French chic……..can you create it?

Some people just have it and some don’t no matter how hard they try.
Personally I lost interest in “style” years ago - as long as I feel OK and am warm/cool enough that’s OK.
Aspiring to be elegantly chic when you’re a bit of a dumpling is crazy.
Looking down on people as to how they chose to dress is very shallow and judgemental. Dress to be yourself.

All I need now is a matching pair of socks…

Younger son lived in Paris for a while. He reckons French women live in cupboards and spend all their money on clothes!

I would agree with 99% of what you all say.
So much so that some years ago Paw and I were due to visit an old childhood friend of his (French) who is now also a Comte and I was intimidated beyond belief at how chic his wife la Comtesse would be.
I was hugely relieved to meet a very homely woman, easily a size 20, could not have been nicer and not at all “soignée”or chic. Fiendishly competent though, she had organised a family meal for over 25,( bringing in caterers, but even so ) this was at their country house, a “Manoir” in Normandy as opposed to their Paris flat or (would you believe) ruined castle in the village which bears their name in the south of France.
But on the whole - yes, Frenchwomen have a style few of us come close to (present company excepted!)

Yes you can achieve it. I was Asturias and helped people do it. Join Pinterest and create a board, search French chic and millions of examples will come up, start experimenting. Anything can be learned I promise you.

I was encouraged by a compliment paid me by a French lady in Poitiers who said of my jacket that it was "tres jolie"! I don't think I am svelte enough to achieve French chic but I do believe it is possible. Definitely "less is more" - I have finally taken that on board and shudder at some of the outfits I used to wear. I don't think you necessarily have to spend a lot to achieve it either.

I did an exchange with a French girl from Paris and her wardrobe was all in dark navy, a blue-ish red, and white. Oh, and she had very well cut hair in a long bob with a fringe. We were 13.

mayisay

I think it's a myth/con that French women all look chic, because most of them look quite ordinary - especially once away from Paris. Whereas Italian women, of all ages, always look fantastic, in a subtle way, whatever part of the country you're in.

I agree, but I think it’s because most Italian people are naturally attractive, they tend to have lovely hair and skin.
What elegant people of both sexes seem to have is deportment, it’s the way they hold themselves that sets them apart rather than what they wear (although in Paris some women do wear lovely clothes too, they don’t look as if they ever do normal things like housework, they wouldn’t be seen dead in the ancient fleece I’m wearing today for example)

I agree that fashion and style are pretty non existant in the country French local population (spent 15 years there) however even in my small town I see more women who have got it right than I do on my trips to the UK.
When any big horse racing event takes place the parade of dresses are scary. In winter the main fashion seems to be a fleece, a pair of elasticated trousers or leggings and horrible footwear. Sorry if that offends, anything better than that looks chic to me

Callistemon21

Was she Michelle Dubois, Witzend?

?
I think she was probably from Paris, anyway. About half of us were placed with families in Paris*, the rest out in the French sticks somewhere - I can’t remember where.

*Including me, def. not in one of the smart arrondisements though. Even then la mere (pls imagine grave accent) was endlessly moaning about ‘les Algeriens!’ of whom there were many locally.

I remember being in a school hall during the Higher prelims one year. The 15/16/17 year-old girls were all wearing scarves round their necks that year, and a lot of them looked a bit flung-together. There was one girl from a French family who had on a perfectly ordinary scarf and looked the epitome of chic. It was impossible to see what she had done that the other girls hadn't! You've either got it or you haven't, it seems to me.

CurlyWhirly
I love wool crepe. The blazer I have now was bought in what is known as a pre loved clothes shop. It’s cashmere ?

There are two effortlessly chic French women that I know. The elder is 78, very slim and often wears knee length shorts with a top. She can get away with it. The other is in her late 60s, also slim and tall so she has long legs. Whenever I see her she always looks good. She wears a lot blue. I think that slim is the operative word here.

Changing the subject slightly, we have several mini music festivals in the region during the summer, mostly classical. When chatting with a friend who asked if we were going to any concerts I responded that I much preferred twentieth century contemporary "classical"music. Her response was that the music I wanted to hear was far too modern and not understood and that I would have to be in Paris or another large city.

Lots of affluent, elegant French ladies in my Breton seaside resort too, (Dinard). The irony is though that it is the British they admire in terms of style - architecture, beach huts etc! There is even a British film festival next month!
I have a French friend who used to rave about Laura Ashley!

Hi Sago - I agree .
I love Pau .
My observation was and is - it's not Paris !

And to be honest , I agree with Mamie ot can be a bit boring and samey !

Much as I admire French chic - I think that I'll always have very British habits .

I think it's a myth/con that French women all look chic, because most of them look quite ordinary - especially once away from Paris. Whereas Italian women, of all ages, always look fantastic, in a subtle way, whatever part of the country you're in.

Esmay Pau is one of the most affluent,cosmopolitan French cities I have visited.

I agree Esmay, there are some delicious meals, but it all gets very boring and samey. We live in Normandy and much as I love veal / pork / chicken with cream, apples and cider I don't want it every time I go out. Locally we can get French cuisine, pizza and kebabs. There are a growing number of little huts in car parks where you can get automatic pizzas. They have a kebab pizza and a burger pizza. ?
I think French cuisine needs to take a long hard look at itself and be a bit more open to outside influences.
So when people say what do I like least about living in France I say the fashion and the cuisine. ???

There used to be a huge difference between provincial and Parisienne French ladies .
I far preferred the more down to earth provincial types .
But in Pau !
Where they from - Paris ?
But -
I know from my French friends that they are sometimes amused and actually appalled by the standard British woman's gung ho attitude to diet , exercise and clothes .

They are usually taught by their mothers from an early age -
to concentrate on eating healthy meals savouring each mouthful and not snacking watching the telly as we tend to do .

Fast food chains are looked down on .

We Brits tend to hold back when we see a family member or friend gaining weight - they certainly don't !
Fresh fruit , salad and vegetables are important .

They also have a few perfected dishes in their repertoire .
I was surprised at just how limited a standard Frenchwoman's expertise was .
If having a dinner party - desserts would be bought .

I noticed that they don't talk about diets especially in mixed company.
If they diet -they usually go to a doctor and the whole thing is extremely discrete .

They also plan their wardrobe choosing pieces to augment what they already have .
Expensive items are treasured .

I can't imagine them going to Primark and buying a lot of cheap throwaway stuff .

They also take great care of their clothes -ironing , repairing and dry cleaning them .

I think that control is the keyword .

I was told that I eat too much and too quickly , that I buy too many cheap clothes , which I don't look after !
I was reprimanded for not pressing a dress and cleaning my shoes prior to going out .

And they don't hold back on making comments about your hair either !

But a huge compliment - that I am an accomplished /adventurous cook and here's the sting - for a Brit !

There was a French lady being interviewed on a news programme the other day. Can’t remember what the subject was. Dark hair cut in a bob. Very little make up apart from lipstick. Plain top and I think she was wearing jeans. But she looked so chic.

One of my daughters in law an Englishwoman buys most of her clothes from a charity shop and she always looks natural, unostentatious , and modestly uncluttered. She knows what shapes of garments suit her. I have never seen her wearing garish prints.

When I was a teenager I read in Honey magazine that French women spent a lot of money on their accessories - shoes and handbags - and looked after them.

Does anyone remember Galeries Lafayette in Regent Street. It became Hamleys but don't know if it still is. That was a very chic store.

I do think that the blazer, chinos, loafers and white or striped top is a very easy look to achieve and so some people try to be different.

nanna8

It’s the same with the French food,too. So lovely but often very simple. Served well and matched perfectly with sauces.

Don't come to rural France nana8 you would be quite shocked by the menus and service in many local restaurants.

I think a little classic dressing goes a long way. Accessory wise, less is more. French style can be very predictable and narrow, who wants to wear mainly navy blue or black all the time? I've heard that fashion and culture wise, it's Paris and the French desert though there have been efforts to improve this.

Such a shame not to be able to wear your beautiful coat Nightsky, could a good tailor/seamstress not make some adjustments to the shoulders? I have lovely jackets I bought in the 80’s, same problem and keep meaning to find someone to reconstruct the shoulders. ? Seems such a waste to just have them hanging there if I can find a solution.

MerylStreep

Nightsky
From being an adult I’ve never been without a blazer. I bought my first camel coat ( second hand) in the 60s I’ve never been without one.
With a good white tea shirt/ shirt polo neck jumper, good chinos and loafers to go with the above you can go anywhere.

Agree.

I have the most beautiful camel coat bought in Paris about 25 years ago. I choose it with the help of a friend who lived in France for several years. I can’t wear it as it has enormous shoulder pads which were very popular at that time but don’t look right now and being 25 years older it wouldn’t look right on me. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it?.