«The Imaginary Parisienne»

I walk through morning Montmartre, beautiful as a dream.

A soft blush plays on my cheeks; my “just-kissed” lips smile coquettishly; my eyeliner-framed eyes with “Dior arrows” (ah, that beloved stroke, the signature seasoning of my style!) sparkle with mischief. Of course they do. I am a Parisienne!

I am wearing blue marinier jeans with gold buttons, a softly fitted cotton Breton top, comfortable yet so sexy when worn without a bra, and a beautifully cut trench in the perfect beige undertone, neither greenish nor yellow. The belt is casually knotted at the back.

On my shoulder is a big practical basket, naturally for carrying baguettes, cheese, and wine.

And the heels of my patent Mary Janes tap out the rhythm of my marvelous life.

Absolute comfort + flawless elegance. Timeless classics + a touch of self-irony, so things never get boring. Simple, excellent-quality basics + constant attention to detail, because detail is the whole point.

I know who I am now. I know who I want to be tomorrow and the day after. I know how I want to appear to those whose gaze pauses on me.

I know what message about myself I want to send through my image, through the way I look. And I know the woman I want to see in the mirror: one who lives lightly, tastefully, and without looking back.

I stand before the open closet, nervously checking the time. I have absolutely nothing to wear.

Why don’t you wear 50% of your clothes?

…or, even worse, wear things that do not make you feel like a million.

If the story of a closet with a plaid lumberjack shirt, a pink fur coat, and a gold tracksuit jacket feels familiar, yet somehow you keep wearing jeans and a hoodie, not because athleisure is your calling, but because “I hate everything / I have nothing to wear,” this spread is for you.

It will help you understand why you have no desire to wear perfectly good, high-quality, interesting clothes.

1. Unconscious purchases.

   Each of us has a powerful built-in instinct that can tell in a second whether something is “yours” or “not yours.” But we very rarely listen to it. Instead, we choose not by our intuition, which is screaming, “Darling, you are a bohemian lioness! / a wandering gypsy! / a tender mother, embodiment of light!”, but by someone else’s recommendation, under the influence of a consultant or a friend. Or in an emotional state, when we “just wanted to cheer ourselves up,” fill an emotional hole, and the act of buying matters more than the thing itself.

2. The trend trap.

   Hot trends can be a real trap. Today they are “current” and “must-have”; tomorrow they are silly neon straps, your bare backside when you sit down, and “haha” in expert blogs written by people who wore the same thing yesterday.

   A wardrobe built from trends grows at the speed of light and becomes outdated at the speed of light. That is how you end up with piles of clothes that do not work together and are “not worn anymore.”

1. Things from different worlds.

   You buy clothes without considering your image, your style, or what you already own. A coat for a beret, boots for a neck scarf, a feather skirt because it is fun.

   No wonder that when you put it on, it does not “work,” and the closet spills out a rich variety of things with no clear way to wear them.

2. …or from a past life.

   They are excellent quality and fit you fairly well. But they reflect a past version of you, and you have changed. What felt “cool and bold” five years ago now feels funny. You have simply outgrown that stage.

   It can also be the opposite: five years ago you worked in an office and your wardrobe was full of strict suits. They are still gorgeous. But you have long been a free spirit now, and those suits are no longer about you.

1. Things that are beautiful on their own, but not on you.

   Say, a vintage fur coat. Luxurious! Your husband gave it to you because you had dreamed of it. But it turned out that in this coat you look like Edmund in Narnia: tiny and ridiculous. The coat is luxurious, but you in it are not. Looking at it is love. Wearing it is disappointment.

   This can happen with anything: trousers, a dress, shoes. Gorgeous on its own, but not yours. Accept it and let it go.

2. Things that do not suit your lifestyle or climate.

   You keep dreaming of floating silk maxi dresses, but you live somewhere with constant rain and winds so strong the dress sticks to you and wraps around your head. Think about which “romantic” element can comfortably fit your reality. A silk scarf tied in a big bow, for example: let it flutter, while your neck stays warm.

1. You do not wear great clothes because… they no longer suit you.

   Yes, you can still get into them. Yes, there are no pulls. Yes, they hold their shape. But we change. Not only by gaining or losing weight; we simply change. With age, even at the same weight, the body changes. The expression of the face changes, the hairstyle, the way we carry ourselves, our overall vibe. And a thing that technically fits no longer sits right, or not the way it used to.

   Go and buy new great jeans for the new amazing you. Make it a rule to dress the you you see in the mirror, not the one who lives in your head or the one you hope to become after workouts and diets. Buy clothes that look gorgeous on the real you at the moment of purchase. Dress your actual body. And you will reach what you want sooner.

The Practice
of Conscious Choice.

Awareness is the key not only to a closet filled exclusively with beautiful, beloved things. Awareness is the key to a harmonious life in which every sphere is balanced in the way that feels comfortable to you.

Too often we live and act on autopilot: by inertia, the way things are “supposed” to be, right for anyone except ourselves.

We rarely ask ourselves: do you actually like it? is it comfortable? delicious? beautiful? is it not too tight, not pressing, not pinching? Not only physically, but also… metaphorically.

I had a period when life pinched me terribly, and it was much worse than breaking in tight Prada loafers. I never managed to stretch that life out. I had to crumple it up and throw it away. Who knows, maybe someone else picked it up and it fit them perfectly.

But now only beloved and beautiful things truly fall out of my “closet.”

Awareness is about recognizing yourself, your place, and your path in this wild (wildly interesting!) world. It is about inner dialogue, the right questions, and answers that may not be “conventionally correct,” or even pleasant, but will be 100 out of 100 honest.

In your “now”? In your future? In your dream, in your ideal life?

ahead is a very beautiful, healing practice →

Create two moodboards.

One for what you have. One for what you want. Then compare them.

board no. 1

What is here now.

Write down your current circumstances: where you live, where you work, how you spend your free time, how you usually look. Then try to visualize them on a board by collecting fitting images.

Add not only outfit images, but also emotions, colors, short phrases, everything that feels intuitively right.

board no. 2

What you want.

Not only in style, but first of all in life. Work, family, activity, leisure, rest. Add everything that resonates and “draw” a detailed portrait of the woman who lives that life.

What is her body like? Her hair? Her palette? What fabrics and silhouettes? Does she wear accessories? Makeup?

Look at both boards. Are you satisfied with the first one? Does your current style suit this way of life? Does that life itself suit you? What would you like to change?

Visualize the dream life and the woman in it so the picture truly inspires you.

Because only you know your true self and your true desires, which may have nothing to do with what others want from you, but that only makes them stronger and more valuable.

this is your anchor point for moving forward —
through external change toward the most important internal ones.

Wardrobe Audit.
8 uncomfortable questions for your wardrobe.

I adore my wardrobe. No false modesty, girls: I aaaa-dooooore it.

I love opening my closet and seeing beloved pieces on hangers. I love that each one has its place, that shirts and blouses no longer hang on top of one another.

I love that every item reflects the style I invented for myself and called “light Parisian chic with special attention to detail.” And I love that all these “chic Parisian clothes” (half of them made in Russia, which is a special source of pride) work beautifully together.

So how do you get rid of the excess, tearing away what is outdated but familiar, and leaving only the most beautiful and wearable?

I prepared a list of specific questions for decluttering your closet (and sometimes your head).

1. 1

   How often do I wear this item?

   If you have not worn it for over a year, you are living perfectly well without it. And no, it will not suddenly come back into fashion or become your favorite again. Better make room for a new love.

2. 2

   How well does this item fit me now?

   Here, do not think “I can fit into it / I cannot.” Think “it sits well” or “it does not.” We do not need tight stomachs or sad skinny arms sticking out of enormous armholes. Life is too short to wear clothes that blur your beauty.

3. 3

   What condition is this item in?

   Even the best-quality things wear out. Jeans with a pale knee and a cardigan with sagging elbows do not emphasize femininity; they look sloppy. I made it a rule to check for wear every six months. C’est la vie.

4. 4

   What does it go with?

   If the answer is “nothing,” consider whether you bought that leopard blouse in an emotional state. Yes, I do it too. This question helps you understand either that the item is not your style, or that it is time to buy it a partner, because the piece is fire.

1. 5

   Does it reflect my style concept?

   Describe your desired style briefly. “Quiet luxury and Scandinavian minimalism”? “Effortless Parisian chic”? “Heiress on holiday in Biarritz”? “Catwoman”? If the item does not fit your “headline,” it has no place in your story.

2. 6

   Does this item fit my “dream life”?

   Could this item appear on your moodboard? Do you look in the mirror like the picture you pinned on Pinterest? I believe that by trying on outfits like “theatrical costumes,” we gradually inhabit those images. And become them.

3. 7

   Is this item comfortable? Do I feel good in it?

   However beautiful the trousers are, if they rub at the seams or press at the waist, you will definitely not be a “beautiful radiant goddess” in them. In beautiful but uncomfortable clothes, your walk, posture, and gaze change. And that has nothing to do with confidence, sexuality, or beauty.

4. 8

   Do I like myself?

   Even if you can make 100 outfits with a skirt that fits your round backside perfectly, but for some elusive reason you feel silly, strange, or dull in it, that is the very instinct you need to listen to. The item is not yours. Gift it or donate it. And find something for yourself that goes straight to the heart and feels like love. No extra questions.

Investment vs saving.

Once you have freed space in your closet and made room for something beautiful and new in life, it is tempting to fill it immediately with wonderful things bought in an emotional state and meant to reflect the new you.

Alas, this beautiful desire often leads us right back to the starting point: you stand before an open closet full of all sorts of things, and still have absolutely nothing to wear. Again.

So let’s talk about shopping lists, wardrobe investments, and false economy.

A strategy for thoughtful shopping.

4 rules that will save you money and nerves →

And that, essentially, is all the “secrets” that will help you make fewer thoughtless purchases.

next: my list of basic pieces, with notes on where to save and where to invest ↓

My “wardrobe with French flair.”

10 pieces are my backbone. A limited number of items reduces choice to a sensible level the brain can process without freezing.

01

Trench coat

Heavy, long, beige, with a capelet and epaulettes. Bought five years ago, looks brand new. I never buckle the belt; I tie it at the waist in a beautiful knot.

Best investment

02

Full-length jeans

“Men’s,” blue, sturdy, mid-rise, without fading or coatings. They fit the backside perfectly, and that is the main criterion for choosing denim.

Investment

03

Marinier jeans

With gold buttons. My love and my investment in “Parisienne style.” I sincerely hope that when I wear them to holes, I will be able to buy the exact same pair in the same little shop.

Investment

08

White T-shirts

I buy Zara basics, lately Cos on sale in batches. I make sure they are always fresh and ruthlessly get rid of stretched-out ones.

Saving

09

Mini suit in a 90s style

I adore beautiful blazers with the “right” volume: a slightly extended shoulder, but not oversized in a costume way. I definitely invest in blazers; they can make a look decisively luxurious.

Investment

10

Accessories

A mix of little luxuries and vintage finds: pearl clip-ons from a flea market, €10 sunglasses with a 70s story, a Polène basket, a Shakespeare and Company tote, an archival Hermès scarf.

Mix · softly

This is only my backbone. Yours may look completely different.
The main thing is that it is yours.