A Chic Paris Holiday Season – Day 16 – Overcoming An Orange Christmas Haze
December 18, 2020
I wandered through the large Hermes store on the rue Faubourg-St-Honore this morning. It was awash in colorful scarves, leather goods and light orange everything else. It was also crowded with people. There were two lines outside the shop of people waiting to enter – one line for people with appointments and one line for those of us without appointments. I was early to meet a friend nearby, so I thought to wander through the store and enjoy the Christmas decorations for a few minutes.
Within minutes my eyes were eagerly scanning the admittedly lovely displays. My fingers itched to pick up this trinket or that darling little purse. Yikes, I was abuzz with the orange fever of accessory acquisition! (I was also lost in a sea of people and display cases.) Somehow, I managed to stumble my way back down the stairs. A kindly doorman steered me to the correct “Sortie” (exit.)
Once out on the street and walking towards the Tuilleries, I had to take a deep breath and then shake my head. Gorgeous stores full of lovely things at insane prices … it was a bit “too much of a muchness” for this girl. (I can assure you, however, that that beautiful little purse would look darling with just about everything I own.)
I had a wonderful walk with my pal. We laughed and chatted and enjoyed the wonderful surroundings. The Tuilleries gardens looked lovely in the sunlight. Even with the sun, it was pretty chilly which kept us moving at a good clip. Note to self: no more cotton socks even inside my tall boots. The cobblestone sidwalks and pebble walks of the parcs are just too cold. It’s wool socks by default now.)
Fiona writes about the holiday shopping experience in her book, A Chic and Simple Christmas. I must say that my spur-of-the-moment “wander” through the large Hermes store reminded me once again that I don’t like crowds AND that I am way too susceptible to pretty displays! It is better for my health, sanity and budget if I stick to visiting beautiful gardens and skip the distractingly beautiful luxury shops!
