When the lovely and timeless Ines de la Fressange released Parisian Chic a few weeks ago, I was intrigued. By the time I got around to trying to buy it, it was sold out. The sales people at Borders told me that they had a lot of people asking for it, and Barnes & Noble had not a single copy on the shelf. Luckily, I was able to order it online and I cracked it open as soon as I sat down on the train for my evening commute home.
First of all, this book is going to look quite chic on my bookshelf. The cover is a simple red with gold lettering, and there is a single red ribbon placeholder attached at the spine — love! As soon as I started reading though, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop. This book has a wonderful voice, and you can almost hear Ines’s lovely French accent as you read through. The writing is very Garance Doré-esque in its sort of random thought-bubble style (in fact, her blog is listed as a must-visit in the book!), which makes it very charmante!
Accessible Fashion: Unlike many things written by the fashion set, Parisian Chic is really lighthearted and inclusive — Ines acknowledges the fact that not everyone can afford to shop at Chanel, and in fact she claims that those who are truly stylish leave people wondering if her jacket is designer or from a trendy lower-priced store because they can’t tell the difference. She focuses on the power of styling, not just purchasing.
All Ages: As a 23-year-old, I really enjoyed the advice that Ines had to give about personal style, but I think my mom would equally enjoy her advice on dressing for ages 40+. She makes getting older seem not quite so scary, but rather just another evolution of style!
The Magnificent Seven: Ines has seven signature pieces that should be in every chic woman’s wardrobe — some of them I own already, and some of them I’m now wondering why I don’t own. I love that she also offers “faux pas” advice on how not to wear things.
Paris Secrets: I was really excited to see that Ines spends a great deal of time making recommendations for visitors to Paris. I’m already mentally dogearing pages in this book for the places I want to check out (no real dogearing in this book — it’s too pretty!).
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants some helpful advice on upping the chic factor in their life. I know mine could always use a little more!
City Coeur 