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The Fashionable Housewife

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French Fashion, Paris And The Art of Being Chic

Modified on March 23, 2010 at 6:26 PM

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HOW DO FRENCH WOMEN REALLY DRESS?

Are They Actually Genetically Gifted in the Art of Chic?


Kookai Spring 2010 dress

My answer would be a resounding “YES”.

The year was 1992. It was a frigid and snowy December, so, at the spur of the moment, I chose to go to Paris for the first time. Why not? I was a footloose-and-fancy-free twenty-year-old college student on winter break. I had saved up some money too but cashed out a small amount for clothing shopping. I was bursting at the seams to immerse myself in everyday Paris street fashion and to get my hands on it for myself. I felt like Cinderella waiting for my fairy Godmother to wave her magic wand. I had visions of returning to campus, utterly transformed, into a real Parisian Fashionista.

Kookai Spring 2010 top

Still, I packed all of what I considered to be my most chic clothes because I didn’t want to stand out. In other words, I decided not to tour the city in tennis shoes, my college sweatshirt, and old holed-up sweatpants.

I had secured a host family through a friend and they met me at the airport in Paris. I was dressed up, for an American, that is.

But, when I stepped off that plane, I was utterly flabber-gasted.

Not only was I under-dressed in my black slacks and red sweater, I was really under-dressed. I didn’t have the high spiky heels that I quickly saw clacking and rushing through the airport. I didn’t have the right scarf in just the right color wrapped just so about my neck. I didn’t have the right statement jewelry. I wasn’t wearing a fitted cashmere over-coat or trench coat to complete the look. My clothes were slightly baggy rather than extremely form-fitting. I was thin at the time, but I was not “French thin”.

In short, I was OUT OF MY LEAGUE.

I was very self-conscious as I met my host-family, but they greeted me warmly nonetheless, as I verbally stumbled around in broken high-school French trying to communicate with them politely and express over-whelming gratitude for them taking me in on short notice. Luckily, the two sons spoke English fluently and seamlessly switched into English without embarrassing me. Not only were these people extremely well-dressed and thin, they had an inherent grace and subtlety that is rarely found in America.*

Kookai’s Autumn 2009 showing (look for it on sale on the net)

One of the sons took me around Paris each day. The family bought us metro passes and we saw all the sights– the Eiffel Tower, La Louvre, La Musee D’Orsay, The Tuilleries Gardens, and of course stores. Oh… the stores. Sigh…

I quickly found the chain store of my dreams. It was called Kookai— pronounced coo-K-eye. They had runway fashion at reasonably affordable prices. Heck, I could afford them on a college budget, so that must have been really affordable. Everything in the store was cut perfectly, had some stretch to it, and was tailored for slight curves. In short, I had found Parisian Fashion Nirvana. Yes, I had certainly arrived.

I stocked up on a black trench coat, fitted shirts and skirts, colored and tailored jeans, high heels, and tons of scarves and accessories. After I put on my Kookai outfit, I soon blended in with the rest of the women I saw walking down the street. And, I was no longer so deeply embarrassed over my appearance. I still wasn’t “French-thin”, but at least my clothes didn’t scream out, “OH look, an American at twelve o’clock!! Duck into your newspaper, unfiltered cigarette, and espresso!” Yes, all those chain-smoking, newspaper-reading, beret-wearing Frenchies couldn’t even spot me coming. Ah hah, I finally had my edge.

My favorite spot in Paris was to be the Pere La Chaise cemetery. My French hosts sighed and smiled knowingly as I begged to see Jim Morrison’s grave. I asked, “I know Pere la Chaise is large, but do you happen to know where to find Jim Morrison’s grave?” Does the Pope wear robes? “Mais, oui,” was their response. And another knowing smile.

The host son took me over there. When we entered the cemetery, he blandly stated, “Follow the graffiti”.

You think Jim Morrison caused a stir when he was alive? That’s nothing. The attention he gets after his death is really something. He died in Paris of a drug overdose and was buried in the same cemetery as Frederic Chopin, George Sands, and many other famous authors and artists. But, is there graffiti pointing the way to their graves? Nope. There’s no spray-painted, “Find Frederic Chopin over here…” It seems the classical music lovers either don’t come or don’t carry spray paint cans with them when they do come.

But, that old Jim– that imp and trickster.

As soon as we entered the cemetery, old tombs dating back to the 1800’s and even later were spray-painted in ENGLISH with “Jim this way…” and “Keep going, You’re almost to Jim…” and “We LOVE U, Jim!!” We didn’t even have to take one single look at the detailed map we had of the cemetery. There it was, in plain graffiti, directions to Jim’s grave.

When we arrived, around 10am, there were about 20 other people there holding vigil and lighting candles. Some were singing songs on guitars, some left dried roses, others left cards and hand-written poems. Many looked somber, and almost everyone looked Bohemian. They hardly noticed us as they crooned away in bad English, “Break on through to the other side… Whhaaaooooo!!”

I took out my video camera to capture this (yes, my dad sent me with a video camera), and no sooner had I taken out that camera than someone from the French police yelled something and came over. My friend kindly explained that the city of Paris had banned video cameras on the grave and I could be fined if I didn’t promptly put it away.

No, this was not out of reverence for Jim Morrison.

Apparently, the city of Paris was mighty ticked-off that Jim Morrison brought so much attention to the cemetery and caused so many spray-paint wielding youths to come in and vandalize other people’s tombs. But, let’s put this in perspective. There is even graffiti in Egypt on tombs dating back to the BC times. Invaders, Greeks and other ner-do-wells, liked to carve out statements that they came, they saw, and they, sort of, conquered. And that carved graffiti still exists today– and Classics professors in college always like to talk about it. So, it’s not like this was something new.

Still, the city of Paris, at the time, was actually SUING the estate of Jim Morrison to have his body moved. They wanted to kick him out along with all of his Bohemian graffiti followers.

Yep, Jim was still playing tricks even after his death…

READERS: Did you like this blog entry? I have many more about France and fashion since I ended up living there for over three years in total. If you liked this blog entry, please leave feedback and I’ll write a part 2.

Much Love,
Sarah Polyakov

*No offense intended here with the America comment: I LOVE our good USA and you’d have to pry my citizenship out of my cold, dead hands. I still believe, even amidst the economic down-turn, that we are the most fortunate, prosperous, creative and liberated country on Earth. It doesn’t take much to get me to wave a flag– even with America’s faults.

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Posted By Sarah Polyakov
on March 25, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Filed Under: Fashion Advice
Tagged With: French, Jim Morrison, Kookai, La Louvre, La Musee D'Orsay, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, The Tuilleries Gardens

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Sarah-Jean Ballard

Hi! Iโ€™m Sarah-Jean. Iโ€™m a Christian, the wife of a handsome Molecular Biologist, and the homeschooling mother of 5 beautiful kids!

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Their standing desk and exercise chair is a GAME CHANGER!! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Whether you have a laptop or a desktop pc, being able to adjust your desk at the push of a button and stand for a while is absolutely essential to working long hours at a computer. 

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Our new @kingofchristmas 7.5' Queen Flockยฎ Artificial Christmas Tree is absolutely amazing! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

The kids couldnโ€™t be happier so I have no regrets putting our tree up before Thanksgiving. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

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The bins hold a surprising amount and I love how solid and sturdy this is. Perfect for organizing toys at kid eye level. Itโ€™s also great for seasonal home decor! ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚

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It has that perfect boho minimalist look that I love, in the perfect color for fall. This has become my go-to handbag for autumn. 

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What they remember about their childhood is in you What they remember about their childhood is in your hands ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

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This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. ๐Ÿฅณ

Canโ€™t believe my oldest son is 13 and outside helping dad do home projects like building a new deck. ๐Ÿคฏ Seems like yesterday he was in his walker on this back deck and it looked a lot better ๐Ÿ˜‚

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This kid blows me away daily and makes me so proud to be his mom. I donโ€™t have enough words to describe how much I love this child. ๐Ÿ˜ญ

Drop a comment and wish this boy a happy birthday! ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‚ 

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Work from home? You need @flexispot_official The Work from home? You need @flexispot_official 

Their standing desk and exercise chair is a GAME CHANGER!! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Whether you have a laptop or a desktop pc, being able to adjust your desk at the push of a button and stand for a while is absolutely essential to working long hours at a computer. 

This bicycle chair is designed specifically for this desk and a great way to keep your body moving. You could also use an under desk treadmill like @superun_fitness for even more flexibility! ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ

Just because you have to work at a desk all day doesnโ€™t mean you need to be out of shape. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‹๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Motherhood and working from home is hard. FLEXISPOT makes it easier. 

Check out my blog and search โ€œFLEXISPOTโ€ for more info!!

Comment and tell me how many hours a day you spend sitting! Be honest! ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป

#motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #workfromhome #athomeworkouts #athomefitness #fitmoms #fitmomsofig
If putting up your Christmas tree brings you joy, If putting up your Christmas tree brings you joy, go for it!! 

Our new @kingofchristmas 7.5' Queen Flockยฎ Artificial Christmas Tree is absolutely amazing! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

The kids couldnโ€™t be happier so I have no regrets putting our tree up before Thanksgiving. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

Follow my shop @fashionablewife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKSeasonal #LTKHolidaySale #LTKHoliday #kingofchristmas 
@shop.ltk
https://liketk.it/4n9gW
Loving our new 5 bin storage unit for the playroom Loving our new 5 bin storage unit for the playroom from @guidecraft_official !!

The bins hold a surprising amount and I love how solid and sturdy this is. Perfect for organizing toys at kid eye level. Itโ€™s also great for seasonal home decor! ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚

Whatโ€™s your favorite piece of furniture in your house?! 

Tell me in the comments! ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป

#homedecor #momlife #homeorganization #playroomorganization #playroomdecor #homedecorideas #fallhomedecor
An often-overlooked element to planning your perfe An often-overlooked element to planning your perfect hiking outfit is finding the perfectย minimalist backpack! 

You donโ€™t want to be weighed down by an oversized, clunky backpack that boasts all the bells and whistles but delivers nothing more than unnecessary muscle strain. You want a backpack that is minimal on the outside, functional on the inside, and sustainable all around. Waxed canvas is always a top choice for me!

Iโ€™m obsessed with this backpack from @hellodayowls ๐Ÿ˜

It has that perfect boho minimalist look that I love, in the perfect color for fall. This has become my go-to handbag for autumn. 

Perfect for all our outdoor adventures, hiking in the mountains, exploring the woods with my kids, and everything motherhood throws at me! ๐Ÿฅพ ๐Ÿง—๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ ๐ŸŒฒ 

Learn more about this bag on my blog ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

#backpacking #outdoorfashion #wildandfreemama #mountainmama #motherhoodjourney #minimalfashion
I miss summer already ๐Ÿ˜ญ Take me back to a bett I miss summer already ๐Ÿ˜ญ

Take me back to a better place ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿป summer time at @storylandnh !! ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ

Canโ€™t wait to go again next year! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿปโœจ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

#summertime #familytime #familyadventures #motherhoodunplugged #childhoodunplugged
What they remember about their childhood is in you What they remember about their childhood is in your hands ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

#motherhood #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodthroughinstagram #motherhoodintheraw
This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. ๐Ÿฅณ

Canโ€™t believe my oldest son is 13 and outside helping dad do home projects like building a new deck. ๐Ÿคฏ Seems like yesterday he was in his walker on this back deck and it looked a lot better ๐Ÿ˜‚

Thankful that @homedepot has great prices so we could finally afford to do this home reno project! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐ŸŽ‰

#motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #hereisourhomeschool #motherhoodthroughinstagram
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