When I visited Paris on a weekend trip three years ago, I was 22. It was my first time in Europe, and I was traveling alone. It was already quite cold then, but because I wanted to wear a dress (I very rarely wore pants back then, even jeans), I stubbornly insisted on wearing a dress with a coat. Why? I was in Paris, the fashion capital of the world.

Unfortunately, this was already my best night shot with the Eiffel Tower.

In the previous post, I talked about how my clothes toned down slightly, so I won’t get into that. But how did I end up thinking that French fashion equated to something glamourous and over-the-top? Blame it on Hollywood. A lot of my favorite fashion-related films and shows showcased larger-than-than life Parisian fashion.

Audrey Hepburn in the red Givenchy gown she wore in one of the modeling scenes from "Funny Face"

Another scene from "Funny Face." I love that movie, but I still prefer "Roman Holiday." (Yeah, even over "Breakfast at Tiffany's")

A magazine photo shoot inspired by the scene above

And there's "Sex and the City." The series had much better clothes than the movies (especially the second one), don't you agree? Remember the Chanel gown with all the ruffles?

But as I eventually discovered, Parisian fashion is a lot more subdued than I thought. French high street brand Promod came in a couple of years ago and  showed the trendier, street-smart side of French fashion to Filipinos. I’ve been a fan ever since; I particularly like their scarves, belts and tops (I have one of their tank tops in three colors because it fits so well). A perfect mix of comfort and style, Promod is one of the shops that I always check out whenever I’m in Greenbelt (they do have other branches in Megamall, Trinoma, etc).

So let’s spice up things a little. I’m giving away 10,000 pesos in Promod gift certificates! Just tell me what are your top three favorite moments in French fashion. They could be in pop culture, photo shoots, movies, runway, etc. The references don’t have to be strictly French (it could be a scene from “The Devil Wears Prada,” or “Zoolander,” as long as it takes place somewhere in France). Make the entries as long or as short as you want. There are three ways to do it:

1. Leave a comment below explaining what your top three favorite moments in French fashion are. Don’t forget to include your name, email address, website (if applicable) and contact number, if desired.

2. Email me at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com. If you’re emailing me, you can attach photos (always a big plus!)

3. Do an entry on it on your blog. To let me know about the entry, either leave a comment below or email me.

Deadline is August 25, 2010 at midnight. Two winners will win 5,000 pesos each in Promod gift certificates. I will notify the winners, who can pick up the prizes at my office (ABS-CBN Publishing) upon notification. It’s extremely important to leave your contact details.

To make things fair, I will enlist the help of a third-party judge to choose the winning entries.

Aside from the examples I listed above, here’s another of my favorite moments in French fashion. It’s a fashion editorial in Paris with the Simpsons and Linda Evangelista, featured in a 2007 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

For the duration of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, I’ll be giving away other goodies too, so keep reading!

(Day 2, 30-Day Blog Challenge)

I’d been to Paris only once in my life. It was September of 2007, and I was visiting Europe for the first time. I had only a weekend in the city, because I was based in Hamburg and had to be back right away in time for my classes.

But in the short time I spent there, the beauty and energy of the city blew me away. Fashionably dressed women breezed disdainfully past tourists dressed in sweatpants and sneakers, and even the waiters were wonderfully snobbish as I struggled to order a café et croissant while mauling their language.

2.5 years and 5 pounds ago, by the Eiffel Tower

This is my memory of Paris: a sophisticated, sometimes unforgiving place where tourists could only wish to be part of that big, dreamlike city. Locals dressed in varying shades of black, charcoal, cream and khaki, with occasional bright spots of color from younger people.

French fashion brand Promod recently invited Geolette (one of my favorite people in the world) and I to come up with five outfits inspired by Parisian street style. The theme, they said, had to be centered on “je ne sais quoi,” which loosely translates to “I don’t know what,” but basically means a certain X-factor.

Not content with merely styling a bunch of outfits, Geolette and I came up with stories for each of our outfits. We thought of people we spotted on the streets of Paris when we visited and tried to translate them into outfits. It was quite funny coming up with the clothes, because when we dressed the mannequins, we always referred to it as a she. “She looks like she needs a little more oomph in her outfit,” Geolette would say.

We put in a little of us in every outfit, living out how we felt we would’ve dressed if we were seeing Paris through the eyes of our characters. So which one would you be? (Just click on the photos for larger versions)

The New York Socialite

“If you want to establish an international presence you can’t do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris.”

—Oscar De La Renta

“What would Blair wear?” Geolette wondered aloud while we were skimming through the racks. We liked the idea of a New York socialite visiting Paris on a whim just to get away from the Big Apple to the City of Light. We went for a simple little black dress and plaid coat with minimal accessories to reflect the sophisticated vibe of both cities (where you won’t see a lot of locals wearing bright colors). Very Audrey Hepburn in Paris When It Sizzles and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The New York Socialite

Black dress, P2695; belt, P1695; feather necklace, P995; plaid coat, P3595

Black strappy sandals, P2695

The Writer

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

—Ernest Hemingway

Can’t argue with Hemingway; Paris was inarguably the place to be for writers back then (Hemingway too highbrow for you? Ok, how about the writers from Moulin Rouge?) Vibrant and bursting with life, it served as inspiration for the many artists who came to live there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We thought of a young woman, idealistic and full of ideas, sitting at sidewalk café and scribbling away thoughts on a Moleskine. We like the stark simplicity of this outfit, but don’t let the simplicity deceive you—it’s full of interesting details, like the sequined shoulders on the top and noodle-like strands on the scarf.

The Writer

Small details such as sequins and stripes liven up this outfit. Top, price available upon request. Black shorts, P1495; leggings, P595. Gray pumps, P2695.

Noodle-like scarf, P795

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