Fashion, Paris

Edith Kunz, the author of the recently published "Fatale: How French Women Do It," went on a quest to find the answer to a most crucial question: What is the secret behind the power of seduction of French women.

Ms Kunz plunges into French history to find the key to this powerful and yet mysterious power.

She revisits troubadours who were the first to codify the rules of courtship, to introduce a ritual into the relationship between men and women, in the Middle Ages. She ends with the modern era, the era of Catherine Deneuve.

The historian of seduction examines every aspect of the French woman's charm: her diet, the culture she is raised in, the ideology that shapes her, the decor of her bedroom, her role as wife and mistress, the issue of age and what she calls "the art of brilliance" which Frenchwomen use to dazzle French men.

What's the secret of French women?

One word: confidence. They are confident in themselves, confident with their age, their body, with their power.

They are sensuous even at work. They charmed men to death, and it is fun for both. It looks like a lot of sensuousness.

Hmmmm.......I suppose a "Geisha" can learn a lot from that (or vice versa perhaps?) ;-))

Besides the shopping, the arts, the cuisine, the people-watching, and the nightlife, one of my other favorite pastimes in Paris is pampering myself at one of their salons.

It seems that every block in Paris has at least one beauty salon! This goes to show how the Parisians take their style and beauty seriously!

There's nothing like getting a soothing head massage and shampoo after walking the boulevards of Paris all day!

Note: Keep in mind that if the hair stylist says "10 minutes".......... in REAL time that's 30 minutes! ;-)

The people of Paris are well dressed and very stylish. You won't see too many people with baggy jeans down around their thighs and their underwear showing.

If you want to fit in, plan to dress nicely the way the locals do.

for the ladies: please don't wear shorts!!! Wear a skirt - you're in paris and are not only allowed, but encouraged to be sexy!!!
for the (american) men: whateveryou do, refrain from wearing large, white tennis shoes. You might as well be wearing a sign that says, "make mean jokes about me in french, 'cause I sure as hell won't know what you're saying!"

Please DO NOT WEAR tennis shoes, camera, or big diamonds. It is the fastest way to be pegged as an out of towner. It saves you lots of problems. It is a must to say bon jour at EVERY time you enter a store or at the cashier. IT IS A MUST. The French are very kind people if they perceive you as well trained- that means formal, respectful and never loud. They look at life through emotions so they do tend to get upset about little things but just stand still and watch them run out of steam. But the city is still one of the largest in the world and tooooo many people still makes for LOTS of opportunity for stress. Just smile with your eyes and have fun watching them.
For the first few months that I lived here, I had to realize that they were not just mad at me they really didn't like each other and especially in a store. It is amazing that this country has any gross national product because some days I can not find ANY service that is pleasant. You do have to go OUT of the city. Just chalk it up to normal and just stand in line and dream about something pleasant.

St-Germain-des Pres, is one of the most famous meeting places for the intelligentsia and gives glimbses of fashion and arts nearby/
Along the sides of the Seine is a footbridge where artists display their work./
Mazarine Library/
The georges Pompidou Center at Beaubourg is called 'the heart of Paris'

Paris is the metropolis for fashion and design....These three top models are presenting new hairstyles!!!

put them out on your window ledge...it likely works, plus it makes for a very cool photo for the person staying in the hotel room across the street!!

HAUT COUTURE
Fashion at its best
You will certainly enjoy fashion shows organized by world's most famous stylists.