Today we are moving onto a new letter of the alphabet in the review of Genevieve Antoine Dariaux's book, A Guide to Elegance. An introduction to this series of posts can be found here and previous posts can be read here. The first entry in the Cs is chic. As always, these reviews are meant to compare past fashion rules to today and see if they still apply. Leave your thoughts in the comments!
This section is all about whether or not you are chic. Madame Dariaux does not give an exact definition, only examples, but hints at how you might determine if you are chic:
This section is all about whether or not you are chic. Madame Dariaux does not give an exact definition, only examples, but hints at how you might determine if you are chic:
"Chic is only perceptible to those who have already acquired a certain degree of civilization and culture and who have in addition both the leisure time to devote to improving their appearance and the desire to be part of a particular kind of elite, which might be called the 'aristocracy of external appearance." (pg. 20)
Although she later writes that being chic "has no relationship to beauty nor to wealth" (pg. 20), it certainly sounds like both of those greatly improve your chances of being chic. Reading this section makes me wonder if the idea of chic is too limiting for the modern woman. Busy lives mean that leisure time is high demand and for many of us, there are more profitable ways to spend it than on our external appearance. We simply cannot commit to the pursuit of impeccable outfits, hair, and makeup without missing out on time with friends, family, or hobbies. Our clothing should enhance our lives, by making us look and feel good, but our lives should not be run by our clothing.
Since Madame Dariaux's standards are high, yet vague, I can confidently say that I will never be chic in her eyes. She sees Greta Garbo and Lady Diana as examples as women who "had chic," but dismisses Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor with little discussion. In fact, the whole thing seems incredibly subjective so attempting to become chic in one social circle may be for naught if you ever decide to move locations or make new friends.
But this is not to say that we should not make an effort to dress well. Instead I think it is more important to be thoughtful about what occasions you put your time and energy into. Attending a wedding or gala benefit is a great time to spend a bit of extra leisure time tending to your appearance so you can look elegant and sophisticated. Going to the grocery store or to watch your kid's soccer game? Not so much. Looking stylish doesn't need to be hard if you realize that different events require different amounts of effort and if you accept it is unlikely that anyone will mistake you for Greta Garbo, no matter how chic you may think you are.
Since Madame Dariaux's standards are high, yet vague, I can confidently say that I will never be chic in her eyes. She sees Greta Garbo and Lady Diana as examples as women who "had chic," but dismisses Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor with little discussion. In fact, the whole thing seems incredibly subjective so attempting to become chic in one social circle may be for naught if you ever decide to move locations or make new friends.
But this is not to say that we should not make an effort to dress well. Instead I think it is more important to be thoughtful about what occasions you put your time and energy into. Attending a wedding or gala benefit is a great time to spend a bit of extra leisure time tending to your appearance so you can look elegant and sophisticated. Going to the grocery store or to watch your kid's soccer game? Not so much. Looking stylish doesn't need to be hard if you realize that different events require different amounts of effort and if you accept it is unlikely that anyone will mistake you for Greta Garbo, no matter how chic you may think you are.
Dariaux, Genevieve Antoine. A Guide to Elegance. New York: William Morrow, 2003. Print.
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