For the fifth installment of Blogger Book Club we read the enlightening, 'How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are'. Caroline de Maigret teamed up with fellow Parisans Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, and Sophie Mas to pen this gem.
An intriguing tidbit that the book pointed out is that many of the most famous Parisians, Marie Antoinette, Josephine Baker, and Jane Birkin, were all foreigners. So we all have hope at cultivating a Parisian air.
Parisians also view the "French tip" manicure as rather déclassé. “Short, clean nails, sometimes worn with nail polish, but not always", is the preferred look. I have a feeling they turn their noses up at the nail art trend.
There were a few likely tongue-in-cheek suggestions that rather irked me. For instance along the lines of The Rules dating theories, the girls suggest you send yourself flowers and list your sister in your phone under a man's name. And the whole laissez faire attitude towards cheating didn't sit well with me.
A few takeaways..
“Decide it’s great to get dumped, because falling in love again makes you lose your appetite, and in turn eat fewer calories—which defeats the need for that gym membership.”
“The Parisienne retains her little imperfections, cherishes them even (the gap in her smile or her slightly crooked tooth, her prominent eyebrows or strong nose): these are the signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect.”
“You don’t have to spend a decade’s worth of salary on your wardrobe, or flaunt designer brands the whole time. All you need is one signature item: the one you wear when you need to feel strong.”
“Falling asleep with damp hair will give it a more interesting shape when you wake up.”
Do tell, what did you think?
