For my derive, I decided to do one of those seemingly aimless, (and albeit stupid) methodical approach to getting lost. Not that I needed ANY help whatsoever getting lost in Paris. That seems to come to me naturally, especially when I don't want it to happen. But there I go, taking two blocks up, and one block left.
I started going in the opposite direction that I usually take, heading toward the heart of the 11th arrondissement. I discovered that the 11th is home to a shitload of furniture stores. Like, you can't head three steps without running into a carpet shop or a futuristic/minimalist table store. There's also lots of really interesting clothing "boutiques". I use that term very lightly because these stores are often filled with cheap poly-blend fabrics and the styles are barely wearable by anyone who doesn't aspire to be a Vegas showgirl.
But once in a while you see something that makes you think. I came across a hot-pink furry bodycon minidress proudly displayed in a miniscule window. I hope that it was a store where drag queens and Vivienne Westwood types looked toward for inspiration. When you look at something that weird for long, it almost becomes cool. I'd wear that thing in a heartbeat - if only to see the public's reaction.
(going on a tanget, skip this paragraph if you don't care. lol.)
People take clothing way to seriously nowadays, whatever happened to liberalism and wearing what you want? Now it's all about what you want to say about yourself - but does wearing a tie really say "I'm important?" I think it says "I'm wearing a tie because that what you do when you want to look important." The Parsians seem to be better dressed than New Yorkers but perhaps its because half of the Manhattan population consists of i-banker types who take themselves too seriously to care about what they put on their backs. I think its because its much easier to dismiss fashion as something that's stupid and superficial than to actually attempt to understand it. It's much easier to follow the crowd and wear what everyone else wears than to try to find a way of wearing clothing that's innovative. But who want's to be like everyone else? That's like taking your individuality and squashing it like a bug. But they seem to celebrate individuality much more in Paris.
(end of random tangent, if you didn't read it, don't worry, you didn't too miss much.)
Anyway, here's some pictures that I took whilst getting lost. Somehow I ended up at the Louvre. Seriously don't know how that happened...
Labels: derive
