Parisian Chic Encore! A Book Review

Before I share my thoughts on Parisian Chic encore, I have to tell the story about how I came to buy the book in the first place.

You see, I was feeling sorry for myself. I was at the airport. It was stupidly early in the morning. I was in the early stages of a ‘day trip’ for my ‘day job’. These kind of days tend to last around 16 hours door to door and I was tired before I’d even begun.

I’ve never been completely immune to the temptations of ‘retail therapy’. And I promptly decided that the crisp, clean pages of a brand new notebook would make me feel so much better about the long day of travel and work ahead. (As a friend so rightly said recently – ‘Janelle does love a good notebook’.)  

So I found myself wandering into the airport bookstore. Having trodden this path before, I knew that the notebooks were in the back right hand corner of the store. To get there, I had to walk past all the new releases.

It was in that section that a bright pink book with a distinctive illustration caught my eye. The book made me do a double take because the style was so familiar – even if the colour palette wasn’t. I felt my spirits lifting – I’d stumbled upon an Ines de la Fressange book that I didn’t recall having been introduced to.

I picked up the plastic wrapped tome, trying to discern if it was a fuchsia edition of a book I already owned. It didn’t take me long to realise that it was an updated version of one of my favourites – the style guide, Parisian Chic.

I wasn’t at all concerned that the pages of my new find might have been nothing more than a reprint of the original book. My mood brightened almost immediately. And all thoughts of needing another new notebook disappeared into thin air. I almost skipped to the cashier. And then I devoured Parisian Chic encore! on my interstate flight – despite how out of place my new pink book looked amid the sea of financial newspapers that seemed to be the preferred reading matter for that particular flight.

Title: ’Parisian Chic encore! A Style Guide’

Authors: Ines de la Fressange & Sophie Gachet.

Published: 2019 by Flammarion, Softcover, 249 pages.

What I Liked:

• The style. I loved the French style featured in the initial book. And I think I love the looks shown in this encore version even more. An interesting mix of elegant and quirky, and modelled by Ines herself, the outfits make me want to dive into my wardrobe and pop together some creative ensembles for an average Tuesday.
• The new content. Parisian Chic encore certainly seems familiar. The layout is very reminiscent of the original and there is even some recycled content on offer. But this update feels fresh, thanks to new photography, ideas and addresses.
• The advice. From how to style your hair, to where to shop and even which Instagram accounts to follow, there are stacks of tips and tricks in this particular book.
• The humour. Once again these authors have managed to weave the self-depreciating humour that I consider necessary for this sort of book into every chapter. If the Parisian Chic books took themselves too seriously, I really don’t think they’d work as well as they do today.
• The illustrations. Sketched by Ines herself, they add an extra dimension of light-heartedness to the book.

What I Wasn’t So Sure About:

• The shocking pink cover. Ok. So I know it is one of Ines’ signature colours. And it certainly did it’s job to capture my attention. But it really is a bit bright for my taste. The red cover of the first Parisian Chic book was way more to my liking.

Have you read Parisian Chic encore? What did you think of it? Did you love it as much as the first instalment of Parisian Chic? I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below.

And until next time – au revoir.

P.S. If you would like to check out some more of my French inspired book recommendations, make sure you click through to the Distant Francophile Reading List.