Dressing Up On Holiday: Chartres

Hi all – sorry it’s been such a long time since my last post, the end of my time in Paris is fast approaching and it’s been a busy busy couple of weeks. Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures with you from the mini-holiday I took this weekend and tell you a bit about the first place we visited: Chartres.

Chartres is a small town about 50 miles/80km outside of Paris and, fun fact, it is twinned with both Chichester in the UK and Cusco in Peru. Although a lovely and thriving little town in its own right, Chartres is most famous for its incredible cathedral, which was the backdrop for one of this week’s photoshoot.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres was mostly built between 1194 and 1250, and is widely regarded as the finest example of French gothic architecture there is. The building you see there today has changed very little since the 13^th century and still boasts much of its original stained glass.

Not only that, the cathedral has also been a site of pilgrimage because it houses what is believed by many to be the Sancta Camisa, the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. It also boasts a large “labyrinth” in the floor of the nave, which is uncovered once a month to allow pilgrims to practice the devotional ritual of slowly walking around it, praying.

Chartres cathedral has escaped not only the ravages of time (hey, 763 years leaves a scar or two, y’know) but also a couple of attack by the French themselves. During the Revolution, an angry mob started destroying many of the statues and the building only escaped after a concerted effort made by the townspeople to protect it. Then, during the Second World War and the German occupation of France, the French were all set to blow up the cathedral, believing it to be acting as an observation post for the Nazis. Only the bravery and initiative of a US Army Officer saved it, with Colonel W. B. Griffith offering to go behind enemy lines and verify that the cathedral was not being used. This he duly did, and this magnificent structure was saved.

Top - ASOS
Skirt - H+M
Shoes - Vintage Louboutin, Rokit London
Necklace and Earrings - Oxfam
Sunglasses - Marks+Spencer

And thank goodness it was, because it really is beautiful inside and – at less than an hour from Paris by train – well worth a visit. That’s all for tonight folks, stay tuned for another exciting holiday post this weekend.

Week 24: Saint Sulpice

So – first weekend room-mate-less and it felt only right to go mourn her presence at a Catholic Church... I’M JUST KIDDING, I HAVE OTHER FRIENDS. I did go to a Catholic Church, however, where we did this week’s shoot: the church of Saint Sulpice.

As the name might suggest to those of you who know their saints, this church is dedicated to Sulpitious the Pious (though you’d think they’d all be pretty pious really, still, maybe ol’ Sulpy was extra good at it..)

After Notre Dame Saint Sulpice is the second largest church in Paris- though it’s much younger, with construction on it starting in 1646. It carried on being built, rebuilt, and having bits added to it until the 1780s – right before it ceased being a Roman Catholic Church and temporarily became a temple to the “Supreme Being” whilst Christianity was suppressed during the French Revolution

It is believed that the advent of the famous gnomon (a sort of sundial) in 1727 was one of the only reasons Saint Sulpice was  not destroyed during the Revolution – due to the rational nature of this primarily scientific tool (even if it was originally added to help the priest remember when Easter was...)

The poor old church underwent another temporary political takeover in the 1870s with famous anarchist Louise Michel giving a speech from the pulpit.

Other famous people to have graced its pews include Charles Baudelaire and the Marquis de Sade – both of whom were baptised here – and Victor Hugo who got married here. As did a couple the day we were shooting. Coincidence? Almost definitely...

Finally, Saint Sulpice has found fame in recent years because much of the action of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code takes place in the church. This is largely due to the claims that the church stands on top of an old pagan temple and that the “P” and the “S” one can see in the window’s stands for “Priory of Sion” – a hilarious fictional organisation which I’d happily go into myself if it weren’t so complicated. (and for those of you who are interested, the “P” and “S” actually stand for St. Peter and St – you guessed it – Sulpitious)

Going to a Catholic church gave me the perfect opportunity to do a shoot inspired by Givenchy’s ready-to-wear Spring collection 2013. Ricardo Tisci’s Italian Catholic inspiration may not immediately be obvious because it is all hidden in the detail – the angelic fabrics and colours, the metallic priest collars, the billowing bishop sleeves, and tunics worn over trousers giving a vestment-esque impression.

For my attempt at being a Givenchy nun I paired this dove grey linen skirt with a voluminous, baby blue chiffon shirt and my Monki silver choker – which is fast becoming one of my favourite bits of jewellery.

Shirt - Primark
Skirt - H+M
Choker - Monki
Shoes - H+M
Cross - Antique

The church is beautiful – and was much calmer and quieter than Notre Dame, being a little less well-known, and a little further off the beaten track. The area is lovely too, but expensive – so be prepared if you plan to go for a pre- or post-church bite to eat! Anyway, fashion party is over and it’s back to the dissertation for me. If you fancy following my mournful daily tweets on the subject, you can find me here. Happy Heatwave!