You all knew that, one day, I’d return to the topic of shoes. It simply had to happen. In fact, it honestly surprises me that it has taken me so long to get around to writing about footwear again. Why? Because shoes are hands down my style superhero. The right shoes have saved me from […]
French Style
70 posts
The topic of women’s confidence has been popping up everywhere in my life lately. Blog posts and book reviews landing in my inbox. Conversations with women, both at work and in social situations. And the clincher, the example that really grabbed my attention? The interview I did less than a fortnight ago with a big […]
Recently, I’ve been delving deep into all things style related here on Distant Francophile. These pieces have been inspired by the emails I receive each and every day from readers keen share their style triumphs and challenges. Naturally – me being me – I’ve tried to include a touch of French flavour to the posts […]
Do you have a style icon? Someone whose way of dressing informs and inspires your own style? Someone you wish you could be when you (finally) grow up? Identifying style icons can really help you to develop your own style. Taking inspiration from looks you admire can assist you to build a wardrobe you love. […]
“Our clothes truly do more than just clothe us”. This was the final line in an email I received from a Distant Francophile reader. And it stopped me in my tracks. In just nine words, this lovely reader perfectly articulated the thoughts that had been swirling around in my head for ages. You see, […]
I guess it’s no surprise how much women love handbags (or purses as our friends in the U.S. sometimes call them). We tend to carry one almost everywhere. And they often contain not only our daily essentials but our precious memories too. It is not lost on me that France has produced some of the […]
One thing French women appear to have the ability to do time and time again is create a wardrobe that makes chic dressing look effortless. From skinny jeans, via perfect little black dresses to nonchalantly tied trench coats, their wardrobes seem filled with items that communicate two of my very favourite ‘E” words – elegance […]
One of the many things I love about Paris is her colour scheme. Wherever you look, whether from street level or above, you’ll see consistent colours. Beautiful hues. The neutral sort. There is no doubt about it – charcoals, mid-greys, slate blues, russets, taupes and sands dominate your view. These colours are everywhere […]
Happy December to you! Yep, that’s right. It is December already. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be super excited. Dressing up for parties, fun with family and friends, twinkling lights, presents and all that yummy food. Seriously, what’s not to love about December? With the festive season firmly in the front […]
There are days when I feel like I’m a bit of a stalker. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not following people home or setting myself up outside their workplaces, binoculars in hand. But I do engage in an awful lot of people watching. On our most recent trip to France, I set myself the assignment […]
Forget the Louvre. Ditch Notre Dame. And scrap the Eiffel Tower. If there is only one destination you visit while you are in Paris, it should be a pharmacy. French pharmacies are renowned the world over for the wealth of skincare lotions and potions that can be found just below a flashing green cross. On […]
When it comes to looking stylish, there’s a lot to be said for a good coat. We’ve just spent most of October in France. And while the weather was quite warm when we first landed and during our time in the South, it has cooled down markedly now that we are heading for home. As […]
We were there the day the cows came home. If you want the sentence above to make sense, I’m going to have to give you a little context. Just recently, we spent a week in Annecy, a large city in France’s Haute-Savoie region which is located in the east of the country. Annecy is well […]
You can learn the easy way or the hard way. Personally, I’m always a fan of finding the easy way. People watching is one my very favourite things to do in France – and one of the simplest ways I’ve found to learn about the French people. Whether we are in the big cities or […]
Today’s top travel tip for fashion loving francophiles. If you are only spending one day in Paris, make sure you time your visit to coincide with Fashion Week. Somehow, via good luck and absolutely no management whatsoever, that’s exactly what I managed to do on our recent visit. Now Paris is wonderful for people watching […]
My mind is definitely in packing mode at the moment. Not only am I right in the middle of packing for our upcoming trip to France (we fly next Wednesday) but I’ve also been travelling extensively with my day job. Last week, as I travelled to an interstate conference with workmates, several conversations reminded […]
Lately, we’ve been extending a conversation that a good friend and I started about the importance of grooming. And it turns out that French women have bucketloads of tips to help you look your best. We’ve already covered the big names – hair, eyebrows and skincare – so today I thought we should discuss all the little things. […]
Ok. So if you have been playing along at home, you’ll know that details on how French women groom their eyebrows were a little light on. But there is no way in the world that you can say the same for skin. It is extremely clear from everything you read or watch for on the […]
I’m a little bit embarrassed to admit that, when it comes to eyebrows, I’ve been guilty of neglect. For more years than I’m happy to admit, I didn’t pay any attention to them at all. No shaping, no enhancing, no nothing. Eventually, maybe about ten years ago or a little more, my eyebrows finally made […]
The other day, one of my closest friends and I got to talking about the importance of grooming. We both agreed that while there are a few blessed souls out there who can look spectacular with assistance only from a hair tie and a little lip gloss, the rest of us have to work somewhat […]