Parisian Shoes

Herr J alluded to another one of my surgical shopping strikes. I think I surprised even him with the swiftness and efficiency, but really I just wanted the exact same pair of black ballet flats I've had for 3 years. Minus the 3 years of wear and tear.

So our walking tour of Paris included a quick stop in the Repetto flagship store near the Opera.

It may not be the most well-known attraction or the most glamorous of Parisian shoes (we would have spent HOURS had we visited Christian Louboutin!).  However, it's worth a visit for two reasons:

• to buy the most comfy ballet flats in the world
• if you ever loved ballet

New Bolchoi Flats :)For me, it's more the former.  Trying to walk for hours in heels, especially on European cobblestone walks, is painful and it hurts my poor beautiful shoes.  City life has driven me to need flats. And every pair I've tried just give horrible blisters and tear up my heels. It doesn't matter if they're cheap or really well made; they're just all too rigid, and often have flimsy soles. Sadly I've probably wasted a lot of money on inexpensive "comfortable" shoes that in the end are unwearable.  Thankfully a good friend in Singapore introduced me to Repetto, and I'm hooked on the Bolchoi flats with their super-soft leather and square toes.  Light like ballet shoes (feels like wearing nothing on your feet) but with soles that can deal with walking outside.

For those who have a love of ballet, it's a wonderful little store full of history and tutus and pointe shoes and other beautiful ballet attire.  The reason the shoes are so wonderfully comfortable is in their history.  I know nothing about ballet shoes, but these are supposed to be among the best. Founder Rose Repetto was the mother of famous French choreographer Roland Petit.  After she made shoes for Roland’s use, she eventually opened the store in 1947 at this location near the Opera.  They initially made only real ballet shoes, but the legend is that Brigitte Bardot commissioned the boutique to make her a pair of red ballet flats to wear in And God Made Woman, kicking off the chic Parisian trend. 

Though they remain a premier shoe supplier to ballet companies, Repetto now is part of Reebok.  After major troubles after Rose's death, Reebok purchased the failing business in 1999 and has turned it around (through a bankruptcy and reorganization) into a trendy fashion brand.  Today they’ve expanded beyond flats into other dance-inspired shoes (heels that look like they could tango all night) and even boots and loafers. I doubt I would buy Repetto boots, but I’m curious if the heels are as comfortable as their flats given their dance background. I would LOVE to find heels I could walk in on European streets for hours!

If you're interested, you can watch a video here of the shoes being made.

Repetto
22 Rue de la Paix
Paris
Metro Stop: L'Opera
Open Mon-Sat 9:30-19:30

I'll still keep wearing the old pair until they completely fall apart (especially for long walks), but now can wear flats to work functions without feeling ashamed of my really beat up dingy shoes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I recieve nothing for writing a post about fabulous shoes. Other than that joy that new shoes always bring. Of course, if Repetto (or other Parisian shoemakers... Yes, M. Louboutin, I'm talking to you!) wanted to send me free shoes in exchange for press on our tiny little blog, I could be bought.  Easily!

Choice: Less Is More

An expat's trip to the US is rarely a holiday or an opportunity to see somewhere new. It usually consists of (1) Visiting family and friends, and (2) shopping.

Each time I go home, my list of must-haves is smaller and smaller. In some cases, I've found reasonable substitutes here; in others, I've decided I just don't care so much anymore. Upon arriving home from 2 weeks in NY, I exclaimed to Herr J "But my bags were 8 kg below the limit...I could have fit so much more!" I guess this is a good sign...I've been working to deplete the stocks in my closet and I've realized there are only a few things I need from home.

Still on the list...

But what always strikes me is the sheer number of varieties of the same product. And I think it's gotten worse.

I have sensory overload when I go to CVS or Wallgreens (don't even get me started on Target!!). I just stand at the shelves with no idea what to buy because there are 28 different choices for each product, and I'm usually just thankful to find one of something where I understand what the product is! Now there are about 10 different varieties of Sudafed, plus an equal number of the store brand and 5 variations on how many pills in the box. Yet, they're pretty much the same - the good stuff behind the counter, or the weaker stuff on the shelf. Luckily I got to CVS an hour before closing.... I wanted to buy the classic St. Ive's Apricot Scrub, but now there are different formulations of it, plus the store brand. While of course I want to make my own decisions, I now see the space that advertising and magazines fill in trying to convince me what to buy!! If the marketing people weren't out there telling me how their product is differentiated from the others, how would I know what to buy?

The choice is just too much for me sometimes. And I'm realizing that a lot of things in life are like this.

For example, I've taken quite a few trips in the past month, and while I feel each time the packing is better, I still end up having packed things I never wear on a trip, and it's still a decision what to wear in the morning. I'm a pretty careful packer....I had a carryon and a half-empty small checked bag for a 2 week business trip. But still I had too much.

Our trip to Finland was an interesting experiment...Given that the temperature was mostly below freezing and the activities outdoors, the lodge provided clothing. Socks, boots, gloves, fleece, coats, hats - everything! All I packed for a 10 day trip was a couple of pairs of black leggings, 4 tops, underwear, a couple pairs of socks, a sweater, the boots I wore, and some warm long underwear. There was plenty of room left in my carry-on sized bag! The amazing thing was that I ended up with one shirt unworn. But even more amazing - getting dressed was so simple! With such a small range to choose from, life was much simpler.

A passage from Olivia Goldsmith's Fashionably Late struck me as quite true on many levels (including the impossible mission of returning anything in Europe!):

Karen had forumlated a few theories about why it was so hard for women to look comfortable and stylish. American women didn't know how to dress partly because they had too much. She remembered a French woman who had once visited Belle. Chic, elegant, and a Parisian attorney's wife, the woman had looked in Belle's closet with horror and asked: "But how can you dress well? You have too much to choose from!" As the brilliant shoe designer Manolo Blahnik had said, "It's all a question of selection, to choose less. That is something Americans do not understand. They think more is better."
Karen had observed that French women, even the middle-class ones, wore expensive clothes, but they had far fewer things than Americans and formulated their ensembles much more carefully. Of course, they learned the hard way not to make mistakes: it was next to impossible to return merchandise in Paris. Can you imagine the attitude?

The same happens here. It's changing with the advent of all the "disposable fashion" of H&M, Forever 21, and similar stores carrying low priced, trendy clothes. But in general, many Germans invest in a relatively small amount of quality clothing that will be wearable for many years. The German style is a little more classic (sometimes described as "boring") than the French (more feminine) or Italian (much more fitted, and on the flashier end of still being classic styling), but the attitude toward purchases is similar.

Even before this, I admit I have too much stuff. I have a bad habit of not wanting to throw out anything that is still functionable or wearable....though my definitions may be a bit skewed.... Also, I have almost 15 years of clothes suited to hot climates and driving everywhere. So realistically most of my clothes and almost ALL of my shoes were unsuitable for life in a cobblestoned city that has a long winter!

I've been trying to cut down and to also get rid of things that I don't or shouldn't wear. And to remember that when I replace something, I need to actually throw out the old one! I employed a new strategy during my trip to New York...I packed things that I really needed to throw out, and then I threw them out after wearing them. Socks with no elastic and small holes, too big underwear, and hair brushes that I had replaced because they were worn out (but still worked passably...). And throwing them out at the end cleared the way for chocolate chips and other goodies!

Odd Jobs: Teddy Bear Tester

So many fascinating jobs out there...ones we dream of having, ones we hope to avoid. And others that suprise us by their existence.

Last year Der Spiegel interviewed German toymaker Steiff's director of quality control, a man identified as Mr. Krebs. I have to wonder if this is an alias, as his name means Mr. Cancer. A strangely appropriate name for a man whose job is to mutilate and destroy sweet, soft little teddy bears.

Der Spiegel writer Michaela Schiessel describes his job as:

In the land of stuffed animals, there is conflict twice a week. That's when the designers at famed German stuffed toy maker Steiff are required to present their latest creations to the director of quality control, a man named Mr. Krebs. He is completely immune to the heartbreakingly sweet faces of teddy bears, cuddly baby rabbits and cute longhaired guinea pigs. The furry toys' baby-like faces do not trigger any paternal feelings in Krebs.

 

Instead, his feelings toward the toys are driven by scientific curiosity. When Krebs sees a stuffed animal, his first thought is to burn it, drown it and wring its neck. He chars them, covers them with saliva and tears at their heads. He rubs acid into their fur, roasts them under UV light and tests the way they respond to all sorts of chemicals.

Only when a test bear has survived Krebs' onslaught is it permitted to become a Steiff animal. And when that happens, it gets the company's trademark button in its ear -- a medal for bravery, if you will -- at company headquarters in the town of Giengen in southwestern Germany.

In the land of stuffed animals, there is conflict twice a week. That's when the designers at famed German stuffed toy maker Steiff are required to present their latest creations to the director of quality control, a man named Mr. Krebs. He is completely immune to the heartbreakingly sweet faces of teddy bears, cuddly baby rabbits and cute longhaired guinea pigs. The furry toys' baby-like faces do not trigger any paternal feelings in Krebs.

 

Instead, his feelings toward the toys are driven by scientific curiosity. When Krebs sees a stuffed animal, his first thought is to burn it, drown it and wring its neck. He chars them, covers them with saliva and tears at their heads. He rubs acid into their fur, roasts them under UV light and tests the way they respond to all sorts of chemicals.

Amusing as the job may be, Steiff is a prime example of German focus on quality - and also the willingness to pay high prices for quality.  Selling poor quality goods (except where they're marketed as low cost alternatives) is a guaranteed strategy to lose your customers here. Though departments stores and supermarkets have found a place here, there still are numerous small specialty stores where you go to get advice from the experts. Just in a 2 block radius from my apartment, we have a couple of model train stores, a knife store, a store selling small personal appliances (razors, toothbrushes, etc), a wig store, and a sewing store. Additionally, when you visit a large sports store, the salespeople are experts in their areas - they actually know the products and can advise you on your purchase. If you can get someone's attention....

When looking at sofas in a large furniture store, we were initially frustrated that there was only one salesperson for a small group of sofas and that no other salesperson could help us. Knowing that most service personnel in Germany work on salary, rather than commission, we knew it was not a financial issue. We later learned that each section had a salesperson who was an expert on those products and could answer any questions - therefore, the others could not help outside their areas. Still a bit frustrating to get help, but the system does make sense.

Back to Steiff....We've already learned about the famous Reinheitsgebot, or Beer Purity Law, stating that beer can only contain water, barley, and hops. Steiff has its own Reinheitsgebot, as a 10 point Purity Law governing the production of their plush toys!

And the price/quality tradeoff? Well, these cute little guys are tested and have various quality certifications....and you're going to pay $50-150 or more for a teddy bear ($235 for the 12 inch Pug). They are super soft and the other animals are adorable, but it was a bit of a shock to me to see those prices on a stuffed animal! However, that's where we can see one big general difference between German and American cultures. Whether it's clothing, furniture, electronics, or teddy bears...Germans buy fewer items, but of higher quality. As Americans, we're used to low priced, almost disposable goods. We buy more impulsively, and we don't expect to keep things for years. Germans will plan purchases, investigate quality and options, and most often will save up for a purchase rather than buying it on credit. And they demand quality and longevity out of major purchases.  I'm still often shocke by the prices here, but I'm starting to understand the system.

Ughhh....Uggs

I hate Uggs. They're on every starlet, sorority girl, and in winter with miniskirts in LA and now Dallas. They're just awful.

Facebook and MySpace are full of I Hate Uggs groups, and You Tube has many videos of people burning them. In some cases, guys burning their ex- (or soon to be ex-) girlfriends' Uggs. And then this guy who has put together an amusing Ugg Song video:

But there is a problem living where the temperature stays well below freezing for months at a time. No matter what shoes and socks I try, my feet are in freezing agony after about 10 minutes outside. I bought some gorgeous (waterproof) thick-soled, shearling-lined riding boots a few weeks ago, and they are wonderful....except that the cold still seeps in the feet. I get cold much less quickly, but still it happens.

I've been investigating potential solutions. Wearing my ski boots will not work, for obvious reasons of not being able to walk in them. Hiking boots also are great, but hard to wear daily. So I started thinking....everyone is wearing Uggs, maybe there's a functional reason. Maybe they are actually super warm and comfortable.

But I still couldn't get past the image, or my inner voice that guides me by pondering "What would Miley Cyrus do?" and then doing the opposite.

And my feet continued to freeze.

So, I decided to ask some Ugg wearers and find out if they were really warm. Finding someone who seemed normal and wore Uggs was tough, but I did meet one who is professional, normal, and just an all-around cool person over the holidays. When I said, "I have to ask if your Uggs are really warm," she laughed and said she knew exactly why I was asking. She hated the idea of them, and wears them so much that she has to buy new pairs to replace the worn out ones. And that they were ok "as long as you don't wear them with sparkly leggings."

Quite a funny comment, as she didn't know I had been struggling with the sparkly leggings issue the prior week. I'd read about Plush's fleece-lined leggings and was thinking about getting some when in the US (though they're out of stock almost everywhere!). Then I was in the Schlecker (think CVS or Walgreen's) during the break of my German class, and saw fleece-lined leggings for only €5!!! The only problem was the rhinestones bedazzling both legs up to just above the knee. So awful, yet so soft and warm. And nothing costs only 5€ in Germany.  I decided to let function beat out fashion, and wore them (with as tall boots as possible to cover up most of the sparkles). With long underwear under them, they are super warm and comfy, I'm ashamed to admit.

So, after much internal debating and trying on, I bought some Uggs over Christmas. They're the zip-up ones, so a little thicker and more fitted than the originals. And they are SO comfy and warm! I still feel totally self-conscious and there is some residual self-loathing, but most importantly, my feet are warm and not in pain. (I do have some gorgeous brown suede boots that are warm, but their warmth is derived from the fact that the 4-inch platform heels keep my feet far from the ground....not great for walking for an hour...)

Herr J promises not to call me "Anna Montana" anymore, but for one night only, I went full Miley Cyrus for his amusement on New Year's Eve. It was cold, dark, and I took perverse pleasure in wearing my rhinestone-legged leggings with Uggs. It was surprisingly warm....between the leggings, Uggs, my Christmas Columbia fleece, and the earmuffs, the only cold part was my hands. We have to work on gloves now.... I guess the good thing about living somewhere with winter is that you have to buy a whole new wardrobe. My winter clothes from Texas were mostly thin boots, open-toed suede pumps, and sleeveless cashmere sweaters and dresses. That's pretty much summer attire here...

Enjoy!

If you're ready to brave a potential eye burning, check out Tori Spelling and her husband illustrating how not to wear Uggs...I really can't say which one of them is worse.

The Fine Line between Hoarder and Expat

The world is increasingly global....I can now find some of my favorite Thai food products in the store in Germany and I can buy Cheerios worldwide. But i can't find sugar-free Jello in Germany, and my Cheerios cost $8 per box in Bangkok. While you can buy marshmallow fluff and Pop Tarts in the grocery store, most American products have a 50-100% markup in Germany and it's a bit of a craps shoot as to freshness.

Travel takes on new dimensions when you live abroad. It becomes not only a chance to see family and friends, but also a chance to stock up on the essentials.  It's an eye-opening experience to discover about yourself (or others) what really is "essential."  This revelation came to me almost 10 years ago in a Dallas Sam's Club, pushing a large cart full of dinner napkins, jelly beans, tampons, Cheerios, Sudafed and Skoal. An odd combination of things that we couldn't buy in Bangkok, or the local products were such poor imitations as to be unsuitable substitutes. But I had a list of things I and friends and colleagues needed, and "random" is the only word that captures it.

At the time, our company allowed us one huge shipment per year. I made some big orders from drugstore.com and asked my parents to box up some other things, including napkins, paper towels (non-existent there at the time), cereal, and Mac & Cheese. Dad very kindly did that and more, sending two entire flats of paper towels from Sam's and I think 27 boxes of cereal.... Those paper towels had a long world journey, to Bangkok, back to Dallas and then to Germany, where I finally used the last roll a few months ago!

It was great having a few important comforts of home, but my walk-in pantry in Bangkok was neck-high in paper towels and cereal, and boxes of shampoo, hair products, lotion, etc.

When I moved to Germany from Dallas, I was a bit wiser and packed from the start things I thought I'd need. This time it was great products like Lysol Kitchen Wipes, single-serve pita chips and Nabisco 100 Calorie Snack Packs....and lots of random stuff the movers packed up from the kitchen. Including boxes of toiletries (and the paper towels) remaining from living in Thailand.

The pita chips and Snack Packs didn't last long (Stacy's Pita Chips in Sea Salt, how could they last???), but I've found myself reversing course in the past year...trying to use up everything rather than accumulate more. I've used up almost all of the things left from Bangkok and am down to just 2 boxes of things from the move here. But still the closet has a couple containers of Lysol wipes, Dryel, Lubriderm lotion (doesn't burn on just-shaved legs!), and tasty low-carb protein shakes.

These days it's more about buying the things that are super expensive here...mostly clothes and shoes, English books, and DVDs. And only a few of the other essentials that do not exist here....Chocolate Chips, real vanilla extract, sugar free jello, cheap tissue tees from Target, those disposable toilet cleaner things, and warm clothes for the long winter. Winter hiking pants for $25 at Target or €100+ in Munich? Not much of a contest!

I've made major progress using up the stockpiles, but it's still a fight not to (over)stock up on goods while home for the holidays. There is just so much available and the prices much lower. Luckily the increasingly strict airline baggage policies and the European apartments' lack of storage space help combat that urge and keep from crossing the line into hoarder territory.

Late Night Shopping Festival

At the end of September, we did something highly unusual in Germany…we shopped at night.  Yes, once a year in central Munich, it's shopping till midnight.

Because the food generally is fresher and has fewer preservatives here (I’m a big fan of that!) and the refrigerators are the size of an average college student’s dorm fridge (not a fan!), you’re at the grocery store/baker/butcher pretty often.  All of which close by 8pm and on Sundays. So, there’s usually a mad rush at 7:45pm to hunt and gather dinner.  That leaves Saturday as shopping day for all your other wants and needs. (I won't even try to describe the chaos of a Friday night when Saturday is a holiday!)

But one night a year, Munich residents can go out for dinner, drinks, and THEN go shopping.  Even better, it’s basically a giant block party so we can do all three at once! With bands, beer gardens, fashion shows, circus acts, and of course portable ATMs since many places do not accept credit cards.

Acrobats above the cosmetics department at Ludwig Beck

I’m not sure why the merchants don’t ask for this more often…nothing helps stimulate consumption like mixing beer gardens and shopping.  Obama wants the Germans to buy more? Talk to Angie about having more “Culture – Shopping Nights” in Germany! 

But this night is more than just later closing hours...it's an event, a real festival to celebrate this ordained breaking of the rules! There are bands, entertainment at many major stores, and outdoor beer gardens. Really, it's a big block party, but with a set schedule of events.  The crowds were quite impressive and in late September you never know if this will be the last warm day of the year or not.

The highlights:

“Authentic American Music” (acoustic country and bluegrass) at Ludwig Beck department store

Cuban and “Fiery Salsa” at the bedding store

“Modern Nostalgia” with lounge music and a vintage VW bus at the Eyewear store

And at the womenswear store, a capella cover versions from Elvis to Michael Jackson.

And “Cowboy and Cowgirl Feeling” with a Bull-riding competition at the denim store

Truly something for everyone…

I've learned to find most of the things I need here, but whenever someone asks me what I miss from home, the answer after "friends and family" is "Wow, I miss going to Target at 10pm and loading up the car with a month's worth of supplies and groceries."  Alas, today you find me walking to the store almost daily and carrying it home in environmentally friendly reusable fold-up shopping totes. But at least I have some cool shopping bags - and, for the record, I never make Herr J carry the pink Hello Kitty one. 

UPDATE:

Apparently Dresden has us beat, by taking it one step further and having an annual Sunday Shopping Day...oh, the heresy....and I so want to go!