Books and Culture with Laura

An American Schlump Tries Parisian Chic On For Size

by Laura Scanlon

Encouraged by Lessons From Madame Chic, I recently picked up Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange. The author - France’s self-proclaimed icon of chic - promises, “You don’t need to be born in Paris to have Parisian style.”

When I was growing up in the 1990s in the Deep South, style was simple: shoes match purse; fingernail polish matches toenail polish matches lipstick; earrings match necklace; necklace matches dress, dress matches eyeshadow.

So this idea of Parisian chic intrigues me but is more than a little foreign.

The author insists, “Don’t go for the head-to-toe! . . . We are all just steps from a fashion faux pas but the true Parisian will find a way to snatch a triomphe de style from the jaws of disaster.”

But how? Often enough, my outfits approach the jaws of disaster and then jump right in.



I read on, hoping for enlightening details:

• “Effortless style’ often takes, as it says, relatively little effort. All you really need is loads of self-confidence and a smile.”

So far so good. But . . .

• “Appearing to try too hard is very uncool: everyone knows the Parisian buys truckloads of fashion magazines to keep abreast of current trends, but she never lets it show!”

I don’t know, that sounds like effort to me!

• One basic is a “man’s blazer.” “Belt it,” the author says, and wear with jeans.

Like this:

Hmm:

I think I’m missing something.

The photos in this book make one lesson very clear: To look Parisian, try to be tall, thin, sixteen, with great hair, and high cheekbones.

Well, I’ll work on it. In the mean time, the author says to wear . . .

• “A parka over a little chiffon dress,”

• “Knee-high cashmere socks in all colors (khaki, raspberry, turquoise),”

• “Military medals and badges in place of a brooch,”

• “Your teenage son’s shirt with a push-up bra underneath,” but not

“cropped t-shirts,” or “too-tight shirts that gape,”

• Penny loafers, which are “absolutely essential” to the Parisian’s shoe

collection. “Team with chunky socks and jeans just short of your ankle.” 

Check! I’ve done that last one!

Kind of:

• Another staple is a navy sweater. “Understated, but more sophisticated than a plain black sweater. (Admit it: sometimes black sweaters are just too easy!)”

So . . . “effortless” is good, but “too easy” is bad. I’m confused.

• Navy blue is “risk free.”

Phew! I’m glad something is . . . .

• “Unless you wear it with yellow (in which case you are sailing dangerously close to the band colors of a certain Swedish furniture store).”

Well, drat, there goes my favorite outfit. Ikea, here I come.

Perhaps I should stop poring over the text and simply use the illustrations for guidance. 

Chic?

Hmm. Not so chic.

I give up, Ms. Fressange! I think you Frenchwomen really do have a certain je ne sais quoi that we Americans can never attain.

And perhaps that’s the whole point?


Laura is a Catholic Christian, a mother, a part-time lawyer, and a recovering overthinker. She writes monthly here at Atelier on books and culture, and blogs regularly at This Felicitous Life.