Packing for Paris: Part Four

Three weeks and counting until I'm in gay ole' Pair-ee. And, as the days flutter by and the weekends slip past me, I'm starting to realize that my European wardrobe may be lacking in the WOW factory.

See, I'm not really a flashy person. I tend to wear simple, low-key pieces that I can mix and match.  But, I suppose it might be worthwhile to add a little pizazz to my wardrobe, especially since my friend from Paris, who is traveling with me to London, said she wanted to go out for a nice dinner during our visit. And, well, that just upped the ante for me. Now I've got to find something cute and hip with a little bit of flair. 

So, here are some dresses that do a good job of keeping that simple side of me happy, while adding a little flourish here and there to add some interest and intrigue to my look.

1. Contrasted Panels Dress, Mango, $79.99; 2. Lace Detail Dress, I. Madeline, Piperlime, $89; 3. Tweedie Dress, C. Luce, Piperlime, $79; 4. Solar Pleated Dress, French Connection, $198.

Packing for Paris: Part One

Well, it is official! I'm going to Paris! And even though it will be my third trip, this time around I'm also going on a short excursion to London. Plus, I get to spend a whole week with my best friend in two of the most vibrant and stylish cities in the world. I'll be visiting in early Fall, and with the unknown weather a major factor along with a desire to look as fashionable as I can on a budget, I've already started planning my wardrobe.

Starting with the toes and working my way up, the next few posts will be a run down of what I think are essential pieces that will not only work for a traveling gal like myself but also keep me looking chic for less.

First up is the bootie. I initially thought it would be better to buy a pair of knee-high riding boots, but then I started seeing all these fun booties popping up everywhere. They reminded me of a pair of black Nine West booties I owned in the late 90s. Unfortunately, I gave them away sometime in the early 21st century because I thought they were passé. Which reminds me, NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! Like the saying goes, "what goes around comes around"... especially when it comes to fashion.

So with the desire of reigniting those 90s memories and maybe feeling as though I'm in my 20s again, I've decided to buy a pair of booties for my European vacation. Here's a sample of various booties with prices ranging from a very reasonable $59 to a more guilt-filled $345. Which ones do you like?

1. Speartint Booties, Aerosoles, Macy's $69 (plus 20% off); 2. Krando Booties, Madden Girl, Macy's, $59 (plus 10% off); 3. Becky Ankle Booties, Sole Society, $79.95; 4. Billie Boots, Madewell, Shopbob, $228; 5. Quasar Bootie, Franco Sarto, Piperlime, $129; 6. Leoda Flat Bootie, Coach, Bloomingdale's, $345.