Embrace your inner snob. Wear red with pink. Eat oysters at home and go to bed before midnight on New Year's Eve. Just some of the advice meted out by four Frenchwomen in a new book on 'how to be Parisian'.
In their 240-page tome, the four cover everything from bad habits and what to display on your mantelpiece to sulking and how to wear a mini-skirt.
According to model Caroline de Maigret and her co-authors, Parisian women never try to be friends with their children, work too hard on their appearance or have overly white teeth.
They love navy blue with black, bags that don't match their clothes and wouldn't dream of getting married in a "poufy meringue" dress, opting instead for a black or navy tuxedo.
When pregnant, Bloody Marys can be replaced by Virgin Marys, a Bloody Mary without the alcohol, "but that's it -- you're no saint", and high heels should only be surrendered "the day you walk into the delivery room".
On hosting a dinner party, the objective is to make it look effortless, no matter how stressed you are, and after politics has been discussed to redirect the conversation to Parisians' "second favourite dinner topic: sex".
Faux Pas include using corporate jargon, having a wedding photo in your living room or more than two colours in your hair.
- 'You're no saint' -
As for infidelity the golden rule is denial. "What is good for you is good for your relationship -- basically you're just being a thoughtful girlfriend," they suggest.
In a cafe in Paris, de Maigret, looks every inch the stereotypical, chic Parisian.
But the 39-year-old, whose various jobs include being an ambassador for French fashion house Chanel, insists that the book is about dismantling -- not fuelling -- stereotypes.
"How to be Parisian Wherever You Are, Love, Style and Bad Habits", is co-authored with Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan and Sophie Mas and came about after de Maigret found herself being constantly quizzed about Parisian women on trips abroad.
"I was travelling a lot and was being asked all around the world about the Parisian girl. It was the only thing people asked me about," she said.
And while she hopes that the book, just published by Doubleday in the US and Britain, is fun and shows that Parisians can send themselves up a little bit, she also sees it as something of a self-help manual for the stressed out modern woman.
- Time for lunch -
As someone juggling motherhood with several part-time jobs, de Maigret says time is her ultimate luxury.
"I love taking my time for lunch, dinner and Paris gives me this," she said.
"I think there is a big pressure on women nowadays so although it's a light book there's still some feminism there," she said.
Above all, she said, she wanted to debunk the myth of the perfect Parisian woman.
"It's just a cliche of being this ideal woman who cooks, who raises perfect children and is amazingly stylish," she said.
"It is an illusion to think you can be all these women at the same time.
"That's what this book is all about, to explain that yes you are this woman -- but not all on the same day -- and to tell women to give up running after an ideal," she said.
Instead de Maigret advises women to "find out who you are" and concentrate on that.
"That way you have time to do other things," she added.
AFP
Sun Oct 12 2014
![Do cheat. Don't eat breakfast. How to be a Parisian woman Do cheat. Don't eat breakfast. How to be a Parisian woman](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2012-12/61356244829_295x200.jpg)
Parisian women never try to be friends with their children, work too hard on their appearance or have overly white teeth. - AFP Photo
![Golongan belia pemacu penting bentuk masa depan industri pembuatan Malaysia - FMM Golongan belia pemacu penting bentuk masa depan industri pembuatan Malaysia - FMM](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/41715247870_SohThianLaijpg.jpg)
Golongan belia pemacu penting bentuk masa depan industri pembuatan Malaysia - FMM
Pemimpin perniagaan dan usahawan daripada golongan belia merupakan pemacu penting yang akan membentuk masa depan industri pembuatan Malaysia, kata Presiden Persekutuan Pekilang-Pekilang Malaysia.
AWANI Tonight: 16 July 2024
#AWANITonight with @Hafiz_Marzukhi
1. Govt mulls amending Penal Code to deal with cyberbullying
2. England's Southgate resigns after Euro 2024 Final defeat
#AWANIEnglish #AWANINews
1. Govt mulls amending Penal Code to deal with cyberbullying
2. England's Southgate resigns after Euro 2024 Final defeat
#AWANIEnglish #AWANINews
![Empat individu termasuk pasangan pempengaruh bebas tahanan reman Empat individu termasuk pasangan pempengaruh bebas tahanan reman](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/41716613114_TBsprm.jpg)
Empat individu termasuk pasangan pempengaruh bebas tahanan reman
Kesemua individu juga perlu hadir ke pejabat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) sebulan sekali untuk melaporkan diri.
![KPT alu-alukan syor PAC guna garis panduan pelaburan universiti awam untuk anak syarikat KPT alu-alukan syor PAC guna garis panduan pelaburan universiti awam untuk anak syarikat](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719822088_ZambryAbdKadir.jpg)
KPT alu-alukan syor PAC guna garis panduan pelaburan universiti awam untuk anak syarikat
KPT mengalu-alukan cadangan PAC berhubung pelaksanaan dan pemakaian Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024, kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan kementerian itu.
![SUKMA 2024: Sepak takraw wanita mungkin digugurkan SUKMA 2024: Sepak takraw wanita mungkin digugurkan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61720679430_AbdulKarimRahman.jpg)
SUKMA 2024: Sepak takraw wanita mungkin digugurkan
Sepak takraw wanita berpasukan berkemungkinan akan digugurkan daripada senarai acara temasya Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) 2024 berikutan jumlah penyertaan kurang daripada jumlah minimum yang ditetapkan.
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/41702437730_maut.jpg)
Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok
Enam orang ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok, Thailand pada Selasa laporan media tempatan yang memetik polis Bangkok.
AWANI 7:45 [16/07/2024] - Suspek dibawa ke lokasi | Selamat tinggal rakyat Malaysia | Harimau Malaya hilang taring?
- Polis sahkan suspek bunuh Kartini anggota polis.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
![Isteri calon gandingan Trump letak jawatan di firma guaman Isteri calon gandingan Trump letak jawatan di firma guaman](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721139141_TBJDUSHA.jpg)
Isteri calon gandingan Trump letak jawatan di firma guaman
Usha Vance, isteri kepada Senator J.D. Vance yang dipilih sebagai calon gandingan bekas presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS) Donald Trump awal minggu ini, telah meletakkan jawatannya di sebuah firma guaman,
![Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-05/71683779541_TBNAJIBRAZAK.jpg)
Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum
Berdasarkan sistem e-filing mahkamah, rayuan itu telah ditetapkan untuk pengurusan kes pada 7 Oktober ini.
![Demam Harry Potter melanda dunia dengan pelancaran buku baharu Demam Harry Potter melanda dunia dengan pelancaran buku baharu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-07/41469955513_HarryPotter.jpg)
Demam Harry Potter melanda dunia dengan pelancaran buku baharu
Peminat Harry Potter di seluruh berkongsi keterujaan mereka menerusi media sosial dengan pelancaran buku Harry Potter edisi terbaharu.
![Buku edisi kelapan Harry Potter akan diterbitkan Julai ini! Buku edisi kelapan Harry Potter akan diterbitkan Julai ini!](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-02/81455164743_cursedchild.jpg)
Buku edisi kelapan Harry Potter akan diterbitkan Julai ini!
J.K. Rowling akan membawa kembali peminatnya ke dunia ilmu hitam dengan pelancaran buku Harry Potter edisi kelapan pada Julai ini.