STYLE
There's a song that Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote for Sinatra, Martin and Crosby called Style -
You've either got or you haven't got Style
IIf you got it, you stand out a mile.
In Paris, style seems to come with the sauce bearnaise. The architecture, interior design, lighting, food and, of course, clothing. This being fall, the French break out their scarves. No matter what the rest of you looks like, your scarf is your carte d'identite. From children to great grandmothers, scarves twirl around French necks in as many ways as there are cheeses to choose. From a simple tuck into the outer garment to elaborate swirls of color, scarves are the accessory of choice when autumn leaves start to fall.
France has a long history of being the style-maker of the western world. From Louis XIV to Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron, French heads of state have set the tone for their country and for much of the world. From Versailles' Palace of Mirrors to the current residence of Macron, the Elysee Palace, there is no hint of Amish simplicity. Gold leaf, filigree ironwork, paneled walls, over-the-top art work - all come together to make a 'style.'
And that is what separates the French from the rest of us and U.S. - they have a long history of style and they take style almost as seriously as they do food.
Unlike the U.S. whose national symbol is personified in Uncle Sam, France's symbol is a woman, Marianne, and this symbolic woman changes with the times. Imagine Uncle Sam in a leather jacket and Gucci boots.
The most famous depiction of Marianne is in Delecroix's painting of her leading the people to liberty. Over the years, France has had many Mariannes. In the 1960s, a tradition started of naming famous actresses to model for the latest Marianne, and the first actress selected was Bridgette Bardot - and not some demure Bardot, but a Bardot who was Bardot. She was followed by a succession of actresses, most famously, Catherine Deneuve. Her latest incarnation, chosen by Macron, is not modeled on a living person. Macron chose the Abidjan-based French-British street artist Yseult Digan, more widely known as YZ (pronounced 'Eyes'), who painted the new Marianne. But whatever Marianne looks like, she has a lot more style than Uncle Sam.
So, when you come to Paris, spend some time in those museums or in parts of museums that are devoted to interiors and furniture. Take a look at how the French combine different elements that don't seem compatible into a pleasing whole. And then, park yourself in that cafe and look - you'll see French women and men who leave the house everyday only after a good look in the mirror - and nice smile at what they see.