A Woman's Paris ~ Joie de Vivre

By Philippa Campsie

Barbara Redmond

The volcano in Iceland with the unpronounceable, unspellable name grounded planes throughout much of Europe for the last few days. We are here in Paris under blue but faintly hazy skies with a great many stranded tourists and some Parisians who have been deprived of a holiday in Morocco or Greece, as the two-week French spring vacation started this past weekend.

And here we have one of the big differences between France and North America—holidays. In France, and much of Europe, people expect to have a couple of weeks every few months to rest and regroup. By comparison, we North Americans are pathetically grateful for the occasional long weekend.

Despite the volcano and the long line-ups in front of the Air France office, life goes on. The Parisians have a fairly philosophical attitude towards disruptions. Strikes are a regular feature of life, as are the problems that close the Metro from time to time. One hears of mysterious “perturbations sur la ligne” (disruptions on the line), which could mean anything. The Parisians just shrug and head for the nearest Velib’ (bike rental) stand.

The Parisienne and her bicycle

Parisians have really taken to bicycling, and we’ve seen elegantly dressed women in high heels and short skirts, Chanel or Prada bags stuffed into the bike carrier, pedalling through streets clogged with rush-hour traffic. We are sure the success of the system rests on the design of a bicycle that does not require one to wear unfashionable clothes while riding.

French elements of fashion and style

During a long conversation with our friend Elisabeth over a bottle of rosé on the apartment terrace we talked about this and other French elements of style—on behalf of all readers of A Woman’s Paris.

We talked, for instance, about buying clothes. Mindful of those who are feeling the pinch these days because of the recent economic downturn, we asked how a Frenchwoman might save money on clothes. Elisabeth said that rather than wearing last year’s fashions or buying something cheap, a Parisian who needed, say, shoes, might buy a single, expensive, trendy pair and wear them all season until they fell apart, then throw them away.

This is interesting for a number of reasons. For one thing, it reflects the fact that space is at a premium, and Parisians can’t waste precious real estate on excess clothes storage. Apartments are small and closets are smaller, and you can’t hang on to things you are not using regularly. It also means that here, wearing the same items of clothing several days running, or even day in and day out, is not frowned upon, provided that the items are in the latest style.

Elisabeth also talked about how the French try to avoid displaying their money. Well-to-do women drive unostentatious cars, and the exteriors of their houses often look a little shabby. One never talks about money, or about how much something costs, or even about how one bought something at a great bargain. Simply not done.

We saw this for ourselves as we walked by a polo club in the Bois de Boulogne yesterday. Rows of gray Renaults and navy blue Peugeots—not a flashy sportscar in sight. On the other hand, no one arrived by Velib’ either.

“Un nuage volcanique cloue les avions au sol en Europe,” was one of the headlines in Le Monde. Literally translated, a volanic cloud has nailed airplanes to the ground in Europe. The newspaper went on to talk about “le panache de cendres et de poussières” (the plume of ashes and dust) which could “provoquer des dégats sur les aéronefs” (cause damage to aircraft). But it is printemps, and the ciel is bleu and Parisiennes have some compensation for the perturbations.

VOCABULARY: French to English translations

Ciel: Sky.
Bleu: Bleu.
Le Monde: (French, The World) French daily evening newspaper, considered the French newspaper of record.
Parisian: Native or resident of Paris.
Parisienne: Female native or resident of Paris.
Printemps: The season spring.

Philippa Campsie teaches part-time in the urban planning program at the University of Toronto and runs her own writing and research business, Hammersmith Communications. Before starting her own business, she was editor-in-chief at Macmillan Canada. Philippa lived in Paris as a student and regularly travels to Paris and Normandy.

She is interested in stories of famous Parisian women throughout the ages and how they influenced the Parisian style we have come to love and know.

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris® post, Beauty Confessions from a Globe-trotting Parisienne. Parisienne Bénédicte Mahé shares a French woman’s approach to beauty and makeup; and how the relationship Americans have with beauty is very different from that of the French. Including her list of Beauty Resources in Paris and a vocabulary of French to English translations. (French)

Imperfect Perfection: The new French woman, by writer Kristin Wood who reminds us of the words attributed to Henry David Thoreau, the famous American author and philosopher who eschewed material excess and extravagance… “Simplify, simplify, simplify.” Kristin writes about the predicted trends of the “undone” makeup look, and the “de-blinging” of luxury items. What better place to introduce these two trends on a grand scale than in Paris? 

Children fashionistas: Why French children dress better than you do. French au pair Alyssa Glawe tells that a child’s clothes in France are more than just something to cover the body. “It’s safe to say that, French parents would never put an item of clothing on their child that they would not wear themselves,” she writes “Comfort is important, but in all truth, it’s really about the fashion.” Including a list of children’s labels and websites. 

French women do get wrinkles, by Parisian Eva Izsak-Niimura who writes about the super French myth of the coquettish French nymph—her “je ne sais quoi”—in her ballerina shoes, hair effortlessly tied in a messy chignon blowing in the wind, large sunglasses over her naked, no make-up, nevertheless beautiful eyes, and she then continues to define how we are all measured by it.

French Silhouette, a New Look, by Barbara Redmond who admires the Frenchwoman’s attention to the tiniest detail of her appearance, good taste and natural style – brushing fashion aside with her blend of reasonably priced purchases and small number of luxury pieces. Effortless chic. Simple style. Self-confidence. Including a link to Barbara’s treasured book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange with Sophie Gachet.

Text copyright ©2010 Philippa Campsie. All rights reserved
Illustration copyright ©2012 Barbara Redmond. All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com