Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[awhfy]

That's the one I've been looking at. Sold! The detail is amazing.


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Anita Latte]

I just have to say...I know I'm your daughter and all...but this is a great trip report. Very fun to go along with you...I LOVE the pictures that you take versus the pictures Dad takes. Not that I don't like his pictures...I like both. I do appreciate the people included in the pictures...when I've seen pictures from previous trips...I've always stared at the crowds...for example...when you took certain pictures in Italy...where you can't escape the crowds...I love seeing what all the different people are wearing.

And I have to say that I absolutely adore the fact that you took pictures of the manikins. I do so much shopping online these days...I don't get to see the manikins in the stores...and I don't think that the stores seem to use manikins quite as often as they used to...I think you almost need to be in an more outdoor shopping arena to get the superior window displays.

I don't know about the animal print jacket. I think you could do better...but I don't think that one washes you out quite as much as the brown. I think this is a major challenge for FIRE ladies. It's very difficult to get good layering pieces. Not as many people are interested in bright colors for more "staples" like a jacket, cardigan, etc. They might go for the shirt...but generally, the overlayers are more dull.

Surprisingly...I've found on the EARTH end that orange/rust is an amazing neutral. It somehow goes with just about everything for me. I have an orange cardigan...I would call it deep pumpkin, if I had to name it, and the depth of color really works well with most of my other colors. In thinking about FIRE colors...we need to go to the deeper, richer FIRE colors to find something that would work well with most other colors. And something that would feel seasonally appropriate in cooler weather.

If you zoom in on the picture of Versailles with all the people in it...almost in the middle of the front of the crowd, there is a person with a royal blue coat of some sort. Their back is turned to us. Their arms are lifted and it looks like they are trying to take a photo. Who knows if that blue is FIRE or ICE...but the point is that it looks appropriate in the is crowd of people all dressed for cooler weather. I think that color, or a similar color in a deep purple...could act as a fairly good cool weather neutral-like color for FIRE. I guess this is why Curt talked about navy also...but FIRE navy seems really difficult to find...

Doing a quick search of Nordstrom...I'd think it would be worth while to see these colors in person:

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bobeau-asymmetrical-fleece-wrap-cardigan-regular-petite/3113609?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Mod+Turquoise&resultback=300&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_1_B[/url]

Mod Turquoise and Currant

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/mod-lusive-ruched-sleeve-long-cardigan-nordstrom-exclusive/3275036?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Cranberry+Crimson&resultback=1700&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_5_B[/url]

Blue Mazarine

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-wool-blend-crewneck-cardigan-regular-petite/3715432?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Navy-+Black+Flock+Dot&resultback=1900&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_5_D[/url]

Navy Limoges

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/mod-lusive-ruched-sleeve-long-cardigan-nordstrom-exclusive/3908963?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=2200&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_6_C[/url]

Blue Algiers

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/eileen-fisher-open-merino-cardigan-regular-petite/3759517?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Ultramarine&resultback=3000&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_8_B[/url]

Ultramarine

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-wool-cashmere-boyfriend-cardigan/3727272?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Purple+Magenta&resultback=4900&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_13_A[/url]

Purple Magenta

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-three-quarter-sleeve-cardigan-regular-petite/3320328?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Purple+Radiance&resultback=5200&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_14_C[/url]

Navy Limoges

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/chaus-mixed-stitch-cardigan/3874429?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Rouge&resultback=8393&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_22_D[/url]

Rouge

This looks like a good brown for FIRE...I think it doesn't have enough depth to work for my EARTH wardrobe:

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/guess-quilted-faux-leather-jacket-online-only/3798765?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Cognac&resultback=5100&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_14_C[/url]

This looks pretty bright:

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/topshop-textured-crop-jacket/3839608?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=2900&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-2_10_A[/url]

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/astr-drape-front-blazer/3898353?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=7200&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-3_21_D[/url]

If this happened to be FIRE...OMG...worth checking out:

[url]http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vince-camuto-flap-pocket-crop-jacket/3809816?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1500&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-4_6_C[/url]

At Chicos...this purple is worth a look:

[url]http://www.chicos.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=91&pageId=1&productId=570125168&viewAll=&prd=Velveteen+Utility+Jacket&subCatId=&color=&fromSearch=&inSeam=&posId=1&catId=cat40001&cat=Jackets++Coats&onSale=&colorFamily=&maxPg=6&size=[/url]

That's a lot to look at..

[Member123]

Have I shared the "look" of our business district, La Défense, with you? It is an interesting neighborhood. I'm sure everyone is very familiar with the spiral rings of the arrondissements of Paris, right? La Défense is technically not in the city limits of Paris; it is located in the commune of Courbevoie, and parts of Puteaux and Nanterre, just west of the city of Paris. What makes it accessible to Paris is... the Metro... and the RER public transportation options.

So La Défense is comprised of some high-rise office buildings, apartments, and the Quatre Temps Shopping Center, which is the huge mall that houses (as it turns out) three, separate Starbucks. The mall is open from 10am to 8pm, Monday thru Saturday and 11am to 7pm on Sunday. Not Starbucks, though. Starbucks opens at 7:30am! Perfect!

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We stayed at the Sofitel, which is about a 15-minute walk from the mall entrance. BUT, there is a Metro stop, Esplanade de La Défense, that is a short walk to the Sofitel. AND, there is a Metro stop, La Défense Grande Arche, that is a short Metro ride between the Sofitel and the mall; bottom line is that it's a convenient location. You will be in central Paris in about fifteen to twenty minutes; from my experience, about the same amount of time as walking to your destination up and down the Rue de Rivoli.

Would I stay there again? Yes. I didn't realize that the high prices for the hotel rooms that I was gasping at might have had something to do with Fashion Week in Paris. I'm not sure that was the case, because this wasn't THE Fashion Week with couture; it was Ready-to-Wear... so, perhaps not as well-attended. But, the price for staying in La Défense meant the difference between being able to stay for a few days or a week. It was that dramatically different; and, if you include the price in terms of time spent on the Metro... I didn't feel that it was so grievous as to be a real problem. Especially with the weekly Metro card pass, staying in La Défense just really wasn't an issue. If budget is a concern, I highly recommend.

We just had a leisurely Parisian Saturday. Didn't rush to do anything; took our time with all of our activities. Just ate and walked and browsed and took it all in. We'd seen the museums; we'd had our day trip. We were just soaking up the atmosphere and returning to places that we had thoroughly enjoyed.

Which meant, breakfast at L'Imperial, the restaurant with the black-and-red decor, huge lattes, and fabulous omelettes. After an extremely leisurely breakfast, we just walked along Rue de Rivoli... took in the Tuileries gardens one more time.... and walked to Champs-Élysées.

This time, rather than just walking by store fronts, we went in to the shops. Such beautiful shops! And, we experienced Parisian shopping.

I had read a few things about shopping in Paris, as an American. I don't recall where I obtained these little pearls of wisdom, but I am happy that I knew just a little bit about the "French culture of shopping." OK. I have another story. Maybe you've heard that, when dining in Italy or in France, getting a check can be a nightmare? That you wait... and wait... and wait for your check to arrive at the table; annoyance can set in, especially since you know it's obvious that you've finished your meal? What I know, and can verify from personal experience, is that you will NEVER receive your check in either Italy or Paris (at least) if you don't ASK for it. They never ASSUME that you are finished; they don't rush you out the door, so they don't voluntarily bring your check. I know that other people have said that they've asked repeatedly for a check, but I never have: one request, check arrives. [I]L'addition, s'il vous plaît[/I]. My point is: having experienced what I perceive to be good information regarding restaurant dining, I believed the information regarding shopping.

Finer points of shopping. Never, ever enter a store without saying [I]bonjour[/I] to the store salesperson. To not address the store person is considered the height of rudeness. Never, ever touch the merchandise! Especially if it's beautifully displayed on the shelves. Now, was this behavior practiced in the mall? Not really. The store clerks pretty much ran around the store, rearranging merchandise as people picked it over. It wasn't much different than being at Mall of America. On the Champs-Élysées? Not so much... much, much different.

For one thing. The security is off the charts! I mean... you cannot walk into a store, with a package, without having that package searched by the security guard. Security in the front of the store. Security in the back of the store. Look like Secret Service with the earbud cords dangling... it's... weird. But, with the price of this merchandise, maybe it's necessary... at least, they must think so!

Well, back to the shopping experience. We went into a Lacoste store where my DH was immediately spotted and assisted. Talk about wanting to spend money! My DH has a fit physique, and is constantly looking for "trim fit" and/or clothes that don't bag on him. DH saw the trim-fit display and went over to look (he knew not to touch!). A store clerk saw his interest and immediately approached him: [I]Monsieur, non... allow me to show you the shirt that fits your body. Here...[/I]and he pulled a trim fit shirt and an ultra trim fit shirt and showed DH the differences between the two shirts... and so much information about this shirt... and its marvelous ability to make you look good... how could you resist? It just made you want one... or two.

And, we went into a Louis Vuitton store. All the store clerks wear white gloves. The handbags are lovingly handled by the store clerks as shiny-eyed girls watch eagerly to see if their significant other (husband, boyfriend, Mom!, Dad!) will actually buy one of these precious items. [I]Look, how beautiful! Look, how stylish... and this size is perfect for your figure[/I]. How could you resist?

And, then we went into Eric Bompard, a cashmere store. And, we met Olga. Omigosh. I didn't want cashmere... until I met... Olga. I never even thought of cashmere... until Olga told me all about cashmere. I haven't stopped thinking of cashmere... because I met, Olga. I think we experienced the height of being assisted by a truly professional sales person... excuse me... Olga said she is a fashion stylist. What an experience. As it turns out, cashmere would be perfect for me, here in Arizona, because it's a natural fiber that will assist me to be warm in winter and cool in summer. <sigh> OK. I really, really wanted to buy Anita a cashmere scarf; I really did. Olga showed me THE most beautiful scarf I think I've ever seen. How could I resist? Well... let me tell you a story. IF I bought this scarf for Anita, I wouldn't be able to tell her how much it cost because... if I told her how much it cost, she would be afraid to wear it! And, since I would want her to wear it, then I couldn't tell her how much it cost. And, without knowing how much it cost, Anita might treat this scarf like... say, any other scarf... which is to say, with care... but not extreme, extra special care... because she wouldn't know how much it cost. So, I was in a Catch22, which meant that I could resist, after all. Doesn't mean that I haven't stopped thinking about it. So beautiful. 220 Euro. Too expensive, by miles... right, Anita? And, besides...[I]This item is made with a high quality « extrafine » cashmere yarn selected with great care. Its « extrafine » fabric is particularly delicate and must be treated with extra care. This kind of cashmere can only be dry cleaned. This will enable you to enjoy all the exceptional qualities of this item[/I]. So, no... not for Christmas this year, Anita. But I'm still fondly remembering Olga.

After the Peugeot store and the magnificent concept car on display... actually no one thought to assist my DH in that particular store... I'm thinking they assess the prospects of an actual sale quite well...

DH wanted to go climb the Arc de Triomphe because he wanted to get some more pictures. I didn't want to go... and then I saw the Sephora store! You go climb the Arc. Take your time. I think I can spend a bit of time in there...

DH got the picture that he wanted, which was a photo of the Grande Arche taken from the Arc de Triomphe. This gives you a perspective of how close our business district is to the historical areas of Paris.

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Paris%202014/P9271114_zps91be8217.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Paris%202014/P9271114_zps91be8217.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Edited October 31, 2014 by Member123
obnoxious typos

[Member123]

The Sephora store!

How to describe the Sephora store so you can get an idea of this blissful place?!?

So beautiful... and so luxurious... and so full of the most high end cosmetics that you can only dream of seeing in one location.

My Sephora store, here in Arizona, carries certain brands... but not others. For some brands, like Chanel, they might carry a representative selection of certain items in the brand, say foundation... but not nail polish.

Imagine, if you will....

This Sephora has every brand that I've ever had a passing familiarity with. And all items within that brand. In front of the display is an attractive sales person, dressed in the familiar Parisian style... but with a leather pouch full of cosmetic brushes... and standing behind a comfortable chair. The display case contains: well... everything... skin care... foundation... eye shadow... mascara... blush... lip stick... lip gloss... everything.

But wait...

To get to that area of the store, you first enter through the perfume section. Anything you want to know about perfume? Interested in the "notes," how to apply?, where to apply?, how to layer?, how to achieve a certain emotion?, evoke a fond memory?, ignite a passion?.... what?!?... Moving On....

Anyway, wander through the perfume section and you enter the World of Nails. Here you have display cases with every color you can even imagine... and everything from OPI to high end brands. And... a Nail Bar!... Let me describe. In front of the display of nail polishes, there is a polish labeled "Tester." You can take this "Tester" bottle over to the Nail Bar... and play! I think there was a sign there that said "Paint and Play," and that's what ladies were doing. There was a young girl there... I asked her if she spoke English... and when she did, we got to have a conversation... I told her she was painting her nails to look like Skittles... cause she was!... And, then it dawned on me... hey, I can give myself a quick nail polish. Don't have to paint each nail a different color! And that's when Suzy Says Feng-Shui took residence upon my nails. Such fun! You could also pay to have a manicure there; if you want. I just did a DIY.

Walking around with drying nails, I finally enter nirvana of the cosmetics area of the store. And this is where the "play" turned downright Serious Business. After saying [I]no, thank you[/I] to quite a few offers of help... I got riveted by a sales person in front of the Sisley-Paris display... [I]Madam, s'il vous plaît, Sisley has just introduced a new foundation formula and I know that our tint in number two is perfect for your skin tone. May I demonstrate this perfection to you?[/I] How fast do you think I landed in her chair?

Let's just say this. There are some extraordinarily talented individuals in this world. How does Curt do what he does? How could she look at me and know what foundation color would be ideal for my face? How is this possible? I have searched... and searched... and spent money on product that, in the end, just doesn't look right. How, again, is this possible?

So, she put on the foundation... the powder... the blush. And, was talking to me... and all I heard was the cadence of her voice and I was sinking fast... and my DH appeared. Really? You're back already?...

Time to go. She gave me a brochure. She gave me the formula colors that she'd used. And, off I went.

But, let me tell you what I observed going out of the store. There were ladies there who were going from one display to another to another. The sales people didn't mind; sit down in a chair; get made up... move to another chair; sit down in the chair; have the makeup removed; get made up. You could, literally, spend hours and hours here. Blissful amounts of time.

And there were tester samples... everywhere! Even in front of La Mer!

I wish I could have taken some pictures for you. NO PICTURES. They are more emphatic about it than any museum we were in. Point a camera and security gets right in your face! Point a camera and a security hand descends in front of your camera lens! No mannequin pictures! [I]Non[/I]. And... no talking your way around this one. So, sorry... no pictures.

I was happy! I had blue nails! Yes! And... this may come as no surprise, it turns out I was starving! So, we decided to go to Angelina's on the Rue di Rivoli. Now, Angelina is the restaurant that we went to at Versailles. The one with St. Honoré cake. Remember? My new one, true love? LOL.

We, like a LOT of other people this afternoon, headed off to Angelina. OK. It's a smallish restaurant, and it is, apparently, capacity controlled... which means that we had to stand on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant in a massive, long line. What made this line totally bearable were the two young girls who were standing behind us. Such a fun conversation! They wanted to know my impressions of Paris; I was really, really truthful with them... I said, "Paris. Stop smoking!" They agreed, and they told me something that I sincerely hope is an exaggeration. They said.... Parisians start smoking as early as ten or eleven years of age. Oh, how I hope they weren't stating a fact! The smoke is, quite frankly, unbearable. Paris has passed laws that disallow smoking in the interior of restaurants, but allow in sidewalk cafes and in the area in front of a restaurant's door; blue, thick, heavy smoke... I personally witnessed people on the Metro getting out their cigarette so that they could light it up as promptly as possible when they left the station. It's a huge, huge problem for a nonsmoker. They asked me if I was enjoying the food. I told them I had been to brunch at Un Dimanche à Paris. They squealed with delight! Oh! The best brunch! Most delicious! I loved speaking with them. Turns out that they've visited Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Their impression? Hot, so very hot... so hot you just want to lay in the pool for hours and hours. Oh! And, they loved my blue nails! [I]très élégant[/I].

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OK. I don't know what's hit my funny bone, but something has by the expression on my face. Maybe it's a combination of things: being in Paris, the experiences of the day from the shopping to the makeup application to the conversation... or maybe it's just the wine. In any event, I know I'm happy! Did you think I wouldn't be wearing my Chat-Tee of Paris... in Paris? Oh, come on now...

Most people, that afternoon, were having a type of tea break... something to drink and a pastry. Not us! OMG. They had a dinner offering and we went for it! So hungry! Steak, yes! Wine, yes! Dessert, yes!

We left the restaurant, after another leisurely meal. Fully satisfied. Walked a bit and then went back to the hotel... for a wonderful indulgence. There is a wine store just a few feet away from our hotel's entrance. Let's just say... the wine proprietor and us... well... we became friends! Reasonably priced. Good selection. What's not to like?!?

[Sailor_Sally]

This review has me wanting to book a trip to Paris immediately ! Plus it has me craving chocolate ! Tres Bon review !

[Member123]

If it's Sunday, it must be...

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Un Dimanche à Paris!

Is there anyone who is surprised by this? Anyone at all? LOL.

OK. I will spare you the wonderful sights of all that chocolate! Mainly because I'm helping Sailor_Sally out here! <giggle> I will just say that this repeat performance... did NOT disappoint. And the brunch was exceptional despite the fact that we indulged in ONLY a glass of champagne, rather than the whole bottle. In hindsight... darn it!...

Let me also talk a little bit about this dress that I'm wearing. I had read "an idea" for mix/match, traveling light, wardrobe ideas. The "idea" was to pack a versatile dress... and to pack some tops (not jackets, actual tops) that could be worn over the dress; in effect, you were using the dress as a layer and its bottom would transform into looking like a skirt and the tops would be what the tops would be. So, I thought.... GOOD IDEA! And, I packed accordingly. And, I absolutely hated it. When I tried on the tops with the dress, standing in front of my mirror... thought it looked OK, passable. When wearing this (bizarre) combination... I don't know, maybe it was psychological... but the only thing I felt was pure frumpiness. And, if there's anything that makes me feel uncomfortable, it's the thought that I look frumpy. Although I did wear the (bizarre) combinations that I had put together, I will never do this again. Did not love it, a lot.

Oh! I need to tell you. One of the most pressing things that I did last night was go on the internet and search for stores in my area that sold Sisley. I desperately wanted to find the foundation, because it really really looked good... in multiple types of lighting conditions. When a foundation looks good in natural light, I think you've really got a winner. I did a virtual search at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus... all the stores in my area... and it just wasn't carried. I did learn that there are significant differences in the style of products carried in Europe by brands like Lacoste and Adidas versus what they export to the States. Same with cosmetics. I was a little crushed, because... the Sephora store on the Champs-Élysées, according to its website, is closed on Sunday. [I]C'est la vie[/I].

What to do with this wonderful afternoon? Our last Sunday in Paris. My DH suggested a walk, along the Seine... perhaps to the Champs-Élysées? What?!? OMG. We were just THERE for the longest time yesterday. Do you really, really want to go back THERE. Yes, he did! There were some things he wanted to see. Really? Well, OK. Even one glass of champagne makes me more agreeable. LOL.

We leisurely make our way to the Champs-Élysées. I'm strolling along... and... suddenly!... OMG... I see it! There's a woman walking right in front of me... and she is swinging a Sephora bag from her hand! A Sephora bag! I look at my DH and say, "OMG. Do you see that woman with a Sephora bag? Do you think she got that at the Sephora store? Do you think it might be OPEN?!?" I may have hit a high-C on the last up tilt of my question. I just might have! DH said that he didn't believe that the store would actually be closed on a Sunday... really?... on the Champs-Élysées?...

And so, DH entertained himself, and I bought STUFF. Yes, I did!

So happy.

After I had purchased my items in the Sephora store, the sales person who had assisted me rushed over so that she could whisper to me... [I]Be very careful on the Champs-Élysées, s'il vous plaît. There are many pickpockets. They are skilled, but they are mostly children.[/I] Really?!? How very sad. I put my purchases in my purse, but we decided to go back to the hotel so that I could put my new precious possessions in a better place.

And I changed clothes. And we came back to Paris. One thing about today? This is the last day for our sweet, weekly Metro card pass. One minute after midnight, tonight... and we're stuck with one-ride tickets. So, we were going to make the most of it! Tonight was the night for... wait for it... night pictures.

Walking, again, along the Seine.

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And, we realize that it's Sunday and we want to see Notre Dame. You may remember that I'm not Catholic, so I wasn't sure if the cathedral would be open to a tourist, on a Sunday evening. It was open; there were two lines for entry. One, the tourist line, was stretched as far as you could see, and the other, for church members, was guarded by security and the people quickly walked in. I knew that there must be a service because of this two-line situation and I was surprised that the cathedral would allow (endure, really) so many tourists gazing on while a service was being given. But, I'm so thrilled that they do! When we finally arrived at the entrance, there (again) were two lines: one was for "The Faithful" and the other was for people who just wanted to view the majesty of the space. If you went one direction, you could actually sit in a pew of the cathedral and be part of the service. It was Vespers Service, which is a sunset evening prayer service. The organ filled the cathedral with its sound, and there was a beautiful choir and magnificent soloists. I didn't understand a word. But I was awed. I stayed until some rituals began that I didn't understand. A beautiful evening.

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Believe it or not, we had dinner in an Italian restaurant. It felt right at the time! We thought that we were going to go to Italy... next year... and this was a kind of blending of the two thoughts: being in Paris but thinking of Italy. That sort of thing? It's funny, now, because we aren't going to Italy next year. Just a thought here to complete the evening.

What we did do... is get the evening pictures that we wanted...

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Tomorrow is our last day in Paris.

[Member123]

It's packing day.

Last minute details day.

Tomorrow is our long haul international flight. <ugh>

Getting from the airport to our hotel... nightmare. So, I went online and found an interesting alternative. Listen to this: it cost us 23,80 Euro to ride the RER from CDG airport to the hotel. I found a service, a shared taxi, that cost 42 Euro to get us from the hotel to the CDG airport. For the difference in that price, I'm definitely going to try that option! It's called Cielos, or WeCab. It's a service that you prepay, but the difference is that a taxi will cost about 75 Euro (no traffic) to as much as 100 Euro. So, big difference. We rolled the dice and made a reservation.

We spent today doing a bit of window shopping at the mall.

Anita, you spent a lot of time looking at outerwear options for us FIRE ladies. Thank you! [I]Merci![/I] There are a few of those that I think I'm going to order since Nordstrom returns are so easy for me to do. Anyway, again, thank you for that!

Look at this jacket! I think it's wonderful. Not my color, though I love the details of this. Love the sweater. And the bracelets. Now, why does this work?!? None of these items necessarily go together... and, yet, they make a beautiful outfit. Everybody think so?

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Here's a look at some of the public space in our hotel.

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And a pre-dinner drink...

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Now, our dinner plans were to go back to the restaurant where we felt we had the best dinner during our stay and... that was the Westin. So, off we went. We had a memorable evening, I have to say. Maybe not for the reason that we would have thought!

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As I'm eating along, quite happily, I glance up and see a man walking through the courtyard with an open umbrella. Before I could fathom why he was doing that, I realized that... omigosh... it was pouring rain! Remember that this is an interior courtyard, but open to the sky above? We are, fortunately, sitting under a covered area... but, still, as the rain slanted and started getting the tablecloth wet... it started wicking up to the top. We were rapidly seeing the tablecloth get wetter and wetter. Many hands helped us pull the table further under the covered area, and we sat there for a while. We actually were a little "trapped" in the area because we were without our own umbrellas. Although the hotel has umbrellas for use by their guests, they don't provide any for those of us who won't be returning! So, sit we did....

...


and, who cares? It's Paris! We'll just take a quick walk to the Metro and take our rain-soaked selves back to our hotel. Thankfully, however, the rain became a bit of a drizzle and we actually made it back, none the worse for wear.

[Member123]

I thought I'd just mention how successful we were in our reservation for the shared-ride taxi.

I don't know if this is something "new" to Paris, but I can tell you that NO ONE at the hotel, from receptionist to concierge, knew anything about this service. The Sofitel is a business hotel, and they are used to dealing with transportation needs to/from the airports by their hotel guests either (a) asking for a private car hire or (b) hailing a taxi. Both of these options come with a price tag that I was really wanting to avoid! I have to be honest; I hate paying for taxis and always feel a bit uncomfortable using them. I so much prefer taking a shuttle because at least I know what the cost is going to be.

So, this procedure that I was going through caused major consternation at the Sofitel! For one thing, they couldn't believe how long we were waiting for the taxi to arrive; they kept wanting to help us and became very "French" in their assessment of how we were spending our time! Pretty amusing, actually.

Here's the situation. You make a reservation and you tell them your flight information and when you want to arrive at the airport. You have to know your terminal. They give you a window arrival time: for us, with a flight leaving at 4:10pm and our desire to be at the airport no later than 2:00pm... they said they would arrive between 12:50pm and 1:20pm. If we had a cell phone, they would have called us when they were about 15 minutes away from our hotel. Since we didn't have a number to give them, they were hesitant to allow me to make a reservation until I got the bright idea of giving them the hotel's number; so, since they could get in touch with us on the day of departure, they were happy to continue with the reservation.

BTW: I went to the front desk and had the receptionist speak with them; I don't think I could have accomplished this reservation without her assistance.

You also need to let them know how much luggage you have. The price quoted for us was 42 Euro, which I was more than willing to pay. After what we endured using public transportation, I was actually willing to pay the whole "typical" amount of 75 Euro, quite frankly.

Now, here comes the fun part. You don't know exactly what your ride to the airport is going to entail. I would assume that if you are picked up at the beginning of your window of time that you would, most likely, be going to another hotel and grabbing some more people. The site says that the taxi is able to hold up to 4 passengers and, since we were only 2 people, I thought that we might be going to a maximum of two other hotels.

As it turns out... we were just taken to the airport! I was concerned when we got into the taxi because the meter was reading 19 Euro. I am familiar enough with getting taxis at hotels to know that the meter can be pretty high if the taxi has traveled a distance to arrive. I was pretty concerned about the meter: for one thing, it had that hefty amount on it and, for another, it was busy just clicking away like nobody's business. I thought that the meter wouldn't even run since we had prepaid.

So, I asked... I could only sit there for so long, being all concerned. So, I asked. I was told not to worry about it because I had made a reservation and the trip was paid for. But, weirdly... the taxi driver called someone and spoke to them, pretty excitedly, in French... so I couldn't understand. All I got was a mention of our name... and a word that sounded like "problem." I don't know what the "problem" could have been, unless it was the size of our luggage, perhaps? Or, maybe it was that the taxi driver had spent so much time trying to find the Sofitel (I've read this is a problem) that he couldn't go pick up the "shared" part of our "shared" ride. He did drive way, way over the speed limit, but maybe that's normal? I was never enlightened... and I didn't really want to ask and open up a can of worms. So, ladies, we're just never going to know.

I tell you; the CDG airport is out in the boonies. Way, way, way out there! We drove for quite a while; the taxi driver had to pull in and get a metered ticket to even gain access to the airport. I got a really good, first hand experience as to why the fares are as high as they are to get to and from CDG.

End of the story is that we were just taken to the airport, arriving in plenty of time, for the cost quoted to us.

The CDG airport. It's really very pretty. Beautiful shops. A little confusing, perhaps, to a first timer.

I knew how to navigate this airport because of our experience in Sydney. It's the same! The different airlines get assigned check-in counters. The first thing you have to do is look at an information kiosk (similar to an arrivals and departures signage) to find the number of the check in counter for your airline and flight number. Off you go. This is where you'll find out your gate number.

Security. As we know, there is heightened security coming back into the States, especially with electronic devices. I was fully prepared; I had all of our electronics fully charged. What happened is that I was asked about my electronic devices; I was asked if they could be turned on if someone wanted me to do so; I was asked if they had been in my possession at all times. I wasn't asked to demonstrate their operational capability.

The signage for the gates can be a bit confusing because they go in opposite directions. By that I mean that... if you are looking for Gate 15, you will see a sign that says you should go to the left AND you should go to the right, to arrive at Gate 15. Basically, it's a horseshoe; so you can go in either direction to arrive at the same point. It just looks a little weird and reminds you of a cartoon.

If anyone has any specific questions about either the Oasis or Barcelona or Paris, I would be more than happy to answer (if I can). If anyone is planning a trip to these places... you are going to have FUN. No two ways about it; FUN!

Now, what I think I'm going to do is...

... talk a bit about my wardrobe.

My wardrobe woes.

I am getting some pictures together, and then I'll be back with some thoughts and some questions.

You know....

I have absolutely forgotten what is on the horizon for everybody. Clue me in! What are you doing for the holidays? We are staying in Arizona for Thanksgiving; going to the Caribbean for DH's December birthday; going to Anita and family for Christmas; coming back to Arizona for New Years; waiting patiently for Spring Break so we can cruise with Anita and family on the Celebrity Summit; going on the Allure of the Seas TransAtlantic with Anita in April... That sums us up!

[Member123]

Anyone looking for a new blue?

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:D

wow. You know, I really admire those ladies who do the nail swatches! I love to go searching online for help with my colors. I'm trying to do some wardrobe pictures, but I'm getting myself pretty frustrated because it's just not working out the way I want it to, in the pictures. And, then when I upload them, somehow, I'm losing the bottoms of all my outfits! No pants! LOL. Like I said, frustrating. I tried to resize that nail picture, but no matter what I do... it remains the same size! So, there must be a setting in photo bucket that controls the size of the picture when it's uploaded... and I can't find where I can go to change those settings.

So I thought I'd still post the picture of my current nail color. If you're interested it is: butter London, Giddy Kipper. And, on my index finger: OPI Orange You Fantastic.

I kind of like the one nail painted a different color than the others. Anyone else? I don't think I'd like the glitter on every. single. nail. I can't figure out if I like it... or not.

And... I can't figure out if the wardrobe pictures are interesting... or boring. I'm losing my light anyway. Maybe I'll see how I feel tomorrow about this project.

Oh, here's a teaser...

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Interesting? Or, should I just go private with my wardrobe thoughts and we just roll on to North Carolina? :D No hurt feelers, if this isn't entertaining.

[Sailor_Sally]

Please give us your clothes report. I thought your wardrobe worked great . I was just not crazy about the print jacket everything else looked great and I loved the idea of the swim dress & rash guard . Best report on Paris I have read . It brings back so many memories .

[Joby]

Pam,

I really have loved your report and pictodiary! It has been fun traveling along with you and DH.

The brown top in the "if it's Sunday" photo looks really good on you. Even in our FIRE colors that are correct for us, I think there are some colors that each individual just looks fab in, don't you?

Your Paris photos bring back such wonderful memories for me. I went in 1993 and it was my first trip out of the country, only the 2nd time in a plane and it was by myself. We had friends that lived over there for 3 years and invited us to come and visit. DH didn't really want to go and it had always been a dream of mine since my 3 years of French language in high school. Soooo, my beautiful DH took took weeks off and stayed home with the kids and I went to Paris :D

I have the very same photo of the bed and Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, similar ones at Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower and Arc deTriumphe. I should scan them and post. That could be funny :)

I don't want your trip to end, it has been so much fun to go along with you!

[snuggles]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]It that it? It's over already?? Say it isn't so!!! WAHHHHH!!!!! :([/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]I have never been to Paris Or Europe ~ never really had the desire to go ~ but, PAM~ now I want to go! But, alas I never will. I simply can't do all the walking. So I'm glad I got to travel along with you. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Thank you so much for the super fantastic pictodiary!!!!! I loved every step, bump, and jog you took! I'm so glad you enjoyed yourselves! (even with the little hiccups):cool:[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]I love that blue polish on you. I have "Dosh" on right now and have received several sweet comments about it. I've been looking at dark blues, but never really found any I thought would work. I also have a really pretty gold sparkle -can't remember make or name right now as I'm at work, but, I wear it on all my nails and receive many nice complements. It's really sparkly, especially in sunlight and I love it! But you see, I Love BLING!!! [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]I'm wondering what that blue would look like under my gold....hmmmm....may have to try that one out.;)[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Now, I'm curious, Are you standing in the closet to take those photos? I ask because I see the rod, but no wall or darkness behind the clothes. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Anyway, I like the blue tops and capris. The white shirts throw me off when I look at the really dark jacket you thought is not fire (the one clear at the end beside the jean jacket) and I think I'm with you on that one. Anita may have a new jacket. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]I think you look absolutely stunning on Sunday in the restaraunt! And [U]I[/U] like the animal print jacket...It may not be prefect, but you know what, I (IMHO) think you look rather pretty in it.. Guess it's just me.. And of course, the red/orange tops are great. I do love our reds! [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]I have to tell you, even if you had some misses on color/ wardrobe, you still looked great! [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Have I given you enough complements to take me along the next time? LOL![/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Member123]

Isn't Paris FUN?!? OMG.

@Linda. I wish that I could tell you that it would be OK with the walking, but... there really is a lot of walking. In fact... Spoiler Alert... one of my biggest issues with my wardrobe was because of my shoes! Well, maybe everyone knows this already, right? I tell you... I'm having the worst time right now just trying to find shoes; I'm searching the internet, and going to stores. Shoes... what a pain. My biggest problem is that they aren't comfortable to the tops of my feet. Anyone else have this issue? It's the tops of my toes and the tops of my foot above the arch... this is where the problem manifests itself.

That... and probably my Style Statement... which I can't figure out for nothing. I have done so many of the questions and I sure don't get any kind of rhyme or reason out of the answers, much less Two Words that Sum. Everything. Up. Perfectly. You ladies that are still doing this Style Statement book... tell me how you're progressing! I need to live vicariously.

Anyway, Linda, I have Dosh! I really like it. I put two amazing colors together: Dosh on my nails and OPI Green on the Runway on the toes. That OPI color is deep, dark green; in fact, so dark that it flashes green. Anita was surprised that I liked it so much cause she thinks the color belongs to EARTH; she did get it and she loves it as well. I thought it was just a really, really good Autumn color combo. Again, fun to see!

Anita also informed me that I put the glitter polish on the wrong finger; shouldn't have used the index finger, but my ring finger. I knew that I shouldn't use my "naughty" finger and the pinkie didn't seem right. I don't know why I had brain drain and used my index finger; I think that I was planning on painting my entire nails and then chickened out cause I wasn't sure about the BLING. Some of us can handle more than others, right, Linda?!?

@Kim. I didn't know that you visited Paris! I took the horse statute from the behind perspective, just for you! LOL.

You know, when I take these pictodiary pictures... it makes me think of all you ladies so you do come a'travelin' with me, so to speak.

@Sally. I am busy trying to figure out how to do this wardrobe idea thingy that I have to make it logical and meaningful. Right now, I'm just totally bogged down in the minutiae that comes along with an idea that hasn't matured quite yet. But, I'll be getting on it in the next few days. Primarily because I'd like some opinions on what everyone does to figure out their travel wardrobes. That would be so helpful for me! Hope you EARTH ladies are listening cause I know that travels are coming up for you as well.

Oh, Linda, you know what that is? Prepare to laugh. I have two ladders in my hall and a closet rod laying on the ladder rungs. So, I'm hanging my clothes on the rod and shooting the pictures which is why you can see down my hall! And... yes, my DH and I are having to walk through (or around) my makeshift hanging device, until I get this project finished. And that means that I have to get on it because I don't know how much longer my DH will be OK with this idea! :D

[awhfy]

Try Ecco shoes & Oofos for flip flops. I've had over a dozen foot surgeries & these are comfortable on my feet. Melody


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[Member123]

Melody. Thank you. Is there a particular shoe within the Ecco brand that you especially like? I tried Eccos quite a few years ago, but it was a style that just didn't work for me, in the long run. How much walking do you think you normally do in your Eccos? Just wondering. I think that different styles might provide a different feeling of comfort.

Omigosh. I noticed your countdown clock and so I just had to go take a look at the Navigator's sailing. Out of Galveston! Kind of familiar with that itinerary, LOL. Are you going to Nachi Cocum in Cozumel?

Do you have your wardrobe completely figured out?!? Spill the beans...:)

A holiday cruise; how special. I hear that they have the ship decorated for Christmas. OK; here's a survey. I went to the grocery store two days AGO... and the Christmas decorations are OUT. Right alongside the pumpkins. Am I the only one or is anyone else seeing Christmas greenery?

[awhfy]

We've never cruised Royal or out of Galveston. We are going to Nachi Cocum! You're good!

I like the slip on Eccos. I also like the Sketcher Go Walks. The Eccos are a bit dressier, but I averaged about 4 miles a day in them. I was a protocol officer for 30 years & was in suit & heels every day. I always brought my flat slipon Eccos to events, I can move fast in them ;). The Sketcher Go Walks are my new casual favorite. My favorite sneaker tho is the HokaOneOne, I do up to 10 miles in them. I wear the Cliftons that are 3.3 ounces (that isn't a typo), nice bright colors too... The Oofos are a flip flop (that if it wasn't snowing today, I'd have on right now :(.)

We're Diamond due to Celebrity so looking forward to branching out a bit. We're doing the Lamani Ruins in Belize too.

Since we're driving I'm taking a few more things (shoes) than normal. Black jumpsuit with a jeweled jacket for one formal night (that's our 45th anniversary), same jumpsuit with a sequined pashmina for second formal (the guys are doing Texas formal for second formal night). Columbia & Chicos capris for islands with long jogging top & Columbia over shirt;, Chico's black silk & bronze silk pants for non formal nights with black silk top, white silk top, electric blue silk top & several turquoise tops. Of course, the requisite bathing suits (& large sun hats) & my black gauze pants & shirt & maybe my white gauze pants & shirt. I normally take less for a 14 night cruise... Melody


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[awhfy]

I had all my cruise clothes spread out in the guest room, hanging everywhere when I got word yesterday that a cousin I haven't seen in years is coming to visit the week before we leave. Everything got sectioned back into the cruise closet, hope I don't forget anything (& I hope she doesn't mind not having a closet!!! The dresser is empty ;). Really looking forward to seeing her, just wish I could convince her to cruise. Melody


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[MJC]

[quote name='Member123']

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[/QUOTE]

Pam, this is such a wonderful picture. I just have to point out that part of what's working so well here is proportion. The long earrings... divine. Even though this is more minimalist than some of your other outfits, which I also love, I think it is my favorite of your vacation looks.

Have you tried Dansko shoes? I am a big fan of Skechers, too, though I haven't tried the new ones yet. I wore the same two pairs for two and a half weeks in Southeast Asia. Really comfy.

Love the blue nails. I have to laugh, though, because at the time I thought to myself, hmm, here we wear the odd single polish on the ring finger. :) Your wardrobe array could be a post on Vivienne Files. It looks so well thought out... I appreciated your comments along the way about your choices and what worked well, and what didn't. So helpful.

Like Kim said, some of your photos brought back some lovely, special memories. Paris was my first trip to Europe, ever, AND I was newly married, so it has a special place in my heart. It is so hard sometimes that this forum is not really a conversation, right? Sometimes I just want to jump in and say something. But, of course, one can't really interact that way here, n'est-ce pas?

Thank you for the mannequin shots, and the street fashion shots. So fun! It never occurred to me to do that, even though one of the fun things to do on vacation is see what people wear. Except for business wear, what people actually wear changes so much from big city to big city. I do see a lot of ballet flats/jeans here. And, now that it's cold, the jacket/scarf combo with skinny jeans tucked into tall boots. But, I think the big difference between here and Paris is that in Paris there is much more sameness to the current popular "look," and women there generally dress more conservatively than New Yorkers do. Here, whatever "the look" is changes from neighborhood to neighborhood, and within "the look" you'll see much more creativity and variety. JMO. So, in many ways we don't really have one look, even though there are different style veins that pop up and become noticeable. Does that make sense?

Since we're going to Cozumel on our next cruise, Nachi Cocum is in my future too! I told you before I'd think of you when I had a margarita on the beach -- cross your fingers that it happens this time!

[Member123]

I so appreciate all the thoughtful comments. It helps me so much! I think one of the reasons that it was so much fun to do our Spring Meet 'n Greet at Debbie's Lake is because we all got a chance to just TALK about this stuff that has such meaning for us and that other people just don't seem to quite understand... by that, I mean, other people that I know. I just don't have anyone in my social circle that gives a fig about their skin tone; in fact, I live in such a casual environment that I don't really have a lot of "reason" to dress in complete outfits: top-to-bottom thoughtful dressing, kwim?

I've been thinking about the best way to approach this idea of travel wardrobe planning. And I thought that it might be helpful, to me, to show you ladies what I did... my thoughts in planning... and maybe we could have a back-and-forth about how I could have tweaked it a bit... or put some thought into accessorizes that would have been nice to have along... that sort of thing.

So, here we go. I wanted to have some variety in my outfits; primarily, I didn't want to feel like I was wearing the same thing over and over. I thought that would bother me: as it turned out, I did wear the same thing, pretty much, over and over... and it didn't bother me a bit. So, I guess in the future I won't have to worry about that, at all.

My DH and I take a checked bag, apiece. As a small amount of luggage "insurance and protection," we cross pack, meaning that I put items in his bag and he puts items in mine (yes, I share too!)...

So, with that in mind... my goal was to create a complete wardrobe for each checked bag.

I decided that it would be easiest to put together tops that would look good with a distinctive pair of pants. I chose the blue-patterned capris and then gathered up the tops that would work with them.

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I tried on all the tops with the pants to make sure that (a) they fit well and (b) looked right. I was satisfied with these combinations. They are, from left to right: (1) off-white T-shirt with gold accents, (2) blue denim top that can be used as an over layer, (3) off-white T-shirt with blue accents, (4) the capris, (5) Chat-Tee with light blue accents, (6) blue cardigan that has to be an over layer because it doesn't close (7) blue silk top. Basically #6 and #7 were meant to be worn together and #2 wasn't meant to be worn alone: so, 4 tops and 1 pair of pants = 4 combinations.

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OK. This is a little more difficult to see, but here's what I was thinking. If I add a neutral pair of pants to the tops that I've already chosen, then that would immediately give me 8 combinations, since that one additional pair of pants would go with all the tops. Then, I added the Chico's Traveler dress (which I've already discussed how I didn't like this idea, during the trip. I tried on three of the tops with the dress, and they looked "fine" with it; I just didn't like the way this type of dressing made me feel). I added the jacket and a sparkly top.

Now, with the 2 pairs of pants and 4 tops = 8 combinations + the dress by itself + dress with 3 tops = 12 combinations! This would absolutely cover me for the 12 days of travel in Paris, which was the goal.

I did some representative combination pictures, just to give an idea of my thought process.


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Here, I'm basically showing you what I consider to be 8 outfits. Looking at the first picture block on the left, what I'm doing is taking the blue top/blue cardigan top and pairing it with the blue capris and neutral pants; so, you see, I'm showing you the 2 outfits that I'm creating from the same tops. Basically, I'm switching out the capri pants with the neutral pants and the neutral pants with the Travelers Dress.

I'm working on the pictures for the outfits in the other checked suitcase. Back in a bit... Edited November 4, 2014 by Member123

[Member123]

Second suitcase.

Much like the first, at least in the thought that went into the packing. Here's the first run at the chosen "distinctive" pair of pants, a purple paisley.

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01241_zpsaef6f1e0.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01241_zpsaef6f1e0.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

4 tops + 1 pants = 4 combinations or outfits. So, now I just introduced the neutral pair of pants, so again I achieved 8 combinations.

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01249_zps23544e50.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01249_zps23544e50.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Here's where it got a bit more complicated for me, cause this second bag wasn't as easy as the first; i.e., I didn't have a "sort of" neutral jacket. So, instead I put together some top combinations just with the neutral pants in mind. My idea was to try to introduce a type of layer dressing; so, a top and jacket... to be worn either together or top only. That's why you see the animal print jacket and chocolate chip Traveler's top from Chico's and the printed T-shirt with the long sleeved top as a possible overlay.

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01253_zpse30b8790.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01253_zpse30b8790.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01252_zpsa6fd2054.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01252_zpsa6fd2054.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01251_zps374913c9.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01251_zps374913c9.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01250_zps18b5427f.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01250_zps18b5427f.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Anyway, that was my idea for the second checked bag. With the addition to the wardrobe of those extra tops, I was able to achieve at least two (and maybe four) combinations, for a total of ten or twelve! Easy, peasy.

I brought along two pairs of shoes that I thought would go with any of these combinations. Oh, heck... I'll go grab some pictures of those and complete this, so we can talk about...

... where I went wrong. Be back soon.

[Member123]

OK. Here they are! My nemesis (or Achilles' heel?), as it were:

[URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01254_zpsaa2a8f52.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01254_zpsaa2a8f52.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL=http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Wardrobe/DSC01255_zps004a5839.jpg.html][IMG]http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae109/AnitaLatteMom/Wardrobe/DSC01255_zps004a5839.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

(1) the new, Ahnu sport ballet flat, (2) well broken in, Walking Cradles, (3) much used, Helle Comfort strappy heels for formal nights on Oasis, (4) my Rykas, broken in (really broken) worn on the plane and not really a part of the planned wardrobe... thought MAYBE I'd use them for exercise on board the ship. Almost didn't bring my Rykas... as in OMG, they saved my feet!

So, basically, the Ahnus were a misery because they really hurt my toes if I didn't have on some sort of sock... and the socks that I brought (the no-seeums) just didn't work; they were a failure because they wouldn't stay up on my heel and they kept bunching into the ball of my foot. I brought two different brands; one were so sheer that they "ran" and my toes poked holes through them and I ended up throwing them out (is this TMI by the way?)... and the others have an elastic band similar to the strapless bra bands... but they just couldn't withstand the amount of walking.... so....

the Ahnus weren't worn much.

The Walking Cradles are comfortable, comfortable walking shoes... as long as you are on a more or less level terrain. They have just enough of a heel that it will aggravate my hips if I try to walk in them for extended time. And I do mean, hours and hours of walking. I don't know if we credit just how much walking is involved with European sight seeing; one of these trips, I'm going to wear a pedometer and end up fainting (I'm sure).

The Helle heels. OMG. What to do?!? Really, when you have limited luggage space and are weighing everything? Do you allocate precious luggage space/weight to shoes that you're only going to wear THREE TIMES! It's a vanity thing, I guess. I don't know what to say; I thought that maybe I'd wear them to dinner a few times, but we were never really in a situation where that would have been appropriate. Do you see how much support they DON'T have?!?

My Rykas. Kiss the ground. They saved my feet.

BUT. Can you imagine how awful I thought they looked with my (carefully planned, I might add)... outfits? The adjectives that came to mind were: frumpy and bag lady. Not at all flattering, and I didn't feel the least bit "put together" when I was wearing them.

I just didn't think about it. I was in a wonderful place, seeing wonderful things, experiencing the highlights of being able to actually go on such a fabulous trip. I certainly wasn't going to let something like "looking frumpy" make me miserable. And, I didn't. I'm not just saying that I didn't; I really didn't.

But I could have wished that I had different shoes!

No, I didn't want to go shopping for shoes. For one thing: comfortable shoes are so difficult for me to find, and I didn't want to spend what I thought of as "precious" time doing something that usually irritates and frustrates me, and for another thing, I was worried about not being able to return the shoes if they didn't work out... and there was a bit of expense involved, etc. etc.

You know the real situation is... this dilemma doesn't rear its head often; it's really only every few years! Most of the shoes that I wear are fine for a few hours of walking or a few miles. It's just those situations where we're walking so much. My DH says that we probably walked anywhere from 8 to 10 miles a day, by the time it was (as he says) "all said and done." That's a LOT to ask from a shoe, don't you think?

Next...

... the weather! Now, can I complain about the weather? NO. I researched the weather and thought that we were going to be much, much cooler than we actually were. Thought we would get a bit more rain that we actually did. So... all those carefully planned layers just weren't needed. My issue was that I had planned some combination outfits with those layers in mind! But, it really wasn't that much of an issue... because we had BOTH suitcases! So, I had planned twelve outfits for each suitcase, which meant that I had about 24 outfits from which to choose... and remember that I was also doing laundry in Barcelona. So, that was all good.

I can see how I could have traveled much, much lighter than I did. I mean... I didn't need 24 outfits, really. And so... here's the deal. Because I had some clothes that I liked more than others, I ended up grabbing them more often.. just like here at HOME!...

What I needed (actually) was a better list of what I intended the outfits to be! Does this make sense? I would have worn a lot more variety, if I had kept a better list. Brain drain. By the time Thursday rolled around, I absolutely forgot what I'd worn on Monday... so if I liked Monday's outfit, I might be seen in it again on Thursday, kwim? I didn't even realize that until I started looking at the pictures of the trip! That's what I mean when I say that wearing the same thing multiple times obviously didn't bother me a bit!

Geez.

I have some action items from this trip, for sure.

#1. Shoes. Comfortable walking shoes.

#2. Jacket. Neutral jacket (Anita helped! I've got one coming from the list she showed for the Nordstrom's sale. It's the Cognac color; I'll let everyone know if it works out!).

#3. What would be #3? Help me out here!

Is this how everyone else plans their travel wardrobe? Or, do you have some ideas you can give me to make this process easier? smoother? more efficient? better in any way?!?

[smitty34877]

Hello to everyone. I am a sometimes poster on the earth thread. I just wanted to thank Pam for the beautiful writing and pictures,I really enjoyed it. As far as shoes: try Dansko and Ecco as others have said. I spent my working life on my feet and have ïssues"as a result. I have often had to wear a less than pretty shoe to be able to walk long distances. I am struggling with the "Style Statement "book also. It is quite frustrating at the present time! I guess it is best to keep trying because I really would like to understand this whole thing more.....Smitty

[Member123]

Of course!

#3 Obtain Style Statement!

#4 ???

Hey, Smitty. What about the Style questions is posing some difficulty for you? Or, is it the analyzing of what you've written?

For me, it's a little bit of both. Some questions I sit with a total blank; no thoughts form. And those questions that I have answered certainly don't seem to be able to be classified in any way. Maybe my vocabulary is too awesome? Everyone knows I'm kidding, right?

Thank you for your kind words regarding the postings about my trip. I would never post a "trip report" for people on the general message board to read; those people put the "critic" into "cruise critic" in the most abrasive way (to me), but you ladies just provide me with a bunch of warm fuzzies. It was fun, thinking about the trip and bringing you ladies along with me.

Can't wait for North Carolina. No pressure, Debbie. I know it's wicked busy for everyone this time of year.

Kim, what do you think about your skirt?!? OMG.

[MJC]

Pam, I think you did an amazing job packing considering the weight restrictions. You have a wonderful variety in your clothes.

#3 should be "see #1." My dance friends and I used to joke that, as long as we came with shoes and music, we could put on a show because everything else is secondary. You could substitute plane/cruise tickets for music and there you go. I am seriously amazed at the amount of walking you guys did! American tourists wear sneakers for a reason, they are very good for walking, but there are many attractive sneaker-type walking shoes that look good and have the support you need. On days when I'm doing a lot of running around I wear these:

[url]http://calmagplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/brown-coach-shoes.jpg[/url]

And on trips where there's lots of walking I bring two pairs of good walking shoes and alternate them. I also have a super light weight and compressible pair of workout sneakers just for travel so I can pack them and wear something else on the plane. Sometimes I will start my packing by choosing shoes first, then outfits, depending on where I'm going.

Or, perhaps #3 should be, a combination doesn't count if you won't wear it. IMO it's better to have fewer combos that you re-wear than to have some that are always your last choice and end up hanging in the closet. I will admit that I almost always come back from vacation with something in my suitcase that I didn't wear, although I think that's more true of warm weather vacations than cold ones.

Some people use a spreadsheet to chart their outfits and accessories for every vacation day beforehand. I'm not quite that organized, though I did do it once when we had very different activities each day and I didn't want to be hunting for things last minute. Usually, what I do on vacation is put things in the back of the closet or at the bottom of the pile as I wear them, so that I make sure to wear a different combination each day. This failed spectacularly in Houston this year as I had only brought one sweater which I ended up wearing every day. I have only myself to blame as I violated my #1 packing rule -- don't bring just one of anything.

[aoknkentucky]

Smitty, hang in there with the Style Statement book. It IS frustrating, but I have felt much more comfortable in my own skin since I completed that lengthy process. Fit, style, and color have all been extremely difficult for me because I waited until my 50s to spend time and effort on myself. Trying to find killer bright FIRE colors has been such a challenge for me along with dressing to fit my lifestyle and body shape. Knowing my style statement has grounded me and I now understand why I gravitate to certain fashions and home decor. I really think you will appreciate the effort.

Pam, I think you've done an excellent job of explaining your trip. I had a lovely time!

I have been working on this post today between office duties. I refreshed the page before posting and read what Margaret wrote. I whole-heartedly agree. Maybe to the point that my rambling isn’t necessary, but because I spent time working on it and maybe some of what I’ve said might add to the conversation, I will post my thoughts anyway. Here goes—

With my usual disclaimer that I am a poor example, I think you have dissected your trip wardrobe quite well and know exactly where the weak spots occurred. Again, with my usual disclaimer, here are my observations---

#1-Do you need comfortable shoes? Most definitely! Shoes are terribly difficult for me. My foot is very small in proportion to my body height (and weight), very wide, with a high arch and a narrow heel. YUCK! Shoes just don’t fit. By the time I have a shoe an adequate amount of time to know if it will be comfortable, it is usually nearly worn out. I would wager a guess that I have spent double the money over the years on shoes rather than clothes that don’t work for one reason or another. Now I have these protruding bones on the inside of both feet where my toes connect to my foot. I did a little research. Bunions!?! What? That sounds like an old woman ailment. How depressing. Now several shoes that were stylish and only hurt occasionally will be sent to live with someone else because the ‘break’ hits right where this newest ailment sits. Oh, the pain of it all. I feel your pain. I don’t have any useful, helpful advice other than please make sure you take at least two pairs of comfy, comfy shoes to alternate. OH, and if you find something that works, please post it here for me. I would love to own a flat shoe with enough pizzazz to wear with dresses as well as slacks. Does such a thing exist?

#2-Jackets/over-layers? Yes, I’ll agree that Anita should be receiving a new jacket soon. Pictures of me in EARTH colors turn my face gray also. But I agree that the animal print jacket might be ok. I think I saw that same jacket at lunchtime in a restaurant today. But my first reaction when seeing the animal print jacket was………….Oh, Pam, you need a scarf!!! Just a simple drape around your neck and dangling down the inside of your jacket to peep out over the edges on both sides would have given just the pop near your face that you needed, maybe?

Which brings me to talk about #3. What else would I suggest? Why, scarves, OF COURSE!!! Necklaces are nice, but I never have a necklace that gives me that pop of color near my face that a scarf provides. Scarves take up very little room or weight in your suitcase and change the outfit especially if the tops are solid color. At least one scarf should incorporate several of your top colors with whatever design you prefer (floral, stripe, geometric). For instance, if you took one solid yellow scarf from the print top color in the first suitcase and a scarf with the red, blue, aqua and yellow colors of the print top in your second suitcase, imagine how much oompf that would give those outfits in the first suitcase. The second suitcase has lots of color, but maybe a scarf combining the purple, blue, red and aqua along with a scarf the exact shade of blue in the print capris? Some necklines don’t work with scarves as well as necklaces and if the weather was really warm, I understand where this might not be the perfect solution, but I wanted to throw out this option for you to think about.

#4, maybe? You mentioned your problem of repeatedly wearing the same outfit. I fixed this problem for myself when I began compiling a spreadsheet for a longer trip about five years ago. I know you take them quite frequently, but the only time I’ve ever taken a 14-day trip was visiting Europe as a high-school junior. The thought of managing my own luggage caused me to scrutinize each item for this longer trip. Due to medical issues, I decided I could only comfortably handle a rolling carry-on and a large purse. Because I uber-planned my outfits, the spreadsheet was invaluable. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but before our trips DH always asked if I have the tickets and trip paperwork. Now he asks if I have my spreadsheet. He knows it is THAT important to me. It takes all stress off my back and lets me enjoy the trip.

For that recent longer trip, I wore a jacket, top and pants, and I packed two jackets, two pants, two sleeveless tops, two Ts, two 3/4-sleeved tops, two long-sleeve tops, and a vest. Other than one striped top, the tops were all different textures but solid colors. What elevated this wardrobe? I took seven scarves. If I hadn’t used a spreadsheet, I wouldn’t have remembered what I had worn the day before. No matter whether the weather was warmer or cooler than expected, I felt prepared with two of every sleeve-length top option. If I changed Tuesday and Wednesday outfits, I noted it on my sheet. Our schedule was too busy to decide each morning what to wear. My spreadsheet allowed me to stage my outfit the night before and hit the ground running the next morning. I was so concerned that everyone on the trip would notice those same few tops over and over, but I’ll never forget the nice lady that commented how she looked forward each day to seeing what scarf I’d be wearing. That sealed the deal for me.

Scarves and a spreadsheet—they may not work for everyone, but Man, Oh Man!—I’ll never leave home without them!