Fashion for everyone

On a whim the three of us took the Eurostar to Paris last weekend. Even after 10 years of living in Europe the idea that I can travel to Paris or any other major capital on a whim makes me smile. As a committed traveller I am always ready for a weekend away. The passport, immigration cards and frequent flyer points (I am married to Mr FF so frequent flyer points are my friend) are always at the ready and the carry-on-bag is conveniently located under my bed for quick access. We decided Thursday, we left Friday. The DDs are as much in love with Paris as I am; maybe it is genetics or maybe it is because they listen to me more than I give them credit for but either way we three francophiles couldn't wait to visit the city of light together.

Paris, depending on your company and timing, has many faces. Last weekend Paris was dressed for the runway; the talk was fashion and the streets were alive to the latest. The DDs are fashion lovers like their mother but with one huge advantage - they are not twenty somethings locked in a fifty year old body comme moi. They see, they try and they conquer. I see, I try and I often think better of it. Both DDs are well read when it comes to fashion trends and they both have very different styles so when we browse together all bases are covered. The beauty of shopping with the DDs is that I have consultants on hand at the fitting room and that I am wired to what's hot and what's not without having to turn the pages of a magazine or double click on the web.

The best thing about shopping with the DDs is watching them put pieces together and seeing them hone in on clothing that I would never have noticed. The worst thing about shopping with the DDs is that they look fabulous in most outfits and it is nearly impossible to say no.... Who can or wants to anyway? As I age I am understanding more and more my own mother. I could never comprehend when I was younger why she would much rather see me in something lovely than herself. I get it now....the pleasure does not compare.

The beauty of Paris and her fashion is that for every designer collection or haute couture temptation there is a more affordable but equally desirable label. In Paris it is a pleasure and still a possibility to visit the smaller boutiques, especially in Le Marais, the 4th arrondissement. Claudie Pierlot, Maje, Sandro and Zadig & Voltaire are some of the DDs favourite stops; I am the Vanessa Bruno fan in the family. Her collections are very focussed on trend but in a way that is wearable and adaptable for all ages.

This girl's weekend was the best. We shopped, we looked, we talked, we dined and we caught up with friends. We didn't visit a museum, a gallery or the historic sites - there wasn't time because we, like the rest of Paris, had fashion on our minds. xv