Paris Experience in London: How to Create What You Desire Without Waiting

In June, when I was walking down a leafy street in beautiful Islington in London, I suddenly had an idea, a desire. You know those moments when you are not busy thinking and suddenly an idea comes to you and lights you up? That’s what I experienced.

My desire was to go for a one day style trip to Paris. I remembered how I used to go shopping during sales to Paris with my mum when we lived in Brussels many years ago. It felt so luxurious and a little extravagant, but so easy with fast train connections. I wanted to feel the same way. I wanted to experience the excitement of going on a train and spending a day of boutique browsing, shopping and enjoying Parisian cafes. And I wanted it to be easy.

This time, I felt brining a small group of  like-minded women would multiply the fun and pleasure of the experience. So I decided to put it out there. The response was great and I began planning the trip.

And then, as it sometimes happens in life, the plan needed to be changed. I was unable to go during one of my initially chosen dates and some of the women I wanted to join me were unavailable too.

I made a decision to postpone the trip until the end of July – 27-28th to be precise. It felt good, it felt like the right thing to do, given how everything was unfolding in my life. Yet, a part of me felt disappointed. It was that same part that wanted to experience luxury and go shopping and feel free and pampered for a day.

Today, I am grateful for the fact that my initial plan could not be realised. I learned a big lesson from this experience.  Sometimes our plans need to change, sometimes a trip we desire to have, a dress we want to buy, a person we want to meet is simply not available to us the way we intended. We cannot control external circumstances. But we can make an empowering choice at times like these. And that choice is: ask ourselves why we so desired the experience, whether it was a trip, a meeting or buying that dress, and give ourselves an opportunity to experience what we desired in another way. The beauty of this is we can still have the experiences we desire even when external circumstances seem to go against our desires.

If this is not fully making sense yet, I hope my example will help you to understand how this works and how to apply it in your life.

Paris Style Experience in London

When I changed my Paris trip plans, I had a choice: to feel disappointment, to hide my disappointment pretending it wasn’t a big deal or to choose to experience what I so desired anyway from the place where I was. I chose the third one.

Knowing I desired to experience luxury, style, pampering and freedom from commitments for one day, I decided to give myself this same experience in London and add some French flair to it.

I made a list of some of my favourite French brands and shops and checked where in London I could find some of these.

After a quick research, I was clear that I needed to spend the day in and around Marylebone Hight Street. It is one of my favourite streets in London.

Marylebone High Street has a particularly European feel. Cafes with tables outside, small shops and boutiques, slower pace – everything about it says “pleasure and savouring life”. Even though it is very close to busy Oxford Street, it couldn’t be more different. Marylebone High Stree has style. It’s easy to sit in a cafe watching elegantly dressed people walk by for hours, just as I would in Paris.

I  started with lunch at a smart French restaurant Orrery. Serving contemporary French cuisine in a beautiful setting, this place went straight to the top of my must-visit restaurants in London list. The service was very attentive and they were happy to cater to my dietary requirements, which is always a big plus. However, food was the best part of the experience: beautifully presented, the combination of flavours, colours and textures was truly impressive.

Feeling perfectly satisfied and fully in pleasure mode, I went on to explore boutiques.

First stop, signature summer perfume selecting at Dyptique. Their Marybone boutique is stylishly decorated and the shop assistant was very helpful in assisting me to discover what scent represents me this summer. A delightful experience.

Next, I was ready for clothes shopping and style discoveries.

Marylebone High Street has a wide choice of French boutiques. These are the ones I visited.

1. Agnes B – white shirts, polka dot prints, feminine dresses, comfortable elegance with a quirky French touch.

2. Loft – basics and casual wear with a touch of luxury.

3. Trilogy – a boutique selling a selection of French and American brands. Come here for quality basics, such as shirts, jeans and cashmere.

4. The Kooples – a French brand that has gained popularity internationally in recent years. Visit for contemporary chic style with an edge – think sharp tailoring, leather, black and strong colours. I particularity love their blazers.

5. Gerard Darel – for me, this is how French elegance looks like. A great selection of clothes for most ages, as well as beautiful handbags and shoes.

6. Claudie Pierlot – part of the same group as perhaps slightly better known French brands Maje and Sandro (also to be found on Marylebone High Street), this shop is great for contemporary elegant pieces and affordable luxury.

7. Comptoir des Cottoniers – great for stylish casual wear, summer dresses, bright colours.

I finished my French Style Experience at a tea cafe Amanzi just off Marylebone High Street and even took home a couple of stylish investment pieces such as a cashmere top, a silk jumpsuit and jeans. But the most important thing is that I felt pampered, excited, inspired and satisfied. Yes, I could not be in Paris on that day, but I experienced what I desired in London.

One Day Paris Style Retreat, July 27

Imagine gifting yourself a day of luxury and style.

Imagine, waking up feeling excited because you are taking a day trip to Paris.

Imagine walking around Paris, not needing to worry about anything because you are being take care of.

Imagine visiting beautiful boutiques, being assisted by a personal stylist in enhancing your unique signature style.

All this is possible for you.

One Day Paris Style Retreat is now taking place on July 27th. This retreat is designed as a luxurious shopping, style and lifestyle experience for a small group of women. Whether you are looking to buy something specific and need guidance from a style consultant or simply desire to be inspired by Parisian elegance, this experience will open you up to a new level of style, beauty and pleasure in your life. The specific itinerary will be tailored to you and revealed on the day.

If you would like to find out more details and ask questions, get in touch with me here and we will set up a 15 minute phone conversation.

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