Thursday, January 30, 2014

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


9 comments:

  1. Oh Laura I am DYING! Trying not to wake up the sleeping baby because I'm laughing so hard! Love it. And remember when you used to dress me up and have me model? ...

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    1. Oh yes,even then I knew I was not cut out for elegance, but I could live vicariously through you. So healthy.

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  2. This post is hilarious. Love, love.

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  3. Great stuff, Laura. Loved this!

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  4. Laura, I'd follow you to the edges of blog land to read your stuff. Erudite and hilarious.
    PS - my laughing woke the sleeping baby

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  5. Great article ~ and yes probably the one thing I've picked up from my Belgian cousins is that for casual elegance nothing beats a navy sweater. Well done!!

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  6. Ha, amazing :) I think the key to all of it must be attaining the ideal weight of approximately 7 pounds. I'm just never gonna get there :P

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  7. You know, the more I look at JCrew and other continental-inspired magazines/catalogs, the more I realize the clothes and outfits actually are ridiculous and unflattering. The people who can get away with it are those with good hair and makeup. A face really is the central feature. If I look sick and tired, nothing I wear is going to help.

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    1. PS And by good I mean professionally done and airbrushed.

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