Long time readers will know how much I adore French style. There’s nothing more fun for me than setting myself up for a little bit of style spotting. And this trip was no exception. Thankfully I had plenty of opportunities to watch the world go by – and I was very excited by what I […]
French Style
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Whether I was ready or not, whether I actually wanted them or not, I was about to learn two lessons. One would be a lesson in French style and the other in the French understanding of appropriateness. The sales assistant wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’d come to the obvious conclusion that I […]
It’s time for my next book review. I know that because another book was dropped at our front door yesterday. And that means that my ‘to be reviewed’ book pile is now officially two piles, because the original tower was starting to get ridiculously high. And today, I thought I’d share my thoughts on a […]
I have to tell you, my heart skipped a beat when I first heard about the upcoming release of a book titled Provence Style – Decorating with French Country Flair. You see, the concept of Provence Style took me straight back to my earliest Francophile days* when I first read Peter Mayle’s A Year in […]
In good news, we’ve come out of Covid lockdown here in Melbourne, Australia. In not so good news, friends and loved ones in Europe and the UK have been thrown into the same situation we recently emerged from. To anyone enduring restrictions today, know that Scott and I are thinking of you, and sending you […]
Thankfully, there are parts of the world coming to the chapter of this Covid story where things are starting to open up. Some of us are can leave home for more than an hour a day. Others are able to visit with a limited number of family and friends. There are even some parts of […]
Happy new year francophile friends. I wish you a 2020 full of life’s true gifts – love, health and happiness. Before I get into this post, I wanted to say thank you to so many of you for reaching out to Scotty and I as bushfires have been decimating the Australian landscape. We were truly […]
I love style. I love it so much I did a whole course on it. And it probably comes as no surprise that I especially love French style. After all, it was our visits to France that got me interested in developing my own style in the first place. There’s something so simple yet elegant […]
What’s the first thing you notice when you arrive in a new-to-you part of the world? For me, it’s always what people are wearing. For whatever reason, I almost immediately get a feel for the local style, whether that be dressy or laid back or something in between. And more often than not a single […]
Back in 2014 I purchased my very favourite cropped black leather jacket. It’s travelled the world with me. I wear it to work and for play. And it was the jacket I wore in our Parisian photo shoot with Carla Coulson – which means it has featured regularly on Distant Francophile. Simply put, I love […]
If I could use just two words to describe French girl hair, they would be chic and healthy. Whether the hair is long or short, dark or light, it always looks shiny and well cared for. And – when it comes to this well cared for result – I’ve come to the conclusion that while […]
French girl dresses are definitely a thing. Sit for just two seconds on any Parisian terrace when the weather is just a touch warmer and you will see examples of them everywhere. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Who What Wear recently featured The Cool Dresses French Girls Always Wear. So […]
It has been such a long time since I’ve pulled together a French inspiration post like this one. I used to write them quite regularly and can’t quite remember why I stopped. I’m thinking that it probably had something to do with the amount of time I kept losing in the name of ‘internet research’… […]
It happens every single time I visit France. I am absolutely inspired to lift my style game. It is as simple as that. It starts as a little niggle soon after I arrive. And by the time I head for home it is a full blown commitment. I return to Melbourne just wanting to look […]
I honestly didn’t expect to be writing this post. Following our last few visits, I’ve reported back on what they are wearing in Paris. This time around, I’d already decided that such a post would most likely be a little boring. I was genuinely thinking that it was very unlikely that anything would have changed […]
When I was younger, I didn’t really understand wardrobe essentials. At all. Not even a little bit. I’d buy anything and everything (as long as it fit into one specific category – cheap) and wonder why I never had anything to wear. Despite having more clothes than my (relatively small) wardrobe could realistically hold. My […]
Since writing my mini-review of the book Mon guide de style, every now and then I’ve continued to flick through its pages for French style inspiration. A couple of images keep catching my eye. These particular pages feature the sparkliest of accessories – jewellery. Author Noriko’s work reminded me of the French woman’s love for […]
Let’s wrap up what turned into a series of reviews with a couple of ‘mini reflections’, highlighting two of my favourite things – Parisian style and French footwear. First up, why don’t we take a look at my new favourite French Footwear brand – Arche? French Footwear – Arche In this post on The Essentials […]
For me, their dedication to quality in everyday life is one of the things I love most about the French. In their world, food has to be spot on, regardless of whether they are dishing up a simple meal of ham, cheese and bread or indulging in a celebration dinner. A lacklustre wine won’t be […]
Recently, I’ve been spoilt for choice when it comes to exhibitions from the big name French designers. First, there was the delightful Dior display in Melbourne. And then there was an absolute treat in the form of New York’s Volez, Voguez, Voyagez – Louis Vuitton exhibition. The extensive collection charts the evolution of the brand […]