French Style!
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Well I just came back from Paris yersterday.
Wow! it really is such an elegant cityParisienne women really do dress well I was so pleased it wasn't a cliche. There were a LOT of cream macs on both men and women. So simple yet chic. It was so refreshing to not see any horrible fake tans too
they understand the meaning of less is more. I only spent 2 days there but I will definitely be planning to stay for longer.
Oh, I am so envious of you right now.
I have never made it to Paris, but I fully intend on going in the near future.French dressing
by Alice Temple
French women are the chicest dressers, so how do they do it?
Tom Ford recently slammed the French as 'the worst dressed people in the world' however we beg to differ. Think of a French actress (Catherine Deneuve), singer (Vanessa Paradis) or stylist (Camille Biddault-Waddington, AKA Mrs Jarvis Cocker) and they all have an inner confidence and innate sense of style the average Brit or American could only wish to emulate.
All in the mix
The Italians do sex appeal with ease, the Americans have pulled-together preppie-chic down pat and the Brits do the eccentric hand-me-down look to perfection. But the French have an arrogance that thinks nothing of mixing
sexy with masculine resulting in an androgynous coup only they can pull off. The mix is all important. In France, unlike other countries there is not much high street to speak of. Naf Naf and Kookai spring to mind but there's nothing compared to TopShop, Zara or Gap. Instead, traditional French staples such as berets, breton shirts and Sonia Rykiel rainbow stripes are combined with utilitarian combats, boyfriend jeans and flea market finds, or at the classier end of the scale, Chanel trench coats and stack heeled Chloe boots.
Where to shop
To achieve the look have a browse on www.laredoute.com. This catalogue excels in finding fantastic French designers to translate their style for the high street consumer. This season, check out Cacharel, Zadig & Voltaire and Eric Bergere. APC is known for utilitarian-with-a-fashion-twist androgynous clothes and is the uniform of choice for in-the-know stylists. For sweetly sexy jersey tops, dresses and knits head to Paul & Joe or Vanessa Bruno. Bruno's sequin edged totes are the cool-girl's alternative to the Hermes Birkin bag (too ubiquitous). Every French woman buys her basic stripy tees from Petit Bateau. Originally a children's label its basics are so popular they now come in adult sizes.
Labels they love
For designer treats it's got to be a Chanel chain-strap bag or quilted ballet pump. Sonia Rykiel's diffusion line, Rykiel is the label for quirky disco-chic to dress down with battered denim and biker boots while Cacharel's naive knits (designed by Brit designers Clements Ribiero) are collected with a passion by fashionistas young and old. Lastly is Chloe, the label of choice for every A-lister who wants to look groomed and sexy without being obvious. Its must-have bags, boots and romantic dresses are just the thing to achieve your own taste of left bank luxury.
Directory
APC: www.apc.fr
Cacharel: www.cacharel.com
Sonia Rykiel: www.soniarykiel.fr
Chanel: www.chanel.com
Vanessa Bruno: www.net-a-porter.com
Paul & Joe: www.paulandjoe.com
Petit Bateau: www.petit-bateau.com
Clignancourt Flea Market (Paris' answer to Portobello
Ave Michelet at Rue des Rossiers, Sat-Mon, dawn-7pm.
found on: handbag.com
by Alice Temple
French women are the chicest dressers, so how do they do it?
Tom Ford recently slammed the French as 'the worst dressed people in the world' however we beg to differ. Think of a French actress (Catherine Deneuve), singer (Vanessa Paradis) or stylist (Camille Biddault-Waddington, AKA Mrs Jarvis Cocker) and they all have an inner confidence and innate sense of style the average Brit or American could only wish to emulate.
All in the mix
The Italians do sex appeal with ease, the Americans have pulled-together preppie-chic down pat and the Brits do the eccentric hand-me-down look to perfection. But the French have an arrogance that thinks nothing of mixing
sexy with masculine resulting in an androgynous coup only they can pull off. The mix is all important. In France, unlike other countries there is not much high street to speak of. Naf Naf and Kookai spring to mind but there's nothing compared to TopShop, Zara or Gap. Instead, traditional French staples such as berets, breton shirts and Sonia Rykiel rainbow stripes are combined with utilitarian combats, boyfriend jeans and flea market finds, or at the classier end of the scale, Chanel trench coats and stack heeled Chloe boots.
Where to shop
To achieve the look have a browse on www.laredoute.com. This catalogue excels in finding fantastic French designers to translate their style for the high street consumer. This season, check out Cacharel, Zadig & Voltaire and Eric Bergere. APC is known for utilitarian-with-a-fashion-twist androgynous clothes and is the uniform of choice for in-the-know stylists. For sweetly sexy jersey tops, dresses and knits head to Paul & Joe or Vanessa Bruno. Bruno's sequin edged totes are the cool-girl's alternative to the Hermes Birkin bag (too ubiquitous). Every French woman buys her basic stripy tees from Petit Bateau. Originally a children's label its basics are so popular they now come in adult sizes.
Labels they love
For designer treats it's got to be a Chanel chain-strap bag or quilted ballet pump. Sonia Rykiel's diffusion line, Rykiel is the label for quirky disco-chic to dress down with battered denim and biker boots while Cacharel's naive knits (designed by Brit designers Clements Ribiero) are collected with a passion by fashionistas young and old. Lastly is Chloe, the label of choice for every A-lister who wants to look groomed and sexy without being obvious. Its must-have bags, boots and romantic dresses are just the thing to achieve your own taste of left bank luxury.
Directory
APC: www.apc.fr
Cacharel: www.cacharel.com
Sonia Rykiel: www.soniarykiel.fr
Chanel: www.chanel.com
Vanessa Bruno: www.net-a-porter.com
Paul & Joe: www.paulandjoe.com
Petit Bateau: www.petit-bateau.com
Clignancourt Flea Market (Paris' answer to Portobello
Ave Michelet at Rue des Rossiers, Sat-Mon, dawn-7pm. found on: handbag.com
MulletProof
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I came across yet another article on why the french are french. 
thought it was an interesting read.
From the Seattle Times
Wednesday, October 3, 2007.
FRENCH WOMEN PUT THE ACCENT ON CLASSICS.
By Samantha Critchell.
The Associated Press.
NEW YORK — We love them. We hate them. We really wish we could tie scarves like them.
French women have this seemingly innate style that makes them the object of envy of their American counterparts who buy the same labels — sometimes even the same outfit — but are surprised when they aren't instantly transformed into Catherine Deneuve.
Plenty of products marketed in the U.S. tap into this envy: Bourjois cosmetics introduced makeup kits called Lessons in Effortless French Chic; the little black dress that has become a staple of the American wardrobe is inspired by versions created decades ago by Coco Chanel and Hubert de Givenchy; and Mireille Guiliano spun the French woman's love affair with red wine and cheese into best-selling books.
But you can't bottle "je ne sais quoi."
"The French look is effortless," says "Chic in Paris" author Susan Tabak. "They are not slaves to their hair, not their makeup, not their clothes. They play with fashion and have more fun."
French women also assess their assets and make the most of them. What they don't do is follow trends.
"The style seems very off the cuff," says Bourjois spokeswoman Celine Kaplan, a Parisienne-turned-New Yorker. "We don't have yet the 'celebrity' culture, so fashion and style isn't dictated by celebrities who sometimes don't have the right taste levels."
Instead, French women take a few cues from fashion professionals but are even more likely to trust their own instincts, Kaplan says.
"French women don't try to look like anyone else other than themselves," says Frenchwoman Nathalie Rykiel, daughter of designer Sonya Rykiel. "They know who they are and make the most of what they have. Allure, to them, is more about a statement than physical beauty."
Tabak contrasts that with American women who see a Prada ad and then mimic it. "There's nothing wrong with that but you see yourself coming and going a lot."
A legacy of style
The fashion icons revered in France are hardly flavors-of-the-week. The short list includes legendary late designer Coco Chanel, and actresses Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin — for whom the much-coveted Hermès bag is named. From the younger generation there are Birkin's daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Paradis and Audrey Tautou.
You'd be hard-pressed to find women wearing skinny pants just because they've been labeled a must-have item, Kaplan says, and no one does a head-to-toe look of a particular season or a particular designer. "You mix and match, you go vintage."
True, they have their beloved pricey labels, such as Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, but since they buy things that match their personal style, they get a lot of mileage out of their most expensive pieces. And for everything else, they have more choices when it comes to fast-fashion stores. "There are more brands that are less expensive — mini Zaras and H&Ms of the world. You get really great finds that aren't costly," Kaplan notes.
Spending habits, however, aren't the great divide. It's attitude.
"A Parisienne tries to look 'soignee,' pulled together. She wears what flatters, is street smart and does not buy beyond her means," says author Guiliano, who also contributed to the new book "Parisienne," a centurylong celebration of French women published by Flammarion.
Guiliano, who in addition to writing "French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women for All Seasons" also is a longtime executive at luxury goods company LVMH, says French women can be stubborn and don't like anyone advising them about their appearance.
"Stylish French women know their own 'brand' DNA and work it," she writes in an e-mail to The AP. "Ever wonder about all those carrot-haired women on the streets of Paris? It's part of their brand identity, and it did not cost much to build."
Conversely, Americans, even in the luxury market, go after the "it" item, observes Amy Tara Koch, style and beauty editor for the iVillage Web site. In fact, she adds, Americans wonder why the French make such a point of shunning it.
"American people are put off with the [French] superiority. They ask, 'Why is this woman with an accent thumbing her nose at my rhinestone jeans?' " Koch says. "But the Parisians pride themselves at elegance and they do think it's gauche to wear sneakers or shorts in the city, even if that's the trend."
She adds, "The word 'schlub' is not translatable in French."
What's the scarf trick?
A Frenchwoman's wardrobe is built around classic silhouettes with chic investment-piece accessories, such as an alligator bag or an Hermès scarf, she says.
Ah, the scarf.
Almost everyone interviewed for this story used the scarf as a metaphor for French style. It transforms everyday clothes into a chic outfit, while at the same time seems a casual afterthought added just as a woman was dashing out the door.
"I feel like such a moron in a scarf," says Koch. "I like large shawls — I collect them — but the French have their scarves."
A French woman starts wearing scarves young and, therefore, isn't afraid of them, says Robin Adelman, director of the main floor at the Madison Avenue Hermès store. Scarves often are given as gifts for a girl's 18th birthday and she looks as if she was born to wear them, Adelman says.
"Scarves are part of their wardrobe, as much a part of their wardrobe as an American woman putting on a T-shirt. ... Don't treat it like such a serious thing," she says.
What the French do take seriously, though, is their grooming.
If Americans have a skin-care routine, the French have a beauty ritual, says Beth DiNardo, general manager of the U.S. branch of Paris-based cosmetics company Darphin. "The French are focused more on skin care than cosmetics, and will spend money on the best skin-care products," she says. "French women are less interested in the camouflage of makeup after their skin-care ritual. They use makeup more as an accent."
DiNardo says they approach the ritual as a pleasurable experience instead of a necessity.
Speaking to a group of American reporters in New York earlier this year to launch her family's namesake fragrance, Rykiel arrived at the 9 a.m. meeting wearing a dramatic black dress and bright red lips — a look one would expect for an evening event in Manhattan.
A French woman, according to Rykiel, wants to ask the mirror who is the fairest of them all — and be confident that it will answer she is.
"The French life is slower and more glamorous," says iVillage's Koch. "French women believe in taking their time in the pursuit of beauty — whether it's their garden, home, food preparation. The way that they go to the market that day, set the table, find the perfect wine, they do it in fashion and beauty, too."
thought it was an interesting read.
From the Seattle Times
Wednesday, October 3, 2007.
FRENCH WOMEN PUT THE ACCENT ON CLASSICS.
By Samantha Critchell.
The Associated Press.
NEW YORK — We love them. We hate them. We really wish we could tie scarves like them.
French women have this seemingly innate style that makes them the object of envy of their American counterparts who buy the same labels — sometimes even the same outfit — but are surprised when they aren't instantly transformed into Catherine Deneuve.
Plenty of products marketed in the U.S. tap into this envy: Bourjois cosmetics introduced makeup kits called Lessons in Effortless French Chic; the little black dress that has become a staple of the American wardrobe is inspired by versions created decades ago by Coco Chanel and Hubert de Givenchy; and Mireille Guiliano spun the French woman's love affair with red wine and cheese into best-selling books.
But you can't bottle "je ne sais quoi."
"The French look is effortless," says "Chic in Paris" author Susan Tabak. "They are not slaves to their hair, not their makeup, not their clothes. They play with fashion and have more fun."
French women also assess their assets and make the most of them. What they don't do is follow trends.
"The style seems very off the cuff," says Bourjois spokeswoman Celine Kaplan, a Parisienne-turned-New Yorker. "We don't have yet the 'celebrity' culture, so fashion and style isn't dictated by celebrities who sometimes don't have the right taste levels."
Instead, French women take a few cues from fashion professionals but are even more likely to trust their own instincts, Kaplan says.
"French women don't try to look like anyone else other than themselves," says Frenchwoman Nathalie Rykiel, daughter of designer Sonya Rykiel. "They know who they are and make the most of what they have. Allure, to them, is more about a statement than physical beauty."
Tabak contrasts that with American women who see a Prada ad and then mimic it. "There's nothing wrong with that but you see yourself coming and going a lot."
A legacy of style
The fashion icons revered in France are hardly flavors-of-the-week. The short list includes legendary late designer Coco Chanel, and actresses Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin — for whom the much-coveted Hermès bag is named. From the younger generation there are Birkin's daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Paradis and Audrey Tautou.
You'd be hard-pressed to find women wearing skinny pants just because they've been labeled a must-have item, Kaplan says, and no one does a head-to-toe look of a particular season or a particular designer. "You mix and match, you go vintage."
True, they have their beloved pricey labels, such as Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, but since they buy things that match their personal style, they get a lot of mileage out of their most expensive pieces. And for everything else, they have more choices when it comes to fast-fashion stores. "There are more brands that are less expensive — mini Zaras and H&Ms of the world. You get really great finds that aren't costly," Kaplan notes.
Spending habits, however, aren't the great divide. It's attitude.
"A Parisienne tries to look 'soignee,' pulled together. She wears what flatters, is street smart and does not buy beyond her means," says author Guiliano, who also contributed to the new book "Parisienne," a centurylong celebration of French women published by Flammarion.
Guiliano, who in addition to writing "French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women for All Seasons" also is a longtime executive at luxury goods company LVMH, says French women can be stubborn and don't like anyone advising them about their appearance.
"Stylish French women know their own 'brand' DNA and work it," she writes in an e-mail to The AP. "Ever wonder about all those carrot-haired women on the streets of Paris? It's part of their brand identity, and it did not cost much to build."
Conversely, Americans, even in the luxury market, go after the "it" item, observes Amy Tara Koch, style and beauty editor for the iVillage Web site. In fact, she adds, Americans wonder why the French make such a point of shunning it.
"American people are put off with the [French] superiority. They ask, 'Why is this woman with an accent thumbing her nose at my rhinestone jeans?' " Koch says. "But the Parisians pride themselves at elegance and they do think it's gauche to wear sneakers or shorts in the city, even if that's the trend."
She adds, "The word 'schlub' is not translatable in French."
What's the scarf trick?
A Frenchwoman's wardrobe is built around classic silhouettes with chic investment-piece accessories, such as an alligator bag or an Hermès scarf, she says.
Ah, the scarf.
Almost everyone interviewed for this story used the scarf as a metaphor for French style. It transforms everyday clothes into a chic outfit, while at the same time seems a casual afterthought added just as a woman was dashing out the door.
"I feel like such a moron in a scarf," says Koch. "I like large shawls — I collect them — but the French have their scarves."
A French woman starts wearing scarves young and, therefore, isn't afraid of them, says Robin Adelman, director of the main floor at the Madison Avenue Hermès store. Scarves often are given as gifts for a girl's 18th birthday and she looks as if she was born to wear them, Adelman says.
"Scarves are part of their wardrobe, as much a part of their wardrobe as an American woman putting on a T-shirt. ... Don't treat it like such a serious thing," she says.
What the French do take seriously, though, is their grooming.
If Americans have a skin-care routine, the French have a beauty ritual, says Beth DiNardo, general manager of the U.S. branch of Paris-based cosmetics company Darphin. "The French are focused more on skin care than cosmetics, and will spend money on the best skin-care products," she says. "French women are less interested in the camouflage of makeup after their skin-care ritual. They use makeup more as an accent."
DiNardo says they approach the ritual as a pleasurable experience instead of a necessity.
Speaking to a group of American reporters in New York earlier this year to launch her family's namesake fragrance, Rykiel arrived at the 9 a.m. meeting wearing a dramatic black dress and bright red lips — a look one would expect for an evening event in Manhattan.
A French woman, according to Rykiel, wants to ask the mirror who is the fairest of them all — and be confident that it will answer she is.
"The French life is slower and more glamorous," says iVillage's Koch. "French women believe in taking their time in the pursuit of beauty — whether it's their garden, home, food preparation. The way that they go to the market that day, set the table, find the perfect wine, they do it in fashion and beauty, too."
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^ Interesting. Thanks! 
Regarding the scarves- I have many silk scarves, but I often feel ridiculous when I wear them and often end up just tying them around my purse handle or something. I guess I feel like otherwise I look like I am trying too hard. I wish that I could make it look effortless!
Regarding the scarves- I have many silk scarves, but I often feel ridiculous when I wear them and often end up just tying them around my purse handle or something. I guess I feel like otherwise I look like I am trying too hard. I wish that I could make it look effortless!
VivaciousCohen
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Great article!
The French have a way of throwing together something that looks as if it took hours, but really only took a few minutes to achieve such an effortless chic style. I adore this!!
Good article (though full of generalizations 
) I don’t think I have ever seen anyone over the age of 15 wear jeans with rhinestones. One think I don’t like is trends (unless “classic” or retro looks are in style). Most fashion fads with the exception of this fall and winter does not fit my body type and personality.
) I don’t think I have ever seen anyone over the age of 15 wear jeans with rhinestones. One think I don’t like is trends (unless “classic” or retro looks are in style). Most fashion fads with the exception of this fall and winter does not fit my body type and personality. Depends of your social class . I've seen Hermes scarves being offered as gift in upper class families, not for birthday though.
we agree, not for a birthday...
BerlinRocks
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in my family girls for their 18th birthday got a gift from Cartier (rings most of the time)... not Hermès... but I'm pretty sure my cousins would love to get an Hermès Birkin for her 18th bday...
an we're not upper-upper class... but it's like a tradition... young tradition, though as it started with my mother generation...
an we're not upper-upper class... but it's like a tradition... young tradition, though as it started with my mother generation...
SophieKawaii
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^ I would like such a tradition in my family. 
thefrancofille
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^ Interesting. Thanks!
Regarding the scarves- I have many silk scarves, but I often feel ridiculous when I wear them and often end up just tying them around my purse handle or something. I guess I feel like otherwise I look like I am trying too hard. I wish that I could make it look effortless!
You should try googling the Hermes scarf tying guide or the one by Brooks Brothers. I never feel ridiculous when I wear one, but definitely over the top and dramatic, at least here in the US. On my recent visit to Paris, I saw a woman in D'Orsay wearing her Hermes simply folded in a triangle and draped over her jacket with the two ends hanging down front. It was so simple, but so elegant. I would never have thought of that! I wear a lot of black, and neutrals so scarves help me to get away with it.
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You should try googling the Hermes scarf tying guide or the one by Brooks Brothers. I never feel ridiculous when I wear one, but definitely over the top and dramatic, at least here in the US. On my recent visit to Paris, I saw a woman in D'Orsay wearing her Hermes simply folded in a triangle and draped over her jacket with the two ends hanging down front. It was so simple, but so elegant. I would never have thought of that! I wear a lot of black, and neutrals so scarves help me to get away with it.
that triangle style doesn't work on me - i look like a boyscout... er, make that girlscout. lol
but i do love to fold a scarf into a long thin strip, then twist it gently into a rope and wear it like a necklace! also, hermes has introduced "vintage" scarves which are a little smaller and the silk is a bit lighter so it is not as intimidating and hard to use as their regular size scarves. the regular ones make great obi belts though!
thefrancofille
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^ I haven't tried the necklace yet. I like wearing mine like a tie lol
thefrancofille
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Source: ebay!
Virginielle
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Has anyone seen this documentary?
http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500252328
http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500252328
