La Mode

It is impossible to be in France and not notice the fashion around you. It's not the same in the United States. New York City may be the fashion capital of the world, but even there, fashion is not the same. It's hard to describe the difference. I think fashion is simply more understood here. I've noticed a few main differences in the way we dress.
First, as we all already know, trends happen in Europe before they do at home. In France, one different trend that I have found very interesting is their pants. They have colored pants, printed pants and genie pants. And a lot of them. I've seen many different types of colored pants. Some are denim. I prefer ones that are cotton. Some are obnoxiously bright. Others are a perfect pastel shade. They are almost always a skinny fit. I have seen some of these in the U.S. but not nearly in the amount that I have seen here. Printed pants are something that I could see becoming more popular in the U.S. I've seen floral, tribal and striped pairs. Basically, any print that would be used for a skirt, the French will wear as pants, as well. Genie pants are the only ones that I'm not exactly a fan of. Some of the less extreme ones are okay, but I have seen multiple pairs where the crotch is almost touching the ground. Personally, I do not understand that trend, but overall, I do like that there are more options becoming popular for pants.
Second, manpris. This is another trend that I knew about coming to France. If you don't know, manpris are capris for men and so many people wear them here. I have seen a few different versions: jean, cargo, and athletic. I do not like any of them because they all have an ill fit. However, there is one version of manpris that I love. When a man wears fitted jeans and rolls them, I think it is one of the best looks, especially for transitioning into the summer. I have seen this version in the U.S. but only a very select amount of times. I have my fingers crossed that real manpris will go away and rolled ones will become more popular.
Third is something that I find the most interesting. In stores, they sell multiple pieces, that are made from the same fabric and it's advertised together. On the same rack, you will find a skirt, shirt, and dress all in the same fabric. One reason I find this very interesting, is that is what is on the runway. When a designer makes a collection, they use the same fabrics. It makes sense to able to choose from different articles of clothing of the same print at a store. However, this would never happen in the United States. Companies are always trying to sell as much as they can. No one would buy multiple items in the same print unless they absolutely loved that print. I don't know much about business, but I think this shows another difference between France and America.
Overall, I find that, even though some of the pieces of clothing are different, for the most part the clothes they sell are the same, but the style they have is different. The French seem to be more put together, in a simple way. It's one of the many things I love about France.

Excursions

So far, we've only gone on one planned excursion. It was to Azay le Rideau and Villandry. I liked both castles, but my favorite part was definitely the gardens at Villandry. Azay le Rideau is a smaller castle, but I really like it because of the exterior red accents it has. I don't think most castles have color like that. Villandry was beautiful as well. The inside is a lot more modern, which I really liked, but Villandry is known for its gardens. The vastness and beauty cannot be captured as well in photos, but it can at least give you an idea of what it looks like. We were supposed to go on another excursion to Chambord and Cheverny, but it was canceled because the bus driver had the wrong time. The Institute is going to plan another trip to Chambord, which I really hope we can attend. Chambord is one of the biggest and most beautiful castles in France, so I really want to see it. Last time I was in France, I saw Versailles and I absolutely loved it. I think I would really like Chambord as well. If the trip the Institute plans conflicts with our schedule, I think we're going to try to go on our own. We have some more excursions, so I'm looking forward to those. I'll keep you updated!

Diana