“I can have an ordinary day or an extraordinary one.” Author Kathryn
Kemp-Griffin said about what seeing her first French bra reminds her of.
When do you buy lingerie? For Valentine’s Day? A romantic getaway? A
big date with a new lover? Your birthday, or even for your man’s
birthday? We splurge on lingerie for special occasions. But the point
made in
Paris Undressed is that French women purchase and
wear lingerie any and every old day, no special occasion (read: sex) required.
Just as the French have a joie de vivre with food & drink, they do
too with lingerie. It’s about being enveloped in luxury all the time,
appreciating top quality against your skin, and loving yourself enough
to feel pampered everyday.
Although in her comparisons, she refers to
American women/consumers,
I’d like to think Canadian born Kemp-Griffin meant to include Canadians
too, so I will say North American women. We’re all about the huge
lingerie chains in North America, with the BOGO way of shopping.
Personally, I don’t shop at “big box stores” for bras, because I don’t
care for all those flimsy uncomfortable materials, and see the quality
isn’t meant to last. But I admit to being too intimidated to walk into a
small upscale shop. The happy medium I choose is department stores, and
occasionally, online.
When you buy a new bra, do you also pick up the matching panty? Right – there
is
no matching panty. So many bras in North America are sold on their
own. We don’t (can’t?) match our underwear all the time. (Unless, of
course, it’s a “special occasion” )
The French not only insist on matching, but consider it an art. French
women wouldn’t dépareillé, mismatch, unless it’s purposeful and with
great flair, as Kemp-Griffin explained.
I enjoyed contemplating what effect the advent of feminism may have
had on women’s underwear. Did we stop succumbing to the trappings of
seduction at the cost of denying ourselves the pleasure of lovely
lingerie? Simplicity took over in the 1970’s, and froufrou was frowned
upon. Modern day boy shorts and granny panties are certainly non sensual
names for underwear. Being so used to having no details or extras on
tshirt bras, and keeping it simple & casual with seamless panties,
it was interesting to read about fibres and lace, and their impact on
the wearer.
I learned about sister sizes, and know now why my very good quality
Calvin Klein bra that I bought in my usual size doesn’t fit. The idea of
going through your collection and saying au revoir or bonjour is right
up my alley. I’m one for, at the beginning of the year, clearing out. I
have purged 8 bras! Now, to replenish with proper fitting beauties…
You have to love the French way of silhouette defining. They took
away referring to our shapes as fruit like pears and apples, and instead
gave us visually appealing names such as O for ooh la la and V for va
va voom. It is helpful to read lingerie suggestions for every figure
accompanied by Paloma Casile’s pretty illustrations in the aptly titled
chapter Hide & Peek. There’s even a panty pattern for the creative
design types, as well as a chapter on creating your own lingerie
journal. To close the book, you’ve got a helpful expanded glossary, a
French brands listing, and a guide to Parisian boutiques.
I felt like I was there on the walk Kemp-Griffin described in her
first month in Paris, and could understand how she became involved in
the world of lingerie. Kemp-Griffin’s company Paris Lingerie Tours
provides tours of French lingerie boutiques to help women receive a
“renewed sense of femininity, confidence and elegance.”
Give yourself a Valentine of
Paris Undressed, and I’ll bet, the next thing you know, you’ll be revamping your lingerie drawer.
Be sure to enter the giveaway to receive your own copy!
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I received my copy of Paris Undressed The Secrets of French Lingerie by House of Anansi Press Inc.
Until next time,
Kara
