Since the late 19th century when Charles Worth, the founder of
modern fashion, adorned his wife and paraded her at the most stylish
social events, French women have earned the distinction of being
considered the best-dressed females on the planet. Despite the
impact of giant American brands that have infiltrated wardrobes
worldwide, Parisian élégantes still have an inimitable approach
to putting themselves together.
My first impression of the book “The Parisian Woman’s Guide to Style” by Virginie and Véronique Morana (Universe Publishers) was that
it was obsolete. All the jeans, blouson jackets and Nike sneakers
seen on the boulevards seemed to have given everyone an identical
look: that of the American at large. However after closer scrutiny
of the book, I realized that — regardless of contemporary trends
like minimalism, casual wear or the fashion for basics — the quintessentially
“French style” known as “je ne sais quoi” remains omnipresent.
In the United States, women are conditioned into acquiring clothes
for a number of key annual events: Easter, graduation or weddings,
back-to-school, holidays and resort wear for winter vacations
in a warm climate. In addition, affluent American ladies tend
to purchase “the look,” as featured on the editorial pages of
the magazines they read. On the other hand, French women (who,
in general have a much smaller budget for clothing) buy far fewer
clothes and rarely “a total look.” They are accustomed to starting
out with basics to which they add a new jacket, a special shirt
or top, a change of skirt or pants, and accessories. Black and
neutral colors play an essential role in this timeless wardrobe,
allowing them to dress up or down at different hours of the day,
so they look right from dawn to dusk. From time to time, they
shop for an extra garment for a particular occasion, such as a
party, a wedding or a prestigious social event. Accessories —
jewelry, shoes, scarves, belts and bags — are used to update their
personal style, from season to season. Everything is assembled
to create an effect that appears to have been effortlessly “thrown
together.” At the last minute. And, always with the notion that
“less is more.”
Virginie and Véronique Morana’s book is an illustrated chronicle,
filled with tips on how to accessorize your look à la française.
They write, “At all costs, she...” — meaning “the French woman”
— “veers away from stylistic extremes: too smart or too flashy,
even too chic. Her ensemble might seem hastily put together and
deceptively simple at first glance, but upon closer inspection,
it becomes clear that each element has been carefully considered,
from the choice of basic wardrobe pieces to essential details
— the bag, shoes, scarf, and jewelry. Despite the appearance of
effortless chic, the overall effect has been constructed with
great precision.”
The book begins with a brief overview of modern fashion throughout
the previous century, then discusses color, fashion basics and
necessities such as the suit, the white shirt and the little black
dress. From there, color, line, seasonal attire and clothes for
special events are examined. After a short history of French lingerie,
they talk about underpinnings, outer garments, jewelry, and even
perfume and cosmetics.
The weakness of the Murana book — it’s bantamweight shopping guide,
is the strength of another indispensable book which has just hit
the stores: “A Shopper’s Guide to Paris,” by Alicia Drake (Metro Books). This publication is more like a
travel guide to Paris for shoppers. “Forget romance, Paris is
for shoppers, not lovers,” Drake writes. Her opus includes not
only an extensive listing of hip and hot shopping spots listed
by arrondissement, but also recommendations concerning cafés,
tearooms and restaurants where shoppers might want stop, and rest
their weary feet.
The book starts with all sorts of invaluable information: opening
hours, sales, alterations, etiquette... Food and drink, and tipping...
It provides a lexicon of terms that all shoppers in the French
capital need to be aware of. For instance: haute couture, prêt-à-porter,
dépôt-vente, solderies and fripes. Along with a French/UK/USA
size chart for women and menswear.
Next, Drake takes you on a neighborhood by neighborhood walking
tour, suggesting museums and sightseeing ideas you might want
to include, as you make your way from one boutique to another.
Each chapter features a detailed map of the area, as well as clear
and concise notes defining every store’s characteristics and price
range. Opening hours, telephone and credit card details are also
highlighted. Mostly devoted to clothing, the book spotlights a
selection of perfume and textile outlets, booksellers, shoe, jewelry
and accessory stores, designer resale shops and flea markets,
not forgetting eye wear and bridal finery. In short — all kinds
of places likely to attract incurable shoppers.
Excerpts from some of Drake's numerous recommendations:
“Maria Louisa international Designer Store — An obligatory stop at the beginning of the season for every
self-respecting fashion follower, Maria Luisa has a great eye
and faultless taste for picking out chic, sharp clothes with a
deviant edge... Not only is this Venezuelan-born Parisian brilliant
at buying, but she always considers the clothes in context, as
in who will be wearing it and when.” 10:30am to 7pm, Mon-Sat,
2, rue Cambon, 1er, tel: 01.47.03.96.13.
“Didier Ludot Little Black Dress — Didier has recently opened a third boutique
on the opposite side of the Palais Royal to his existing shops...
He mixes stellar little black dresses from couturiers such as
Balenciaga, Chanel, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent with his own
contemporary collection inspired by the deadly sins and featuring
such high cam names as Coquetterie and Caprice.” 10:30am to 7pm,
Mon-Sat, 20/24, galerie Montpensier, 1er, tel: 01.42.96.06.56.
“Agnès b Quintessential French womenswear — Agnès b. epitomizes a certain
French look — it’s timeless but of the moment, it’s classic yet
somehow very cool... She is to basics what Lacroix is to lace.
The womenswear store here is enormous with all the Agnes b. essentials
for life: the near-grey wool gabardine trouser suit, the fab-cut
black leather jeans (she wears them all the time), silk satin
shirts and delicate print dresses... Clothes meant for a modern,
working woman, which is exactly what Agnès b herself is.” 10am
to 7:30pm, Mon-Sat, 6, rue du Jour, 1er, tel: 01.45.08.56.56.
“Poles Chic Knitwear — Unfortunately French women do not turn off the chic at the
weekend — it’s full-on seven days a week. For weekend knitwear
they come to Poles, which has “relaxed chic” sussed... For winter
there are merino wool sweaters in rust or sea green to wear with
your khakis and your J.P. Tods or mohair tops which button up
the back, while for summer there are cream chunky cotton silk
sweaters or more fashion halter neck tops. There’s a slightly
artisan feel to their knitwear, in that it’s all finished by hand,
but it never too ‘arts and crafts.’” 11am to 1pm & 2 -7pm, Mon-Sat,
8, pl de l’Odéon, 6e, tel: 01.46.33.33.32.
“Accessoire Détente Casual Shoes — A box of a shop selling the new weekend sporty line of shoes
from Accessoire Diffusion, it is here to provide summer essentials
for French bourgeois time off: espadrilles, beach shoes, docksiders
and tennis shoes, while for winter it’s more about pavement pounding
rubber soles.” 11am to 7pm, Mon-Sat, 11, rue Pré aux Clercs, 7e,
tel: 01.42.84.26.85.
“Zara Fashionable Chain Store Clothes — If there’s one high street
chain where you’ll want to shop in Paris, it’s Zara. A great source
for this season’s look at competitive prices, this Spanish chain
has stores all over town... The label targets three different
looks: working women with classic suiting, weekend jeans and casual
wear, and more fashion-forward, trend clothes. Prices are around
Marks & Spencer’s level, although quality is not as stringent.”
10am to 7pm, Mon-Sat, 2, rue Halevy, 9e, tel: 01.44.71.90.90.
“Sephora Cosmetics, Perfume, Skin-Care — This is a gigantic spaceship
megastore devoted to cosmetics and fragrances across every price
range from Christian Dior and Cacharel to less expensive... Housed
in 14,000 square feet of space are over 12,000 different products
including Sephora’s own brand of bath, body and cosmetic products
which is reasonably-priced and stylishly packaged.” 10am to midnight,
Mon-Sat, (Sun, 11-1am), 70, av des Champs-Elysées, 8e.
