DRESS LIKE A PARISIAN WOMAN

Yesterday, a very good friend arrived at my home with an interesting little package under her arm.  She knows I love everything Paris and one of my favorite icons in the fashion world is Ines de le Fressange, the muse of Karl Lagerfeld and an exceptional model.  But now, Ines has written the bible of stylish chic and her new book, "Parisian Chic" will be flying out of the book stores.

I had heard rumblings about this new book and it was definitely on my "to buy" list.  "Parisian Chic" is the inside guide for any woman who wants to dress like a stylish Parisian woman. Ines also gives you the heads up on knowing where to shop and eat in one of the world's greatest cities ... in my opinion ... the best.  You even get to know in which restaurant you might spot Catherine Deneuve.

The format of "Parisian Chic" is fun and easy to read and has quirky little sketches to show you the ropes of becoming a woman of style.  The rules are so easy and it doesn't require a lot of money.  Ines says you don't need to have everything couture to be Parisian chic but you do need to know the basic elements of style which will give you the confidence to pull it off and the smile to go with it.

The first element is a great blazer.  So many looks can be created with this one element.

I love the idea of a navy sweater instead of a black one.  I'm so sick of everything black for a "woman of a certain age" and navy seems softer on the complexion.  

I like the two colors together as well.

 Of course, the trench is always the go-to coat to wear.  If you could find a Burberry vintage coat, that would be a coup.

 The fourth element is of course, the little black dress.  Every Paris woman has several little black dresses for different occasions but the basic component is simplicity.  

A great cotton tee shirt in white, black, grey and beige is a constant in all women of style wardrobes and of course, a flattering neckline is key to opening up the face.

Every woman should have several pairs of great looking well fitted jeans in all colors like blue, black and white.  Ines feels the straight leg style are the ones that look best on most women.  White jeans aren't always for summer.  

Do you wear white jeans in the colder months?

The one thing I don't have is a leather jacket but I do like this one.  The best color to choose is a tan jacket that is more fitted.  That might be a fun accessory to add to a wardrobe but my son suggested that an older woman wearing a leather jacket might not be age appropriate.  What do you think?  

Do you have a classic leather jacket that you wear?

"Parisian Chic" is a great girlfriend gift or even buy one for yourself.  In these times when we aren't buying as many clothes, Ines de la Fressange gives wonderful guidance how to mix and match the basic elements of style and adding accessories to spice up some of the components 

of your present wardrobe.  

Teaching women how to shop for the classics of good style doesn't have to cost a lot of money as Ines de la Fressange points out.   And then each season, you can add an accessory or a piece of clothing from the runway to your 

classic wardrobe to update your look.

This is a great "how-to" style book and I will be using 

it as a guide to purge my wardrobe of items 

that were not a good idea and 

replace them with some Parisian Chic.

Just call me Fifi.