A Year of Style: Frederic Fekkai

A Year of Style - Frederic Fekkai (2000)

I know, life is a seemingly never-ending hustle bustle. It's all you can do to stop and catch your breath. But you do it and you do it one better - you carve out some of your precious time to take care of yourself. Yes, you don't do it as often as you'd like - as you should - that darned hustle bustle thing. So, I thought I'd periodically write a post dedicated to offering a simple way for you to keep that 'Paris feeling' in your everyday life. My first offering is a book: "A Year of Style" by Frederic Fekkai (2000).

I heard about this book from a girlfriend. I must admit, there was a serious eye roll - yet another book on style?! She kept insisting that I get this book, So, I thought that I'd take a chance. I've never owned a book on style, but now I own only one. This book is almost 10 years old, but it is timeless:



"[Beauty and elegance]...is not about age, or height, or weight - it's about a sense of ease, a sense of dignity, and a sense of individuality shining through" - Frederic Fekkai

A Year of Style is exactly that - a month-by-month, day-by-day, guide to finding, cultivating, and maintaining one's personal style, elegance and sophistication - yes you can! Interspersed between gorgeous photographs are entries like: "Style - It's Knowing What Not to Do." But the best part of this book are Monsieur Fekkai's daily Haikus: "October 13 - resolve to build your self-esteem. Don't put yourself down, even in jest." Each Haiku is a tiny gem.

Do I read it everyday? No. But on the first day of every month, I pour myself a glass of champagne and read the first few pages of the month. Then, throughout the month I check back in. Do I do everything or even most of the things in the book - of course not! But that's not the point. For a few moments (and with 3 kids the moments are few) I can indulge in my femininity. And if there is one thing that you can know for sure about Paris is that she allows a woman to be unapologetically feminine - no, she demands it!

This book is easy to read and brings a bit of true and realistic luxe into your everyday life. It's out of print, but you can get it at Amazon.com. I checked: a 'used-like-new' copy costs $2.67 + $3.99 shipping. For $7 bucks why not give it a try? Let me know what you think.

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple