"A Guide to Elegance" by Genevieve Dariaux

[ravensWood]

My first thread!

Has anyone read the book 'Elegance' by Genevieve Dariaux? It was written in France in the 1960s and just for curiosity's sake, I would like some help understanding the terms she uses.

For instance, she constantly refers to 'sportswear' as opposed to city wear. I know she doesn't mean Adidas and Puma like we do nowadays, but other than that I can't figure out what she means.

Does anyone know of any vintage fashion sites that might clarify this, or does anyone know what 'sportswear' meant in the 60s??

 

[WheresMyUmbrella]

Do you mean A Guide to Elegance? I have that book.

I might be mistaken, but I think sportswear is country wear. It's what you wear when you're in a natural environment: flats, tougher fabrics, etc.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Last I knew, some stores still had departments called Sportswear. It does mean casual wear, but ... not what we mean by casual now. Pretty much all separates would be in Sportswear. Dresses would be another department ...

WheresMyUmbrella is right ... I believe in the context of the book, if she's contrasting it with city wear, it means tweeds (like a skirt suit), brogues, that kinda thing ...

 

[Sylwiasta]

A bit of an offtopic: In case you are not able to find the book itself, there is quite a lot of it used as quotations in a funny, well written book "Elegance" by Kathleen Tessaro.

 

[ravensWood]

Thank all of you for your replies!~

Yes, I did mean 'A Guide to Elegance', sorry!

I also thought she meant the precursor to casual-wear nowadays, but obviously not jeans and t-shirt because they weren't as common then!

I've never seen a Sportswear section in any department stores here in Australia that had anything but exercise wear in them.

WheresMyUmbrella do you heed any of her advice in your day-to-day life or did you buy the book more as fiction? I should add that I have the old original copy not the updated version.

 

[floodette]

A bit of an offtopic: In case you are not able to find the book itself, there is quite a lot of it used as quotations in a funny, well written book "Elegance" by Kathleen Tessaro.

I found that the quotation in Kathleen Tessaro's novel is exactly quoted from Mme. DARIAUX's guide book!!! Take the phrase "when you dress, keep in mind that you will be undressed" <++ forgot the exact words, but it;s when Louise bought the undies.
Those are not in my Guide book. Lots of sentences are changed, I believe. Better stick to read the guide book itself.

BTW forgot to say: WELCOME to the forum

 

[WheresMyUmbrella]

I forgot to say welcome too!

There are bits I ignore (e.g. the section about what you're supposed to wear at 9am, 1pm, 3pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 10pm ... did people actually change clothes that many times per day??).

I definitely follow the shoe info. Since reading her book, I haven't purchased a pair of ankle-strap shoes. I once read the "What men actually like" vs. "What men think they like" -- tight skirts, cleavage, spike heels, sexy lingerie, etc -- section to my boyfriend to ask his opinion. His response: "But I really do like those things!!" Figures.

 

[floodette]

Oh... another point that I could not take from La Madame: not to wear black in the morning.

 

[ravensWood]

I forgot to say welcome too!

There are bits I ignore (e.g. the section about what you're supposed to wear at 9am, 1pm, 3pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 10pm ... did people actually change clothes that many times per day??).

I definitely follow the shoe info. Since reading her book, I haven't purchased a pair of ankle-strap shoes. I once read the "What men actually like" vs. "What men think they like" -- tight skirts, cleavage, spike heels, sexy lingerie, etc -- section to my boyfriend to ask his opinion. His response: "But I really do like those things!!" Figures.

Thank you for welcoming me!

I also have completely disregarded the section you mentioned - I cannot believe anyone ever changed their clothes at 9am and again at 1pm?? I mean, I can understand changing for dinner etc but simply when it becomes afternoon seems extreme to me!

I agree with her about a straw bag at the beach rather than leather and also her jewelry tips i.e. a pearl necklace goes with everything. LOL if only I had one!

She's very funny in that 'What men think they like' section! Yards of black fringe and miles of red chiffon flounce. Hahahaha!

 

[Lina5]

A bit of an offtopic: In case you are not able to find the book itself, there is quite a lot of it used as quotations in a funny, well written book "Elegance" by Kathleen Tessaro.

I have both books (actually I have four books written by dariaux ) and I think tessaro´s is one of the better examples of the so-called chic-lit (don´t really like this name though).

 

[ravensWood]

Lina5 what other ones do you have? I am thinking about buying 'Entertaining with Elegance' because there is an old copy on eBay at the moment.

 

[classic1908]

I have one of the original Dariaux copies. I first discovered the book around a decade ago and constantly borrowed it from the Las Vegas library until I moved. I later found it for $2 at a used bookstore.

Some of her advice is wonderful. I like the cruise section. Other sections are outdated, but of course, it was originally written in the mid-1960s.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ So are all of her books out of print?

 

[ravensWood]

Her book about men 'The men/man in your life' I think it's called, I can only find in a new version on Amazon.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Forget that, I want the books that are about me

 

[ravensWood]

hahaha yeah. Plus I heard that it is very un-PC!