Today's post is taking you to my favourite place in the world. Yes, once again, we're going to France!
I chose to focus on one of my personal fashion staples: the Breton striped top. Honestly, I can't have too many of these classical French pieces and luckily for me, nearly every store stocks these in their basics section. At present, I'm on the lookout for a black and white one, even though the traditional Breton top is navy blue and white, just like the combination worn by the officers of the French navy.
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| Coco Chanel (left) and Audrey Tautou (right) wearing Breton tops |
It's probably superfluous to say that one of the reasons why I love these tops is that they remind of France, and obviously, Paris. I'm stocking on these tops because I plan to wear them ad nauseum when I'm living in Paris. Yet, there's more than just that. I have an incredibly small upper body. My ribs bulge out at every tiny movement and my shoulders are unbelievably bony and little. To make matters worse, my lower body, doesn't quite *heqhim* follow the same pattern. Let's say I give J.LO a run for her money. So, in a few words, I like to use Bretons to visually 'widen' my upper body to match my 'Donkey Kong'.
Anyway, donkeys and bones aside, here are three sets I've styled on Polyvore featuring what I regard as the basics of Breton clothing: namely the black and white, blue and white, and red and white combinations.
High Breton
This first set features a pair of high-waisted shorts and a red and white Breton top. I immediately associate Breton stripes with the nautical theme, probably because, as I said already, French navy officers sported the stripes on their uniforms. To keep myself within the nautical scenario, I added a boater hat and a set of braces for that extra oomph and playfulness. And just to defy the habit of pairing red stripes with black shoes, I went for brown brogues and a matching satchel.
Flare Breton
This set can't get more Parisian than this! As a child, I honestly believed that all French people living in Paris wore Breton stripes and a beret (and they ate a lot of baguettes!) A flared skirt and a pair of pretty black flats complete the look and I couldn't keep myself from adding some French designer pieces. Check out those pearl earrings by Chanel and that amazing lip colour by YSL!
Breton Chino
The name of this set sounds vaguely like the name of a Hollywood star. Yes, that has nothing to do and it was a completely pointless comment. Back to fashion. Chinos are the trousers to pair with Bretons, whether they're green, mustard or, in this case, red. The black and white Breton is probably the easiest to pair with a coloured Chino for you can't really go wrong, irrespective of the colour chosen for your bottoms. A black bandana, round glasses, a satchel and brogues and you're set to go!
The quest for the black and white Breton top goes on.
-B
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