How to be Parisian
Everyone secretly wants to be Parisian, right? Writing in cafes, wearing a beret when you go shopping and eating a baguette whilst walking along the Seine. Well, we do at YCB!
We at Your Coffee Break are always on the hunt for chic and elegant brands from the city of lights that we can easily add to our ever growing professional wardrobes, and Vigo Paris doesn’t disappoint – yes, we have a particular affinity for tailoring!
Vigo was created in May 2015, by Aaliyah, a designer from New York, and Joris an incredibly skilled tailor from Paris. Aaliyah, although a native New Yorker, studied at the American University of Paris and cut her teeth in fashion in arguably the most elegant capital in the world.
Aside from the beautiful clothes, we knew we would like Aaliyah, as when we asked her, Tea or Coffee? She said: “I’ve been drinking coffee since the day I was born, so definitely coffee!”
The idea for Vigo came to fruition during a trip to our home base, London, Aaliyah explained:
“The essence of Vigo is ensuring that all of our pieces are handmade, bespoke, and made to measure. On a trip to London with my fiancée, we walked into a luxury store with voluminous skirts and feminine dresses. The prices were competitive, as they usually are with luxury brands. My fiancée began to touch the skirts and take a closer look at the details and started to repeat, “oh no, no, no, no” (in his French accent).”
“We later exited and stopped for a cup of coffee when he began to explain to me how outrageous it was to charge so much for clothing that was put together in less than 30 minutes using very basic fabrics. Up until that moment, I was ready to pay a pretty price tag just for the aesthetics of a piece without truly looking at the quality.”
And this was when this incredibly personable brand, Vigo, was born, the designer added: “We wanted to disrupt the system of fast purchasing and offer women the luxury of spending time investing in a piece that is made uniquely for her body using her measurements, offering the best fabric while executing this with handmade artisan work.”
“Our vision for Vigo is to maintain the close relationship that we have we our clients. This is an essential aspect of the brand because it enriches our work. There is nothing more rewarding than watching our client try on the final piece and seeing her radiate with joy.”
Obviously when we talk to anyone who has an insight into the world of fashion, particularly when it’s Parisian, we have to get the low down on how to get that coveted look ourselves. If London is the pinnacle of street style, Paris is the peak of laid back glamour, effortlessly so.
Aaliyah describes Parisian women as confident, fearless and independent, and although we are all about the fashion, our first question was how they take their coffee: “A black expresso with sugar or two.”
Our next question was obviously about their enviable wardrobes, and the key staples we should have if we are to emulate that Parisian glamour: “Trench coats, skinny jeans/trousers, a tailored blazer, chic blouses, loose cotton t-shirts, comfortable heels, and of course, sexy lace lingerie.” Aaliyah told YCB.
“I feel that besides the use of neutral colors, French women focus on the fit of their clothing. Few people realize this but fit of a piece is essential to your look. If something doesn’t fit in a way that flatters the body, your entire image changes.”
“Parisian’s adore black and neutral colours. But it’s not a simple black, it’s often different shades or textures of black blended together which creates an interesting contrast. Before moving to Paris, I never knew wearing black could be so intricate!”
Speaking to Aaliyah only made us want to book a ticket on the Eurostar immediately and get ourselves over to Paris, but to really adopt a Parisian outlook, she said: “To be Parisian is look at the rest of the world, agree it’s beautiful, but know that your heart lies within the city of lights.”
So have you booked your train yet? We’ll see you in Paris!
