Reflections: On Not Purchasing Clothing For My First Year in Paris

Sounds completely crazy, right? Especially those that know I have been in luxury fashion and styling/interiors for the last 18 years! I have always loved clothes and many fond memories have a specific piece or outfit in it where I felt awesome or most like myself. I love the act of shopping, also - from fervent flipping of hangers at a thrift store to digging at TJ Maxx to lounging at a luxury store with champagne. Window shopping, online shopping, live auctions - it is all for me! So, why would I halt all this when I moved to Paris, of all places? Arguably the best city in the world for all types of shopping? Well…..

We knew we were moving about 2 years out, so I bought fun things I could see myself wearing here, enjoying REAL seasons we definitely do not have in Texas. Sèzane sweaters galore, beautiful loafers at Ralph Lauren, fun skirts at TJ Maxx. I would also not be working in Paris at a traditional 9-5 for the first couple of years most likely, sooooo did I need more clothes? Definitely not. I had an immense range of all types, for all seasons.

From July 2022 when we arrived until August 2023, I bought NO CLOTHING. Nothing! A pair of cool, unique earrings and a black zip coin purse from my lovely SA at Louis Vuitton for my birthday in August 2022 were the only things I actually purchased related to my wardrobe. I use the coin purse everyday, so cost-per-wear really worked out.

I adore second-hand shopping and get a rush from finding a great deal or a coveted, hard-to-find piece on Poshmark, Ebay, and TJMaxx/thrift stores. Styling these pieces is fun and a challenge - I have made it my mission in the styling section of this blog! I want to inspire more of you to consume LESS and buy BETTER. Buying new clothing season after season isn’t realistic or sustainable no matter your budget or location, bottom line. Chic and timeless also doesn’t mean boring or robotic; curating your own personal style is a fun journey that for even the most seasoned stylists it is ever-evolving.

I also wanted to take my first year in Paris as an observation project to really immerse myself in the culture here and see what really spoke to me stylistically and what worked with my active lifestyle as a mom of two children under ten. I volunteer at the schools and bike/walk/metro/bus everywhere. Parisian women do not sacrifice style to get on their bikes or walk in the rain and I love this about them! They are also a multi-faceted tapestry of ethnicities and body-types who seamlessly blend their own cultures and takes on fashion into their lifestyles and this is why they are truly inspirational - not the overdone thin, Caucasian, chain-smoking archetype.

So, the results? It was super easy for me, if I am being honest. I avoided going into clothing stores, I stopped shopping online completely and deleted the Sèzane app from my phone! I truly focused on shopping my own closet and seeing what I could put together. Profiles of the stylish folks I follow on IG became fun re-creation projects for me from what I already owned and I analyzed what pieces I might be “missing” in my wardrobe for when I would potentially buy something again.

From August 2023 until January 2024 I only purchased seven things - six bottoms and a black jacket. I found I really lacked certain categories of bottoms, particularly pants and several older pairs of denim I owned had finally given up. When I traveled back to Texas for most of August 2023, I snagged three cool bottoms - beige linen shorts from Seven Jeans, cream straight leg denim from Frame, and a cool-toned beige pleated silk pant from Joie. All of these were from Marshall’s/TJ Maxx and cost a grand total of $90. I didn’t have anything like these styles/colors and they are from brands I know and trust. My lovely friend Morgan thrifted a very cool Piazza Sempione cropped black jacket I definitely didn’t “need” but really wanted. She sent it to Texas and I got it from my sister when I arrived. In October of 2023, I finally caved and went to Sèzane in search of dark jeans and came away with my bright blue Hendley pant which I adore, and the Brut Sexy dark denim which I think are cool, but not exactly the vibe I was going for. I have worn both a lot, though - so definitely a win! And finally, in December of 2023, I purchased a very comfortable pair of dark denim sailor jeans from local woman-owned Parisian made brand Koshka. Below are some outfits I created with my new purchases!