French Chic – How to master Parisian style no matter where you are from

You’re in the right place for my posts on French Chic style + Parisian fashion tips. Inspiration and stylist tips on how to wear the look.

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Cannes Do Chic: The one item every woman should own

I'll Have What She's Having: Take it from the chic set at Cannes, a classic white blouse will easily anchor your bold pieces or create an instant shirt dress Today's installment of our series of the best of Cannes Do Chic has a wardrobe stable making a stellar appearance at the photocalls and red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, the celebrity event where we see things that WE can actually wear! Hooray! How can something so simple look so great? Well, isn't that really what chic is about? I've said it before at Cannes in our French Chic Shirt Lesson 101, nothing beats a crisp white shirt as a go-to piece in your wardrobe. Wear it to counterbalance something that's totally out of

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Cannes Do Chic: How to modernize a full skirt flare dress a la Chiara Mastroianni

I'll Have What She's Having:  A classic flare dress that looks fresh and modern From our series of the  best of Cannes Do Chic to help you get it together with ease... I love a flare dress. Chiara Mastroianni's (daughter of Catherine Deneauve and Marcello Mastroianni) nonchalent edge modernizes her 50's silhouette flare dress from Dior. The cut boasts a certain timeless grown-up sophistication that works so well with both a curvy figure and for those looking to create a curvy figure. But, it can look old if not styled with the right modern sensibilites. [box] Non sequitor little girl trivia time: Truth be told, I had a big childhood crush on Marcello Mastroianni and old Italian movies.  If I was a blonde, I wanted

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Cannes Do Chic: Can’t beat a timeless crisp blue shirt a la Sofia Coppola

It's that time again... my favorite red carpet. The one where everyone looks so pulled together, so classic, so Cannes Do Chic (click on that for past coverage)! Yup, it's the Cannes Film Festival so let's get our style sparks going with some inspirational I'll Have What She's Having starting with Sophia Coppola's crisp blue shirt. When you're looking for a simple, chic, ageless, and E.A.S.Y. way to get out of the house for running around town, the office, or even a film festival photo call, look no further than modeling Sophia's signature clean and minimal style into your wardrobe. Take a look at the snap above of Sophia standing with the French actress Carole Bouquet and you don't need any extra convincing.  Her signature

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How to dress French when you are not. Wear a classic jacket or coat

One of the more popular reader questions around here is how to dress French. For this week's FocusOnStyle 15th anniversay online post, let's revisit these very chic & classic jacket and coat tips from 2010 which remain very relevant & stylish today and onwards. That's what timeless French chic is all about... the right pieces in your wardrobe that both endure and look modern.  Would you like a boost to help you get the look? Please add yourself to the C'est Chic Crash Course announcement list. I'll let you know when the program opens! --S.H. French Chic Style Tips: Outerwear Rules 3 Women | 3 Looks | All Classic | How they did it Do you want to know how to

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Le Mix: Try transitional weather dressing with French Chic Street Style inspiration

I'll Have What She's Having: Look to French Chic Street Style and learn to mix the best of fall's layers with something ready for spring... Every season Paris Fashion Week street style always ignites what we want to wear now, even more than the runways most often, as we love the mix of high & low, old & new. Now that the tides are about to change and warm weather is (rejoice!) on it's way, this show goer who Richard snapped outside of the Nina Ricci show during Paris Fashion Week, provides visual inspiration on how to mix it up when it comes to winter gear and a seasonal dress. When it comes to transitional weather dressing, the trick that makes her look work and

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Le Coat: Channel French Chic Street Style with a red topper

I'll Have What She's Having: French Chic Street Style styling to add vivid color to your transitional look... While we try to keep our eyes peered on the what's coming down the runway during fashion week, Paris Fashion Week street style snaps always have us yearning to try a new look peppered with instant French Chic. And after a bleary winter season where our sartorial choices were limited to piling on whatever was the warmest (no matter the look), the show goer above in her oversized red coat and unexpected strappy sandals leave us suggesting going for bold when layering as the weather get's warmer. We've gone over how to wear prints, how to go neutral -why not bold? So let's once-over

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The French Chic Diet: How to be slim, chic and savvy with Tonya Leigh

Oh la la, you missed the French  chic diet call. Don't fret.  If you're on my insider list you'll know what future events are scheduled, all the latest style tips to make the most of what you've got. AND receive your free copy of "Passport to French Chic" as my gift to you. Click to join me.   If you're like me, you often wonder how Parisian women stay so slim. As much as I love the easy élan of French chic style, I have to think there also must be a French Chic diet. Really, these women EAT and are still slim enough to fit into the perfect pair of skinny jeans! Not fair or fairly simple? Well, I asked

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Richard turned the table for my take on Parisian Style Tips

A surprise party that Richard threw for me, back in the day!
Most of you know Richard Nahem as our Paris insider. He runs the very successful Parisian style & what to do in Paris blog Eye Prefer Paris when he's not taking a lucky few around the Marais for one of his personalized walking tours over at Eye Prefer Paris Tours. BUT, I've known Richard forever. Way back from a high school spring break trip to Florida kind of forever. We met while sitting it out on a fiberglass bench while bored to death at Jai-Alai and have disco-ed our way as friends ever since. (Secret: Richard can identify almost any disco song from the first three beats). This time, Richard turned the tables on me as he knows what a French

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Le Dress: C’est French Chic Street Style That You Can Wear From Paris Fashion Week

I'll Have What She's Having: French Chic Street Style styling details to amp your dress I'm a little obsessed with the ease and élan of these Paris Fashion Week street style snaps. Let's once-over what makes the styling work & how you can get inspired to update your wardrobe like the lovely ladies (and gent) that Richard snapped at Paris Fashion Week. Scroll to the very end for similar styling to shop right now. Ladylike Classic with quirky youthful edge     A bit of Bourgie breaks through stuffy connotations when the styling has a pop of quirky chic. Harken  your inner blue blood with finely tailored pieces that have a youthful air. Don't fall prey to leaving out the irony.

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Must Have Alert: THE blouse of the moment, is a French Chic Bow Blouse à la Ines de La Fressange

I'll Have What She's Having: A classic chic pussy bow blouse that looks fresh and edgy I can sometimes have a real love/hate attitude with pussy bow blouses (sounds odd, I know). Same styling, different vibe with the rocker chic Saint Laurent Tie Neck Blouse When done right, they look modern, chic and feminine. Even rocker-ISH, just look at the tie neck styling from Saint Laurent in red worn with skinny leather leggings as a premier example, pictured right. Yet, taken too literal, or styled too femininely, they can get frumpy and look dated like a castaway from Rosalynn Carter's First Lady days. Caveat: If you remember when the Carter's were in office, keep the look light and easy on this go round. Here's

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Le Classic White Shirt: C’est French chic street style that you can wear from Paris Fashion Week

French Chic white shirts
French Chic white shirts I'll Have What She's Having:  A classic French Chic white shirt that's just a touch special I'd like to think of this as a palette cleanse from all the too-too of Fashion Week. Something so simple, so easy, that you may even have in your closet. I just love the simplicity of her look. The rolled sleeves, crimson lips, undone hair, and THOSE pants! So effortlessly chic. You can dress IT up, wear it to tone down something very bold, make it girly yet chic, or wear it with tuxedo flourish to a modern pantsuit. But, don't think that this kind of off-handed style is NOT strategic. The effortlessness of this very laid back classic style

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Natural Red Carpet Beauty is NOT an Oxymoron! Get some French chic inspiration by way of Léa Seydoux

Cannes Do Chic Beauty: Let Léa Seydoux Teach You A Thing About French Beauty Looking natural, gorgeous, and knowing  how much makeup to apply can result in a fine line between looking overly made up (that K family) and washed out and frazzled (heeeeello, mirror). Instead of a makeup "how to look made up on the red carpet" tutorial, let's look at how to look just as pretty as we would like in our everyday lives… maybe, even with a hint of an ageless glow too! Let French actress Léa Seydoux be our shinging example based on her Cannes Do Chic Beauty look at the 66th Annual Film Festival  In a custom blue feather hemmed Louis Vuitton tube dress topped off with

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Cannes Do Chic! How to Wear a White Top and Black Bottom for Elegant Accessible Style

You know how I love Cannes for high fashion inspiration that makes luscious, elegant, and real sense in all of our wardrobes. Join FocusOnStyle as we continue to explore the best of Cannes Do Chic to help you get it together with ease. I'll Have What She's Having: A crisp + chic white button down shirt on the red carpet? Absolument, mon cherie. And for real life too, learning how to wear a white top and black bottom is one of the easiest, most flattering style tricks you can master! Discover the possibilities: Simple. Easy. Unfettered & accessible style. And long before today's starlets went mad for Louis Vuitton's mod homage to graphic inspired black & white optical combos for spring 2013, the simple sophistication

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