Getting and Spending: Flirting with fabulousness

Momoni sweater and skirt

Getting and Spending
This is the first of an occasional series in which I discuss a polarity: the detrimental vs. delightful aspects of consumption in the present day.

After my eye was tweaked in Paris when shopping with Huguette, I entered a state of mild sartorial malaise. We had several days left, and I had bought nothing.

I tried to explain myself to Le Duc, who has limited patience for such matters: "I want clothes with exotic colours, in unusual combinations!" "So", he replied with weary-male logic, "buy those."

But I have a pattern: when besotted with fabulousness, I buy Trop Belle and there it sits, admired but underworn.

Into my head popped the images of three other women friends whom I had just met there. The rara avis like Huguette is rara even in her native habitat.

Two were in all-black, the third wore a white shirt, a black sweater tied over her shoulders, and this Epice scarf:

Epice scarf

I remembered that Renata Molho, one of my exemplars, once said: "Not too many beautiful things in one outfit." And she's an Italian! I decided a scarf would serve better than an outfit; the week before, in London, I'd lost an old one.

Feeling I had things sorted, I visited Eric Bompard. The winter line includes some big cashmere carrés, ideal for our winters. My initial choice was a vibrant floral pattern in colours I wear well.

Back at the apartment, I thought that, while not Trop Belle, the floral was bit 'lady' for me; I could not see reaching for it that often. Le Duc offered a gnomic "It looks fine". The next morning, I woke early as ravens cawed what sounded like "Naaaw! Naaaw!" and decided, Back it goes.

When I read the receipt, I found that Bompard allow no returns and an exchange only once for a given transaction. (As well as not getting fat, I guess French Women Don't Dither.) Not only were significant euro invested, I had but one chance to recover my error.

All ended well; in the sporty tartan below, I felt the aaah. (What looks like ivory in the photo is actually the palest blush.)

I need to stash two reminders in my passport case: Don't be seduced by a gorgeous item  that is unlikely to get a great deal of wear, and check the return/exchange policy before buying even if I think it's a keeper.