9 years ago by
Lately, I’ve been trying to simplify my life. I want simplicity in everything. Like, even Homeland annoys me because it’s too complicated.
Everyday life, beauty, clothes. I really don’t feel like worrying about any of it. I’m leaving today for three days in Miami, and my ultimate goal would be to fit all three days into my handbag (except that since I’ve simplified everything, my bag is tiny) (ok, maybe just fit all three days in my carry on) (ok fine, in my big suitcase, then — I guess I still have a lot to learn about living simply).
(And plus, if I only had three items of clothing, this would be a pretty boring fashion blog, right?)(Even if honestly — what’s all the rage right now to say you want to have less, which is proof that this post is not at all anti-fashion.)
This process has been in the works for awhile now — I told you about downsizing my wardrobe, remember? Well I enjoyed that so much that now it’s taking over my whole life.
I only carry one bag now. It’s my favorite one — my Lulu bag by Saint Laurent, and I always have it with me. I don’t care about the others, this one is enough for me. It’s sublime, it goes with everything, and it’s not too recognizable, which I love.
You can’t fit much in it. So that forced me to rethink my wallet. I was tired of having a huge thing in my purse full of receipts and useless stuff. I figure if guys (guys are like old people — they’re right about a lot of things!!!)(oh there, I should write a post about that next time) can go out without a handbag, I should be able to go out without a wallet the size of Kanye’s Hummer.
So I got rid of everything and bought a tiny Comme des Garçons wallet which totally fits my needs. And my goal is to manage to make it work with nothing but a Smythson card holder in the near future — that’s how liberated I’ll be from all these base earthly concerns.
So now all I take with me every day is my phone, my wallet, my headphones, my keys, and a lip gloss. And honestly, I don’t miss any of the other stuff. Well, except for chewing gum, maybe. And blotting papers. And my compact. And hand cream. And a scarf.
Ok, we’re not going to talk about my haircut again, I think you’ve understood by now — it’s really super easy, and plus, the more Clyde, my hair stylist, gets to know me, the faster and more beautiful it is every time, and we don’t even have to talk to understand each other anymore.
As for makeup, I asked Tatyana, my favorite makeup artist (who told me “You really don’t know how to put on makeup” the first time I met her! And like any good French girl, I love when people tell it to me straight, even more when it’s at first encounter) to do two looks for me. One for night time, one for day time. We picked out my colors together, and I got rid of everything else — all the old tubes and tubs that were just collecting dust. I’ll show you what we picked out soon if you want!!!
I’ve already talked to you about this, so I won’t go on and on, but this is another area of my life where I keep simplifying. I just bought five Uniqlo sweaters. Cashmere, v-neck, neutral colors. They go with everything and even if it’s not quite a Bompard (do you know where I can find Bompard sweaters in New York?) it honestly makes my life so much easier.
Those, and a few pairs of well-cut jeans — that’s my base. Then I add either jewelry, a pretty coat, or a killer pair of shoes, and that does it for me. I’m still on the lookout for my killer pair of shoes for this winter, by the way…
Hey, I didn’t say I was Normcore. I like beautiful things and I think too many basics kill the basic.
And vintage 501’s scare me. They’re really not for everyone.
I make single-ingredient meals. Like yesterday, I wanted to make ratatouille, and then I ended up just cooking zucchini. The ingredients? Zucchini. Nope, I didn’t even add onions — it gives them a weird taste. It’s super tasty, takes only 5 minutes to prepare (it’s all in the provençal style cooking — a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and then you have to burn them just a little) and frankly, for someone who lives in New York and spends their life in restaurants, it gives your palate a nice break.
And it’s healthy!
So I make myself little dishes with three ingredients max. I love it.
Squash soup. Avocado toast. Steamed leeks. Dark chocolate. Sardines. Cheese for dinner. A glass of red wine. Ah the good life!!!
Not too far. Not too complicated. For New Year’s, I’ll be on a beach in Costa Rica. The goal? To try To surf, eat ceviche, and drink margaritas with friends. That’s it.
Hey, speaking of food and Costa Rica, hahaha. Bathing suit anxiety right after Christmas.
After pretty much quitting yoga since it was kind of messing up my back (it’s a little depressing, given my incredible talent for it, I don’t know why, but yoga just hurts my back) I decided to start exercising again, but without setting stupid goals that I’ll give up on after half an hour.
So now I work on my abs and butt at home, and I walk at least an hour per day (to get to the Studio, for example)(I have a pretty good app for that — it’s called Moves*) or I’ll run for half an hour if I know I won’t have time to walk. That plus push-ups to get me ready for surfing (I’m at 12 now — in your opinion, how many do I need to do? 100? 88 more to go!!! Yay!!!) And when I have time, I’ll do yoga or pilates or a dance class with a friend. Just for fun.
Voilà. Simple, right?
What about you? Are you super trendy like me or are you still accumulating a bunch of stuff? (That’s so 2011 — seriously, pull yourself together!)
———————-
*Moves, is like an improved pedometer that counts your steps.
The only problem with Moves is when there’s a glitch. Yesterday I walked like a crazy person to beat my record and suddenly the app froze, and I lost everything I’d done and felt like I’d walked for nothing, which is ridiculous and just goes to show how addicted we can get to these things!!!
Translated by Andrea Perdue
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C’est vrai que la simplicité dans la cuisine ça fait du bien de temps en temps, et au moins on ne planque pas les jolis produits sous des couches et des couches de sauces trendy !!!
http://www.therocamadour.fr
I think this is the right way to carry on..but I’m a looser at this game…
XOX, Gap.
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
Less is more!
Il n’y a jamais besoin de faire trop compliqué. Les tenues les plus simples avec juste un petit détail qui font la différence sont très souvent les plus jolies!
Je suis un peu pareille au niveau produits de beauté, je n’ai qu’un mascara, un eye-liner et je reste fidèle aux produits que j’aime et qui me conviennent! Niveau fringues, j’ai encore des efforts à faire, j’en ai beaucoup et j’achète beaucoup aussi… Difficile de résister à la tentation de notre société de consommation!!!!
Bonne soirée
Bises
Jul du monde des petites
http://www.lemondedespetites.com/
I’m all in favor of simplifying! Congrats!
Love from bella Italia,
http://lasagnolove.blogspot.it/2014/12/you-dont-have-to-be-perfect-to-be-here.html
Bambi
Bah, depuis genre 2 ans, j’ai moins de fringues, et de plus en plus de trucs simples et pratiques gendre uniqlo, gap, cos, que je porte avec 1 ou 2 trucs plus jolis
Je sais pas si c’est un effet de l’âge (passé la 40aine, yerk) ou de l’air du temps …
Par contre, j’ai toujours trop de chaussures et trop de manteaux, et trop de pulls, mais j’ai toujours adoré ces 3 trucs (avec les chemises)
Côté sac, c’est mon côté fidèle, j’en ai toujours qu’un seul à la fois. En ce moment, un crossbody, donc petit et avec peu de trucs (le problème c’est où mettre le casque de musique ???)
Côté maquillage, j’ai toujours été sobre, et j’aimerais bien voir ce qu’on t’a conseillé :-) !!
Wonderful post!! Recently I´ve been doing just the same! I don´t know if this comes with age…but it really makes your life easier.
The killer heel of all times Fever – By Stewart Weitzman
Recently I did a similar thing where I found the perfect fitting tshirt and bought it in every color, and I’ve literally just been wearing those with jeans (ok sometimes a pencil skirt) every day (which is kind of a.weird look in the middle of winter but whatever.)
Also.I love love love this illustration, so gorgeous :)
You are my idol. I want to simplify but I can’t. And it gets worst at Christmas! Mission impossible!
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
Si tu fais un vide dressing je prend ton Bailey de Chloé! Pour moi c’est le sac, pas besoin d’un autre.
Perso, je déménage, et je suis assez fière de constater que je n’ai pas besoin de jeter grand chose… En revanche, acheter 5 pulls chez Uniqlo, n’est-ce pas remplacer le besoin d’accumulation de choses chic et chères par le besoin d’accumuler des choses “simples” (et, pour la qualité, on repassera quand même)?
Salut Garance,
Vie d’expat oblige … alors pour moi c’est de nombreux changements de “home” qui m’ont amené à la jouer “simplicity”.
De plus, avec l’âge, bof, oui, cela s’écrit … je me connais mieux et je sais ce qui me va. Alors j’achète en plusieurs couleurs, je porte un chouette accessoire ou un joli manteau et voila. Maquillage : pas trop en rajouter et se laisser “faire” par une maquilleuse puis performer seule.
Quant aux sacs de voyage, c’est simple. Je note chaque fois ce que je n’ai pas porté et ils rétrécissent à chaque nouveau départ. Bon “essai maillot” après Xmas ;-) et vive la Med Diet qui si on en croit les news protègerait même nos gènes … c’est t’y pas beau cela ;-)
Bisou
Anne
Toujours fan du blog, dès 14h55 je vais tous les jours sur la page qui fait partie de mes favoris. Et donc bien sûr que je veux voir les photos des looks maquillage jour/nuit !
Please, please share your new beauty routine! I am in the same exact boat — I barely wear any makeup as it is (yet I’ve amassed an incredible amount of products that I need to throw away) and I would love a simple night and day routine. Merci beaucoup!
Le minimalisme, c’est fashion… mais pour une fois c’est du fashion qui a du sens (meilleur pour la planète)
Entièrement d’accord ! J’ai commencé à écrire sur ce sujet il y a deux ans ici (http://lemoncoco.fr/) et je trouve vraiment incroyable que ce phénomène se propage à cette vitesse et avec cette intensité sur le web, sur les blogs. J’espère de tout coeur que cela est, plus qu’une tendance éphèmère, une réelle prise de conscience du trop plein qui nous entoure, que ce soit en termes de fringues ou même d’emplois du temps surchagés … Je croise les doigts !
– oui pour le cours duemaquillage à la Garance!
– le sac: toujours un, jusqu’à ce qu’il soit totalement usé (parce que Madame n’aime pas les sacs en cuir),
– oui, je simplifie, je suis à la mode donc? olàlà – je simplifie à tel point que je tourne quatre pulls en rond tout le mois de novembre, mais bon, avec les accessoires toujours différents, ça va.
– oui pour la cuisine simple et saine! Dernièrement j’ai découvert le silken tofu! Pour le petit-déj, mixé avec une moitié de l’avocat, une moitié da la banane et un peu de beurre de cacahuète, c’est DI-VIN! Si vous avez un jour besoin d’une correspondante pour la rubrique manger divin, je suis là!
-le dessin est beeeaaaauuuu….
Thanks for your post on this topic, Garance! I love your new philosophy! I feel like most fashion blogs encourage the opposite – you need more… MORE!!! I have been trying to simplify some things in my life and I think it’s been great for 1) the budget! and 2) focusing on other things in life, like relationships, experiences, and graduating (a big deal for grad students such as myself).
I actually think that this might not be about a trend (live simply) but more about getting older and really understanding who you are, what you want, how you want to live and who you want to be. It gets so much easier then to make choices about everything: clothes, food, bags (which I am obsessing about this week on my blog), relationships, passions and the list goes on. Life becomes about living, enjoying, expressing oneself authentically and not about worrying or pleasing others (but still caring about them). It’s a great place to be and I can see from how this blog has evolved the last several months that you have achieved it.
Accidental Icon
http://www.accidentalicon.com
Less is mORE…..keep that in mind and maybe you will finish up just with a small bag…and for the gym..just do something you like and change from time to time…don’t oblige yourself..listen to your soul…
xoxo
Yael Guetta
http://www.ftwwl.com
Garance, I think you’re my spirit animal (jk). Though I am a fellow Taurus, so maybe that has something to do with it.
In all seriousness, I’ve been all about simplifying over the past year. I’ve been working on having a “warm/cozy minimalist” vibe, then I read Marie Kondo’s book and did another cleanout, eliminating things that don’t “spark joy.” It’s remarkable how we hang on to things we think we like but that don’t actually elicit happiness.
I also surfed in Costa Rica last year (Nosara), and it was amazing. Twelve push-ups is fine; the other tip they told us is to put rubbing alcohol on your pressure points (bottom ribs and hips) every day for a week before your trip, to prevent blisters — it supposedly toughens the skin. They also said you can do this on the back of your heels while breaking in shoes. It’ll be a great vacation, as surfing embodies simplicity and present-mindedness. Enjoy your trip!
I love simplifying! It’s great to read about your experiences. I started when I moved from Amsterdam to Berlin and found out how much stuff I had just lying around. Not so funny. But now… I have a very empty house. So maybe some tips for simplifying your life and interior, without having a living room with it’s own echo (seriously)? ;)
Dans ma quête du “moins”
j’avais mis en un
moins travailler.
Bon.
On peut avoir des rêves, non?
Quick ps:
1. I just saw your calendar in Anthropologie, and it’s lovely. I couldn’t purchase right then but plan to return.
2. Your simple exercise philosophy is actually a fantastic one; incorporating movement throughout the day has been shown to be super-effective. Rigorous exercise (vs. walking) can increase hunger, and in general it’s just good to be up and moving around a lot. I’ve heard from more than one person that they looked/felt best when they gave up gym routines and just aimed to walk about 4 miles a day (10,000 steps). Pedometers are the best.
Same thing here, anything that means more time for pleasure will be tried. I’ve cleaned up everything from closet to email subscriptions. Have you seen Ello (kind of the new Facebook)? SO simple!
Sounds so wonderful!! I was just talking with a friend about the exact same topic — how lately, we’ve just been PURGING all the unnecessary extras in our lives i.e., clothes, toxic relationships, toxic food. Feels really great and light! More power to you! You are awesome!
…this isn’t simplicity. An app..for walking? Headphones essential? FIVE sweaters bought at once? ….Simplicity is water bread and apples, walking (just walking…no apps, pedometers, etc)..having one grey sweater and one pair of jeans and one pair of trainers and a raincoat…it’s almost impossible. But it would be good. Never spending any money, listening to Chopin and a stroke of 4711 now and then..and you don’t care – because all you do care about is getting on with your novel/script/poem etc etc. Oh if only…
And Costa Rica for New Year…? I think we all have different levels of “simplicity”
Ah ah ! Well Costo Rica for New year’s Eve is VERY sophisticated, in my opinion
I couldn´t agree more. If you really want to simplify, you just stop shopping new clothes and you get by with what you have (that it´s probably a lot of stuff). Simplicity means stop consuming. Very difficult…
J’aime lire ce blog parce qu’il me fait rêver, un peu comme un film de Noël, je sais que la vie de Garance est très très éloignée de la mienne … Mais là, je crois vraiment que ce sont des années lumières qui nous séparent en matière de simplicité: quand je m’achète un pull, j’en achète un, je vais à Noël chez des amis à la montagne à 250 km de chez moi, je n’ai pas de sac YSL. Pour autant je sais que c’est déjà beaucoup . Je sais bien que la simplicité c’est encore autre chose. Et que beaucoup de gens vivent “simplement” , pour ne pas dire ” pauvrement”.
Je pense que Garance et ses amies le savent aussi. Mais cela ne se voit pas dans ce post , qui m’a paru un peu indécent.
But simplicity can be different for everybody. I think it is more about thinking critically about your situation. If you work in the fashion and beauty industry, buying five of the same sweaters is a kind of simplicity. Committing to a simplified uniform is a way of making less decisions in the morning. In a world where there is always something new and exciting to try out, I think that making conscious decisions to stick to the basics is liberating.
Je pense qu’il y a une sorte d’élégance dans la constance et le dépouillement. Les personnalités dont j’aime le style portent des “uniformes”: (le costard blanc d’Eddy Barclay, le bleu de Michou…??? (je sors??quoi? je suis bannie???)), le jean se Serge Gainsboug (et de Jeanne Birkin, et de Charlotte Gainsboug et de Lou Douillon…)….
En ce moment, je transforme tout ce que je revends en cachemire, en chemises simples (unies, souples), en jeans . Avoir des trucs que tu aimes vraiment et qui s’entendent bien, qui ne te prennent pas la tête, qui ne t’ humilient pas (“nan, t’as pas assez de cul pour moi”, “mais tu me vois mouler ton corps , chérie???franchement???”) c’est pratique: pas de dispute le matin à l’heure du réveil, une famille soudée et unie….En plus, une garde robe composée de basiques, c’est toujours élégant et c’est intemporel (si les teintes sont sobres, tu visualises un architecte ou un galeriste (mais new yorkais, parce que milanais, je suis pas sûre que ça te rencarde exactement sur la notion de sobriété..) et tu appliques…). Mais bon, je garde quelques “coups de folie” sous la main pour éviter “le dérapage ” : quand le trop de basique te fais sortir ta CB en urgence pour t’acheter un mini jupon à paillettes à 20 heures, à la fermeture d’H et M , juste pour calmer ton angoisse devant ces piles de bleu marine, noir, gris, beige…
WANT to see that future makeup post! And I love simplicity… even affects my e-mails because I delete everything I don’t need; its weirdly cathartic.
Les pulls Unqlo sont superbes. Il ont tenu mieux que mon pull fait en chine aussi de APC.
I love, love your post! I had recently written about materialism and how we should avoid it just a few days ago. Love how it makes me feel. Having basics and enjoying them.
I am inspired by this post to write another one about how this downsizing has affected my entire life!
Good one!
Anceeta.com
Great read! i try to follow similar simplifying routine , but so far it doesn’t work. For instance, yesterday on #givingtuesday I donated 4 pairs of shoes, was very proud of my progress of minimizing my closet. But then, I went online and they still had the cyberMonday sales on one of my favorite web sites and I bought 3 pairs of shoes for Spring…
You can try an app called “breeze” for your walk, I have been using it and i am obsessed with it…
Garance,
Surf! I started last year after a huge breakup, and it’s by far the best thing you can do to clear your head.
More so, the absolute beauty of it is, you’re reminded every time you get out in the water that trying is the only thing that matters. Just like life, there are good days and bad days, days you catch waves and days you eat salt water for two hours, but you tried. And that’s what surfing, and life, is all about.
Perhaps on of the greatest, Andy Irons, explains why we surf best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uwtqRBE4Kk
Have so much fun!
I love the little book L’Art de la Simplicite by Dominique Loreau. Just dipping into it from time to time reminds me how much happier I am when I live simply, and how easy it is to do. x
http://www.amazon.com/LArt-Simplicite-French-Dominique-Loreau/dp/2501051041/ref=asap_B004MU318W_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417620890&sr=1-1
Bonjour Garance,
Super post.:)
J’essaye aussi de simplifier, d’alléger et ouf que ça fait du bien!
Un livre que je trouve très bien : l’art de la simplicité ou l’art de l’essentiel de Dominique Loreau.
Pour les exercices, je ne suis pas ultra sportive et en plus j’ai un handicap qui me restreint mais j’applique une technique de coach pour ceux qui n’ont pas le temps et toujours des bonnes excuses :
A chaque fois que je vais aux toilettes je fais avant de sortir l’exercice de la chaise tout en pressant les mains l’une contre l’autre ( prière indienne) pour travailler les cuisses, la poitrine pendant 1 minute et je fais 10 pompes contre le mur. Pas glamour comme endroit ok mais efficace pour faire régulièrement de l’exercice sans prendre de temps.
Je contracte les fessiers en me brossant les dents et je contracte les abdos à chaque feu rouge. A force cela devient une habitude. Plus besoin de temps, on y pense même plus vraiment, ce n’est pas une contrainte et c’est payant ;)
Bonne journée
yes, I was thinking of Dominique Loreau too. It’s really nice to hear that a great fashion blogger like Garance started to rethink the world’s habits of buying more and more :)
This is very inspiring and I totally agree that we should all make our lives simpler!
The illustration is awesome too!
i swear i think it’s my best friend who commented here so taking the risk and replying! We are actually in the same phase of simplifying our complicated lives. in some things we succeed and others total disaster but practice makes perfect! loooooove the illustration!!! great post cant wait for your next one!
xxx
simplicity is key with everything…anything else would be complicated and who wants that?
http://hashtagliz.com
i am right there with you. simplicity, please! i’m so tired and bored of stressing over every.single.thing.every.day. “whatamigoingtowear??” “doesthislookright??” “thisistakingforeveri’mgoingtobelate!!” “iputontoomucheyelinerandlipstickandthatsnotthecoolgirleffortlesslook!” “isthiseffortless????”
I’m trying to simplify my wardrobe (easier said than done), but I’ve definitely simplified my food and workout regimen. I run outside instead of going to classes, and I walk to work. As for food, I hate waste so I only buy what I need that day…I love doing sautéed or steamed vegetables with a bit of tomato or curry sauce. Also like to make a soup at the beginning of the week and add different things to it each night to spice it up (spinach, zucchini, carrots).
Loved reading this!
http://www.thechannelingboard.com
Oh yes, I’d like to hear more about your simplified makeup!
Simplifying sounds more and more attractive to me… I’m just not ready to let go – yet…
I read once that each year you should walk around your home and touch everything and ask yourself, “Does this really represent who I am?” While my home is far from Swedish Modern austerity, I did get rid of a lot of “stuff” – gifts and books that just weren’t me. My apartment still looks like a gift shop with a bed in it, but at least, it’s stuff that’s meaningful to me. As for clothes, I’m realizing that I’m reaching for the same stack of chunky sweaters, skinny-ish jeans and one of four pairs of Vans-style skater shoes. For evening it’s slim black pants, a great sexy loose long white shirt from Iro, embellished shoes and great jaw-dropping earrings. I’m weeding through skincare and using up products before I buy something new. But makeup is still my Achilles Heel. It’s just so much fun and I love to mix it up every day.
pour les courgettes je te conseille un peu d’ail en plus c’est juste le plat que fait pour ma fille et pour moi quand j’ai la flemme de cuisiner :)
Oh! And one last thought about Miami. I looked my chicest one weekend at the beach when I only packed white clothes and silver shoes and jewelry. SO easy and it always looks crisp and fresh at the beach and kinda sexy at night.
Salut garance, l’histoire de l’appli est vraiment très drôle, sinon j’aimerai vraiment que tu faces un post sur ta routine make up, moi j’ai l’impression de me maquiller n’importe comment et j’aimerai avoir quelque conseils, et au fait j’ai suivie le conseil de l’une de tes interviews beauté, utiliser un écran total, celui de la roche posée et effectivement mes marques sur mon visages commencent à disparaître au bout de 2 semaines, merci Garance pour tes conseils vis à vis du soleil, tu as toujours eu raison la dessus vis-à-vis de la protection face aux UV.
Bisou bonne journée et vive Uniqlo (leur chemises sont pas mal aussi :) )
hah, yes, I intentionally take a “lazy girl approach” to exercise as well, meaning I don’t set goals! I know if I set goals working out will start to just be a drag after a while, and I’ll get frustrated if I don’t reach them as quickly as possible. So now I just run a few miles. I don’t care how fast, or about working up to a longer distance, as long as I do it regularly.
Un grand oui à la simplicité, j’ai encore beaucoup de choses à trier dans tous les domaines. Ca prendra du temps mais j’y arriverai.
Je suis passé au cachemire aussi depuis deux ans et aucun regret.
Top ton dessin.
G, (Can I call you that?! Cause you’re like a friend in my head.)
I know you don’t love running but I’m so sure it’s your favorite thing that you haven’t discovered yet. It takes some time to fall in love with running, and “fall in love” might be too strong of a statement but I have a hunch that if you gave it a try long enough, often enough — you’ll find your groove with the working out part of your life.
Oh, and Tracy Anderson videos–
Trust me. Truuuuuuust me.
Cheers to simplicity,
D
:)
Moves c’est bien, sauf que l’appli pense qu’on fait un footing quand on prend le RER
C’est vrai qu’avec le temps on en a marre de trimballer ses valises (au sens propre comme au figuré !) alors on “essaie” de s’alléger ou en tout cas de simplifier. Et en définitif, on se rend compte que peu de choses sont vraiment importantes, ou en tout cas ne méritent pas que l’on se prenne la tête avec ! Plus ça va, plus je suis cool (pas blasée, juste cool) parce que la vie passe vite et que rien ne mérité que l’on se là pourrisse avec des conneries (matériel ou pas) (sauf si ça nous amuse) :-).
http://www.mode9.fr
La simplicite, le depouillement ont toujours fait partie de ma vie mais ont destabilise pas mal d’amis et membres de ma famille qui me conseillaient, gentiment, d’ajouter des “couleurs gaies” des “imprimes fleuris” a ma garde-robe et a ma deco interieure, “monacales” (d’apres eux.)
Tout mon contraire !
Vite, un make-up tutorial de Garance !
J’oubliais, le dessin : magnifique !
For many years I have tried and failed to simplify my wardrobe……but I now have a new perspective, I do not want to wear a uniform, uniforms belong on school girls, I want to wear what appeals to me on the day I am wearing it, my advice, PACK A BIGGER SUITCASE!!! And don’t forget your sunblock…….
“Et niveau make up, j’ai demandé à Tatyana, ma make up artist préférée qui m’a dit la première fois que je l’ai rencontrée “Tu ne sais pas te maquiller” (en bonne Française, j’adore qu’on m’envoie sur les roses au premier rendez-vous) de me faire deux looks.Un pour le soir, un pour le jour. On a choisi mes couleurs ensemble et j’ai viré tout le reste, tous les vieux tubes et les pots qui prenaient la poussière. Je vous montre bientôt si vous voulez !!!”
-> OUI!!! Je suis dans le même mood à ce sujet et ça serait super donc d’en savoir plus.
Niveau nourriture pareil: si quelque chose à plus de 3 ingrédients je vire. Pas de E-325 ou autre. J’ai voulu acheter des raisin secs l’autre jour et par habitude j’ai lu la liste des ingrédients…. donc raisin sec (merci), sucre, conservants…blablabla. Pas toutes les marques le font mais c’est bien de savoir ce qu’on mange. Pour moi aussi : plus c’est simple, mieux c’est.
Et bizarre que le yoga te fasse mal au dos, normalement c’est sensé améliorer les problèmes de dos. Il faut peut-être tester d’autres type de yoga ?
Bisous !
Je suis d’accord avec toi niveau du look… seulement moi j’ai des bompard et des jeans Closed depuis que j’ai 17 ans … bizarrement celles qui me trouvaient cul-cul au lycée me trouvent super tendance maintenant !! Comme quoi ; tout arrive !!
PS : oui Garance , on veut les deux look makeup que tu as choisi !!
Great post. Simple + quality = better.
What kind of push-ups are you doing? On the knee or plank-style? How low are you able to go? That will determine how many you need to do…
Hola Great Post . Love it. I am at the Same Point at the Moment . (Its the Age)Feeling like everything is too much just want IT easy peasy easy :)) Keeping it simple Yeah .please Share your beauty secrets with us. Merci xxxxnat
great read….simplicity..the best….black turtleneck…black drapey pant….cute shoes and handbag…red lips…short hair…that is me in a nutshell…..its my uniform. simplicity is really healthy too….less worry…less food…less spent on clothes….less stuff!!! happy wednesday XOXO
Fabulous Garance! This is sort of how I’ve been living my life for the last couple of years and it’s great, it’s all about stripping things down to your personal essence, being true to yourself, and not living to meet a societal standard of what success is or how you need to be. Of course, we never live perfectly simple lives, there is always that new shiny item that most be purchased and make your life amazing (for about 3 seconds), and that’s also ok, enjoy those 3 seconds and move on????. There’s also the fact that by skewing convention/not conforming you will be judge and some time belittled by those who think they are more in the know than you and that the only reason you are a certain way is because of ignorance or because you can’t- you are a loser or something, but I think personal freedom and the courage to be you/voice your unique opinion/not follow the crowd is worth dealing with those reactions. However, I’m glad to see that there’s an increase in awareness to this lifestyle choice, it makes life simpler (remove the judgement, etc) for those seeking a simpler lifestyle????
I surprised myself recently by spending a month in France with one carry-on suitcase. We moved around a lot too… 9 hotels, 3 flights, 3 car trips and 2 train trips. I was so glad I simplified and was able to move around like a butterfly. A few key pieces and some laundry soap was the trick. It made life so much more enjoyable!
je suis surprise car le yoga au contraire est excellent pour le dos, puisque tout est fait pour le re-muscler et le détendre. A voir avec le prof.bonne journée
Garance. I love it! (and I like Sardines too – but only the King Oscar ones in olive oil :-))
Wow, I just found out I don’t have OCD and need to change and simplify everything in my life, replacing even decent stuff because it’s not “simple” enough, I’m simply super trendy. So, thank you for the article, I relate completely and feel so much better knowing I’m not alone!
Très belle illustration !!
Intéressant post aussi : )
Bonne soirée !
I have been simplifying as well!
http://www.FashionSnag.com
J’essaie!! En ce moment pareil, 1 seul sac mais un cabas :D Mon chéri m’a dit récemment (alors que j’avais déjà fait du tri…) que j’avais une MONTAGNE de vêtement… :I Sur le coup, je me suis dit tout est relatif!!!! mais je l’ai quand même remis dans mes objectifs avant Noël…
Hmmm “guys are right about a lot of things”…? I am skeptical ;-) Yes, PLEASE, dedicate your thoughts on that in a post!
Ahem…
I have to admit though. My guy can make me feel pretty “girly silly” sometimes when I am walking around like a big cliche (complaining about nothing to wear for example, or having other majorly relevant concerns like that)…
La simplicité est á la tete first of all, and then tout ca arrive. Et aussi, il est plus facile si tu n´a pas de l argent
Je me fais aussi des cures de simplicité dès que je sens que du superflu s’installe, ça fait un bien fou!
Je te conseille la feuille de menthe en fin de cuisson dans tes courgettes à la poêle, mon homme italien m’a enseigné ça et c’est délicieux!
Garance, so good for you that you manage to go through the day with only the tiny (but soooo beautiful) Lulu bag! So this day-clutch bag thing is totally possible?
As for the killer shoes I recommend those: http://www.mywearforecast.com/?date=06.12.2014&style=BLOG (really, really bold but they go with all the favorite basics).
xx
Galina
have you heard of project 333? it’s a wardrobe challenge where you devise a wardrobe of 33 items for 3 months i.e. for winter, spring, summer and fall. i’ve been doing it for two seasons and i love it! i never want to go back to have a a closet that is jammed full of clothing. i feel better dressed, my wardrobe is easier to look after and i love everything in it
Now I feel so cool because I will be spending New Year on a beach also! (Puerto Rico :)) I’ve never been this happy and excited about New Year!
As long as there are places to go and people to see I feel like I have to show up wearing something new. Thank you for sharing how to look fabulous with beautiful basics!
LOVE this post. Thank you. I would definitely be interested in a post detailing your new make up looks/products, as well as the wardrobe basics. Happy Holidays!
ça sent la crise de la ….. avec une envie de grands changements et de tout simplifier, épurer, aérer et se débarrasser des futilités.
Bonjour Garance,
Je me sens exactement au même endroit que toi: c’est mon cher époux qui est content!
Pour ce qui est des Bompard, la Montréalaise en moi fut comblée quand j’ai découvert qu’ils livrent en Amérique ET que le prix du pull est réduit du coût de la livraison: wonderful! Amenez m’en 4… Dans des couleurs neutres bien sûr ;)
Hello,
oui à la simplicité. Côté sac, je suis une abominable collectionneuse. Comme une insatisfaction permanente. Le sac idéal n’existe pas. Un comble pour une fille qui a commencé à avoir un sac à main après 25 ans. Je reste nostalgique du “sans sac”, tout dans les poches. Et puis j’ai commencé à coudre. Et finalement, toutes mes petites affaires tiennent dans une trousse de 20X20 cm. Téléphone, porte monnaie, dermophile, brosse à dents,.. Pour les papiers et cartes, une petites trousse achetée à Ibiza, et hop! Résultat, un tout petit sac en cuir de 15X25cm. En fait, si je trouve un manteau avec des poches qui ferment, j’abandonne le sac à main.
Voilà une bonne résolution pour 2015! :)
Garance, sweetheart! If you really wanna do it cool and simple you get rid of the app… and just walk. Des bisous!!
The older I get the fewer things I accumulate or keep because of random attachment. I love shopping but rarely buy and try (with a good deal of success) to maintain the one in – one out rule about things that are worn frequently like sweaters, jeans, black pants, white blouses. I struggled to maintain a more simplified life/style until my early 40s…then it started to get easier all the time. Now in mid-50s it’s almost automatic. Good luck…it’s totally worth the effort and once done it requires some moderate attention.
less is less is more..
xxxx
new post up!
http://www.dominiquecandido.com
Excellent post, oui la simplification est la mode. Declutter le mot anglais a la mode. J’ai simplifié et decluterré à mort moi aussi.;)
Le projet 333, les blogs des Minimalists et Leo Babauta m’ont inspirée dans ce sens.
Moi aussi je vis avec trois pulls en cachemire Uniqlo l’hiver (noir, gris et bleu navy), et d’ailleurs, les Bompard, je n’y crois plus depuis un reportage sur la mondialisation du cachemire.
Je voyage super light et surtout, j’ai éliminé le fameux “au cas où” de ma vie quotidienne. Du coup, tout simplifier me permet de gagner du temps et de l’énergie pour l’essentiel, mes projets, et mes proches.
Pas toujours facile à faire mais très intéressant.
Christelle, ils résistent bien en usage intensif les cachemires Uniqlo ?
Less is more … avec un grand OUI ! Mais pourquoi cela ne marche-t-il pas en même temps : dans l assiette, dans le dressing, au boulot … et dans la tête ???? Ça arrive toujours un par un
I am impressed by your blog; you have a certain touch. I love keeping up my French by reading the posts in French. (Your French is simple, but you are not trying to write a novel.) I watched a few of your Pardon my French videos and I must say you seem more real and fresh than most of the women in fashion, both in Paris and NY, who are also featured in the clips. Your new haircut is tremendously better than that silly bun (have I offended yet?!). I have a similar cut and am close to your age, so I feel a certain kinship. it’s a shame however that I no longer live in a glamourous city. (I lived over ten years in Boston and Hamburg.) A saint Laurent Lulu would be pointless where I live. such a shame. I’m carrying a bordeaux Cole Haan from last year, but I hate the zipper closure. Plus I no longer have an exciting corporate job, I am “just” a stay-at-home mom trying to keep up with the styles of the times and make them work for my lifestyle (fashion is my sport). For the hair, I am considering growing out my pixie, however. I have good hair, really good hair, thick and pretty straight, never colored it in my life. Thinking of some kind of face-framing bob or longer, or long hair with bangs eventually. (Again…I’ve done all those cuts, I am constantly changing my hair. But I never wore buns.) I feel like my great hair is wasted on a pixie even if it does make me feel immediately chic and it lifts the face somehow and makes you stand out in the crowd of boring long hair (which, in reverse, pulls the face down and just looks sloppy, I think). But, long hair is nice in theory, but even great straight long hair can be such a pain, always in the way, looks so sloppy, you just want to tie it back. I don’t know. Your cut and style is so perfect for your hair. I don’t have the exact effect since my hair is not curly; my own interpretation rather. Oh goodness, too much sharing but will post anyway
J’aime la simplicité en général, que ce soit dans ma vie, ma relation aux autres et les vêtements que je porte.
Je suis vraiment dingue de vêtements depuis ma plus tendre enfance mais sans que ce soit quelque chose d’hystérique! Je peux faire du “shopping” une journée entière sans rien acheter en ayant le sentiment d’avoir passé un bon moment car le plaisir des yeux est pour moi plus important que le plaisir de posséder. Bon, j’avoue que parfois l’attraction est trop forte et je craque!
La plupart de mes vêtements sont intemporels et je peux les porter plusieurs années de suite.
J’aime cette idée (et cette action surtout) de retour aux choses simples dont tu parles et je pense que c’est vers cela que nous devons tous aller.
Très belle illustration!
Merci pour le partage!
Christine
ça fait longtemps que j’applique le principe de “non accumulation”. Dès que quelque chose ne sert pas ou ne sert plus
(vêtement, cosmétique, meuble, objets…) ça doit changer de propriétaire (je vends, je donne, je jette ou je recycle! )
Exit donc tout ce qui ne m’est pas utile. Une seule exception: les livres, dont je suis incapable de me défaire…
J’ai l’impression de m’entendre (dans ce cas, me lire !) surtout en ce qui concerne les bouquins.
Your line: “I like beautiful things and I think too many basics kill the basic.” is so true!
And your timing is perfect. I was going to spend far less on a nice but not special winter coat that I didn’t really like instead of the fabulously gorgeous forever coat that I love but that is three times the price.
I’ve decided I can easily live on zucchini for a month (except Christmas Day obviously) in order to buy the one I love. Decision made.
Merci beaucoup! Et bonne vacances!
Ca fait 2 ans que je ne porte plus de sac, rien, nada. Pas besoin de sac juste pour des clés, le portable, et un mini porte monnaie. Au pire je prends de temps à autre une mini pochette.
La vie est vraiment plus légère sans sac ! Plus besoin de perdre du temps, à s’énerver, à chercher ses clés au fond du gouffre. Plus de mal à l’épaule. Plus d’encombrement pour faire du shopping. J’ai les mains libre, je suis LIBRE !
A essayer !
Cela fait plusieurs fois que je te lis te plaindre de mal de dos, et c’est vrai que c’est vraiment pénible ce truc ! Mis à part ce gaver de paracétamol ou plus fort on a l’impression de ne jamais s’en sortir. J’étais comme toi, j’ai même du porter un corset pour me soulager pendant quelques semaines, tu peux imaginer le problème du slim + chemise dans le slim + talons avec un tel truc. Et puis fini le yoga, pareil que toi, alors que cela me détendait.
Alors que je pensais que cela être un calvaire pour pas mal de temps, mon kiné m’a recommandé le power plate. Je me suis “Mouais, le truc de Mado d ‘il y a 15 ans”, pour moi qui déteste le sport et qui ne supporte pas une goutte de sueur sur le front, impossible ! Bon j’ai testé quand même car j’avais vraiment mal et les anti-douleurs plus forts me déglinguaient l’esprit sans parler de ma peau.
Bon résultat, après 6 mois à raison de 2 séances de 45 mn par semaine j’avais retrouvé un dos solide et je ne prenais même plus un doliprane. Vraiment si tu as du temps à prendre pour ton dos, teste ça avec un bon coach, c’est le meilleur truc que j’ai offert à mon dos. Et puis mes fesses ont aimé aussi au passage …
Pour le reste slow … ralentir et apprécier …
While I still think pilates is the best workout, I now alternate it with 7 minutes HIIT. I read all about in Dr. Michael Mosey’s FastExercise book. I think you’d like it.
See you around in MB, then!
OMG…all I think about….simplifying.
(Sidebar re:bags…just bought my “one” a McQueen mini padlock. Wallet, phone, sunglasses, mints. Lipstick. Love…for the millennium)
Garance…you’re perfect. This post made me smile and sums up my current life philosophy and problems with said current life philosophy.
xx you’re lovely
Great post, and so true (all but for yoga giving you pain for your back, it should be hepling in fact, right?)! I’ve not been using a real wallet for quite some time now. The last time I had to change one, I thought “I should be more sublime and buy myself a beautiful feminine wallet”. After looking through quite few I left with …a key puch again. It has a bigger pocket for cards and cash, and a small one for change.I feel like completely trending now, ha!
Eh bien je pense que la simplicité est tout simplement dans l’air du temps. Une grande majorité d’entre nous a besoin de se retrouver, retrouver des valeurs, retrouver les siens… Le stress qui nous entoure, la course à la performance, nous attirent vers un désir de confort et de tranquillité. Je pense, que c’est tout simplement comme vouloir une écharpe quand il fait froid.
(PS: depuis 2008 c’est mon 1er commentaire sur ton blog, j’en profite donc pour te souhaiter de très bonnes, et simples, fêtes de fin d’année! Et merci. )
I Love simplicity! I have always been this way since a long time ago maybe , because my mother is the same way !
As usual I agree not only with you but all of your lovely readers as well! Walking is the best, and I agree, even better without the pedometer! I’ve always felt so uncool in that I just don’t get yoga. When I take a yoga class, I just count the minutes until the class is over because I find it so uncomfortable :-).
I must say, one can go overboard on simplicity. For example, in My Town USA, pretty much everyone dresses the same, men and women alike. Not only is it boring, but a little depressing, too. Interestingly, I’ve found a direct relationship to the way people dress and their manners.
So I will probably be permanently kicked off the Garance Dore comment section for saying this, lol, :-), but after working with the public for several months this summer, I realized that jeans really don’t look good on anyone, no matter how young or slim. So I saved one pair for gardening, and did an exhaustive search for everyday pants that could hold up to basic chores and errands while still being presentable. Guess what? I ended up with the Lands End (gasp! a brand that has probably NEVER been mentioned on Garance Dore!) 7-day twill pants. I wear these with a t-shirt or sweater around the house, and dress them up with a nice scarf and jacket or coat when I leave the house.
Now, of course, they are only for around the house and running errands, not for professional or social occasions, or for going to Mass, but still, I feel like I’m a little more feminine and civilized when I wear them!
Love to you and all your employees and readers this holiday season, Garance :-).
Garance, eat pray love :)
. bon voyage sweet girl .
Je ne me suis pas encore mise à la simplification générale de ma vie mais ton article me donne franchement envie de mettre ça au top de ma liste de bonnes résolutions 2014 !
http://lattesanssucre.com
Le blog à boire au bureau
Awesome post. Now I just have to try and imitate. Just got all my winter storage stuff delivered and I am under a pile of clothes.
Garance, you really are, as has been said a thousand times before and will be said another thousand times after, absolutely delightful.
I’m smiling ear to ear and wishing we were real-life pals. Beauty’s rich core is elegance is simplicity.
<3
Well done. I went to Paris for three days and took just my handbag (the largest one I own). A few changes of underwear, skinny pants, cashmere sweater, scarf, lipstick, concealer , toothbrush. It was liberating not dragging all that ‘stuff’ with me. You do get strange looks going through customs and checking into your hotel without luggage. It felt fabulous and a bit grown up.
Garance, how can you simplify and keep this blog? you feature things multiple times a day and are an editor of sorts for this blog. Scott pulled an oxymoron by declaring his blog is not a street style blog when he started posting pictures in India. And you just published a gift guide of things. Lots of things. I wonder how you do it ? Resist things while recommending things to others? I find it extremely hard to do. I have been on this path and its hard.
But that being said, good luck on this journey of yours.
If yoga is breaking your back, then, its not the right kind for you. Or its too much. Its supposed to be built upon gradually. Maybe one on one session for a few months ?
I need the beauty post. Please.
I am slowly working on editing my closet and my life. Slowly but trying. Great post!
Great post. I love this one youtube channel called fitnessBlender.
I do their workouts and I love them and I am so much stronger.
I have nothing to do with them:) just spreading the word.
Cheers!
I think the thing with stuff, is that it leaves no space for your feelings to get through. As if you’re insulated. So, when you simplify things you simply ask yourself ‘what do i feel like eating/wearing/doing today’, and you have the space to do just that! No clutter stopping you following that line towards the destination. I have just moved far away from home for a few months, so could take only a suitcase. But i feel so peaceful and free- i’m kind of dreading going home. My life is pretty simple, but i love it! Let’s start a movement Garance! X
Yes! I love this! I have been simplifying too. With clothes, beauty I’ve been paring down to only what I really like and making do with only what I have. It’s plenty! It’s good to feel you already have everything you need.
I regret to say that this thing about suddenly wanting to clear out and live with less is a sign of getting older (scratch that) — being a grown up. The 20s and early 30s are all about acquisition: you start out with nothing — little apartment etc and you need to buy everything. By the time you hit your mid 30s you want to cut out the things that you don’t want/use and that are no longer “you” and live with less. Wait until your 40s — it gets worse. And in your 50s, you don’t want anything anymore. Everything you’ve ever owned you want to get rid of and buy new.
Also, the back issue with yoga: again, a sign that you are no longer 25. Pilates will be your friend from now on.
It’s so sad, but other good things will come along as time passes and you will appreciate these more. Welcome to being a grown up!
Hello Garance,
I’ve been dipping in and out of your blog for a few years now (ever since an ill-faited love affair with a man from Toulouse!) and this is the first time I have commented. I love this post. I have been retraining to be a teacher, whilst working and bringing up my son alone. In my spare time I love to write and to do this I need my life to be as uncluttered as possible! We are moving to a smaller home during the first few weeks of January 2015 (whilst I am teaching) so…I am on a major declutter mission. I’d love to read your beauty post (and a post on buying a great pair of jeans!).
Lisa
p.s. for the past five summers I have taken my 9 year old son to Labenne Ocean, just north of Biarritz. We love to cycle through the Landes forest and spend time body surfing the waves in the Atlantic. Enjoy the surf in Costa Rica. Bon courage!
C’est très contagieux cette vague de simplicité. En faisait beaucoup de tri chez moi, je me suis rendue compte à quel point se débarrasser du superflu faisait beaucoup plus de bien qu’une séance shopping ! Toutes ces choses qu’on garde “au cas ou” nous complique la vie. Pour les habits je me contente d’une gamme de couleurs et de coupes, bien sûr on fait toujours quelques écarts.
Pour la nourriture je suis devenue accro aux “One pot meal” (allez voir sur Pinterest). Plus que trop d’ingrédients c’est le trop de casseroles qui me rebute. La c’est simple on met tout dans sa cocote en fonte et le mélange des saveurs est délicieux !
Ma salle de bains et ses produits sont ma prochaine cible !
Simplest thing on your list is walking (outside): real time, analog, grounded in senses, possibly near everywhere with no equipment. You don’t need a pedometer. Your heartbeat and breathing frequence indicate impact more simply. ; )
Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien :-) Ce que j’ai avant tout simplifié et cadré, c’est le rythme de mes journées. Je fonctionne par “blocs” de travail et j’ai besoin d’enchaîner de manière organisée si je ne veux pas me perdre donc : matin et aprèm boulot / fin d’aprèm, pause avec P’tit Bichon (prendre l’air, retaper nos meubles…) et soir, apéritif et dîner.
Après ce n’est pas pour être à la mode mais la simplicité s’impose à moi vu que je travaille de chez moi (pas encore de beau bureau new-yorkais comme toi mais ça viendra :-). Je m’habille juste dans des fringues qui me font du bien sans me soucier de l’extérieur : un jean, un pull, un bun dans les cheveux et toujours le teint.
Pour les repas, c’est pareil, pause sandwiches frais à 3 ingrédients max avec une salade de chou chinois et le soir un peu amélioré.
J’ai (encore!!!) adoré ton article Garance. Tes expériences de vie sont si proches des autres, si authentiques. Bravo !
Ahah, je réagis tard, mais contente de voir que je suis enfin dans la mode… Disons que j’ai le souci inverse: j’aime être jolie et apprêtée mais j’ai un côté “pratique et pragmatique” qui prend toujours le dessus, ce qui fais qu’en vacances je finis toujours à côté de copines apprêtées et moi en basket (somme tout jolie les baskets et qui vont avec mes tenues certes mais bon) juste parce que je me suis dis en faisant ma valise que ça prendra moins de place et adaptable à tout type d’activité que 3 paires de pompes…
Sinon, le trie ça me prend régulièrement, surtout en déménageant souvent…(et en ayant deux soeurs preneuses de tout ;) )
J’ai l’esprit d’escalier et je réagis encore plus tard mais… une note quand même: simplicité de look ne rime pas nécessairement avec une armoire vide…bien au contraire! C’est l’erreur que je faisais pendant longtemps et au final rien n’allait avec rien…jusqu’au jour où j’ai connu une amie toujours bien sapé, “simplement” mais avec toujours les bonnes chaussures, accessoires etc. Pour au final constater (oui bon je suis naïve) que chez elle, son armoire était pleine…parce que une paire de chaussure peut aller avec tout (?) mais ne FAIS pas un LOOK, même simple…
Vive la simplicité!
Si tu veux approfondir le sujet, as-tu lu “L’art de la simplicité” de Dominique Loreau? Ce livre a changé ma vie, il est merveilleux et met des mots justes et simple sur ce besoin de simplicité, et sur comment y arriver.
Une belle lecture, à faire sous un bon plaid, un excellent thé à la main.
Haha clairement cette notion de simplicité est toute relative… En lisant ce post, j’ai l’impression que tu te rapproches de ma vie que je qualifierais de “normale”. Sauf cette histoire de Costa Rica. Si c’est ca ta vision d’un nouvel an simple, je me demande vraiment à quoi ca ressemble quand c’est compliqué…
Well, you are playing my kind of music now :-).
It has been a while since I started to simplify my life and my wardobe. The speed, the rate of consumption, the ethics or lack of it in fashion industtry… it all made me think. Now, I never go shopping without a list of things I really NEED to buy (including clothes). The result? I am healthier (eating better), slimmer, have more time and my wardobe consists of small amount of good quality clothes which I enjoy wearing. I believe slow life or simple life is a major trend now, just look at the amount of blogs or books on the subject. One more thing: I think once you start to simplify your life you will never come back to what was. It is absolutely liberating.
To simplify my life would be my new year’s resolution. Although for awhile now I try to make changes in my life according to the Dominique Loreau books. I must admit that simplicity makes me happier :)
What a fabulous piece Garance! The travel bit resonates with me in particular. Because I travel so often I was forced to streamline my luggage to a small luggage. At first I had a small carry on but now I got so carried away that I ca just put everything I need in my old battered Mulberry Bayswater. Make up? Bronzer and lipstick. My Gypsy Water perfumes. Two cashmere jumpers and two grey tees. Tablet. Leather pants. Done.
Ana
http://www.champagnegirlsabouttown.co.uk
“en bonne Française, j’adore qu’on m’envoie sur les roses au premier rendez-vous” : j’ai adoré, si vrai ! On adore être bousculé.
J’ai un beau sac, Laurence Doligé pour Minelli. De l’année dernière. Qualité dingue. On ne le voit nulle part. Même genre que ton Lulu. Rigide, petit, noir, mat.
What else ?
Ah si, à venir un Vanessa Seward pour APC, même sobriété
helloooo!
Is the Uniqlo cashmere a good quality one?
thanks :) :) :)
C’est une tendance générale car la société nous complique la vie.
Acheter 5 pulls d’un coup, c’est du minimalisme à l’américaine, ha,ha…
La semaine dernière j’ai écrit un post sur les vêtements, ici:
http://modadiandrea.blogspot.com/2014/11/textile-business.html
Dernière obsession minimaliste: enter the game by Dior:
http://modadiandrea.blogspot.com/2014/12/ovni-dior.html
I think this was the best post I’ve read on this blog and I ususally love all the posts! It has probably to do with the fact that my husband and I decided to downsize everything – we sold our huge house and bought a detached house (well, it has three floors and 140 sqm…but the house was 265 sqm) and we sold the boat and some cars (we have…ehhrmm…three cars now). We also changed jobs, to companies that value work-life-balance so we now have more time to spend with our children and with eachother. We go to the gym together every saturday and sunday morning while the children are asleep (they are teenagers so the sleep long :-)). I just haven’t been able to downsize my wardrobe…I sold off a lot before we moved but I have bought new clothing after that and I am now probably on plus rather than minus there…but I think I’ll try to not buy any more stuff and instead use what I have. And I have enough to say the least…I have also started to give much more to charity. Even if I live in Sweden and we have one of the best welfare systems in the world, we still have homeless people and poor people, and I also give to UNICEF and other global organizations. That gives me much more happiness, satisfaction and meaning than the emptiness I feel of giving to those who already have so much, like myself or people around me. That short instant pleasure which dies almost instantly when the item reaches my closet…
I’m sm becoming a minimalist. And it is so strange, the less you have, the more you have the feeling if having a lot. Since I reduced my closet, I never have the problem if not having anything to wear. Makeup wise I was already quite simple, you don’t need much, just what makes you look better. Good, I’m Italian, I like simple and high quality. The app sounds rad, going to try it. One thing I am not having and that is finding Homeland annoying, bags, love it so much, this season rocks!!
Simona
Lake&Moon Fall capsule wardrobe
des fois les choses simple sont les meilleurs , si tu as le dernier iPhone avec l’app sante qui est dedans il calcule t’est pas aussi et tu pers rien me je pense que tu dois déjà le savoir
j’ai juste une question pour quoi quand on clic sur le nom du sac on le voie plus mes juste les poste en lien des la marque que tu as déjà écrie
j’adore ton blog c’est mn petit rituel de la journée
I have been on the minimalist bandwagon for a few years. It started slowly. Moving helps the cause. I followed a friend who participated in Project 333, and I enjoyed the simple fact that she looked great with so few pieces of clothing. I recently picked up a book by Marie Kondo (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), and it’s been amazing!
Ha ouai le yoga te fait mal au dos ?! Moi qui veut me mettre au yoga parce que j’ai mal au dos… #laminutedudoute
Bon pour le sport, ça me semble pas encore complètement épuré ;p et pour l’angoisse du maillot post-Noël, pour simplifier au max à mon avis, il faudrait juste s’en foutre :D Il va falloir aller chercher de l’inspiration du côté de chez Lena Dunham ;-) Et m’est avis qu’avec ce qu’on a vu de ta fit silhouette pour la campagne Zara, tu peux te détendre…
Bises chère Garance !
xoxo
http://www.mademoiselleeuge.com
Garance … Cette transformation, ce besoin de simplicité, de dépouillement, de légèreté, de se retrouver seule un peu plus souvent … Je le voyais venir dans tes posts .. Ce n est pas seulement une conséquence d une rupture. C est surtout une preuve que l on s aime et qu on a besoins de prendre soin de nous, pour mieux “grandir” et continuer … J m excuse de toucher a ta vie privée mais il me semble que Scott prend un peu le même chemin… Ses derniers posts en Inde sont magnifiques et sont la preuve que lui aussi il grandit .. Merci encore une fois pour tes posts qui sont un peu comme le journal intime que nous avions l habitude d écrire .
Hi Garance,
Really liked this post. One of my life goals is to have fewer but better things. I want every piece to be completely special. I don’t buy anything that I don’t absolutely love. So none of that, “Well, I’m going out next week I should get a new something…I guess this dress looks okay.” Nope, nope, nope.
Now the challenge is weeding out all of the un-specials that I’ve accumulated in the past. Letting go is hard though…
Cheers!
Hello there,
As a 10 years surfer, I can give you a top or 2 for your next trip.
Push-ups are fine ! Try also some interval training (that will include push-ups but also some triceps push) Nike Training Center App is really good at it and helped me a lot to maintain between surf sessions. Don’t forget your legs, most people think surfing is only about the arm while legs are really important to keep your balance on the board and do turns.
Good luck and send us some surf pics from Costa Rica, of you of course and of the spots, I am always hunting for the next destination to take my board to.
Nahid.
Moroccan Surfer Girl.
Moi aussi je suis minimaliste ;) ce post me fait plaisir :) merci :)
Laughing out loud while reading this blog, your posts in particular, is the main reason I have stuck by you over the years. I love this post! I struggle between over-simplifying everything or over-complicating it all. It’s never easy with me; I suffer from extremes!! In any event I’ve been trying to simplify my wardrobe ever since you posted on that but I think I ended up buying more stuff with the justification being, I have to throw out old stuff. . . you know what, it’s complicated. I’ll have to get back to you on this simplifying topic. Great post! :)
What about simplicity in terms of your home? xx
Hey G! Great post :)
In the world of having “too much” choices to choose from and being influenced by marketing on every f# corner…it is only the matter of time, to put pause on it…and rething right? What is actually important in life… or am i being overwelmed by all the stuff? And I am not saying, we should all have just 3 jeans (I love beautiful things too and find myself windowshoopping quite often) but will accumulating stuff and material things make me/us happy-ier?
I believe western world should definitely be more sustainable in that way too! It would for sure benefit us on the long run.. So, i applaud you Garance…many of us should follow you… Having a few items, and those with a “special” meaning..
((But hey, you should eat more than just zuciini! (I often make them just like that hhihi))
Have a great time in Costa Rica!!! Looking forward to your posts, kisses
Pareil, j’ai beaucoup simplifié ma vie depuis 1 an. Apprendre à se délester du superflu est très libérateur, c’est là qu’on se rend compte à quel point la société de consommation est un cercle vicieux. Et qu’est ce qu’on accumule des choses inutiles, c’est incroyable… Depuis que j’ai arrêté de vouloir ceci ou cela et que je me pose la vrai question “Est-ce que j’en ai besoin ?” tout est beaucoup plus simple et facile à vivre.
Personnellement ce sont d’abord les livres de Dominique Loreau qui m’ont amené sur ce chemin : “L’art de la simplicité”, “L’art de la frugalité et de la volupté”.
Ensuite j’ai apprécié “L’art du désencombrement” de Alice Le Guiffant et Laurence Paré.
Et bien sur le très inspirant Pierre Rabhi et son “Vers la sobriété heureuse”.
Bompard livre aux US ! http://www.eric-bompard.com/?gclid=COaVkfO4rcICFQcQaQodIlwAJQ#
Les portes cartes Smython contiennent bien plus qu’ils ne le laissent paraitre ! Du coup, meme plus besoin de sac du tout !
Une tres grande fan
Garance, you are so funny. “I felt like I walked for nothing.” Hilarious!
kszumk
Garance you always make me laugh so much! Everything here is so true – especially about the pedometer app! I have a Fitbit and whenever it stuffs up I’m like ‘damn, I bloody ran all those kms for nothing!’
Keep being amazing!
Côté sac bizarrement moi qui a toujours eu des grands sacs, maintenant je ne supporte plus, j’ai envie de sacs plus petits ou pochettes
I have lived on a small island in the Pacific for 25 years. Prior to moving here, I lived in Manhattan and worked on Wall Street for 10 years. I have always been a fashion and design buff….but wasn’t quite sure how to make it work for me in NYC …. AND, pay the rent. When i decided to move to the island, i was prepared mentally (not financially;),but willing to work at anything. There are few fancy jobs here.
Early on here, I was working at a chic shop of collectibles, vintage/antique furniture, and cool new things. One day a woman came in to the store, frantic. We had just weathered a cat. 5 hurricane about two-ish years previously…and her contractor husband had just finished a huge (for the time), fancy spec house he had started before the storm hit. They needed to sell that house immediately…Almost impossible in such a short time after massive storm, and not that kind of buyer in sight. There was nothing in the house…the staging profession did not exist yet..and here, one doesn’t just run to a staging store..there are none. So..we agreed to pull together whatever we could round up in a couple of days….and my job was to ‘make it work’…fast! The house was BIG. There was no way to create the feel of warmth,style it needed with what she had on hand. Next day a miracle happened and someone who was moving from the island offered her a stuffed container..they decided not to ship (expensive) of their newish, very nice furnishings and accessories for 1,000 bucks. It worked. The real estate agent came by the day after it was finished……and it sold at the first showing for the highest price ever paid for a house here at the time. Then the word got around about what I did, and I just kept it up. Yes, there are plenty of high end design jobs/mainland and island designers….but nothing happens quick…especially back then….shipping is always a big deal. So the design jobs I got after that, I usually just said ….”pull out everthing you’ve got in the middle of one big room, we’ll fill in any blanks from shops…and I’ll get to work.
Somehow…over the years i’ve applied the same principle to clothing. Like many of you I have a decent eye for good thrift stuff (lots of stylish women have homes here and donate to thrift stores. …so, I have a pretty neat wardrobe). ..But my weight goes up and down a few dress sizes too often. A friend of mine lost weight due to illness, and was happy with her new size, but she said, “i’m not getting rid of my size 12’s”! I thought that was a great approach….for me too. Also, i have an extra bedroom.. smallish..that i call my closet (no it is not kitted out as one..at all). Then i just got tired of hanging, stuffing things back in drawers….and just began to make separate piles of all my clothing…skirts, tees, pants, shirts, purses. etc. It’s the concept of an open walk-in…but ok, ok… ‘slightly’ organized chaos…(messier). There’s nothing i love more than putting an outfit together, in a new way …….., and now I love this ‘system’. I can actually see everything! I may start out with a skirt….and run it visually by the various specific piles, ….and whalla! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come up with a new outfit/combo…that never would have happened if it were all organized…and stuffed in closets and drawers. Such joy!.I get compliments often…i think Jenna would approve be pleased too. The piles don’t bother me a wit…i just close the door. If i’m not using something, i donate. A kitted out walk in would be great..but this works too, if you have some space and close the door:). This too, is a peaceful and happy surrender . And, no, it’s not hoarder level….my very tidy and ‘opinionated’ daughter is looking over my shoulder, and is on alert to probably to call the hoarder police, if she disapproves …or most likely, wants something for herself…… huruump.
Huge congrats on finishing your book Garance! We ALL can;t wait to get our copy. What a FORCE you are indeed, my dear garance! Fantastic!
totaly understand you!!!!! Do the same the last 6 months – “downsizing & simplizing”. I’m a future mammie und mammies don’t have too much time…
Thank you for the tip on the Uniqlo sweaters! I’ve been trying hard to find a great brand for nice basic sweaters.
There’s this great blog called Art of Simple http://theartofsimple.net/ that I’ve been reading lately. They have some wonderful ideas and encouragement for living less encumbered!
Speaking of Uniqlo sweaters, I currently own 2 of their merino wool sweaters (teal and grey) and they are great for fall/winter. In the fall, I can eke out an existence without a coat, and in winter I don’t have to wear too many layers since the sweater is thick enough :)
And yes, I’d love to hear about the two make-up looks that Tatyana has created for you!
YES YES! #livingbetterwithless
I love zucchini, but this is not the right season for eating them, just in the summer please!!!!
For me the concept of simplicity is related with the lifestyle. I went through the phase of working hectic hours, not having time for anything (even a proper meal or a good night of sleep) and being utterly miserable. When my body revolted, I said “enough”. 8 years later, I still go though periods when I need to meet a deadline and sacrifice this and that, but I make damn sure that it happens only from tome to time and that it does not become a usual thing.
There are things that are very important for me, and they are quite un-sophisticated – hearty breakfasts with my family, eaten without rush, composed of savoury and healthy food; running and working out (Garance, if yoga was bad for your back, maybe there was something wrong with the class! Either way – exercises for your butt muscles and abs should really help for any back pains you might be experiencing); eating a good lunch; spending time with my 4-years old – talking, playing, preparing food together, reading books, cuddling; spending time with my husband; meeting my friends and keeping in touch with those who live far away; reading books. I’d rather read a book in a bath, sipping a nice herbal tea, than go to a spa. I’d rather prepare dinner at home and have a glass of wine, than go to a club. Etc., etc. I do not want to sound old or boring, but I look at life realistically – a day has 24 hours. There are only so many things that I am able to fit in. I needed to prioritise and learn that I cannot have it all. Once it has become my natural approach, life became easier and simpler and the constant need to have new things (whether a 10th scented body balm or a 10th pair of high heeled sandals, that were killing my back and my feet at the same time and that I had worn maybe twice, before they started gathering dust on a shelf) became much weaker than before. The crucial thing was to ansfer myself: what do I like / enjoy the most? What are the most important things for me? It turned out that relations with other people (my husband, friends, family) and my health were on top of the list. The other choices that I’ve made (e.g. career, diet, exercise) were simply an effect of prioritising.
Oh, by the way, I’d love to know more about two make-up versions from Tatyana!
Seeking simplicity is not surprising, I respect that. But why has the website become so complicated lately? I find it cumbersome, the way the photos scroll, and I really miss the old site.
Ah, ah, ah! Je me permets de glisser l’adresse de mon blog parce qu’il traite exactement de cette thématique: http://www.lavienplusimple.com
I love simplifying! I have just tried to simplify my makeup and cosmetics, and got rid of so much stuff. Now the goal is to only have those few products that I actually use on a regular basis. It is so much easier to get ready in the morning when I don’t have tons of products and just a simple rutine! Love it! My closeth is next… But I think simplifying the wardrobe is sooo difficult, because for that you need the PERFECT basics, and those are the hardest to find…
GARANCE!!!
This was absolutely lovely and inspiring. Please show us what you got at the beauty counter!
simplicite : aller au costa rica , s’acheter 5 pulls, avoir 1 make up artist et porter 1 sac saint laurent ….
ce n’est pas de la simplicité c’est du luxe. et tout le monde aime le luxe.
la simplicité pour beaucoup de personnes est loin de ce que tu décrit. belle illustration comme toujours . merci
Bravo pour cette article Garance, c’est exactement ce que vous décrivez qui m’a poussé à créer ma petite marque de lunettes “SIMPLE.”. A la différence de beaucoup d’autres, vous m’avez toujours plu justement pour cette simplicité, trop rare de nos jours.
Stéphane
Les pulls Uniqlo j’hésite car ça fait déjà 2 avec de la laine qui bouloche ? Le dernier, bleu marine col rond, simplicity, je ne l’ai même pas encore lavé qu’il a déjà quelques bouloches (en plus devant, au niveau de la poitrine ?). C’est dommage car j’adore Uniqlo mais je ne vais pas tenter un 3ème pull.
Garance, yoga was killing my back too! I found that once I stopped all inversions, I could do it again. So while everyone in the class is struggling to get into a shoulder stand, or head stand, etc. I just do whatever move feels good for me (lots of child’s pose for me : ) and then meet back up with everyone else when all of that inversion silliness is over. I had a yoga teacher friend tell me she doesn’t even like to do inversions because they are dangerous and no one does them right!
^ What Leigh said! ^ So many people do yoga poses incorrectly (mainly because most teachers don’t emphasize enough the importance of proper alignment), and if a certain pose is not feeling good, and/or is causing pain, you need to back out of the pose.
I’m very flexible, so I can get into a pose like Upward Bow (i.e. Wheel) pose. But just because I can do it, doesn’t mean I should, especially when I haven’t been practicing much and my muscles are a little weak from being out of practice. I usually stick to Bridge pose, because it’s so much gentler on my back. Even a seemingly simple pose like Upward-Facing Dog can be really taxing on your back (Cobra works better for me), and you really should be sure you’re doing it correctly (most people don’t), otherwise you end up using other (i.e. wrong) muscles to compensate. It’s really important to have the right teacher who will be emphatic about proper alignment and will slowly guide you into a pose the right way – usually by introducing other, smaller poses that build on top of each other.
Très bon article qui correspond bien à mes envies de simplicité depuis quelques temps, même si en tant qu’étudiante à Paris les choix ne sont pas toujours faciles (avoir le temps et l’argent de manger sain par exemple, tout comme faire du sport de façon régulière…)
En tout cas, en ce qui concerne le Costa Rica, je pense qu’à trois semaines du Nouvel an vous avez déjà trouvé votre lieu de résidence, mais je ne peux pas m’empêcher de vous conseiller le Shawandha Lodge qui est géré par une membre de ma famille !
Garance j’ai oublié de te dire que j’adore ces grandes photos qui défilent dans les articles, c’est de toute beauté
yoga hurts my back too! The solution is adult beginner ballet classes. So much fun, and it’s my 90 minutes a week to be as unabashedly goofy as I like without any embarrassment.
yes yes yes – great post! i’m all about more simplicity and more intentionality this year. :)
xo, cheyenne
Nice resolution! I gues you meant to say “I want to look simple” because what you’re describing is not simplicity. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting the ‘look’ of simplicity. As a fashion blogger I imagine it would be impossible to live simple :)
HAhaha on vous prépare un post sur la contemplation dans le genre minimalisme et simplicité ! ;) C’est vendredi, qui veut vient!
http://www.interiordesign-paris.com
G, please do tell us all about the beauty routine! I have simplified mine, but I still catch myself wanting to add more. And yes, minimal is trendy right now, but maybe because it’s really striking a chord with people. We have TOO MUCH STUFF!!!
Please share the makeup you chose! This is basically how I live and eat but you have given me ideas to polish it up!