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How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour
Free Press
July 2005
320 pages
ISBN: 0743264134
Hardcover
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Historical | Non-Fiction
What makes fashionistas willing to pay a small fortune for a
particular designer accessory -- a luxe handbag, for
example? Why is it that people all over the world share the
conviction that a special occasion only becomes really
special when a champagne cork pops -- and even more special
when that cork comes from a bottle of Dom P�rignon? Why are
diamonds the status symbol gemstone, instantly signifying
wealth, power, and even emotional commitment? One of
the foremost authorities on seventeenth-century French
culture provides the answer to these and other fascinating
questions in her account of how, at one glittering moment in
history, the French under Louis XIV set the standards of
sophistication, style, and glamour that still rule our lives
today. Joan DeJean explains how a handsome and
charismatic young king with a great sense of style and an
even greater sense of history decided to make both himself
and his country legendary. When the reign of Louis XIV
began, his nation had no particular association with
elegance, yet by its end, the French had become accepted all
over the world as the arbiters in matters of taste and style
and had established a dominance in the luxury trade that
continues to this day. DeJean takes us back to the birth of
haute cuisine, the first appearance of celebrity
hairdressers, chic cafes, nightlife, and fashion in elegant
dress that extended well beyond the limited confines of
court circles. And Paris was the magical center -- the
destination of travelers all across Europe. As the
author observes, without the Sun King's program for
redefining France as the land of luxury and glamour, there
might never have been a Stork Club, a Bergdorf Goodman, a
Chez Panisse, or a Cristophe of Beverly Hills -- and
President Clinton would never have dreamed of holding Air
Force One on the tarmac of LAX for an hour while Cristophe
worked his styling genius on the president's
hair. Written with wit, dash, and �lan by an author
who knows this astonishing true story better than virtually
anyone, The Essence of Style will delight fans of
history and everybody who wonders about the elusive
definition of good taste.
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