me to wear more knee socks.

- Lauren
logicandlemondrops.blogspot.com

emily said...

Ha! Well thank you - I think I might be a little homesick for the emphatically blasé attitude of NYC. I could wear a barrel that shoots fireworks there and people would still work to make sure they didn't seem to notice. :)

emily said...

It's funny, when I first started seeing the 'colorblocking' trend popping up around the internet, everything I read made a big deal about how it was a "bold look" and "not for the wallflower," and I laughed because I feel like I've been wearing nutso colors together for years. I guess it's all about the context though. :)

emily said...

Thank you Emily! When I first got these socks, I wasn't too sure how much wear I'd get out of the color, but now I find I reach for them all the time!

emily said...

It's ok, it wasn't all bad - those French kiddos were pretty cute running around after Kinder eggs. I just hadn't felt like I stuck out from the crowd quite so much in a while, and I guess I wasn't prepared for it!

emily said...

I've been so taken aback by that very conservatism! One of my strongest memories from my first trip to Paris (over 15 years ago) was how fashion-forward the locals were - I remember having my middle-school world rocked by seeing young women wearing mini-skirts over slim-cut trousers and heels, oh my!

emily said...

Ha! Man, I hate when people feel like they have the right to try and make someone feel bad about something as inconsequential (and totally personal) as what they're wearing - what a jerk! Glad you handled her snark with aplomb.

Maybe you could try it out with a plain white t-shirt? I actually think some of my favorite color-blocked looks that I've seen so far have been a bright bright skirt or wide leg pants paired with a really crisp, white tee - it's so classic, but packs a lot of the same visual punch as mixing brights!

emily said...

I am still trying to find the place where the way I like to dress isn't considered completely bizarre by the locals - eight countries in, and still no luck! And outfit shots are a whole other ballgame, I am always on the lookout for really secluded places for those.

emily said...

You know, I think you're totally right about this being the time to experiment - and to be honest, I don't know if I'd have the guts to wear half the things I do now if I were still working in an office (even setting aside obvious issues like general workplace-appropriateness). Still, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from feeling like you can sometimes 'pass' for a local...

emily said...

Thanks Jill! I do like this one too, just wasn't feeling it for that particular day or place.

emily said...

WORD. And of course, that cruddy feeling always hits when you're away from home and just can't do much about it. Blech! Maybe I'll have to give this one another go - sometime when I'm working from home, perhaps. :)

emily said...

Ha! Well thank you. :)

emily said...

Thanks Amelia! Hee, I was so busy feeling awkward I didn't even consider the possibility that those looky-loos were just jealous. :)

But seriously, thank you for your sweet words - style is ultimately your own, so you're right that it's what you think of the way you look that counts.

emily said...

It's so funny how my language foibles have worked out here - I felt totally comfortable speaking my ten words of Spanish in Spain, but here I am totally embarrassed when I don't understand something! I guess I just feel that if I studied something for seven years, I should be a little better at it - never mind that my last course was nine years ago!

emily said...

Thanks Lauren! I love this skirt, although I've found it a little impractical for traveling - it needs to much ironing! I do love the color and the sweet tulip shape though.

You should definitely try out some knee socks! I feel like they spice up every outfit, and after a long winter, they are a welcome alternative to tights.

Emily_RubySlippers said...

I always feel like that about French. It's worse being Canadian--people literally don't believe I can't speak it, no matter how many times I say so. And yeah, my boyfriend is perfectly happy here because he can't speak any German, and I'm suffering because I can speak enough to know I should speak more!

Lydia Webber said...

That skirt works so well on you. And I think you've used the colours wonderfully. I definitely understand your feelings - people could very well be admiring your taste and figure but sometimes stares don't come across that way. Bleh.

canary said...

I think I need to move to NYC!

canary said...

Interesting, so it seems Paris has actually become more conservative in the last 15 years?

I was basing my wardrobe on as many blogs as I could check out--I'm sure you know some or all of them, but I think I realized after talking to my Parisian friend that the bloggers were looking for more outrageous examples and going into areas I wouldn't probably venture to get their photos.

I just read another blog recently, someone visited Paris and had the same reaction to their edgy outfits--stares! I'm not entirely sure that isn't admiration. Either that or the men I thought were enamoured with my button-up boots were really dissecting my bad taste. You never forget Paris. LOL

canary said...

Totally, plus Topshop has their Color Clash collection with white skirts and pants and bright colored tops, which is a great way to use white, since I never can quite figure it out. I love some of the pieces in that collection.

sartoriography said...

Oh, FRANCE! Maybe he was asking if you would sell him your style secrets? Or if you were a personal stylist, selling those entirely appropriate services? Or maybe he was asking if you were tired of being so very cool? That's really what I want to know, because for real, this is the most fabulous outfit. I adore the colors (of course!) and the way that the socks give you such a respectably sexy look. Self-conscious or not, I think you look amazing. But then, that's not so rare, eh? :)

Abigail said...

This is a super cute outfit! maybe the build up to wearing it built it up in your mind too much. I wouldn't have expected yellow and pink to go that well together but I think the socks bridge the gap perfectly.

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