Paris, 1.

I just returned from my first non-work trip to Paris, and although I'd been several times, I was terribly excited to have it to myself.  I did, however, go in late November, which suits me just fine weather-wise, but Parisian fashion only shines in the summer and is about as dazzling as a men's room trough in the colder seasons.  If you're into smartening up for the chillier weather, skip Paris and go to London or Milan.

I bought the following to prepare for the trip:

Band of Outsiders black twill with white button eyelets from South Willard in XS.  

That's one thing you can say about Los Angeles over New York.  No matter how put together you are in New York, It always looks like you've gone through some effort.  California is fucking effortless and this line epitomizes California non-effort cool.

Gant Rugger One-Button Flannel Blazer.
Not quite willing to stuff my Dior into a garment band and put it through check-in, so I nabbed this, the last one in XS, at the Gant Flagship on 51st.  Unstructured blazers never fit me quite correctly, but this did the charm.  Perfect length on the sleeve, snug at the shoulders, which enough give for a cardigan underneath.  Good as a top layer on cool nights, good as a middle on certifiably cold nights.

Altadena Works Rucksack in navy and acorn.
See, this is what I mean by "knowing what's what."  I'm the only person in New York who has one of these lovelies, so I'm reluctant to post this.  Right now, the Altadena Rucksack is what's what.  Just look at it.

So yeah.  This is what I took to Paris.  Stuff I took back, including pics, in subsequent posts.