Le Bon Marché...

When it's grey outside, when I'm feeling lonely or when I simply need to rest my mind, I go to the Bon Marché: a traditional, classic but yet luxurious store in Paris.

The Bon Marché is not the typical popular department store, as Galeries Lafayette or Printemps.

Not at all.

To begin with, it's on the Rive Gauche, on the 7eme arrondisement to be more precise. That makes it different. It's less touristic, more intellectual. It's never crowded. It has only three floors, not very large, and everything is in it's right place.

Today, as soon as I heard that the Gala at the Opera, which I had to attend at 6:45 pm, was cancelled due to a strike, I fled to the Bon Marché.

Fall is here and the new collection are in store already. And, till October 15th, there's a special exhibition dedicated to London and a special floor to promote British designers. 

I went straight there to check out two dresses by Mary Katranzou, a new English designer, of Greek origins, who specializes in prints.

Unfortunately, one was too big for me and the other too tight around the shoulders... A pity.

I spent some time admiring the new shoes by Charlotte Olypmpia, one of my favorite designers. The new Smythson's notebooks in (fake) emerald crocodile leather also caught my attention. Still bare-handed, I went down to the second floor.

The Bon Marché is very "tendances," so next to designers such as Lanvin or Pucci, I could check the collections of newer talents, such as Anthony Vaccariello and Bouchra Jarrar (a French-Moroccan much talked-about these days).

I saw a black dress by Vaccariello, super sexy, but with too much cleavage for winter.

Anyway, there's nothing as Lanvin's dresses... It's a pity that my sister already has the one I liked best (a red one with a cape on one shoulder).

I went then to the ground floor, the one with the cosmetics and perfumes, and also accessories.

I bought a superb pair of semi-long gloves in black leather, to have them ready for the colder days. And I came back home to take my tea, listen to a sonata by Liszt and write my post...