I do trends so you don’t have to

Today, we start with a some holiday snark and then move briefly on to candles (there’s still a bit of snark regarding the candles).

I no longer get dressed up for the holidays. I do try to be more presentable when I go into town here or visit London/Paris/some place where people take their fashion more seriously. It’s a fun challenge and also sort of delightful and soul nourishing. It reminds me of 1) when I got fancied up every day for work and really enjoyed that sort of creativity and 2) when I used to go dancing in NYC (note: not clubbing). Oh, the clothing… I still miss the black angora backless knee length dress. So much sexier and classier than showing oodles of boobage. Deep sigh.

On to snark.

I follow an American blogger/vlogger/whathaveyou who writes about Paris. She’s lived there, she’s mostly fun, she’s how I found the wonderful Marin Montagut shop which offers elevated souvenirs with a Paris theme.

I find ‘influencers’ both amusing and perplexing. You make your living by being shouty and me-me-me. Like overgrown toddlers. And people like me look at what you produce and then feel a bit holier-than-thou before googling item X or hotel Y.

Anyway. The Francophile woman I read has a post about holiday dressing in Paris. The pics might have been shot in the Palais Royale but maybe elsewhere (double-checked: elsewhere – Place Vendôme).

She’s wearing what she says are this year’s trends but, boy, does she make a dog’s dinner of it.

Really lovely red dress. Off the shoulder, big floaty skirt, pockets (pockets!!). But, sadly, this dress requires more of a waist than she has. So, it looks like she’s trying too hard (plus her shoulders are up by her ears, which I expect has to do with Paris being rather cold). She pairs all this with black tights (another trend apparently), a black clutch bag, and silver mary jane shoes with a slight block heel (metallic being yet another trend – but, man, I love those shoes/they are glorious).

Problem with all this is it doesn’t work together. At least in my humble opinion. The dress is very statement and calls for more muted accessories. The silver shoes don’t work with black tights unless you’re a teenager – and they really don’t work with this shade of tomato red. And she’s got this ridiculously big clutch bag (YSL – she makes the point of telling you). In the end I decided that it’s the colour of the dress that starts the problems. It would sing on someone with blond hair and a warmer skintone (she’s dark haired with pasty white skin). Maybe neutral coloured tights would help. I’m not sure. And, finally, not those shoes. Not that style and not metallic. I keep wanting to email her to say you would sing in navy blue or a deep forest green.

Briefly holiday candles. I’ve gathered my four for this season: that pumpkin spice one from my Halloween box just keeps on giving; Literie (a NY brand) the Nut Cart – roasted, carmellised nuts – so perfect for our damp cold and early darkness; an orange and cinnamon candle that came in an Xmas box from my former boss around five years ago and is surprisingly true to the name and quite strong – a short lighting goes a long way; and, finally, Diptyque’s Feu de Bois which has to be one of the loveliest embodiments of wood fire/wood smoke ever created.

There have been the usual articles here listing the ‘best’ holiday candles and I have found most of them perplexing. Sure, pine is great for the season – I agree. But, no, not light scents, not roses, and definitely not ‘delicate flowers’. Just nauseating with the smells of a full Xmas lunch when you’re way too full and haven’t even had dessert yet.

That’s me done. On to you.
Pics: Pexels and mine