I agree with Joanne. On my first trip to Paris I expected to see chic french women. I just did not see it. On my second trip I thought I would look closer but I still did not see it. I agree, the scarf is a lovely accessory and the french know how to use it. I think it is their attitude and the way they carry themselves. By the way, Paris is my favorite city!

I have to agree about not being too impressed with the way Parisian dress. It may also have to do with me being 20 and generally looking at people my age. I didn't really see anything to write home about. And I certainly wouldn't trade in my Nikes for bowling shoes. I am not really a fan of scarves but I do love the pashminas that I saw a lot of girls in. On the other hand I thought Roman women were fabulous dressers, quite of few I saw looked as though they had just stepped out of a page in vogue!

The two French teachers here (one is from Paris, the other from Nice) are with Gigi: Italians have it all over French.Where do you think those great shoes are made? <BR>That said, I'm with the quality over quantity and few, if any, garish prints. <BR> <BR>M. <BR>

Michele, Italians are way up there with flashy prints. Ungara, Dolce and Gabana, Gucci, Pucci and the list gets long. Most french shoes are made in Italy as well as some of the clothing. That is because of the great craftsmanship.

I know some designers are famous for their prints,butI've rarely seen bold prints on French or Italian women. Simplicity is a great fashion tip. <BR> <BR>M.

What a long thread in celebration of utter superficiality! <BR> <BR>Why should it be such a wonderful thing for people of limited means to spend an inordinate portion of their income on designer clothes? News flash: How a person is dressed is NOT his or her most important feature. Not even close. <BR> <BR>What's with this worship of fashion? Reminds me of a bunch of insecure middle school girls. Another thought: You people sound like the "Fernando" character that Billy Crystal played back when he was on SNL... nothing else matters so long as you look maaaaarvelous. <BR> <BR>So long as they aren't slobs or buffoons, I couldn't care LESS how people are dressed. Jeez! You people are so shallow.

I picked up a great book at a local "offprice" books place awhile back, "French Style", subtitle, How to Think, Shop and Dress Like a French Woman", by Veronique Vienne, c. 1993, Express publication, $20 full price, I think I paid $3 for it! Oh, and, uh, Martin? Pull on your sneakers, grab your Planet Hollywood sweatshirt, and take a hike, hoss!

Martin, one does not have to spend alot of money to dress well. What matters is that your clothes match, fit properly, and are becoming to the individual. As I have stated on previous posts, I have seen women and men in head-to-toe Gucci and they looked UNmarvelousssssss. Money does NOT create taste.

bookluvver - Oh, no! I've been accused of wearing sneakers and a sweatshirt! Now that REALLY hurts... &gt;hoss&lt;. <BR> <BR>Get real, hon. Think about the real world for a second. You're getting all excited about a book that will make you look exactly like a fashion-obsessed French woman. What kind of goal is that? The Parisian fashion slaves probably get snickered at by the great majority of the French who are too practical to get sucked in by such immature superficiality.

Martin, <BR> <BR>I totally disagree with your statement that (some)French or Parisian women are fashion- obsessed . They are not. They simply HAVE style. Besides, there are as as many, or maybe more Fashion magazines, or Fashion shows in the States as there're in France, or Italy, or Britain. <BR> <BR>Trying to look better, or wrapping the content pleasantly doesn't mean that there's no content. Because someone is intelligent, or conscious, or self-counscious means that this someone should disregard the way he/she looks? The fact that someone has a neat appearance or style doesn't mean that this someone is shallow, pardon me!!! <BR> <BR>Surlok

Sorry if I came off as mean-spirited, but I just can't believe how you people can be so hung up on the style of clothing that you and other people are wearing. It's like a clique of school kids razzing the student who has the "wrong" brand of jeans or shoes. <BR> <BR>And what's with all you sophisticated people calling me "hoss"? Did you ladies inherit your daddy's Texas oil money? <BR> <BR>I said in my first post that I don't approve of people who dress like slobs or buffoons (and I should add that the standards for both should be those of the country you're in, rather than the country you're from). But as long as you dress in an unoffending manner, everything else is a silly game... or else out-of-control vanity. This business of tying the perfect scarf &lt;just so&gt; ... give me a break! <BR> <BR>The only reason I would ever glance at pictures of the latest fashions from Paris (or any place else) is to get a good laugh about the foolishness of people who have more money than sense. <BR> <BR>I'll give it a rest. Get back to your chit-chat about doing such amazingly sophisticated things with scarves.

Martin: You are the weakest link -- goodbye!

Martin, you said that so long as people aren't "slobs or buffoons" you couldn't less how they're dressed. So, in your eyes, what kind of attire makes someone a "slob or buffon"? And aren't you doing the exact same thing you're criticizing others for, just to a different degree: judging people based on their appearance?

Who said anything about judging. Just making a statement that the average French woman on the street does not look like she just stepped out of Vogue. I think we women are expecting to see that since it is what we see in the media. Nothing about judging them as people.

I don't think it is the clothes so much as the body under them. You have to have a good shape to wear most trendy, fashionable clothes and look chic. <BR> <BR>Otherwise you look like a nicely dressed fat person.

I saw women wearing capri pants with high heeled boots - it looked very chic.

I just read Anne Baronne's book -- it has lots of useful information.

After many years fussing over how to wear scarves -- I finally learned that it's in the attitude. Toss it on -- and if you look as though you believe it is in the right arrangement -- well it is :)

Well, I tried that, and my scarves still fall off and look a mess. (but my attitude's improved.)