Customer Reviews

French Chic: How to Dress Like a Frenchwoman

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you are reading this review you may be wondering why is the book French Chic by Susan Sommers so expensive. This out of print beauty sells for upwards of $100 and climbing. Yet the book was published in 1988. Fashion books come and go, so why does French Chic continue to climb in price and how has it managed to develop a popularity with little publicity.The answer is simple. The book teaches step by step methods to attain the mystique of French Style and it is one of a kind. When I got my copy of the book I was stunned. Many of the outfits seemed somewhat dated. But as I read through the book, I was captivated. The bones of the book teach what has eluded foreign admirers for years. How to truly get "that look". The special chapter on 'What French Mothers Teach Their Daughters' says it all. Learning the tips on these few pages alone will make you unforgettable. In addition to the attitude and wardrobe of the French woman Summers covers the makeup. With the French the emphasis is on the lips. Though I prefer her cousin book, the less pricey "Italian Style" I have learned much from both books. Another wonderful book for those who enjoy "French Chic" is the harder to find (not even in Amazon's database) "French Style - How to Think, Dress and shop like a Frenchwoman" by Veronique Vienne. All are lovely books for those wishing to look fabulous, elegant and sexy with flair!

Well the text IS interesting; but the suggestions are hugely out of date, which makes reading it like sifting thru a junk store box of "treasures" in search of the one jewel or two that might be in there. Maybe.

I have to agree with another reviewer here, I chuckled at the Annie Hall colliding with eighties Madonna. That is EXACTLY what the photos depict. That and the couch smuggling comment. Yes, it really does look like a couch got stuck between her shoulder blades.

Well photos aside, and they were bound to be dated;

---the text isn't that great. I was hoping it would have something better, something more than the current offering of french chic books have.

I suggest you try to get it thru interlibrary loan FIRST before spending the 100$ plus that copies of this one will set you back on the second hand book market.

It was a good book in it's day, but Leah Feldon's Dressing Rich has worn better thru time than this one in spite of being about the same publication dates.

Leah's book is a true classic about classics that wear well. She too discusses minimal capsule wardrobe building to begin with and how to add, what to look for in a quality garment, and what to go cheap with and what you absolutely must spend big money on.

That particular book of Leah's covers all the best points that French Chic makes without the distracting and bizarre fashion photos.

For developing your own version of French Chic Anne Barone wrote Chic and Slim and it's sequels (now 3 books, --if you can't get them at Amazon, try her website) and those three have excellent tips on french chic style as well as one of the best weight loss french method that I've encountered yet,

Check out Entres Nous by Debra Ollivier for a lovely light but intelligent look at the french chic mystique and how to develop it. She covers a bit about clothing, and a lot about manners and developing a bit of reserve.

Frederic Fekkai's A year of Style is wonderful. In a class by itself. It is out of print, and I found that a large Canadian bookstore still had remainders for under 10$ which is terrific as long as it lasts.

I wasn't impressed by The Parisian Woman's Guide to Style by Virginie Morana so do try that one before buying, by taking it out of the library first.

All in all, I'd buy Anne Barone's books, along with Leah Feldon's Dressing Rich book, Frederick Fekkai's book, and Entre Nous. Maybe I'd add Mary Lou Andre's Ready to Wear, and Mme Dariaux's A Guide to Elegance and be much further ahead for less money. The Lucky Shopping Manual if there is money left over for more in the french chic fashionista line up on the bookshelf.

Happy reading!

Susan Sommers' French Chic brings that certain look casual chic of many Frenchwomen into the realm of possibility for the ordinary reader. Most American women have a closet full of mish-mash fashion and yet complain of having nothing to wear. You must have clothing anyway, so why not make wise, versatile purchases? Ms. Sommers' book will help you to do so. She offers several plans for formulating a wardrobe that can be applied whether one shops at Lord and Taylor or the local Target.

Highly recommended to those few women who dare to be chic.

Ignore the dated photos -- this book contains alot of advice that will: 1) Help you understand the basics required for a solid, versatile wardrobe (you need fewer pieces than you might think!); and 2) Give you plenty of ideas to help you be more creative with accessories. I recommend it.

OK, the photos are dated, but I think the curse of any book dealing with fashion and style is to become démodé the second it hits the bookstores. That said, Sommers has done a painstaking effort to convey what French chic is all about and as a person of French origin whose best friends are French and who spends most of her time in France, I can attest to the book's relevance today. The book was written in 1988, so give and take one shoulder pad here, one legging there (and steering clear of the tarty look described under the heading "Trendy"), French style nowadays is still very much as described in Sommers book. Any stylish woman should be able to figure out a way to update the looks described in the book. I even find easier to translate to our times than venerable Genevieve Dariaux's "A guide to Elegance," which to me comes second best.

Believe it or not, I picked up this book at a library book sale for $.50 (sans dust jacket) about 8 years ago. I kept it for a few years, then, feeling like it really wasn't all that useful, put it in the Goodwill box this past spring. Little did I know copies of it were selling for $50, or I definitely would have kept it to sell!

There were some good tips in the book about how to obtain the "Paris mystique" in your dress - by using common clothing items in uncommon ways, combining high-end designer with thrift-shop or bargain store finds, etc. There is a section in the book about using a plain white t-shirt and other "basic" items in unexpected ways to create a very unique look.

However, the reason I ultimately decided to get rid of the book was that it is not very practical for anyone who has to work for a living. Many of the suggestions were aimed at women looking to dress in a more alluring or sexy way, not in a way that would be appropriate for an office environment. Some of the style suggestions would result in outfits that would be too revealing for most people going to a nightclub, much less the supermarket or a dinner/movie date.

There is also an incredibly sexist portion of the book that talks about how men don't want women to dress in a way that threatens them professionally, and men would rather see women dress sexily than dress in appropriate business attire. The section goes on to say that in France, women don't care about their careers and care much more about catching a man and being attractive than being successful in any other arena. I'm sure that section was indicative of the time the book was written, but I found it somewhat offensive and not at all helpful to someone trying to get dressed for a day at work in the year 2005.

Also, the pictures and sample outfits in the book were just way too 1980s to be helpful to me. Think striped tights, berets, belted shirts over leggings, etc. If you dressed that way now, people on the street would laugh their heads off, and I don't think you'd make a good impression on your work colleagues. I tried to figure out how to use the style tips and photographs in a way that would be appropriate for the 21st century, but never was able to.

Someone needs to update this book for modern times, leaving out the sexism and updating the outfits for modern sensibilities. If you plan to buy this book at $50 and up, I would definitely recommend ordering from someplace that will let you return it, or having an online auction account where you can relist it for sale if it doesn't prove helpful to you.

i ordered this book for a good price thinking i could re-sell it if it was terrible. i was nervous that it was so dated (88) and upon first glance it was. leggings and oversized sweaters were pictured in the photographs but i decided to give the text a chance and i'm glad i did. the first few chapters were my favourites in the book and i think explained things the best. of course, you have to use your smarts to translate some things into modern times (the section on jeans, etc) but the majority of the ideas and concepts outlined are still true today. after finishing the book, i picked up a copy of french vogue, elle, and cosmopolitain and looked at the fashions for frenchwomen today and they were still utilizing the same things: plaint white t shirt, neutral colours, polo shirts, varied textures, black and white, pearls and chains, etc. i haven't read any other books on french fashion but after studying fashion and visiting france i don't know what could be much better than this book. it seems after reading it that any newer books would be too muddled with trends and not as focused on the basics.

I found this book at my local library and I love it. This style is classic and extremely feminine. I also love the way that she encourages you to use different key pieces to provide a wide variety of looks. Some day I hope to have my own copy.

This book used the standard easy to read format but gave great advice with practical tips , and suggestions that were easy to put into practice. The result was a great timeless and classic look that incorporated a hint of your own unique style. Minimal effort with great results.

I agree with the other reviewer who said to ignore the dated pics. If you have half a brain you can update the basic advice of the book to the year 2005 without much effort or brainpower. The advice is great. The dated pics can't be helped as the book was written in 1985 or something (everyone looked tacky in the 80's, pretty much, except me!!). Italian Chic is also one to check out cause it doesn't have the dated look. Also, someone mentioned the book French Style and said it was better. It is a great book however it was written in the 90's (1993 to be exact) and this is actually not a real book at all which is why it is hard to find. This book was a promo item (it sold originally for around $20.00) for Express, the store chain. I found a copy and it cost me $50 bucks and the next price was $99. It is very hard to find and you probably won't find it at any library (due to its origins) so check out French Chic and Italian Chic instead. Don't buy it unless you are really, really in dire need, although it is nice to have and I'm more or less a collector of great fashion books about French style. It is more of a history book and gives a few ideas but it was mainly a promotional vehicle for Express during the time. However, check out French Chic and Italian Chic at your local library before you buy.