Paris Street Fashion Scenes

PARIS — While Dior, Valentino, and the fabulous Ralph & Russo were unveiling their latest haute couture creations in palaces and museums for fashion world cognoscenti last week, Parisian street fashion was taking a decidedly less embellished stance.

From our luncheon perch at a sidewalk table at Fouchon and later strolling through Paris, we took note of the midday business crowd around Place de la Madeleine and the general humanity trekking across the city’s bustling street scene.

Our observations were not surprising. Black continues to reign as the fashion color of choice with only a few daring femmes stepping out in anything beyond body-hugging slacks and jackets of one sort or another and the occasional skirt.

For businessmen, the warm summer days mean relief from the necktie but the slim-cut Hugo Boss and Zegna suits remain de rigueur  for the office.

The scarf, gently scooped around the neck, continues as much a must-have accessory as a designer handbag or backpack and while little is more chic or more desirable than the Hermes Louis Vuitton neckline scarf, boutiques along the Faubourg Saint-Honoré offer a variety of choices. And even the touristy shops on the Rue de Rivoli are loaded with options. However, on this particularly warm day, many had forsaken their scarves in favor of a cooler approach.

And for tourists, it appears that anything goes from yoga pants and skimpy T-shirts to flowing summer frocks and with tennis shoes, flip flops and sandals (sans socks, please!) leading the footwear parade. And, ah, the umbrellas and sun hats to deal with the summer heat.