Wednesday, August 15, 2007

jupe obligatoire*


This chilly and rainy August, it seems like every Parisienne is wearing black footless tights, generally with a short and brightly-colored skirt and sneakers. Luckily, I'd bought a pair of the tights before leaving the States. I put them on under a dress that's basically an elongated polo shirt and wrapped a sweater around my neck like a scarf. "Are you going out dressed like that?" asked L, who would be the first to admit that he lacks even a rudimentary sense of fashion.

I guess it's an atavistic urge to try and fit in. My French is perfectly adequate, which is to say that I can understand it pretty well and speak it with a certain amount of difficulty, but no-one could possibly mistake me for anything other than an American.



*This means approximately Skirt Required, and seems to be posted just about everywhere. It's apparently an attempt to generate buzz for a new play, but I just like the way it looks.

17 comments:

meg said...

Niobe, I'm not even there and that's what I'm wearing today! I love the tights and dress or jeans and dress combo and then sneakers go with everything, don't they? (But I am a sneaker whore!)

painted maypole said...

i still have tights like that from the days I took dance classes back in college. When they became popular I thought "I'll have to wear those again! Good thing I kept them." I have not, however, worn them again. ;) Maybe when it cools off.

LawMommy said...

Jupe obligatoire...
You make me miss France...
That's all.

Gretchen

S said...

What lawmommy said.

And goodness, footless tights? Those were big in the eighties.

Unknown said...

I am refusing to join in with the footless tights idea, and instead endeavour to make myself look as Parisienne as possible by completing my all black outfits with a green scarf. It is possible that my naturally haughty look does this for me in many ways.

One of the things I adore about spending time in Paris is collecting information on how people dress. The people in my father's small village are much more French widow-esque and a far less valuable source of information on couture.

Anonymous said...

I like the sweater around your neck as a scarf. You could not fit in without a scarf in Paris.

There is certainly something romantic about a rainy Paris.....

Anonymous said...

I think you need to use this as an excuse to go an buy a Parisian outfit!

Aurelia said...

Do you guys ever read Go Fug Yourself?

Just cause...tights with skirts? Ouch!

niobe said...

slouching mom: I guess everything does eventually come back into fashion.

aurelia: But, but ... when it's cold, don't you need to wear tights (even if not the footless kind) with skirts? I mean, you can't go bare-legged all year round, can you?

The Oneliner (Christina) said...

aurelia-gofugyourself exists to make fun of EVERYTHING. they're haters just like those girls in highschool. they're not exactly fashion forecasters. But they are funny as all.

niobe-i like the look. when i was in paris at christmas time a few years back, i noticed that every parisian look stunning at all times. i couldn't compete. so i came home where i fit in just fine.

i hope you are having a great time. i think you should be a travel writer.

Mrs. Collins said...

I think your outfit sounds lovely. I just love tights too! The main reason is the crotch doesn't fall done like panty hose do and you don't have to do that awkward dance of pulling your hose up. Plus they are slimming and hide my varicose veins (yuck). I thought the women in Paris were beautiful, but the men looked like heroin addicts to me. But that is just me. I tend to like beefy slightly furry men. But DH is skin and bones and pale. What does that say?

kate said...

They're wearing *what*? That is worse than two summers ago when the thing was these stupid tiered peasant skirts which you could get at Old Navy. Actually i like peasant skirts but it is very depressing when you fly across the ocean and everyone is STILL wearing the same damned skirt. Globalization at it's finest?

S said...

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Lori said...

The last time I went to Paris, I went knowing full well I would not be able to compete on the fashion front. Instead, I opted for black pants and a black sweater (yep, various versions every single day), figuring that was always safe. I didn't feel fashionable, but I didn't stick out either. Phew!!

You, on the other hand, sound quite chic!

Aurelia said...

Niobe,

I'm from Canada, I wear dresspants or jeans or whatever in the cold weather, usually with long underwear! Yes, some women wear skirts and tights in winter but they get paired with tall boots, unless the wearer wants to risk frostbite.

I only wear hose with formal wear. If I'm going to a more conservative event in summer, mayyyybe, but usually it's bare legs.

Maybe it's bad memories of the eighties, but I just can't wear tights.

Mama Bear said...

I haven't been able to comment in a while, but have been reading and so thoroughly enjoying your Paris blogging. I'm a huge francophile--lived in Strasbourg for a while and just simply love Paris. So, thanks for the virtual trip.

And, I also hear you on trying, however unsuccessfully, to erase the invisible "I'm American" stamp that appears on our foreheads but is only visible to Europeans. No matter how well I spoke or how much my clothes blended, they all still just knew... :-)

Furrow said...

i love tights. can't find the footless ones, though apparently every girl under 25 was issued a pair around here. not for 100 degree weather, though. i can't wait for scarf weather. (no caps because i'm typing secretly in a meeting.)