Ooh La La The Secrets Of French Chic By Gabrielle Teare

With Carla Bruni set to become the new Jackie O, it is time to get some of that seemingly effortless chic, poise and polish into your wardrobe. Not for years has the political landscape had someone as stylish and elegant. How do you achieve this look? One way to do this is visit a Fashion Stylist. The other is to follow my secret tips....

Fashion in Milan, Paris and London remains very different to the US. Europeans love America for casual clothes and will stock up on all the basics, jeans etc. Particularly with the current dollar rate.Visit Paris, and arriving on Eurostar what you notice is Quality. So how do Parisians do it? Here's How:

Invest in good jewellery. From waitresses to shop assistants, French women will wear beautiful pieces clearly saved for. Costume jewellery is often large scale and chosen to match colours. Parisians will buy the dress and at the same time the matching must-have necklace. Galerie Lafayette and other department stores carry vast choice.

Shoes must be leather, high quality, as opposed to high fashion and are chosen every season.

Bags are another investment piece, whatever the budget quality is paramount.

Each season Parisians flock to the stores and buy just one or two key items. This is not random shopping, it is carefully considered choices. Colours and styles are chosen to complement existing items.

Scarves are everywhere, worn in every permutation by young and old alike.

Cosmetics, hair and skin care are highly valued, with regular facials, tints etc. to present a groomed look. Many shops carry large ranges of small diffusion beauty brands at every price level.

High fashion trends are cheaper and mixed in with the investment buys and designed to last one season.

Lingerie is a whole universe. Big department stores will have a whole floor given over to lingerie. French women know they look good from the inside out. This is true grooming.

Perfume. It is the nation of Perfumers -look good smell good.

Knowing what truly suits them and buying it. This is probably the key secret. If you don’t know this, use a Personal Shopper or Image Consultant and learn. What you learn will pay dividends for the rest of your life.