Inspiration: 'That Man from Rio' (1964), Yves Saint-Laurent's Mondrian dress
I've read countless comments or descriptions about the French style by self-proclaimed experts and they really bother me! 🤣
First of all, they always refer to Paris like nothing existed beyond the Paris ring road. The truth is that you'll find people from all walks of life and most of them have nothing to do with what real Parisians were (see Léonie Bathiat for this...).
The vast majority are commuters wearing boring black and grey clothes, young girls trying to emulate Kate Moss or the Olsen twins, and older women flashing logos and it-bags*. Occasionally a couple of women or men will truly stand out by their 'je-ne-sais-quoi'.
*This was written in 2012 and a lot has changed since!
I finally came to the conclusion that foreigners often have a conception of Paris largely feeding on clichés that once made it so attractive. Don't be fooled. I could definitely show you evidence of horrendous places in Paris far far from what Pan Am advertised in this '60s poster :
If you want to get a grasp of what true French style is, you need to understand where the heart of the French nation lies: A no-fuss, straightforward, love-for-the-well-crafted, hard-working spirit. We're not a nation of traders or shopkeepers.
And who else but Chanel most encapsulated this vision of life considering where she came from and how much she achieved til the very day she died? She went against the grain all of her life. She truly is a national pride for all of us.
I still have fond memories of 'my' Paris (i.e. before the '80s). This was the Paris from 'That Man from Rio' (Philipe de Broca, 1964): the freshness of a carefree young woman, dressed in a very simple blue shift dress with thin black stripes on the sides on Esplanade du Trocadéro, bursting out in laughter under the sweet light of Paris Spring sun.
Catherine Deneuve's elder sister was a promising shining star with a less conventional kind of beauty with this typical French edginess in the way she moved and talked. She wore the shift dress like no one else. She was simply magnificent.
Pattern: Any shift dress pattern. The one I'll use is from Prima magazine #211 (from 2000, says it all, timeless!). I first considered assembling different pieces of colours until I found out that the colour blocks could be painted straight on the fabric along with wax or gutta to prevent any smudging.
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The Mondrian dress by YSL 1965
Fabric: Gabardine stretch
On a final note, here is another sublime incarnation of authentic French style: Isabelle Adjani in the film 'De Force' (2011). Not bad for a 56 year old woman.
I still have fond memories of 'my' Paris (i.e. before the '80s). This was the Paris from 'That Man from Rio' (Philipe de Broca, 1964): the freshness of a carefree young woman, dressed in a very simple blue shift dress with thin black stripes on the sides on Esplanade du Trocadéro, bursting out in laughter under the sweet light of Paris Spring sun.
Catherine Deneuve's elder sister was a promising shining star with a less conventional kind of beauty with this typical French edginess in the way she moved and talked. She wore the shift dress like no one else. She was simply magnificent.
Pattern: Any shift dress pattern. The one I'll use is from Prima magazine #211 (from 2000, says it all, timeless!). I first considered assembling different pieces of colours until I found out that the colour blocks could be painted straight on the fabric along with wax or gutta to prevent any smudging.
+
=
The Mondrian dress by YSL 1965
Fabric: Gabardine stretch
On a final note, here is another sublime incarnation of authentic French style: Isabelle Adjani in the film 'De Force' (2011). Not bad for a 56 year old woman.
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