Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Paris Fashion-Things haven't changed much

I wrote this in the 60s:

Happily there seems to be no one look on the streets of Paris this season. The nearst thing to a uniform are the beautiful bulky knitted sweaters(usually one of a kind) worn with jeans or narrow pants.The most popular scents are Saint Laurents, "Opium"and Sonia Rykiel's newly introduced "Seventh Sens." Hemlines run from kneecap to mid-calf and the pant length refreshingly ranges from just below the knee to just above the ankle.

I spotted a few baggy jeans and exagerated shoulders. these esoteric styles are left to the runways. Occassionaly you'll spy a model wearing theiry Mugler or Claudee Montana but in general the average Parisienne is chic, neat and conservative.

In the Latin Quarter, the ethnic look prevails. Everyone is wearing Indian dresses and tops or the still popular university sweatshirt. Over in Les Halles in the cafes and restaurants that dot the Beaubourg, you'll see Paris fashion at it's best. The Forum at Les Halles is a new huge complex of boutiques-all expensive, but nothing in paris is a bargain. Luckily for me who hates high heels I was able to buy some low dressy shoes and choose from a large collection at Charles jourdan and Maud Frison. Kenzo showed flat-flat-heeled shoes with his clothes at his delightful new shop at 3 Place des Victoires. It's crammed with his clothes that I don't see in Boston. Lovely Victorian cotton Damask blouses and dresses cut in the same style were my favorites. There's also a basement full of markdowns. Kenzo threatens to come out with a perfume called King Kong. Two of his sidekicks helped me with my selections. Shopping for a change was really fun. Maybe we out to hire male salespeople here.

Frankly fake furs are everywhere in Paris, especially hats and scarfs. I bought a chenille one at the trendy Dorothy Bis. The one fashion note I didn't like: lots of women have colored their hair the peculiar red shade worn by Régine, initiator of the disco club. Régine is starring in the charming film Robert et Robert. If disco goes out of fashion she can turn to acting. She's exceptionally good in her role.

The "Palace "is the Studio 54 of Paris and is the best disco I've ever danced in. The special effects alone make it worth an evening. It's a grand old theater. The upper balcony is for spectators only. The stage has changing scenes and sometimes a video of previous guests at the disco. The bar on the main flooris manned by bartenders whose uniform could have come from Star Wars wardrobe. Surprisingly most of the bartenders were American. Before I left Paris I skated at the opening of the Palace's roller disco on the lower level. Sad to say it is nowhere as attractive or lively as our, SPINOFF. The rental skates were not as good. One of the nights I skate, there were more spectors, who had strayed from the dance floor than skaters on the rink,

and I was one of only three women. Few skaters on the street. The sport is not as big as in Boston....the end, ah, to be young again!!!