Classy & Fabulous, Parte Deux

A girl should be two things...classy and fabulous.

Gabrielle Bonheur aka Coco Chanel was definitely both.

Bonne Anniversaire, Coco!

Chanel started her life as a poor girl born to unmarried parents in Saumur, France. Her mother died before her twelfth birthday and she grew up in an orphanage with her four siblings. Educated in a convent, she would later be inspired by the habits worn by the nuns who taught her. Coco was quite the Renaissance woman, trying her hat at an assortment of jobs including dancer, horse rider, actress, and singer. In fact, it was at a singing gig at Cafe la Rotonde where she acquired her sobriquet.

To paraphrase Sinatra, Coco Chanel was one helluva broad. She wasn't above benefiting from many lovers who helped move her career forward. She once boasted, "I was able to start a high-fashion shop because two gentlemen were outbidding each other over my hot little body." One of these men was Arthur "Boy" Capel, shipping and coal magnate who was the love of her life. He bankrolled her first boutique on rue Cambon and guided her entree into French society.

Upon his untimely death in 1919, Coco developed an appreciation for rich, powerful men. Among her consorts were Stravinsky, Etienne Balsan, and the Duke of Westminster. He inspired her love of pearls and costume jewelry. Prince Dimitri, a Russian duke, helped with the launch of her fragrance empire.

During World War II, Chanel took up with a Nazi intelligence officer ten years her junior. She was hence interrogated and arrested by the French police but managed to escape the charges, thanks to Winston Churchill.

When questioned about her affair, Chanel reportedly answered, "At my age, when a man wants to sleep with you, you don't ask to see his passport."

Chanel left an indelible mark on contemporary fashion. The little black dress, quilted handbag, yards of pearls, boucle jacket, cap toe shoe, Camelia flowers, red lipstick.

Tonight, I plan to raise a glass of Dom Perignon and toast La Doyenne of the fashion world.

Happy Birthday, Ms. Chanel!

Happy Bastille Day!

To commemorate the storming of the Bastille, I would like to recognize some of the more endearing concepts of the French. As a lifelong Francophile, I adore everything that is French, some things that are "faux French" like french fries and French manicures! Voici, my tribute to les francais!

1. The French Paradox. Despite eating butter, cheese, and cream, the French remain more svelte and suffer less frequently from heart disease than Americans. Research suggests this is due to French consumption of red wine which contains low levels of resveratrol. Leave it to the American pharmaceutical companies to give us resveratrol in pill form.

2. French style. Parisians look chic, effortless, and always put together. French women wear well-fitting, classically cut clothing with a nod towards trends. The look is smart, timeless, and sophisticated. As in their diets, the French choose quality over quantity. Costco and The Claim Jumper are simply not French concepts.

3. Flirtation. The French love to flirt. Marriage is not synonymous with death. Conversations between sexes are filled with double entendres. For the French, flirtation is not the means to an end but an enjoyable past time. Vive la difference!

4. Joie de vivre. The French enjoy life. Workers take off an average of six weeks of vacation per year. Berthillon, a famous Parisian ice cream shop, is closed during August. Would Baskin-Robbins ever close for the month of July?

5. Boss-napping. According to a survey in Le Parisian, almost half of French people surveyed support locking up their bosses to ensure better lay-off terms. Workers at Sony, 3M and Caterpillar actually held their bosses for ransom.

So, go ahead. Enjoy a glass of Bourdeaux! Toast the spirit with a Kir Royale. Dig into that creme brulee but you had better not be wearing those frumpy sweats!