“American women are ready to put romance and femininity back into their lives,” says Edith Kunz, author of “Fatale, How French Women Do It,” a lighthearted look at the “feminine cunning and innate charm” for which French women are reputed.
“More and more women are talking about ‘quality of life.’ They’ve become very powerful in their professions, which has become unisex in a way. You hear them complain that something’s missing. I think they’re becoming more curious about French sensuality and savoir-faire,” says Kunz.
Fatale proposes a how-to as well as a history lesson. It spotlights the most “successful seductresses” — Diane de Poitiers, Madame de Pompadour and Eleanor of Aquitane, zooming in on their subtle ways of wielding power “while retaining a certain flirtatious femininity.” Perfume and lingerie, essential elements in the boudoir bag-of-tricks, are also considered from a documentary viewpoint in chapters titled “French perfume that rocks the room” and “A mention about unmentionables.”
There is much to mention about the French resourcefulness and that enviable ability to yank a crushed Schiaparelli felt hat from a heap of junk. Don’t, however, expect scarf-tying diagrams to accompany directions for looking tart on a trim budget.
“My premise is that there’s a huge foundation of confidence with the women in France,” says Kunz. Fatale clues an uninitiated American reader onto some of its potential origins and leaves her with a pep-talk. “The ‘sense of self’ that is imperative to the French mystique is a good start,” says the chapter “Putting your best leg forward,” and it’s “available to almost everyone who is willing to work for it.”
“Fatale, How French Women Do It” by Edith Kunz. Bridgewood Press.
