On Christmas, as I took my first steps into Paris at the Charles de Gaulle airport. So began my family’s holiday trip to Paris, where we would spend the next few days eating, shopping, and celebrating the New Year.
My mother, brother, and I caught a taxi, relieved that a kind taxi driver offered to drive us to our hotel for 120 euros. Sitting in the cab, I checked my Uber app and realized the trip only cost 60 euros. All three of us were annoyed. So far, Paris was not what I had expected.
But as we passed the captivating old French buildings and department stores, my frustration subsided. The locals walking by the luxurious buildings made me realize why France is the leading country in the fashion industry. Somehow, they looked more elegant walking in the same clothes we wore.
As it stands, France serves as one of the world’s fashion capitals. To put some context in, in the late 17th century, Louis XIV believed that all classes of people should look at fashion as a means of personal expression and individualization. By centering France in the textile trade business and making France a country known for its fashion industry, Louis XIV succeeded in making France a leader in fashion. Calling himself the “Sun King,” he used his authority and money to improve the fashion industry massively. So, it only made sense that our family had planned to go to several famous department stores, outlets, and fashion streets to experience it firsthand.
As we entered one of the department stores, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, a gigantic Christmas monument welcomed us. A tall statue of a very skinny Santa Claus leaned on a luminous Christmas tree wrapped in pink lighting and silver strips. Each floor had countless well-known and luxurious stores known just by hearing their names. It was incomparable to any other department store I had experienced in USA and Korea.
Another outdoor shopping center that surprised me was La Vallé Village. The taxi driver who overcharged us told us about it, which made the money we had paid as naive tourists worthwhile. Various old-looking, luxurious one-story houses, which were stores, were placed all along the long hallways. It was an elegant place for travelers to shop at a significantly discounted price. I tried on countless clothes as if it were the last time I would ever visit.
The fashion of the French is chic. From casual attire to workout gear, it is clear that they are native the fashion world. While scrolling on YouTube, I saw a short describing how French people can recognize whether someone is French. They can identify each other since they share a similar fashion sense, which is always current with trends. They said they could even detect someone pretending to be French and speaking in English to them.
Although Paris is filled with magnificent art, leaving out the amazing cuisine wouldn’t do it justice. We dined at well-known restaurants enjoyed by locals.
My most memorable restaurant was Le Relais de I’Entrecôte, where the steak frites were unlimited once you ordered. It was a traditional restaurant with antique and sophisticated furniture and professional and dignified servers.
The unique thing about Le Relais de I’Entrecôte is that it only offers one main course, and you don’t have a choice of others. The course consisted of a basic salad, steaks, fries dipped in green mustard sauce, and creme brûlée—which melted in my mouth like cotton candy although a bit greasy. Some might say the menu is too simple or ask why no vegetables are served with the steak. However, as an anti-vegetable person, the menu fit me perfectly.
In addition to elegant restaurants, Paris is home to amazing bakeries where you can taste distinctive and crispy breads and pastries . I realized the baguettes I had eaten before—stiff and hard— were disingenuous to the artisanship of France’s baked goods. The baguettes in Paris were flawless and even better without any jams.
Each bakery had long lines as creamy and sugary smells filled the insides of each store. The bread was an appropriate sweetness with flaky crumbs but also moist and tender inside, secreting more dopamine in my brain and tingling my salivary gland.
