What I Wore On A Seven Day Work Trip To Paris With No Kids

I just got back from the longest I’ve ever been away from my kids. I left Los Angeles on a Monday afternoon, and came back from Paris the following week, Tuesday afternoon. It was….a long time to be gone. And while I was away I rode a real emotional roller coaster: shortly after landing, I was on a high high. Full of enthusiasm and joy and wonder at the beauty of Paris on a sunny day in the fall! The next day I went to a bridal fitting for one of my best friends, and was so happy to see two other friends there too! So many friends! Three days later, when I realized I’d need to extend my trip, a full day of rain, and missing my kids going to see the house we just bought in LA for the first time, I was low. A day later, after a very emotional reunion with a friend, I was shaky. Then, I had a great day of appointments, and ended the trip at Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel show, which was like being shot out of a cannon! It was a ride.

The whole time I was gone, I was going. I had meetings and appointments and fashion shows and drinks and dinners and everything, and it was so exhilarating and fun, and everything was happening in a different corner of a city where I don’t speak the language. I was both in my element and out of my element, doing my thing but missing my people. I loved it, but missed home, and I wanted to feel comfortable: both physically comfortable, and emotionally comfortable. That guided how I dressed.

Before I left for my trip, I started a conversation with The Nue Co. They make my all time favorite fragrance, called Forest Lungs, I’ve worn it for years. It smells a little like a Christmas Tree, a little like damp soil, a little like turpentine and a cedar chest—I just love it. It smells warm. The brand makes fragrances with a dual purpose: to smell good, but also to make you feel something. They make “Functional Fragrances,” blended to elevate your mood, and they have a new little mini collection centered around the idea of comfort and nostalgia. The three, Past Time, First Milk, and Otherwhere all smell…not really like a personal fragrance as I’ve ever experienced them (you can use the code LAUREL20 for 20% off your order). They’re not woodsy or floral or green in a traditional way, and I can’t really describe it, but they all remind me of something very specific and very personal. Otherwhere reminds me of the smell of my cousin’s house in Venezuela when I was a little kid. First Milk makes me think of the feeling of warm skin on skin. And I can’t place Past Time exactly, but (this is so corny) I think of dust motes in a ray of sunlight. I mean…very emo, but it is what it is!

I carried samples of them with me on my trip, and would nuzzle into my sweater, or into my jacket when I started to feel homesick, and the combination of the scent and my soft, fuzzy clothes made me feel more at home. And oh man, my clothes! I really loved what I packed and wore this trip. Here’s how it all came together for three of my favorite things I wore.

DAY 1

I landed at 9:30 AM, took a quick nap, and was out the door for a 4PM Dries van Noten show. It was my first time ever going to a Dries show, and I was so excited, so sleep deprived, so emotional—I teared up a few times during the show.

It was a gorgeous day, and while I do pre-plan outfits for this trip, I threw this one on at the last minute, and I really loved it. These are all things I’ve worn a lot before, things that are more or less part of my weekly wardrobe, but that I’ve never worn in this combination. Familiar, but new!

1: I love this Comme Si shirt—the stripe is varied, and it just looks so great with everything. Polished and masculine, and just the perfect thing. Comme Si shirt, $275

2: This clutch! I carried it every day that I was in Paris last season. It’s just so good—great size, very polished, nice color. Co clutch, $775

3: My denim jacket is vintage Levi’s, but this one has a similar cut and a great wash. Just wear it a ton! Wear it, wear it, wear it! J.Crew jacket, $100

4: The Sherman Field cord and silver necklace I wear every day (mine actually has a red string). It is part of me now! Sherman Field fine silver cord, $790

5: This fragrance reminded me of things from when I was a little girl, which was really nice when I was so far from my family. The Nue Co Past Time, $125

6: My Sacai skirt is sold out, but this one is similar. I love Sacai, and always feel lit up by these techy, pleated midi skirts. Sacai, $1,135

7: I wore these Mary Janes almost every day of my trip. I love the squared toe and that they’re flat flat—though I have to say my feet did ache with no arch support. I’ve had these since, like 2018, and they wear in really beautifully. The Row, $820

DAY 2

I woke up feeling so happy and bright, I threw on my favorite outfit of all time. I love the shine of the jacket and how normal the pants were, but then I also reached for a few accessories that are really comfortable and familiar to me to keep it all feeling innate and me, despite being kind of fancy and over the top.

1: Ok, here’s my Dries coat, but it is very spendy. You can find great resale coats from Dries, and this kind of dramatic overcoat is something he does so well. I do also love this Prada resale coat pictured here. It doesn’t have the same shape as mine, but this is the kind of thing that you’ll use over and over in your life. Prada, $660

2: This is honestly showing a lot of skin for me! My stomach was showing, my chest was showing, my arms, and I kind of like nuzzling into my own neck and chest, and I loved smelling this warm, clean skin fragrance when I did. The Nue Co First Milk, $125

3: Some little bitchy sunglasses! I like them sporty or bitchy. Jimmy Fairly, $175

4: Honestly, Cos makes the best pants. These are SO GOOD. Cos, $129

5: I’m really all for the old Céline Trapeze bag (so many good ones on The RealReal right now), I wore mine basically every day I was in Paris. The colors and color blocking feel very right right now, especially in light of Michael Rider’s work back at Celine. Céline resale, $625

6: I got these shoes in 2016 for my thirtieth birthday and they are, if not my favorite pair, in my top 5 pairs of shoes I’ve ever owned in my life. They do SO MUCH, and I wear them so much. Mine are starting to look a little too worn in, and I’m so happy Miu Miu still makes them—I think I need a fresh pair soon. Miu Miu, $1,200

7: I feel awful when I have dry lips—it’s one thing that can very easily ruin my day. I keep a host of lip balms in rotation, but this is the one I used throughout this trip and it does a great job at hydrating without adding much shine. It feels great on, and also has no scent or flavor. Augustinus Bader, $46

DAY FIVE

Ok, so this was on a down part of the roller coaster ride. I was feeling…out of sorts. I went back to my ~style roots~ which is mixing workwear with sequins, menswear with something girly, and adding a sweatshirt. This is a combination that struck me back in the original days of Jenna Lyons at J.Crew, and over the years I keep coming back to it in different forms. Now, instead of an army jacket and a sequin pencil skirt with a white tee (man, THAT’s nostalgic!) I do it more like this. It feels familiar but modern, and made me feel good on a day when I was really homesick.

1: This sequin coat is…insane. It’s the same print as my shirt, which isn’t widely available anymore. The coat is on sale, and please buy it so I don’t? Dries van Noten, $1,648

2: My dermatologist recommended this SPF, and it has a great amount of tint. I used it on this trip and it helped even out my skin and, obviously, protect it from the sun. I walked a ton on this trip, so SPF was essential! Isdin SPF, $78

3: There’s that Céline again!

4: I wrote about these in this week’s snack email, but these pants are just fantastic. They’re men’s, but so comfortable, and sturdy, and they make me very happy. I got them in the smallest size, which is a 3, and they’re still definitely oversized. They’re sold out in that size, but try these from Citizens or these from Jamie Haller or these from Pistola or these from Alex Mill. Auralee, $675

5: I’m wearing a men’s tux jacket, but this one from A.L.C. is also excellent, and has an easier fit for a woman’s body. I love how this looks with the army pants, and especially with a sparkly thing too. A.L.C., $750

6: And again! The Mary Janes! Very much in my comfort zone. The Row, $820

7: On a day when I was feeling a little shaky, it was nice to smell something that reminded me of my childhood and visiting family. The Nue Co Otherwhere, $125

And there we are. Comfort dressing when you’re going to be out and seeing people all day. And I am very happy to have gotten to partner with The Nue Co on this. It’s really a dream to partner with brands I organically love, and to get their support for my work. What a life!

Your friend,

Laurel