French – EcoSalon

Link Love: Rihanna’s too Sexy + Style Secrets of the French + How to Buy Good, Cheap Wine

EcoSalon Staff — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:14:07 +0000

This week’s Link Love it’s World Environment Day and Nepal is setting the treehugging record. Cheap wine can be good wine. Yoga pants are the new blue jeans? Rihanna’s too sexy for the UK and everything you need to know about French style!

Nepal aims to set world record for tree hugging on World Environment Day [via the Indian Express]

How to buy good, cheap wine. [via Eat Drink Better]

Are yoga pants threatening the American tradition of denim? [via Well+Good]

Rihanna’s perfume ad banned in the United Kingdom for sultry, nearly nude pose. [via NY Daily News]

Style secrets of the French. [via Elle]

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Levi Strauss CEO: Stop Washing Your Levi’s Jeans Immediately

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French Women’s Real Style Lesson: Embrace Your Femininity

Juliette Donatelli — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 04:48:10 +0000

The sensually mysterious French Woman is idolized around the world. What is it about these ladies that conjures up the idea of la femme fatale? How do they achieve that mix of womanly strength, style, and substance? They embrace their femininity.

There are plenty of “How French Women Are Perfect” guides, but this is not one of them. Like women everywhere, French women have their good and bad days. But after having recently spent some time in Paris, I figured out some of the small ways (that add up), that make the alluring French woman so appealing. The good news is, it’s not difficult or complicated and it’s all about natural beauty (something we love to champion at Ecosalon).

1. It’s not the size of the heel, but the spring in your step

Dressing comfortably in clothes that flatter and fit your body is the first skill to master. Although French women understand the sex appeal of a great pair of pumps, they would rather wear a walkable stylish shoe over a towering heel. Forget about architectural confinement in clothing, like bulging cleavage or tight fitting clothes, and wear whatever brings you a sense of natural ease and comfort.*

*Comfort doesn’t equal sweatpants. Even if you are going to the grocery store, you don’t parade around as if you are going to work out. Throw on a dress or a skirt, something feminine, but still relaxed.

2. Once you’re out, don’t mess with it

Don’t constantly reapply your makeup in the bathroom or fidget with your hair at the table. Leave the house feeling as you want to look, and carry that feeling with you. Confidence in yourself and your style is beautiful. With this idea in mind, you’ll spend less time worrying about how you look, and focus more on just having a good time—which is the most attractive accessory.

3. Wear flattering basics

A small, but well-curated collection of basics will take you far. For example, a personally stylized V-neck silk blouse will last longer than the latest runway knockoff look. Plus, you aren’t a slave to trends, which is very budget-friendly. And don’t be afraid to wear the same pieces over and over again. Trust me, no one will notice.

4. Go easy on the makeup

Natural beauty comes from the inside and always shines through. Style icon Audrey Hepburn said that beauty is within the eyes. Those windows to the soul don’t need to be caked in glitter and glam to be sexy. Blush, mascara, soft lip (and sometime a little eyeliner) is all you need.

5. Don’t strive for perfection

Embrace your femininity through natural beauty, and be content with who and what you are now. As Yves Saint Laurent said, “Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.” What French women seem to have achieved is owning their beauty comfortably and being happy with momentary perfection, a quality I wish à toutes mes amies.

image: twm1340

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Foodie Underground: Hey Ladies, Have You Tried the ‘Parisian Diet’?

Anna Brones — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:00:43 +0000

ColumnThe problem with diets… even the French ones.

There is always a lot of talk about the mystery of French women. They’re beautiful in a classic way, they’re fashionable without being overstated and they hold themselves in a way that most of us Americans will never achieve. But most importantly: how do they manage to eat all that rich food and still stay so beautiful and thin?

We ask that question, seriously and jokingly, because most of the time, we come at it with our American, body-image focused, low-calorie, food marketing-brainwashed selves talking: god forbid someone eat real ingredients. Think of all those fattening sauces made with butter!

As American women we are fed a multitude of ideas about our bodies and how we should and shouldn’t eat, which in turn has created a mass culture of dieting, to the tune of a $40 million a year diet industry. Diet bars, diet drinks, diet everything. In fact, 23 percent of American women reported being on a diet at some point in 2012, and although that number is down from 35 percent in 1992, that’s still almost one out of four women.

The word “diet” insinuates that you are doing something that you wouldn’t otherwise do. Trust me, no one who eats only grapefruits and lemon water lives a long and healthy life. Dieting is therefore very different than a lifestyle change. You cut out certain things for a limited period of time in the hopes that you’ll shed some weight and feel better. That’s neither smart nor is it healthy, and if you take a look at the number of diets out there, one thing is clear: we are on the search for a quick fix.

This all came to mind as I read an article pronouncing the benefits of “The Parisian Diet.” (Spoiler alert: the only thing you need to be skinny is, start savoring your food.) No, it’s not just a few women committing to a more European lifestyle, there is actually a book written by a French nutritionist called The Parisian Diet, and according to its website it’s “France’s #1 weight loss diet.”

We’re enthralled with the idea that French women can live in a land of cheese and wine and still be skinny – notice how we’re constantly hung up on the physical traits alone. Do we really need a diet plan to tell us how to live well? If we have come that far then I fear for not only our physical health, but our emotional health as well.

This isn’t the first time the idea of a French diet has popped up. There was the ever popular French Women Don’t Get Fat, which I must say was in fact a good read. But ultimately that was less of a diet plan and more of a reminder that knowing how to live the good life should be a sought after skill.

I was discussing French eating habits with an American friend that lives in London, sharing a flat with two French women.

“The difference is that they will eat a piece of bread slathered with Nutella on it for breakfast and not think twice about it. If an American woman does the same thing, she will make an excuse for it,” said my friend.

Her point was that it’s not that French women can just eat whatever they want – they know all about healthy portions, sugar, fats and beyond – it’s that when they do eat something that’s a little richer than usual, they won’t launch into a long discussion about it.

She’s right. In American culture, as women, we are taught that indulgence is bad. That if we are eating a rich dessert it better be because we deserved it. Because it’s your birthday. Because you ran 10 miles this morning. Because next week you’re off desserts and this is your last hurrah. We don’t indulge for indulgence’s sake. That would be so gauche.

This is why we are a country plagued with obesity and eating disorders; because food isn’t something that’s a part of our daily lifestyle, it’s just a concoction of nutrients and calories. I once heard it put this way: the difference between meals in the U.S. and France is that in the U.S. the meal is constructed of starches, proteins, vegetables, fats and sugars. In France a meal is constructed of courses: appetizer, entree, cheese and dessert.

While in the U.S. we’re busy thinking about the food pyramid (or plate), the French person is debating on whether they should pick between chocolate cake or just a piece of fruit to finish their meal with. It’s about the process and the holy moment of eating, not a nitpicking on whether or not the meal was low enough in calories that they can justify even considering finishing it all off with something sweet.

If we want a healthy relationship with food, we need to rethink our entire way of looking at food. It’s not just about the physical, it’s about the mental as well. All the side benefits that come from eating well. Happiness for example. General well-being. The time to be with friends. Celebrating the everyday. Things that we have lost track of in the search for the ultimate diet that keeps our waistlines trim.

Because what we have to remember is that eating well isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Amytropolis

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Foodie Underground: The French Connection

Anna Brones — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:00:57 +0000

Column What is it that makes us so obsessed with French food culture?

Travel and food go together like… well… travel and food. There’s no better way to get to learn a place, except for maybe pack up and move there, which is of course not usually possible. Food allows us a look into the everyday lives of others. It’s a chance to smell and taste the local ambiance and really get to know the terroir of a place – its flavors, its ingredients, its producers.

One could argue that there is no better place for food and travel than France. Yes, yes, there are many others, but France has a very special allure that other parts of the world find hard to beat. In fact, the commitment to food tradition in France is something that many of us are drawn to, the kind of thing we might make a comment about, pointing out that “well, it’s not like we have as strong of a food culture as France does…” when we’re talking about our own culinary traditions.

Think what you want about the French (and no, they are not all rude), but we’re obsessed with Julia Child for a reason: French food is romantic, idyllic and delicious, and we want as much of it as we can get. We drool at the sound of a pain au chocolat and we have bucolic visions of French farmers tending their happy chickens, most likely named Pierre and Jean-Claude.

But what is it that makes France such a romantic place for foodies? Is it just because if you wanted to you could drink a glass of wine with lunch? Or is it that no matter where you are in France–urban or rural–a good boulangerie is never that far away?

Maybe it’s because food culture in France is so ingrained; it’s not a trend, it’s just part of everyday life. A Parisian neighborhood joint serving wine and good cheese with the day’s offerings marked in white chalk on a black board doesn’t feel forced. It just is. The waitress waxing ecstatic about the smoked mozzarella isn’t doing so because she’s an avant garde foodie, she just simply loves cheese. Good food isn’t pretentious, it just is.

When the chance came to go to Paris for a bit (as a writer you can legitimize these things by saying you’re “on assignment”) I couldn’t resist. In fact, as Audrey Hepburn once said, “Paris is always a good idea.” For the record, it is.

My first night in town, only a few hours after stepping off the plane, I got taken along to a vegetable pick up at the local Association pour le maintien d’une agriculture paysanne. AMAP is an organization that’s meant to support small farms in a world of corporate agribusiness, creating a direct link between producer and consumer, similar to a Community Supported Agriculture program in the U.S.

French men and woman, dressed in long black winter coats and rugged boots because of the snowy sidewalks outside, took part in the mad rush towards the carrots, potatoes and even sauerkraut by the kilogram. The vegetables were so freshly picked that they were still covered in clumps of dirt. Even the most committed produce stand in the U.S. wouldn’t dare put out root vegetables that haven’t at least gotten a casual brush off; we have things to learn.

The farmer on hand laughed and joked with customers. You could tell this was a convivial gathering. Food bringing people together. Even in the heart of Paris the producer to consumer connection is alive and well. Certainly, not everyone participates in something this direct, but just go to any Parisian market to see the value of access to fresh produce and an interaction with a farmer or butcher and you’ll see that the commitment to good food is alive and well.

French food is good – really good – but that’s not why we fall in love with it. We fall in love with it because it’s simply a part of everyday life.

A good pastry for breakfast isn’t out of the ordinary. It just is.

Choosing a bottle of white Bourgogne to heighten the taste of the cheese isn’t snobby. It just is.

In France, eating isn’t a task or something you cram into fifteen minutes, it’s an essential part of living, an action that is just as much tied to who you are with and what you are talking about as what you’re actually eating. Food is life, and life is celebrated.

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