Lingerie and the French Woman ...

Photo by Iryna Kalchenko.

I once asked my French hairdresser—who has a cute little atelier in Beverly Hills—what she missed most about her home country, and she replied, "The lingerie." She went on to add, "The lingerie in the US is usually bad quality." I agreed. Exceptional lingerie is something I found in Paris while shopping as a newlywed for my honeymoon. Sadly, the lingerie was so amazing that it was stolen out of our rental car while having dinner one night in the tiny village of Eygalières.

The Small Yet Très Chic French Wardrobe.

French women (most notably La Parisienne) have always been revered for their sense of style, beautiful skin and slim figures. What most people do not realize about the French, in terms of their style in particular, is that they are quite conservative. The upper echelons of French society lean towards a simple, cultivated style that eschews trends. They prefer classic, timeless pieces that are easily incorporated into their existing wardrobes. What is even more interesting is that the size of their wardrobes are much smaller than the average American's. We appear to be hoarders in comparison. As our wardrobes are packed with endless cheap, throw-away, trendy fashions that only last a season, theirs in comparison, are carefully and thoughtfully managed. They do not shop often, yet when they do, they look for quality above all. You will not find a French wardrobe overrun by Polyester.

My favorite book on the subject is Lessons from Madame Chic, by Jennifer L. Scott. She has excellent advice on how to simplify your life by creating the perfect, cultivated, 10-piece French wardrobe.  

BOOK REVIEW: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are * Love, Style and Bad Habits.

Impeccably chic in Paris. Photo © Radu Razvan Gheorghe.

I believe I may be the only American woman to have read every book there is on how to be more Parisian. From my childhood fascination with my mother’s French Creole roots (my grandmother’s maiden name is Golette), to weekly tutorials with my Haitian babysitter, completing French language studies in high school and traveling on several occasions to the City of Lights—my intrigue with French culture, Parisian culture in particular—has been lifelong. So, bien sûr, when I came across the book, “How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits,” by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas. I had to have it.
My first thought, dear blog reader … oh, those naughty French girls...

John Hazard Forbes on Old Money America.

The once exclusive gates of a Breakers mansion, Newport, Rhode Island.
Photo by Ritu Jethani. 

One of my favorite little books is by Mayflower descendant, Ivy League graduate, art expert and appraiser, John Hazard Forbes. Titled: Old Money America, Aristocracy in the Age of Obama, it "explores the attitudes and behaviors of long-standing, wealthy (American) families.” Their likes, dislikes, and utter abhorrence’s, are a source of considerable education and sometimes affable humor. Great lessons—especially for those that mistake the flamboyance, ostentation and gaudiness of many of our newly affluent—for those possessing class or what used to be called “good breeding.”