French Style/Chic
 

I am looking for books/articles on French fashion/chic/style. After all everyone says French women are the most stylish and beautiful. Any suggestions?

Sorry, sally for all the sick puppies here.<BR>Check out the new report from Paris posted by olivia, she mentions a book that may be of interest.

If you live in a major city you can probably purchase a copy of the French edition of Vogue. If that doesn't work, you might want to see if Galleries Lafayette has a website. That will be able to show you clothing styles.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Go to your local bookstore or newstand where they carry international magazines. One thing that I noticed about Paris are the beautiful accessories. Loveley Hermes scarves, cashmere scarves. Makeup is not very heavy at all. Of course, I do not know what look you are going for. Do you want elegant, hip? Parisians like quality. Wear something that is well tailored or is made up of good fabric.I will do some investigating and post again with my results.

Two websites that are for Francophiles you might try<BR><BR>http://www.paris-anglo.com<BR>http://www.franceandus.com<BR><BR>I hope this helps.

French vogue is too far out for the average French woman's taste and budget. Look at our vogue out of line for most of us unless you are lucky enough to have a filene's basement or a Loemann's where you can pick up something for less than half the original price. Today, the global situation is different, you can no longer tell a chic New yorker frm a Parisian. Fashion is hijacked so quickly and translated to the Us so quickly.The french woman does not dress by recipe(top to botton logo designer)<BR>style is also personality.They have smaller wardrobes but that one black skirt is the best they can afford, the pants are taken in to fit just so. Dry cleaning is very expensive so they also air their clothes out(too much dry cleaning also wears out fabrics)<BR>The same goes for the homes, they aren't afraid to have a cracked wall, peelig ceiling. American homes are so studied and perfect not very welcoming in their perfection.

For those going to Paris, FYI from their website:<BR><BR>Galeries Lafayette Fashion Show (free of charge) is held every <BR>Tuesday all year long at 11 : 00am and on <BR>Friday at 2:30pm from march 30 to mid-november 2001.<BR><BR>We invite you to come and discover the women's<BR>"Fall-Winter collection".<BR><BR><BR>

always wear a foulard in the summer and an echarpe in the winter, no matter what.<BR><BR>bring a pair of bowling shoes or buy them in france. these seem to be really popular.<BR><BR>in winter wear a floppy hat. wool overcoats are always cool.<BR><BR>buy a cell phone and talk into it whenever you can (there doesn't have to be anyone on the other end).<BR><BR>always walk with a bounce in your step at a relatively brisk pace with a straight back(ie. look like you're in a hurry to get somewhere)<BR><BR>always count your calories. <BR><BR>never sit in a restaurant alone.<BR><BR>never stare at people.<BR><BR><BR>

I posted this once and have no idea where it went-<BR>I wanted to say to Mimi that I have a 100 year old house,with lumpy ceilings and wavy floors, some of my friends have big new modern homes and some have homes like mine..we live in the US..I am saying this because you know how we all dislike these generalizations...there are homes in both France and the US that are welcoming and some that are not~C

Cdf, I don't know how but they deleted the last three postings. I said to you I was sorry for generalizing and meant our American magazines.

mimi-seems the gremlin at Fodors wants us to misunderstand each other as much as possible! I see what you meant though, thank you :)

Thanks for the great suggestions and URL's. <BR><BR>Mimi: I can't find Olivia's trip report. If you see it, would you please top it. Thanks again to everyone.

There are two books written by Anne Barone which covers this subject.

Why not simply take a one-day trip to NYC and see what women there are wearing - it's the same in Paris. By the way, furs - PC or not, PETA fans - are very much in on the Paris streets. Paris women are no more stylish or beautiful than NYC women, women in Rome, etc. Or the redhead who went to Paris with me a few weeks ago - she was stunning in her fur, Armani and Ecsada, and jeans, and the Paris women stared at her. Style is where you find it - no need to focus exclusively on one city or another. It's inside and out. Ciao, Leone