Ladies: French Chic?
 

What is the best fashion tip you picked up/observed while in Paris?

The women's scarves! They do such amazingly sophisticated things with scarves. Wish I had that flair.

Mousse, haircolor, hairclips - all of it pales in comparison to a superb cut

I second the scarves!

I like the cute pocketbooks (flirty colors).

Simplicity says a lot. They looked fashionable, yet comfortable without all the accessories and makeup.

Quality over quantity. The women who owned my hotel owned 5 work outfits - each of them fabulous. She told me she had 3 sets of lingerie - she washed it out in the shower in the morning, hung it to dry and wore it again 2 days later. Her lingerie was all from LaPerla. If you can only wear one outfit at a time, it might as well be as good as it gets - rather than owning 3 or 4 outfits that are only average.

Just be lucky enough to be born with one of those teeny-tiny little French bodies--just about anything looks chic on them.

The color this year is camel...everyone was wearing it. <BR> <BR>Quality too...what shoes they have!

The ATTITUDE. Only a french lady(well over 40 I might add) could wear ruffled polka-doted pants (black background, white dots and ~ 2" ruffles from the hip to the mid-calve) and look, walk and behave as if the rest of the living population is sloppy and/or strident. This cannot be learned, one has to be born into it.

Also, I think French women have clothes that fit them to the proverbial "t". Often when shopping with girlfriends, I'll hear one say "it's a little tight across the rear" but they buy the item anyway. I have the impression a French woman in the same situation would go a size up & then have the item altered to fit perfectly. <BR>BC

BookChick and Janice have it right .. they bu only the best they can afford and it fits perfectly, that's also how they stay slim..if you spent all that money you can't afford to gain a pound. They are always perfectly groomed too, no wrikles , baggy hems, and always something a litle unexpected. 6 French women could be wearing the exact outfit and eacch would have added her own personal touch. They also start young to take care of their skin!And I swear the French language improves their cheekbones!!

check out the latest issue of Victoria magazine. A discussion on the French woman's elan. Great shops to look for in Paris and a few great places to stay on another trip. There are cafe au lait bowls on the cover.

Elan is the perfect word to describe Parisian women. To my eyes, they have a wonderful combination of spirit and style. <BR> <BR>I also agree with what Tammy said, that simplicity says a lot. In fact, I think that's what people who don't get the "black clothes thing" often fail to understand. Black is very simple and, in its simplicity, is very striking. <BR> <BR>A famous male fashion designer -- Giorgio Armani I think -- said that he always wears just a black t-shirt (besides pants of course :~), because the simplicity of it helps to highlight one's face.

Capo, I just love you!

Hey... get in line "A Female" -- I claimed Capo a looooong time ago :) <BR> <BR>On topic... after years of battling scarves, trying to have them look "just so" I abandoned them. Recently -- it was in Paris actually:) I bought a cheap scarf [at Tati I think] and just tossed it on. It looked great:) So I've been doing the casual "toss" thing since and feeling muuuuuch chicer:)

Jody, you are so right! Speaking French does wonders for one's facial bone structure - say "une boteille du vin rouge". Even a simple phrase like that makes your lips pout, your cheeks suck in a little, your cheekbones poke out more. How sexy can you get?

sorry for typo - une BOUTEILLE (not boteille).

Merci, A Female...and I'd bet we <I>both</I> love Paris, oui? (*LOL* Sally!!) <BR> <BR>I guess you guys are right about Parisian women and scarves. I'm not a big fan of scarves in general but Parisiennes do somehow manage to make them look good. <BR> <BR>This is, admittedly, a generalization, but another thing I've noticed about Parisian women (and men) is the way they carry themselves, the way they walk. They seem to -- for lack of a better word -- <I>glide</I> whereas Americans (again, another generalization) seem to me to have kind of a "bounce" to their walk. Maybe that's due to all our athletic shoe wearing. :~)

A fun "self-help" book by Anne Barone, in fact there are two, "chic and slim", and Chic and Slim encore..How French women dress chic and stay slim! <BR> <BR>Now if I could only follow instructions!