PARIS OUTFITS: BY NIGHT

I can’t possibly play favorites here (and a few nights I didn’t even get a decent picture!) but the nights out in Paris were by far the most fun to dress for. All of these dresses are going to get special status in my forever closet and with any luck will even get a chance to be worn again this holiday season. Below – my thoughts on a few of these special honeymoon outfits.

Above: In my roaring 20s era. I wanted a real Zelda Fitzgerald moment for one of our night’s out in Paris so this drop waist embellished olive green dress and shiny mary-janes felt perfect. A little bit like the outfit equivalent of martini, no? I wore, fittingly, to Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz Paris.

Above: Ahh the Belle Epoque of dresses. I had seen this dress in person at Bloomingdales and swoonedddd over it, but it was admittedly pretty far out of my budget. After a few days of thinking about it I took a search on the internet and found one at a fraction of the price in my size. It’s still in stock at Neiman Marcus for 50% off (still a splurge but way better) if you’re in the market for an absolute archival piece. Worn for dinner with a view of the Pont Alexandre III bridge and a champagne Seine cruise afterwards.

Above: Sometimes there’s nothing more chic than simplicity. All black, a simple silk sleeveless column dress, great pumps and for a tiny touch of flair (I couldn’t resist) this rosette collar. Worn for pre-dinner patisserie on our hotel balcony (with a side of champagne, bien sûr), drinks at the Saint James hotel library bar (swoon) and dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower. I might rewear the whole thing to a wedding this weekend.

Above: I’ve long been stalking Carolina Herrara on The Real Real, just thinking someday I’ll come across a dress from her archives, in just my size and have just the right occasion. And here it was. A thick brocade in a metallic gunmetal and burnt rust floral strapless number – perfection. I wore it to an afternoon concerto at the famed Paris Opera, Palais Garnier. No links to share, as it was a one off find but if you’re willing to put in the time, shopping secondhand designer sites is as fun a hobby as any I’ve found.

Above: I was calling this my ‘Modern Holly Golightly takes Paris’ look that night. A fun micro mini, layered necklaces (I’m just going to say it, statement necklaces are coming back in a big way) silver shoes, and a fun clear box bag (another Real Real find that I got before the Taylor Swift concert – as you needed a clear bag approved for stadiums) and have been getting a surprising amount of mileage out of). We took a walk through the Palais Royal before dinner and drinks and snapped these photos along the way.

ON MY RADAR: FALL + HOLIDAY SHOES

I’m a shoe girl year round.. but fall and holiday shoes reallyyy take the cake for me. Suede, velvet, croc, metallic, embellished.. you name it and I want to be walking in it this time of year. I picked up a few new fun pairs for our honeymoon (all of which also happen to be deceptively comfortable) and I’ve got my eye on at least 1 or 2 pairs for the holidays. Tis the season, no? Below – what’s on my radar this season.

Above: Franco Sarto Knee High Leather Boots

RED + BALLET FLATS:

Both are huge trends for the season (although in my humble opinion, neither ever goes out of style) – this pair that I’m wearing are buttery soft and required zero break-in. I’m eyeing these red t-strap heels for holiday though too.

LOAFERS:

I’ve always loved a loafer but they’re really getting their moment in the spotlight lately. And while a great, simple leather pair is a timeless style to own, why not try a patent, two-tone or bejeweled version too this season?

METALLIC + MARY-JANES:

Again, two huge trends, again – I say.. to me they’re always in style. Either way – it’s my season to shine. I love a metallic shoe – all the better if it’s in a sweet little mary-jane silhouette that makes me feel like a modern day flapper like this pair I wore a few times in Paris and can’t wait to wear again.

Above: Inez Paz Ankle Boot (code: thesteelemaiden15 gets you 15% off your order)

PARIS OUTFITS: BY DAY

In looking back through our (probably thousands) of honeymoon photos – I realized that I took some outfit photos along the way that were just quick snaps (not enough for their own blog posts/have maybe been shared on IG stories already) but that I still wanted to share here in a permanent place. Thought it might be fun to round them up together all in one. Here are 5 of them (for day) and I’ll do another post on some of the things I wore at night!

MORNING IN MONTMARTRE:

We spent a Saturday morning in Montmartre (just early enough that it wasn’t yet flooded with tourists) wandering the cobblestones, picking up crepes and taking in the sweeping views that all those hills afford you. It was cooler so I needed the trench until about noon and I’ll definitely be re-wearing this entire outfit to work here in New York.

LUNCH IN THE TUILERIES:

This was one of my favorite days – we started with a visit to the famed department store Galeries Lafayette then took a stroll to the Tuileries (New Yorkers have Central Park, Parisians have this), stopping to pick up macarons along the way of course. We grabbed lunch at an unassuming little outdoor cafe nestled in the park (which turned out to be 10/10 delicious) then found a couple of green chairs to sit in the sunshine and enjoy our dessert. Typically we’d go to see Monet’s water lilies in the neighboring Musée de l’Orangerie but alas, tickets were sold-out.. I figured if I couldn’t see them this trip I’d wear this floral ikat print skirt (that reminded me of an Impressionist blur) in their honor.

PICNIC ALONG THE SEINE:

On our last afternoon (in near 80 degree temps!) we grabbed a bottle of champagne, simple baguette sandwiches and found a seat along the Seine River with a great view of the Eiffel Tower for a little picnic lunch. I wore a vintage skirt that I’d bought earlier in the trip, tied my new Dior scarf onto my bag (it’s printed with a vintage map of the streets of Paris), an easy crewneck sweater and sneakers.

FLIGHT FROM NICE BACK TO PARIS:

With a short flight (and the rest of our suitcases waiting for us at our final hotel) I made the most of the comfort of these perfect wide leg trousers to travel from Nice back to Paris. I paired them with a cropped tweed jacket – which I’m loving with jeans too – and a vintage metallic gold St Johns Knits sweater tank that I found in New York this summer and is proving to be a very fun layering piece. Once we landed in Paris I was ready to hit the ground running and wore this straight to lunch.

BREAKFAST AT CAFE DE FLORE:

Red! I’ve forever been a fan of a bright cherry red, but it also just so happens to be having a major moment this fall. This sweater dress hangs beautifully and also is so comfortable you might as well be in pajamas. It was originally tamed by my trench coat but this was another nearly 80 degree day in Paris so after breakfast at a front row spot at Cafe de Flore (one of my favorite little traditions every trip), I had to shed some layers. Easy with sneakers and an oversized suede tote or with heeled boots and a smaller structured bag for a Fall date night.

MY OCTOBER TBR STACK

I mentioned in yesterday’s post but I think I read about 4 paragraphs in total between mid-September and now. And that’s okay.. but as someone who loves reading seasonally, I was starting to get very itchy that I was missing out on my Fall reads. Luckily, I’d pre-stacked some books in my TBR (to be read) and now that I’m back to some semblance of normal order – I’m diving right in. While I probably won’t get to all of these this season I plan on spending now through Thanksgiving working my way through as much of the below as I can.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman – My virtual book club this month and my current read. You know Hoffman from her popular Practical Magic series but she’s an acclaimed author outside of those. So far, I’m enjoying this bookish, possibly time traveling read? I’m about 80 pages in.

The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning Every once in awhile I’m in the mood for what they call a “cozy mystery” – there’s a bit of suspense, maybe a murder.. but not it’s not going to keep you up at night. I liked the sounds of this one and will be a nice call back to my recent time in Paris!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – I read and loved Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue a few years ago so was interested in reading something else by the author. This is the first in a series and I’m interested in giving this sweeping, dark magic saga a try.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay – I do not know a thing about the plot of this book.- but quite frankly based on title and cover alone, I’ve wanted to read this one for years. Luckily, my New York book club picked this one for our Oct/Nov read so I finally am prioritizing it! Will report back.

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot – As work gets increasingly hectic during Q4 my reading mind starts to go slack and I love dipping into some fun, easy reading romcoms. This one sounded cute and that’s all I need it to be.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet Witch by Melinda Taub – My bookish bestie Claire picked this one up and I couldn’t resist doing the same. We get a different look at the Bennet family (of Pride & Prejudice fame) with a witchy remix. Count me in.

The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas – Another Paris setting, this time in 1880s Belle Epoque, with a gothic sounding twist. I’m going in fairly blind here too but its largely set in an asylum for women that society has deemed hysterical or otherwise crazy – so I think it will have a dark enough edge to feel just right for spooky season.

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WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL

I know, I know.. we’re a month into Fall already – but between the wedding madness, the honeymoon escape from reality and then the hectic return to work – I’m really just now getting to catch my breath and try to really hit pause. I want to soak in this little newlywed season alongside the fall season that I love so much here in New York. Below – a short list of joy-inducing things I’m looking forward to over the next month.

  • Catching up on Shows + Movies – I want to watch the new season of Only Murders in the Building + Sex Education and I’m hoping to fit in a few favorite fall movies (You’ve Got Mail, Practical Magic) alongside a few new ones (A Haunting in Venice looks perfect for spooky season and I’ve got screening tickets for The Holdover in a couple of weeks)
  • Baking/Cooking – I cook out of necessity but not because I love it, but this time of year I do think it’s fun to make a few seasonal favorites like pumpkin bread and turkey chili. So what if the bread is from a box, it’s the thought that counts, right?!
  • Reading (!!) – I obviously love to read all year round but Fall reading is elite tier. I have barely read a word in the past month, but I just picked up the first book in my fall stack (Alice Hoffman’s The Invisible Hour) and I can’t wait to spend the next month leaning in heavily to my TBR stack.
  • Increased Running – I’ve been in a really good running groove this year and I’m looking forward to add on a bit of mileage now that my life is *slightly* less busy and the weather has so nicely cooled.
  • Fall Foliage – While I’d like to have even 1 full weekend at home sometime this month, we’re headed to the lake this upcoming weekend to close up the cabin for the winter. The good news (besides the fact that it’s always nice to be at the lake) is that the leaves should be pretty close to peak color so I can bask in the foliage while I haul the dock out of the water.
  • Slow Weekends at Home – Will I ever get one? Only time will tell, but man would I kill for a sleep in Saturday. Chili in the crockpot, pumpkin bread in the oven. A good book, candles lit, and a seasonal movie to watch. Bliss.
  • Our 1 Month Wedding Anniversary – Still a couple of weeks away, but how fun to have something new to celebrate?!

Also – this entire outfit is 30% off in Talbots Friends & Family Sale starting Wednesday 10/18 + they just launched the first of their holiday collections. You all know it’s one of my favorite places to find classic wardrobe pieces that feel feminine yet modern so now is a great time to stock up. This entire outfit is comprised of pieces I know I’ll mix and match all season long – a timeless suede tote in rich chocolate, a perfect layering cashmere sweater, super easy to wear straight leg jeans, platforms heels (I’m obsessed with these!!) and a chic little jacket in a fun green plaid.

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Thanks to Talbots for kindly gifting these pieces and for your support of brands I love!