The Parisians have a way of answering every question with “Ce n’est pas possible” as if the pure notion of something being easily done or fixed is inconceivable. They’d rather say it’s not possible than make the effort to fulfill your needs, whether you are a diner at a restaurant asking for  an extra spoon or a hotel guest walking in the door past midnight. The idea of a Parisian performing any kind of service is like asking a cat to roll over; it’s simply beneath them. The shoe repair man in the metro station by Printemps had his response ready when we asked for our heels to be fixed. When we showed him the bottoms of our shoes he walked away with a grin and said: “I don’t think I can do this.” Emily and I stared at each other in disbelief. If he can not repair a simple heel, maybe he should not work here? But the man was playing us and served the poor American tourist the routine French cliche. And what do you know, within 5 minutes, both our shoes were repaired and it was cheap too. We were so impressed it was the highlight of our day. And to meet a Frenchman with a sense of humor, now THAT is impossible!

I spent my last day in Paris at Pin-Up studios styling a shoot for Russian Harper’s Bazaar. We went for pastels and vintage prints. So in the spirit of my shoot I chose a Parisian, retrofied outfit. I wore a printed Prada dress, with a vintage two-tone, angora sweater from Episode, Dolce & Gabbana shoes, Lanvin sunglasses and a pastel yellow beret from Episode. And since it was getting a little nippy – that crazy blast of summer is finally over – I added my signature socks. I love how the clear plastic and the color of the socks transforms the look of the shoe. And don’t you love that manicure? I found an amazing, New York-style nail salon called Vesna, on the corner of Rue de Turenne and Rue Villehardouin in the Marais. It’s clean and bright and the service is ‘surprisingly’ great!

Adieu Paris, Hello New York!

Photos by Catherine Servel.