Clothes Are Magic
A Note from Teri
Let me tell you about a magical day I had in Paris. For my birthday, I was gifted a day with a personal shopper. We called my friend Mark—who happens to be a fashion designer at Gucci—and asked him how one finds the most fabulous stylist in Paris. Enter Clélia.
Stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to the very best surprises. A full day shopping with a stylist in Paris was exactly that for me. I spent the day wandering the city with her, dipping in and out of shops, and stopping for the most perfect French lunch: a simple baguette that somehow tasted like everything good in the world.
Here’s a small confession: I love beautiful clothes, but I don’t actually love shopping. This felt less like shopping and more like being gently guided—thoughtful, unrushed, and genuinely fun.
The process began a week before we ever met. Clélia sent a detailed questionnaire so we wouldn’t waste time on things that weren’t right for me. She asked if I enjoy vintage, whether I lean more boyish or tailored, and if I was shopping for black-tie or everyday life. She also wrote, “I’d also like to know if you feel at ease with your body, or if there are areas you’d prefer to highlight or avoid—anything that would be helpful for me to know,” along with which colors I love to wear. Based on my answers alone, she even did a pre-shop, pulling pieces in advance before our day together.
I also think it’s important to share that Paris has always been a magical place for me—not just the City of Light, but a city that has long held a sense of possibility and delight. This experience didn’t introduce that feeling so much as add to it, layering something new onto a place that already felt luminous. The day felt like a continuation of that magic, a reminder of how certain cities meet you again and again, each time offering something unexpected.
I loved hearing Clélia talk about her path. She knew at fifteen that she wanted to be a stylist, and now she’s a self‑made professional with an exceptional eye. She began by creating an award‑winning magazine, and today she has her dream job. With a background in tailoring, she pays close attention to how each piece fits. She styles everyone—from celebrities to folks like me and beyond. “We can do better. We can spend less. This jacket could be less boxy—you can find one with more of a defined waist,” she’d say as I tried things on. And she was absolutely right.
Clélia and her assistant were incredible—so much energy, so much care, so much collaboration between the two of them and with me. They took me to French stores, which I had specifically requested. After all, why shop for American brands in Paris? We all loved the idea of finding a statement piece, and one of my favorite moments was when she said, “Don’t get that bag; it’s not an it bag!” A full day of shopping is overwhelming for me, so toward the end I started putting things on hold just to think. By the time we reached Galeries Lafayette, I practically wanted to lie down on the floor.
Clélia shared three pieces of advice that every woman (and honestly, every man) should know:
First: buy pieces that flatter your body—shop for the body you have, not someone else’s.
Second: purchase fewer but better pieces.
Third: find the colors that truly suit you and stick with them. (For example, people always tell me red is my color. Clélia loved me in cream—a shade I rarely choose.) And our day confirmed something I already suspected: I don’t enjoy used clothing or the vintage‑shopping experience. I wouldn’t turn down a vintage Gucci bag, but the hunt itself just isn’t for me.
Here are a few of the stores I’d return to in a heartbeat:
• AMI Paris
• Sœur
• Claudie Pierlot
• Miista
• Antik Batik
• Sandro
• Jimmy Fairly
• Fancy Vintage Paris
• Rouje
• Galeries Lafayette — but go the moment it opens, because you’ll end up using 40 different dressing rooms, unlike a typical department store.
Here are some of my favorite EUROPE FINDS:
Similar pink: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878514
Similar pink: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878818
Similar blue: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878848
Similar blue: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878950
Similar black: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37552137
Similar back: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878251
Similar white: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37547905
Similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37551956
Similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37552045
Similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878217
Top similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37889283
Top: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37889347
Similar vest: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37889407
Jacket similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37550519
Jacket similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37889476
Vest: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878102
Vest similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37547432
Top similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37547756
Skirt similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37548529
Skirt similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37549564
Denim shirt: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36405875
Water resistant trench similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36413972
Coat: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36406263
Handbag: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36406452
Sweater: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36406517
Skirt: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36406785
Sweater: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36406644
Boots: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36407572
Sheer cardigan: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36407969
Gucci bag: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36408699
Jacket: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36409241
Bleached denim: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36410184
Studded dress: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36410343
Dress: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37751153
Similar and on sale: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37754667
Knit top: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36411640
Cropped sweater: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36412653
Tuxedo top similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36413572
Tuxedo top similar: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878282
Top black: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37878251
Similar white: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37547836
Similar black: https://go.shopmy.us/p-37552137
Dress: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36413707
Skirt: https://go.shopmy.us/p-36413772
*This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no cost to you. Thank you!
I highly recommend shopping with Clélia. A personalized shopping experience is certainly aspirational (and by that I mean expensive), but it was such a special birthday gift—one I’ll remember every time I wear the pieces we found in Paris. If you’re interested, contact her via DM and make sure to use my code TERI for a 10% discount, plus you’ll receive a nocrumbsleft apron!
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The Last Crumb
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xoxo,




































Thank you for sharing this experience, the beautiful clothes and allll the links! I felt as if I was living vicariously through you!
I loved this substack! I even shopped a link! That plaid coat is to die for 😍