we'll always have paris

Wearing: Zara top (similar) and heels (similar here and here) / H&M skirt (similar) / Céline sunglasses (high street alternative) and bag (high street alternative) / ILIA Beauty lipstick in 'Wild Child' / Kure Bazaar nail polish in 'Caicos'

Red lipstick and stripes is a combination that has always struck me as French. Ergo, the title of this post, which is a famous line in the film Casablanca. Stripes are versatile: they can be dressed up or down and either way, they look chic. I deliberately picked a top with navy blue and white stripes rather than black and white stripes. This is because I didn't want the outfit to be too matchy-matchy as the sunglasses, skirt and shoes are black in colour as well. The bright red lipstick and bag add some pops of colour that break up the monochromy of the outfit. In accordance with the French theme, I wanted to keep the outfit as classic and simple as possible, so I opted for fuss-free accessories that aren't flashy but still beautiful in their simplicity. Hence, the cat eye sunglasses, streamlined bag and minimal heels. I'm really into single-sole heeled sandals with thin straps at the moment. They're elegant yet effortless. These Zara ones look like the Saint Laurent Classic Jane heeled sandals but cost a fraction of the price. Although they're not the most comfortable to walk in (heels without platforms usually aren't), I'm hoping to break them in. The bright mint nail polish on my toenails is a bit jarring in relation to the red, white, black and navy blue colour palette, but sometimes it's the little unexpected surprises that end up making an outfit.