Bienvenue! I'm Ariane, your French best friend in all things luxury. I used to work as a lawyer on the Champs Elysées, and I share here everything I know about French Fashion and Luxury brands. Welcome to my world, I am excited to get to know you! A bientôt ♥️
I love what you said about the French wanting to enhance their natural look. I think that's essentially how I was raised. My mother is from Central America and I am a middle-aged woman now. But she still loves simplicity and natural fibers and not pretending she is something she isn't. She is very beautiful, even at almost 80 years old. I learned a lot of classy concepts from her that I'm hearing in your video and I appreciate it. Unfortunately in the US many of the fashion faux pas you mention are commonplace. I really despise those poofy cloud shoes! Haha, one of my boys bought himself a pair and I told him he could never leave the house wearing them. Thank you for the tips and good to know about French manicure. I was taught not to paint my fingernails, but to keep them short and clean. Interesting.
So, what if I choose the white sneakers, what color of bag should I use??? How do you match bag shoes and a belt? Specially is you wearing white sneakers?
Wear leather shoes . Ethics ? Leather shoes are making your feet sweat as they are too hot . 🙈 Elegant lady is not even a real thing that can measured , what is this video about 😮
A bit too much on Russian ladies here… I guess not meant here, but message sounded like French are more tasteful than Russians… any generalisation like this is tricky and can be offensive
I love your videos, but this one needs extra tips. Pastels do not suit everyone and depends entirely on the individual. Pastels suit people with low contrast and low saturation or muted colouring. Pastels worn on people with a vivid or rich colouring and or high contrast, it is too draining and will make them look washed out. Next is the thickness of the heel or soles on shoes, if you have large scale ankles (this is not your size, a lady can be very slender and have large scale ankles) then a block heel and thicker soles, straps, details will be the most harmonious because mirroring your scale is the most flattering, same is true of the wrists, small scale wrist thin watch straps, dainty bracelets, medium scale would be in the middle. If you don’t match the scale what happens is the eyes stop at point, it is much like a portrait painting using the wrong scale or colour creates distractions or focal points. Always mirror what you are blessed with, everyone has their own unique beauty. Highly recommend checking out John Kitchener’s videos. Have a lovely day.
It’s great that you’ve started to mention and promote vegan leather. 👍 In this day and age, there is no need for us to cause suffering to animals in order to look elegant. Also fur and wool are things of the past.
If it were just "we in France wear" as an unbeatable argument, that this or that is an example of perfect taste, one could assume the author is just slightly arrogant (which is definitely a manifestation of poor behavioural taste). She however keeps using the adjective “Russian” while giving negative examples. Can it be two-century-old phantom pain caused by Berezina?
Personally, I can't wear high heels because they kill my feet. We walk everywhere here in Spain, so heels are impractical. I, however, love all my Doc Martens, even the platforms. I'm very artistic at heart and like more artistic approaches to fashion, so I like to stand out some. That doesn't mean I'm not elegant. I think elegance really comes from one's personality and how they carry themselves, not in how they dress. I've met plenty of women who dress in this elegant way but they're not very elegant people on the inside. It matters, at least in my opinion. If everyone dressed like this, it would get a bit boring. Also, labeling a woman as "high value" or "low value" is super degrading. A woman's worth is not in what she wears.
I really like your videos. One thing though, not everyone looks good with golden jewellery :) On me silver looks more elegant, I look cheap and tacky with golden jewellery because my skintone is cool olive. I think it'd be a better advice to find the jewellery that suits your skintone and wear that :)
That was nice and helpful. Thank you ❤ One should always remember that clothes tells a story about them (that's a good hint) and think what they want to say before they're dressed.
It's funny you didn't mention the only rule my French mom taught me : never put only one same color for every piece of clothes/accessories. It's very dull and boring looking. Usually avoid wearing an "ensemble" of a very strong color too, it makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Also, mismatching certain colors together may look like a disaster if done badly, so chose wisely. Wearing green with pink or blue with yellow for example. I think there are many things to talk about on the color side of fashion that can make a look either classy or disastrous :D
The way people get so pissed about these videos cracks me up. Obviously this is not for you so don't click on it. Don't comment. Just keep moving and find your own way to be elegant if this is so offensive to you.
Chère Ariane, J'adore tes vidéos! They are what I was looking for YEARS about being chic, ladylike, effortless etc. And so well explained...! I am amazed. Looking forward to your videos, but no rush, better quality than quantity ;) Salutations chaleureuses de la Suisse
I think she clearly has an issue with Russian women 😅, as she always speaks about them in a negative way. I live in the UK, and it’s very common here to see British women with noticeable eyelash extensions. It’s almost a pattern, or like a trend here. Also many layers of cosmetics. I’ve never seen as many Russian women wearing so vulgar eyelash extensions or much cosmetic as I have in the UK, so I don’t understand why she only mentions Russian women wearing them. I think it’s inappropriate to mention nationality in this context. You can find both elegance and the opposite in any country, also in France. It’s wrong to generalize. It’s just unfair to make generalizations based on nationality.
This applies to French women. Who declared this to be the standard to abjde by? Who even cares? I'm from Africa and not French, so I don't care about this advice..we have other things that defjne elegance where I come from.
I’m stylish I could never be elegant, baby I be bringing from here to France 🇫🇷 England 🏴 Ireland 🇮🇪 Japan 🇯🇵 Asia Africa etc etc you see me coming and they can tell the way I walk I’m not from around there 😂😂😂😂 J/k Calm down
Uh. I'm also french. We're not always so well-dressed for sexiness and follow fashion rules. I think you're referring to girls in big cities like Paris, who are a completely different species of women on their own. It's like comparing Milan fashion to Puglia, which is absurd.
The shoes are way too casual imo and the basic t-shirt is a little too basic, you can still wear a t-shirt but a little more interesting, modern and slouchy while still looking smart
Personally i think a elegant Lady isnt really what she wears ,it doesn't wear her...she wears it! I promise you i could make a string bracelet with a gold bead and put $400 on it. I promise you bc its high our brain tellls us we want it l. I have seen things that cost $50 for a bottle of shampoo and go down here to the local depot grocery store and right now the have alba products and Jason for 1.50 ! I bought the astringent it goes for $15 on ebay and its $1.50 down here at discount grocery store! Sp lady's u don't have to be rich to look like you are. Its about looking, really looking. I went to Ross clothing store often and i bought a pair of Gucci tennis shoes for $8 that was marked down. You have to pick up everything and look. Try to remember how long that product or shoes have been sitting there good chance if its still there couple months later it will be like 75% off. Just be patient,yet fast and focused when shopping. A lady is in her attitude also so no matter how you feel or look hold your head up and walk in a room like you own it ! I promise it works alot and use ur words carefully.
I wanted to touch on your review of this brand by relaying some industry information about leather that is... not well understood by most people. There are four main "grades" or qualities of leather used in the fashion industry; -"Full grain" leather: the hair of the animal is removed from its hide, but otherwise the surface has been kept intact. Any natural blemishes, creases, scars etc are visible, but the leathers in this category don't have any major imperfections. This leather is the most expensive grade, and it will develop a patina with age. -"Corrected grain" or "top grain" leather: the topmost layer of skin has had the imperfections shaved from the hide to provide a consistent surface. There is a common impression that these leathers are less durable than full grain leathers. This is generally untrue. These leathers come from the same portions of the cow, and the sanding process is minimal and doesn't compromise its durability. The major distinction with this grade of leather is that there are too many imperfections in the topmost layer of the hide for it to be used as a full grain leather. Fashion houses frequently use corrected grain leathers to ensure consistency across their wares. The quality of these leathers are just as good, and they're usually easier to care for than full grain leathers. They tend to be more stiff, moisture resistant, and the patina takes longer to develop. Depending on the degree to which this leather is processed; stained, dyed, certainly embossed with a texture... it may not develop a patina. This grade of leather might be a desirable choice depending on its application, or your lifestyle/preferences. -"Split grain" or "genuine" leather: We're now discussing the low quality leather grades. During the refining process, the stiffened bottoms of leather hides are shaved off, or, "split". These leftover leather scraps are what comprise "genuine" leather. Split leather scraps are typically glued together, coated in plastic, embossed with leather textures, and then sold as "genuine leather". For the most part I find genuine leather used as a gimmick to sell poor quality purses & belts for an inflated price. I've seen "genuine leather" wares being sold for $80-$200. Save your money, go to a vintage shop, and buy full grain or top grain leather products for less. -Bonded leather: To refer to bonded leather as a "grade of leather" is only a technicality. It would be more accurate to say that bonded leather contains leather inside of it. Leather particulate is glued in a liquid vinyl, pressed into a sheet, and then it is coated in poly paint, or a leather pattern is stamped overtop. It typically contains more industrial materials than leather. To circle back, Polène is using top grain leather on their #1 purse. It is deliberate on the part of the brand, the appeal of this purse is the variety of different colors and embossed textures it is sold in, as well as its distinctive curvy shape. This is also why it feels and sounds "plasticky". As you noted, the brand sells other purses that undergo less industrial processing.
Do you do anything for charity or to help mankind. Very shallow indeed. Nauseating for its ridiculousness and actually demonstrates a lack of elegance by telling people what is elegant. You must have very low self esteem. Get help !
New Yorker here, 40s, Hispanic. Some women here do too much, with the lashes, fillers, logos all over the clothes. I don't do that. I do like faux fur over real. No puffers for me, due to being short, I just feel funny in them, but I like the vest under the coat look. I will try that this winter. I do like graphic tees, hair clips, etc, but dressing more minimalistic and classic will save me money. A nice jewelry piece, instead of head to toe expensive, is nice and I may incorporate that look going forward.
I disagree with the Stanley cup point. Some of the colors are very bright and don’t match well with outfits, but they make neutral colors that do look good. I don’t have a Stanley, but I have one like it that’s better in my opinion. The inside is ceramic, not stainless steel. I’m pregnant and food and drinks taste very weird to me right now, especially if I’m drinking something out of metal. The ceramic doesn’t leave a weird taste. The straw is also very convenient, and it’s hard enough to keep food and water down, so being able to sip through a straw makes it easier for me to stay hydrated and keep it down without being sick. There’s a time and place for any sort of water bottle, but I don’t think it automatically means they’re not elegant or come across as tacky or tasteless.
Agree on your takes of social class. If you act polite to everyone the same it shows class. I have grown up in upper middle class, and been to lots of expencive hotels and restaurants. (Also grew up in a shop for italian high fashion). When I was to a luxurious vacation with my friend and her kid that had not experienced that before, she was neurotic on how she should behave, act in the restaurant and how to dress luxurious. I told her it does not matter, just be yourself, be polite and dress normally, but look clean and put together and avoid vulgar or too extreme in any way (not even what one have a mental picture of how rich people dress) and it will be fine. Better to dress down actually, than overdo it. Gold strap high heeled sandals to the pool, for instance: Just don't. Wealthy people don't look down on others, and if they themselves wear gold sandals to the pool, they are trying too hard to fit in themselves too. Social class has never ment anything to me in how I view a person, behaviour where one show respect and kindness as well as standing up for oneself and others does. Disagree on the "does not have to have a political opinion" tho. It's one of the first things I carefully try to pry out of people, and I find it difficult to relate to, or even completely trust for that matter, people not having opinions. They don't have to agree with me, having different takes on things make them much more interesting. Conversations are more rewarding than debates, tho, so discussing controversial matters in a calm way is something everyone should aim for.
Curly hair tips: 1) Try to stick to natural products. 2) Do a “clarifying wash” once a week to fully cleanse the hair (use a stronger shampoo to rinse out the build-up from the natural shampoo) AND follow up with a deep-conditioner and rinse. 3) Only comb/brush hair when it has conditioner or leave-in conditioner in it. I use a wide-tooth comb in the shower and again after I apply leave-in conditioner. Never brush dry hair or brush wet hair without product. 4) Do not skip the leave-in conditioner. 5) Experiment with different levels of “hold” in your gel and/or mousse. I use a medium or firm hold. 6. Do not cut hair when it’s wet since not all strands have the same curl pattern - wait till it’s fully dry. 7. Sleep with a silk pillowcase or a silk hair wrap/cap. 8. Use soft materials to tie up your hair like silk scrunchies or claw clips (without teeth). 9) Wear a silk head scarf if it’s very windy outside. 10) Don’t go outside with wet hair (unless there is zero wind and it’s not too cold). 11) Lastly, try to avoid heat (styling, drying) and don’t dye your hair (at least not too often). Extra tips: invest in a styling brush, follow your natural curl pattern, use a diffuser not a hair dryer (cold-medium heat, not high), finish your showers in cold water to close the hair follicles and to lock in moisture!!
