How to please your inner child?
Last week, as we were personal shopping with a client, we spotted a gorgeous pair of ballet flats.
Their fairy dust look totally mesmerized us… because deep down, we are still the little girls dreaming of wonderful adventures we used to be.
With their faded changing pastel colors they remembered me of Catherine Deneuve’s “color of the weather” dress in the “Donkey skin” by Jacques Demy. A movie that I watched about a hundred times when I was a child. (Ok, I still watch it.)
What fascinated me most about this movie were the outfits. I dreamt of one day wearing a dress as beautiful as those pictured.
When I think of it I was also very interested in the power of the outfit, realizing that, when the princess wore her donkey skin, no one realized how beautiful she was (“were they blind?!” was I thinking). Maybe that is a reason why I love helping women get rid of their old clothes skin (dear clients if you read me, that is just a very exaggerated comparison) and get shiny new ones.
Anyway, most little girls love to dream.
(Maybe too much about beauty and not enough about adventure, I think, but that is another topic.)
And some of our inner child might still have quite an influence on our fashion choices.
Here are the kind of clothes that make mine hop up and down.
I. My inner child’s selection
1. Stars and moon
In french, if you are day dreaming, people say that you are “on the moon” or that you “have your head in the sky”.
I must admit that is something that is said a lot about me.
Besides, the infinity of the universe and stellar conquest has always been something that fascinated me since I was a child.
Maybe that is why I love to have stars and moons in my outfits.
I own a star printed shirt, tights and umbrella.
Maybe you too have an inner Sailor moon?
Valentino cosmos dress
My calzedonia star printed tights (on a less dreamy floor, do not look too close)
The effect stellar things have on myself
How not to look like an old little girl: stars and moons are not really risky as they look more esoteric, nerdy or superhero than plain cute and childish.
Cosmos stuffs that make my eyes starry:
- Star printed shirt
- Star printed dramatic long dress (same in plus size and as a short dress)
- Star hair grip
2. Cats
I have always had cats as a child and love their majestic cuteness.
So when I see cat themed clothes I just want to shelter them in my wardrobe.
Alexa Chung wearing Charlotte Olympia’s cat loafers by Collage vintage
Plus, apparently Jacques Demy loves cats just as much as I do.
How not to look like an old little girl: wear your cats (or other cute animal prints) on and with grown up clothes. Like on a shirt rather than on a skater dress. At least if you feel too old for this ^^
Cat stuffs that make me meow:
- Kitty slippers (they look like a classic to me)
2. Glitz
Maybe linked to my Donkey skin movie fascination, I have always loved shiny things.
Adding a bit of them in one outfit feels like spraying it with magic to me.
Escarpins Patricia Blanchet
Sparkles all around! <3
Read more about how to wear glitters here!
Glitter stuffs that make my eye sparkle:
How not to look like an old little girl: keep in mind that glitters do not mean that you are a real life princess.
3. Patches, pins and brooches
Back in the nineties, you may have customized your clothes with patches, pins and brooches.
Which is so much fun to do, right?
And feels like being the coolest kid in the playground.
How not to look like an old little girl: Stay cool. Do not overthink or overdress them. You are still the playground queen.
Cute stuffs I would like to pin all over me:
4. Flounces
I used to do ballet when I was 5 and what I loved the most was to wear the tutu.
Because flounces!
Mango
La fée des lilas approves this
How not to look like an old little girl: balance your flounces with minimal or boyish clothes. Or choose minimal looking flounces like the ones pictured above.
Flounces I love:
- LBD with flounced shoulders
- LBD with flounced shoulder again
- Babydoll dress with flounced on the bottom
And you? Do you have childhood darling clothes that you still cherish?
When you do bad grown-up things but still dress like a princess
Cover collage: Julien Fournié 2014, The cherry blossom girl
Hello Alois!
Love your blog as always! I wonder if you could help me, perhaps put a lookmaker together, that would be amazing!
I have a pair of navy mid length culottes that remind me of my school uniform (we wear uniforms to school in South Africa), and I would love to know how you would wear them, especially the shoes! I want to wear them to work, I am an architect so I don’t have to be so formal at work.
Lots of love,
Natasha
Dear Natasha,
I will do a lookmaker with those, although the main thing is that the culottes have to look good on you (and that is not an easy one ^^).
Hmmm… I guess I’ve always been a fairy lover, but you wouldn’t guess it by looking at my clothes! The only flouncy ruffles I wear are attached to victorian blouses. But my wide A-line-skirts could go as flounces, maybe. This is as girly as it gets (despite me wearing a lot of dresses and skirts and getting perceived as a woman by everyone).
When thinking of my childhood, I see myself climbing trees and fighting with boys. I was a boyish girl, so this might be where my love for unisex and tomboyish clothes stems from. I’d love to be more tomboyish! This makes my inner child clap with joy 🙂
Dreaming of fairies is not opposed to climbing in trees.
I was a sporty little girl as well 🙂