All this talk of Paris during the Olympics made Stephanie’s reach for our favourite pile of style guides – Dreaming of Dior; How to be Parisian; French Women Don’t get Facelifts; and quite a few more in our self-help library – to revise a little of the French je ne sais quoi. There seems to be more to it than just berets and bobbed hair.
Here’s our Edit of how to bring a little French style into your everyday, with thanks to the guides mentioned for tips and pics in this edition.
Be Intellectual and Mysterious
In France you are more likely to be asked ‘what book you are reading?’ before ‘where do you come from?’. So read a lot…and keep a list of interesting books in your head for conversation pieces.
Do not ask people what they do for a living, and do not bring your life story into conversation. Avoid bringing up problems and dramas. Rather be intriguing, and let people wonder about you.
Speak with determination and poise. Say less. Pause and leave some silences…be enigmatic.
Be ready to discuss film/politics/art. Read reviews. Go to Galleries and the theatre. Make time for intellectual conversation.
Great posture makes you appear beguiling, confident, and in control. Project allure via shoulders back and down, chest out. Stand straight and occupy the room with an elegant bearing. Pay attention to your gait.
Be alive and interesting, but not always the same. Have a sense of humour and adventure.
Keep your grooming and personal matters behind closed doors, even from your partner. Maintain an air of mystery to keep the romance alive.
Stay trim without dieting or the gym
Don’t weigh yourself – keep track with the zipper or buttons.
Wear zippers and buttons – not stretch fabrics,
Avoid eating on the go. Sit down and treat each meal as an occasion. No eating in the car, or while walking. Or while watching TV…
Make breakfast a nourishing ritual with the clink of cutlery and china, pretty napkins, and tasty aromas.
Find routines for each mealtime and delightful experiences that you anticipate, to avoid snacking and other temptations in between.
Think about good things to savour, not worry about bad food to avoid.
Dining in at home is sexy. Pay attention to careful presentation of the food and take time lay a pretty and formal table.
Always take the stairs when you can. Great for legs and derriere. Drive less. Make exercise part of every daily activity. Walk and carry as often as you can.
Stay Chic
Have a style – conservative/bohemian/tailored/casual – and excel at it. Know the shops and brands that reflect your style and stick with them. Don’t mix up your look with oddments that you happen to own. Edit the strays in your wardrobe that dilute your style.
Have a signature item that brings your look together and defines your style. Take excellent care of that vital piece, whether it’s a trench coat, stilettos, handbag, a jewel – use it and wear it all the time.
Update your style and look every ten years or so. Move with the times, and your life stage, and your income. Enjoy cultivating your look and evolving it with the passing years.
Balance your hairstyle against your age. The older your head, the neater your hair style should be.
Throw out frumpy clothes. If you don’t have access to them, you won’t have to worry about looking dowdy.
Wear flattering clothes at home – not some old (frumpy) thing – and wear an apron when cooking or working to keep your garments looking fresh.
Have an ever ready “business casual” look – skirt or smart pants, tailored blazer and scarf, ballet flats, sunglasses. Great for travel, and everyday elegance.
Chic essentials: Well cared for hands and feet, excellent footwear, a great haircut.
Wardrobe basics: a good cardigan in a neutral colour, a little black dress, a white blouse with a high collar, tailored jacket, well cut pants, a travel outfit, trench, scaves and belts. Black is a staple, but if you feel washed out in it, try navy, charcoal, aubergine, claret, dark purple as a softer option.
French style
The words that embody French style include:
Allure Vivacious
Refinement Passion
Understated Breeziness
Seduction Enthusiasm
Curiosity
Make the world more interesting for people watchers by being well groomed and a tiny bit mysterious ALL the time. Always cultivate some flirtation, even in ordinary moments in the day.
No occasion is too small to live well. Make the mundane special with clothes and food that are the best possible quality, every day.
Always use your best – clothes, china, sleepwear, furniture. Don’t keep things for special occasions.
Turn unpleasant tasks around by finding little pleasures in the routine. Find a little satisfaction that you look forward to, even in the mundane jobs.
Pay close attention to what brings out your beauty and what detracts. But beauty is not perfection. Accept little imperfections, cherish them perhaps – gap in your smile, freckles, prominent eyebrows – as signs of a person happy with her character. Don’t correct. Play with what you have. Make the most of it.
Bien dans sa peau – feeling comfortable in your skin, and owning your style gives confidence, and makes you assertive, unphased – and beautiful.
Aim for simple and natural – the opposite of overdone – avoid big hair, big bling, complicated clothing, high maintenance looks. Clothing should not outdo your personality.
More reading: (and feel free to drop in to Grafton Street and browse Stephanie’s style guide library)
- Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L Scott
- The French Women Don’t Get Fat series by Mireille Guiliano
- Else Schiaparelli biography by Meryle Secrest
- Dreaming of Dior by Charlotte Smith
- How to be Parisian Wherever you are by Sophie Mass
