a lesson in stripes

Image via saint-james.fr

This is a bit of an obvious one for a French-related blog, but no matter. Here's a thing or two about some great French stripe style. You can never have too many stripes in your wardrobe (so say I). Ok, well there should possibly be at least one 'Made in France', good quality, well designed, hardwearing, classic stripey top in there that you can dress up or down and can last you for years. For the real thing, here are my tips: Armor Lux, St James and Petit Bateau. Just in time for adding to your Christmas wish-list...

weekend à Rome

Etienne Daho/Pierre et Gilles via wikio.fr

I have never been to Rome, nor am I planning a weekend away there any time soon. The heading is in reference to the song by Etienne Daho, the French singer, songwriter and record producer, who has achieved cult status in France. It was played at the French leg of our wedding and I can still picture our friends dancing to it on that night. The UK band, St Etienne, in collaboration with the singer, adapted the song and made it into the well-known and equally good English language version, 'He's on the phone'. Toe-tapping, happiness-inducing pop, both.

nouvelle vague

Jean Seberg, À Bout de Souffle, 1960
Image via newwavefilm.com

I am coming to the end of some editing work I've been doing on a publication about film director, Jean-Luc Godard and French New Wave cinema. The work has been interesting and it has led me to rediscover work I had not seen in a while. Much of the décor in these films is as visually chic and stylish as its actors, with leading stars including Brigitte Bardot, Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo; much of the sixties design featured looking very contemporary. All really good fashion, interiors and hairstyle inspiration. In the same vein, I'd also recommend La nuit Americaine by François Truffaut and I often think of Godard as a good introduction to the French New Wave, before venturing into the slightly more obscure territories of  L’année dernière à Marienbad and Hiroshima mon amour, by director, Alain Renais. But to be honest, the list of gems is endless, so well worth investigating.

Film stills, Le Mépris, 1963
Images vis filmcuts.co.uk