The Hair Bow

Here's a little fun for a Sunday night: The hair bow is a crazy hairstyle that is ultra femme but super easy to punk out if you choose.you may have seen it on such stars as Lady Gaga in the past.  I tried it out the other night when going out in the Castro, a very fun part of San Francisco, and a VERY appropriate area of the city to test out a new look or two.

Here's a shot of the whole look from the front. As you can tell (I assume), I only did half of my hair in the bow, I think it works better for me.  If I were to use all of my hair to do this, it would be ridiculously big and over the top.  I'm not Lady Gaga, I'm not even close to trying to be.

The fact that it's really not difficult to do is also a pretty big factor in my new love for this style.  I put my hair in a half pony, but before the last wrap around of my hair elastic, I left a loop with a tail of hair that stopped between the loop and my hairline.  Then I wrapped that tail around the hair elastic and bobby pinned it into place.  Feel free to ask me for pics of the process, I'll take some.

Here's the final look I went with.  I layered 2 lipsticks to make that color and I am sort if in love with it.

 

This is what those who are taller than I am saw, and frankly, I'm a little jealous.  You can really see the "bow" from this angle. 

This is my absolute favorite part of this hairstyle.  I mean so often something will look really cool in the front an be an absolute wreck in the back, but I'm into the way this looks, although the waves probably help that.  I have a feeling if you have thin hair, you'd have to use all of the your hair to get the same effect from the front, therefore changing this view a lot.

 

This hairstyle really is quick and easy, although be careful taking out the elastic because there is a good chance a knot magically formed around it. Be cautious if you love your mane like I do mine.

No Sock Sock-bun

The Sock Bun!!

We all know what the sock bun is.  It is pretty and simple but sleek too.  Back in the day my synchronized skating team would use bun forms to make this nice little shape, and now girls do it in real life with a cut up sock.  Usually when I wear my hair in a bun I literally just tie it in a top on the top of my head without using anything to secure it. A literal "top-knot" if you will, but today I decided to switch it up.  Since I have a limited number of socks (why am I always buying them and never having any?!), I decided to fake my way to a sock bun. 

From the front, it looks like a normal but, sock or no sock.  What I did was put my hair in a high pony tail, and folded that into a semi loop, only halfway down. Then I twisted the rest of it around that loop, so it looks like a donut from the top and front, but from the side it has a little more lift in the back, because that's the loop I folded from the pony tail.

 You see what I'm saying about the lift in back?

Et Voila! from the top, it looks exactly like a sock bun!

Braided Bow

So, the other night I had a dream that I called my friend Elli, and despite the rest of the dream being very bizarre, I had this awesome braided bow on the side of my head!  I decided to give it a shot, and I'm a little bit in love with it.  I hate being one of those people who take pictures of themselves and puts it on the internet, but I'm really feeling this bow, and I want other people to try it! I was sitting there thinking, how can I do that, but then I remembered that I started this blog like over two years ago, and since for the moment my job is job-hunting, why not try to start it up again, right?

I even think it looks nice from the front! It's super easy too, you literally braid two relitively small pieces of hair from the bottom near your ear, and tie the two braids in a bow. I used a couple of bobby pins to keep it's bow form.

 

From Paris, with like

This past weekend I saw a movie, and no it was not From Paris with Love, it was Shutter Island.  That was probably one of the best psychological thrillers I've seen in a while.  The twists in the plot were real twists, and at the end, I was mentally exhausted, which is always a good thing after a movie, if you ask me.  Just as a side note, I would strongly recommend seeing it.

Now, onto the fashion!

This fly fille (girl) in the metro really caught my eye because although she was wearing all basics, a black coat, black tights, black bag, she had these great red booties on!  If you want to play with color in a subtle way, I would say shoes are the way to go, for sure, and this girl did it right.

I saw this bag in front of me on the metro and decided if I couldnt steal it, I could at least take a picture of it.  This is the ideal metro bad à mon avis (in my opinion) because the outside pocket zips shut.  Try to steal this chicks navigo, crazy french pickpockets!

 

 

This is another one of those outfits I'm on the fence about.  It's great that this woman feels confident enough in it to just chill in the metro reading, but at the same time I'm thinking "green leg warmers with flowery tights?"  But the real thing I want to ask is what is in that shopping bag!  Would whatever she just bought make me ask the same type o question and put her in my blog?  I think overall though, because she looks so fine with herself, I like the outfit.  Very similar to the case of the striped pants girl, if y'all remember her.

Oh I love me some French men looking fly.  Ce mec (this guy) is not only sporting a scarf (très français), but he is also wearing pointy toed shoes and carrying a bag.  I know its  a laptop bag, but it is a bag nonetheless and rarely in America would one see a man dressed this fly.  I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Here we have yet another fly fille with a very basic outfit but standout shoes.  I really really like there little booties shes wearing, they look not only cute cute cute but also very practical.  I think pretty much anyone could wear a heel like that all day and not die from the pain.

I wish I had gotten a photo of this girl from the front, but alas, that is very difficult to do without the person noticing.  The color of this manteau (coat, for those of you who don't remember) is what really caught my eye.  Its so different than the other basic blacks one normally see's.  Anyway, the color of the coat, along with the color of the scarf, and the boots (because everyone knows it's hard to go wrong with a good pair of boots), make this outfit an a+ in my opinion.

Isn't this bag fab?!  I was behind it going down all 284 steps from the top of l'Arc de Triomphe, and guess what?  This bag belongs to un homme (a man)!  I wish it belonged to me.  I love a rich brown leather bag with outside pockets and two types of handles.  Excusez-moi monsieur, can I have it please?

The rest of these photos are from the showroom at my french fashion PR firm.  I hope y'all like them as much as I do!

 

 Fly shit, right?  I love that this is where I'm working, even if all I'm doing is finding contact info for ther fashion brands and retailers.

Drama Drama Drama

So, sorry it's been a while, but I had some bad luck with my technology, and i really can't even remember what i've been doing the past 10 days!  I started my class at the Sorbonne, and it is so easy!  Like middle school easy.  Whatever.  Anyway here we go:

street style:
I spotted this Kourtney Kardashian look alike rocking too big leggins (how is it possible for spandex to be too big?!) and a too big coat.  Needless to say, I was very disapointed.

I absolutley love the blues in this chicks outfit.  She looks fly.  I don't think my professor liked that I was taking pictures of things other than historical monuments...

Later on, this lovely lady appeared!  Fur coats are so in here!  so in that I bought one for 10 euros at a vintage store!  And I actually wore it!  what?!  Anyway, this woman is très français.

  Check this totally adorable child!  Les infants here are so flippin' cute!!  My prof was explaining why this fountain we were at is so important, but obviously this little girl was much more interesting., but the thing i was really interested in was where her mother was!  no parents to be seen.  It's bizarre, but very common in France to just see children sans parents.

Same boring fountain, different reason to be distracted.  I can't decide if this chick is a hit or a miss, but she sure looks like she loves it, and I love that.  Fashion risks (like horizontally stripped pants with purple booties) are so okay in my book, as long as you have confidence in them.  I would most likely not be on the fence if she didn't look so fierce!

Okay, this is the last of the fashion photos (I know, 10 days should have produced more pics, but I got lazy!).  This is not of the bald man, this is of the MAN in the giant white fur coat and Louis Vuitton head scarf.  It's not a good picture, but I literally laughed out loud when I saw him.

Now I have a few more sexy cars to show off

The first one lives next door to me, too bad the owner seems to not exist.

This Audi, is one of the many Audis with tinted windows around Paris.  Fly.

Hey Justin, this last one is really just for you, look what I found:

A LEXUS! 
It's literally the only one I've seen in all of Europe.  I hope you're more satisfied now.

Woah Paris!

Okay, so since the Bastille, I have done so much!!  I finally got a photo of my beautiful French girl, Héléne, I happened to find another person from Minneapolis in the Metro, I found some sexy cars to post for Justin (shout out, heeey), and oh so many other things!  Let me get right to business. 

The other day on the street, I saw this fab poncho walking around in front of me, and it made me miss mine!  I have a great one from my grandma from mexico, but I didn't bring my other one!  Anyway, I lucked out and got this picture!  isn't it so mignon (cute)?  I absolutely love it!  Not to mention the hat, boots and adorable hand wear, right?

 The super stylish girl just below this, is the other Minneapolitan!  She told me her name, but I forgot it!!  If you read this, please tell me, in case we run into one another again.  Anyway, Such great style!  Check that sweater/ceinture (belt) combo.  So good, and of course the matching parapluie (umbrella), and the signature french truc (thing), a scarf.  The perfect Parisian outfit.  No wonder I thought she was french!

Now, I give you a photo of fabulous Héléne!  She is so cute, she looks so french and so fab everyday!  Avec (with) her Hermes scarf and supercute manteau (coat), how could she not be French?!

Justin, The next few pics are for you.  The first is a cab, of the Mercedes-Benz persuasion, the second is a super sexy Audi, the likes of which can be found all over France, and the third is just awesome.  When I took the picture of the Porsche, the man driving it smiled, just for you!

I found This next woman on the metro aussi (also), and i wish I could have gotten her awesome nike's in the pic, but oh well, c'est pas grave (i'ts not a big deal).  She is dressed very American, but it works, because she is French, and everything is French is phenomenal.  The only thing I have a problem with is the hat.  Hello, it's not snowing!  Why would you wear a hat, but no gloves.  Silly silly silly, But I do love the jacket de cuir (leather).  It is such a great color, am I right?

It seems to me that everyone here wears boots that lace up the back, therefore, I need a pair.  This is the last week of the soldes (bi-annual government mandated sales), donc (so), I need to get them this week.  Duur.

okay, I know I promised bangin fashion, but I also promised BAD fashion, and I finally got some!  It's harder to find here than you would think!  You know how in the US, the goth look is not cute?  well it's not cute in France either.  See for yourself!  This chick has those hair extensions that my 8 or 9 year old neighbor has!  Hello, how old are you?  Also, why do you want fire engine red hair that looks like plastic?  Je ne le comprends pas (I don't understand it).

The next one is another pic of BAD fashion!  The coat has the potential to be cute, becasue we all know how much I love leopard print, but not the way this chick is rockin' it.  Her baggy pants tucked into her short (ugly à mon avis [in my opinion]) boots, and the fact that her jacket is obviously way too big are the reasons I consider this look a don't.  Que pensez-vous (what do y'all think)?

Aujourd'hui (Today), Héléne took us to the "new" part of Paris, i.e. the buildings are modern and there is a lot of graffiti.  We also, stumbled upon a skate park, and naturally I took some pics of the graffiti for my brother, so Cody, you better be following this!!

This dernière (last) photo is more for myself and my girls, but its still at the skate park, it just focuses less on the graffiti and more on the sk8er boyz.  Duh.  I yelled "sourire!" (smile), and they definitely complied to my request.  oh la la les garçons français!

 

À bientôt!

Love from Paris,

Halestorm

La Bastille

Hier (yesterday), my group and I finally started our tours of Paris.  Our tour guide is probably the sweetest Parisian I have ever met, and she dresses pretty cute too.  I was dumb and didn't get a picture of her unique European Style, but, needless to say there were tons of other great fashions all around to document, and I tried to get as many candid shots as I could.  I'll try my best to get a picture of her tomorrow.  I almost took a picture of some American tourists to show you how awful sweatpants look when worn in public, but then decided that since most of you reading already know that, it was not necessary to have that filth on my camera, computer, or blog. 

This is woman I saw at the café I wen to this morning for café au lait, and she could not have been sweeter.  She is très petite, as you can see, but her great style makes her very noticeable.  When I asked if I could take her picture for my fashion blog, she looked shocked and afterwords, she said my compliment made her day!

This next one is yet another adorable fur (maybe faux fur) vest!  I think I know what I need to buy while here other than shoes and leather pants.  I can't wait to go shopping!!

Ain't she cute?  This is an Italien foreign exchange student I met at my friends Foyer (french dorm, kind of) who studies la mode (fashion), and isn't that evident (obvious)?  Her style is FAB.

Lastly, I took this photo of these garçons (boys) dressed in vrai (true) European style.  Everyone here wears scarves, and the men pretty much all wear the greatest shoes.  It's too bad my brothers feet are too big for Europe, or I'd get him some fly fly fly dress shoes.  Oh well.

I start my internship on February 15, and hopefully, since it's at a PR company for fashion, I will be able to put even more awesome photos up here.  Until then, I'm just exploring the city, taking random candid pics of fly folks and loving it!!

bisous,

Halestorm 

Skating in Paris!

Mon Dieu! I went skating tonight outside, and boy was it fun!  I didn't even realize that I missed it until tonight.  I met some folks, one of whom goes to school at Macalester and knows my friend Lila!  small world huh?  anyway, other than that I have just been situating myself into living in Paris.  I start my program tomorrow, we have tours until February 10th, and classes and my internship start on the 11th.  Sam Applefield is coming on the 1st and that is so exciting!  we're gonna play in Pairs.  How many of you can say that?  very few I'd bet.  I got some pics of what i found to be very awesome french fashion.  Two are candid shots of people skating to they're a little blurry, but I got one (fine) man to pose for me, so that was fun.  The man was wearing leather pants!  only the very thing i wish i could have!  I need to find them here in Paris. YES the pics worked!!

the first is obviously the man in leather pants.  the second is woman whose fur vest I loved! I had to be kind of sneaky and I  tried like 10 times to get a pic!  The derniere (last) is a woman whose scarf (écharpe en français) I really liked and her coat too.  Not very common aux États Unis (in the US)

In other news, I think I should move here beacsue at least here the creepers who become obsessed with me are my age, not old men.  So far I've had to fend off far too many creepers.  It's a good thing i've met non creepers to help me get away, including the non creeper who gave me his free wireless password for my room!  Now I can have 2 hours of free internet which can upload pics chaque jour (everyday)!!  I wonder if skype will work too...

Love from Paris,

Halestorm