Paris, je t’aime♡
Another buying trip in the books — and my take on what to buy for next fall and winter
Gah.
It’s really the only word I can come up with to describe how I feel about spending six days in arguably the greatest city in the world, looking at arguably the most beautiful clothes in the world, and calling it work.
I didn’t realize that when I opened Jake and Jones, this would be my life.
Paris holds so much meaning for me. My Nana, who would have loved to see my shop (we even opened our doors on her birthday), used to travel to Paris from NYC to buy art. I walk past Galerie Maecht — the gallery she’d visit for exhibitions — all the time when I’m in Paris. In fact, I have kept all of her old exhibition posters and pamphlets from this place.
And then my mom, a francophile, speaks fluent French and worked for the Embassy of Madagascar. So, there is always this familial connection when I am in Paris that makes me feel like I’m where I belong.
Undoubtedly, the hardest part of these buying trips is leaving my kids.
There is always this moment of panic for me — all the doom-and-gloom thinking, all the what if’s and worries of what could go wrong. And yet each time, I get on the plane and I feel this incredible sense of freedom.
I think as moms we can so easily lose this part of ourselves. At least for me, so much of my time is filled with worrying and caring for my kids and my household. Like an air traffic controller, I have so many responsibilities and people to coordinate — it feels like if I leave, it will all fall apart.
But guess what? It never does. In fact, it’s the opposite. My kids thrive. The system thrives. No one complains. And best of all, I feel alive and connected to all the parts of myself that I love and often miss in my day to day.
On this trip, I brought Dani, our inventory and customer service manager who has most recently also stepped into the assistant buying role for womenswear. Many of you know Dani from the shop. She has her finger on the pulse and has an incredible understanding of style.
Plus, she is a dream to work with — she’s always a team player, open to anything and everything, and grateful for all of these opportunities. And she has a real understanding of what it means to work hard while also enjoying the experience.
Together, we made our way through appointments (and incredible meals!), gathering intel on the designs coming down the pipeline and seeing what people are wearing and loving in Paris.
So, from outerwear to sweaters, to jeans and a lot of triangle scarves, here is my take on what to buy next fall and winter:
Leather
Get ready for leather — a lot of it. Every brand we saw featured it. From jackets to pants to skirts, it’s here in droves. My favorite, and the one I am personally buying, is the Simone Rocha leather jacket (above) that Alexa Chung wore in the runway show.
If I wasn’t buying that Simone Rocha jacket (which I am), then I’d go for the mid-length trench from Cordera (above) or the Cawley fly zip. I’d go for black in all of them — black feels chic, sexy and wintery — but Cordera also offers a really beautiful brown, and Cawley a gorgeous wine color.
Moccasins and Tabis
I’m also loving the leather moccasins from the luxury shoe brand Marsell, and in the suede family I’m into the Legres zipper boot in chocolate brown. Browns and burgundy are even more present than last year. I would definitely invest in those colors for fall.
Another trend we’re seeing, which at this point is really more of a classic since it’s debut by Martin Margiela in 1988, is the tabi shoe.
Born from the tabi sock worn by Japanese workers, this split-toe shoe was for a long time on my “no” list — but since owning and wearing my ballerina tabis, I have become a big fan. I walked 25K steps in these on the cobblestone Parisian streets and felt great. And we saw them everywhere, even in the showroom.
Childhood nostalgia
Other highlights for me were spending time with the team at Sandy Liang and YanYan Knits.
These brands are so playful and fun. Sandy’s mood board (above) was like walking into my childhood bedroom, with nods to Toys R Us, Polly Pocket, and this feeling of running outside in the snow. Fun pops of color and playful knits are high on my list.
We are also seeing a lot of skirts for fall and I am loving this combination. I will be wearing more skirts and sweaters by then.
Hai
We have fallen in love with the brand Home of Hai. Tessa, the designer, is such a delight to talk with. She has so much energy and passion for what she does. And her wholesale manager, Alex, has such great style. Spending time in La Suites Cinabre, this very cool hotel where you can stay in these amazing suites, was also a highlight for us. It’s close to other cool spots, too.
Hai is currently our best selling brand in the shop. The price is really good and the quality is great. It’s such an easy way for all ages to dip their toes into style that is forward yet also classic. I really adore this brand.
Cecilie Bahnsen
Dreams do come true in the Cecilie Bahnsen world. It bums me out that the SB community has not picked up on the Copenhagen fashion that is taking the rest of the world by storm. We got to meet with one of the oldest employees in the brand and the one who sources all the fabrics with Cecilie.
We learned how all the fabrics they use are sustainable. But even with the narrowed down options, the creativity level is beyond. Their collaboration with The North Face is so cool that we can’t even buy into it for Jake and Jones! But you can — I would for sure buy one of their puffers or fleeces.
Gibon
Sometimes I wonder if I am in Paris for the clothes or the food?
Most everything we ate in Paris was so much better than what we eat at home. We stayed at Hotel Dame Des Arts, which I highly recommend to be centrally located. It comes with a small, beautiful rooftop and a great breakfast.
Other highlights were my absolute favorite french restaurant, in the 11th (where all the good food is), called Gibon. I can’t say enough good things about this spot, but I hope it stays local and laid back. We also met up with Elizabeth from Merci who is living the dream in Paris. She introduced us to this great wine bar (also in the 11th) called La Buvette, which I highly recommend.
That’s all for now. I leave you with this deliciousness…hoping you're feeling as great as these pastries look.
Until next time. À bientôt!
~Jen
Love this so much!! thanks, Jen