by BR Kellie
I know it’s rude to stare, but sometimes a woman will come into view and I just stop and gawp. Every now and then it’s for the wrong reasons – like the time I saw a woman at Countdown dressed in her FULL bedtime kit, scuffed slippers, pjs and a DIRTY, and I mean FILTHY, bathrobe. (I tried to tell myself she was sick, but she was there with a fully clothed friend, so why they couldn’t have sorted out her needs while she relaxed in the car I will never know…). Another time I was at a fancy department store and a woman came striding off an escalator in white leather high heeled boots complete with fringed bits flying behind her, she had a mane of gorgeous blonde hair (also flying behind her as she whizzed off) and she was stunning. But the woman who comes to mind most when I think of true beauty was an unassuming object of my curiosity.
She was in line with me at a creperie, she wore skinny, but not super tight, jeans, a plain cabled jumper, ballet flats and her hair was short and brown and plain. Her makeup? Barely there. Yet there was something beautiful about her. The outfit and her overall look just worked. Then she opened her mouth and spoke. A soft French accent came flowing out.
And there you have it. She was French. The chicest women of them all. Women who seem to have the ability to look effortlessly gorgeous. But how? I’ve read books on how to emulate a French woman (wear nice underwear and don’t be afraid to flirt a little!), heck while my child was growing in me I even read ‘French Children Don’t Throw Food’ (my child is most definitely not French despite by best attempts) and yet despite all my ballet flats and Bretons I’m still an unmistakable Kiwi chick.
So just what do French women do that makes them so easily glamorous? Well quite a lot … and also, it would seem, not a lot. Is this a beauty version of The French Paradox?
French women are huge fans of skincare. They often top the lists, or are in the top five, of countries that spend the most on skincare per woman per year. The skincare sections of French pharmacies are legendary and French women are known for layering lotions and potions on their face, neck, décolletage and bodies – and the results of taking care of their skin from a young age can be seen in the older women, who have gorgeous skin – along with that quintessential French je ne sais quoi.
So what is that French je ne sais quoi? I think, after much reading and people watching and photo perusing, it comes down to acceptance of self. French women work with what they’ve got rather than try to hide or change what they don’t like. Their makeup is, on the most part, simple. They’re not afraid to show wrinkles and freckles, eye makeup is a quick affair and their eyebrows are groomed but not overly so. Their hair? Natural, as if they’ve just run a brush through it before striding out the door, but it works because their overall look is one of comfort, yet confidence. They eat what they want, but in small amounts, they also eat healthily and are fans of keeping well hydrated. They exercise, but in ways that are enjoyable or incidental, like taking the stairs or walking everywhere. They dress to suit their bodies, not to suit fashion and they’re not afraid of being feminine.
Overall it would appear that French women are happy with who they are (or they’re faking it ‘til they make it!) and it shows in the way they present themselves to the world. And is their nothing more alluring than a woman who knows who she is and is happy within herself?
Is this something we Kiwi girls can emulate? I believe so, or at the very least, I hope so. Surely it can’t be that hard to embrace our quirks? To hop off a bus stop a few stops earlier and walk the rest of the way to work? To put down the chocolate bar after one piece rather than a whole row? And if all else fails, at the very least we can throw on a classic red lippy with our jeans, Bretons and ballet flats, buy a croissant and nibble it whilst hitting the shops for some new lingerie.
Are you a fan of the French look? Is it a style you’d like to follow? Or are you French ad can you tell us how to get what you’ve got? Chat away!
I seem to have a thing for stripy tops, red lipsticks and red scarves at the moment! Well, my middle name is French if nothing else.
Having just spend ten days in Seoul, I was struck by how effortlessly elegant the South Koreans are. The style is classically understated. They are going into autumn so the women favour classic trench coats and scarves and the men wore very well cut suits. And the skin! Oh my, both men and women have such flawless, glowing skin! I've come back quite skin obsessed and a big fan of the snail secretion beauty products! Over all, their sense of style and chicness reminded me of the French.