What French Women Know

Sometimes publishers send me books about the French woman...Yesterday I took a second look at What French Women Know...thinking it would be another book telling unsavvy Americains how to tie our scarves and eat leek soup daily - mais non!I was completely engaged. Granted the French woman does think differently. Very differently.French women start thinking differently in kindergarden - books on philosophy for kids at the Paris Salon de Livre. I was amazed.French women look different from us and they get the training early... Why can they pull off messy hair better than anybody else? Because a hairdresser creates this, not sleeping in. They put on our jeans and look so darn chic! Parisianne Anne says I mustn't say chic, but rather 'c'est classe'. Chic is passe...French women put on OUR Converse (baskets) and look so much better! Heck

Being de classe isn't an age thing.

For the French woman

Debra Oliver's book is not so caught up in these superficial, surfacy details, but it's thought provoking. It just came out, so au courant.

There is one thing we women agree upon, French and Americain.

We ALL LOVE MACARONS!
What do you think about French women? Are you in awe?

BONJOUR FRENCH WOMEN! We salute you!

Barbara Bleu.

Jean-Paul Hévin Cadeau, watercolor on paper, 9" x 11 1/2"

I bought this cobalt blue pitcher after I had lunch with Barbara.

I first met Barbara Marcinkowska by chance. We shared a couchette from Venice to Paris in 2005. She not only paints (always in blue) but is an accomplished cellist and music festival organiser.

I thought Barbara's favorite color was rose till I had lunch at her Ile Saint-Louis studio last trip. Everything was blue, blue, blue!

Rugs, tapestries, necklaces, dishes, towels..you name it, all was BLEU!

Barbara, first came to Paris to study the cello. Now svphe judges competitions, writes, teaches master classes and performs. AND she paints too!
As I left Barbara's studio I spotted this cobalt glass in an antique shop next door. Did they know that Barbara loves blue too?

You can see more blue at the FIT show, Color in Fashion.

Blue has become the most popular color. "Blue bloods", "blue collar" workers, the "Blues"... Certainly blue is favored by Americans - blue jeans, blue blazers.
Michel Pastoureau, in this book covers the iconography, symbolism, sociology, the economic aspects of weaving, dyeing, and other aspects of the color bleu.