Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris

by Jennifer L. Scott

Overview

Inspired by Paris, this lighthearted and deceptively wise contemporary memoir serves as a guidebook for women on the path to adulthood, sophistication, and style. Jennifer Scott’s self-published success is now a beautifully packaged and fully illustrated gift book, perfect for any woman looking to lead a more fulfilling, passionate, and artful life.

Paris may be the City of Light, but for many it is also the City of Transformation. When Jennifer Scott arrived in Paris as an exchange student from California, she had little idea she would become an avid fan of French fashion, lifestyle, and sophistication. Used to a casual life back home, in Paris she was hosted by a woman she calls “Madame Chic,” mistress of a grand apartment in the Sixteenth Arrondissement.

Madame Chic mentors Jennifer in the art of living, with elegance and an impeccably French less-is-more philosophy. Three-course meals prepared by the well-dressed Madame Chic (her neat clothes covered by an apron, of course) lure Jennifer from her usual habit of frequent snacks, junk food, sweatpants, and TV.

Additional time spent with “Madame Bohemienne,” a charming single mother who passionately embraces Parisian joie de vivre, introduces readers to another facet of behind-closed-doors Parisian life.

While Francophiles will appreciate this memoir of a young woman’s adventure abroad, others who may not know much about France will thrill to the surprisingly do-able (yet chic!) hair and makeup lessons, plus tips on how to create a capsule wardrobe with just ten useful core pieces.

Each chapter of Lessons from Madame Chic reveals the valuable secrets Jennifer learned while under Madame Chic’s tutelage—tips you can master no matter where you live or the size of your budget.

Embracing the classically French aesthetic of quality over quantity, aspiring Parisiennes will learn the art of eating (deprive yourself not; snacking is not chic), fashion (buy the best you can afford), grooming (le no-makeup look), among other tips.

From entertaining to decor, you will gain insights on how to cultivate old-fashioned sophistication while living an active, modern life. Lessons from Madame Chic is the essential handbook for a woman that wants to look good, live well, and enjoy that Parisian je ne sais quoi in her own arrondissement.

Customer Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781451699371
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	11/06/2012
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Jennifer L. Scott is the New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic, At Home with Madame Chic, and Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic and the writer and editor of The Daily Connoisseur (DailyConnoisseur.com). She lives in Southern California with her family. Visit JenniferLScott.com.

Read an Excerpt

Lessons from Madame Chic

Chapter 1

SNACKING IS SO
NOT CHIC

When living with a different family (especially in a foreign country), one finds many causes for anxiety. One cause, for me, was food. Back home in California I was used to grazing all day long. A handful of crackers here, an orange there, some cookies here, a yogurt there . . . Would I feel comfortable going into Famille Chic’s kitchen and foraging as if I were in my own home?

A few hours after my first dinner with Famille Chic, I began to feel hungry. I had had a delicious dinner, but being slightly nervous around my new host family, and feeling anxious about conducting an entire conversation based on three semesters of college French, I hadn’t eaten as much as I would have liked. So I thought I’d tiptoe (in my pajamas) to the kitchen, which I had, up until then, yet to visit.

Famille Chic’s kitchen was not easily accessible. It was at the back of the apartment, down a long, dark hallway, and was not attached to any other room. I thought I’d sneak down the hall and have a peek. Perhaps there was a bowl of fruit for me to nibble on.

Of course the door to my room (being as ancient and fabulous as it was) let out a grandiloquent squeak as I began my stealth mission, and after a few moments, Madame Chic was down the hallway in her dressing gown, asking if I was okay. I assured her I was and that I was simply going to get a glass of water. She said she’d get one for me. And apart from the strange look she gave my pajamas (which I will address in another chapter), everything seemed to be okay. Except it wasn’t. I wanted my midnight snack!

I went to bed that night slightly hungry, a sensation I was not accustomed to. The feeling wasn’t that bad; in fact, it intrigued me! I had never allowed myself to get hungry. In California I would find something to eat at the first sign of hunger pangs, completely eliminating the feeling as soon as possible. That night I relished my hunger and had fantasies about what would be for breakfast the next day.

It did take me a while to catch on, but I finally realized that most French people do not snack—and Famille Chic was no exception. The entire six months I lived with them, I never saw a single member of their household eat anything outside allotted mealtimes. They had excellent eating habits, were not overweight in the slightest, and gastronomically speaking, led very balanced lives.

I never saw Monsieur Chic rushing out of the house with an apple in his mouth and a takeaway coffee in his hand because he was running late for work. Every morning the family would have breakfast at the same time (and breakfast was a very satisfying meal), then lunch would usually be eaten outside the home, presumably sitting down in a café, and dinner was always at least a three-course sit-down affair at home. If you had that to look forward to every day, you wouldn’t ruin your appetite by stuffing yourself with crackers either!

Le No-Snacking Design

Many modern American homes boast an open-plan kitchen, where the cooking, dining, and living spaces all seamlessly flow together in one giant room. This kind of interior is not common in Paris’s ancient apartments. The journey to Famille Chic’s kitchen was a small trek. Not only was the kitchen not attached to any room (certainly not the dining room), but it was situated at the end of a long, dark corridor that usually had washing hanging in it. You might argue that having an open-plan kitchen is warmer and more welcoming (after all, the kitchen is the heart of the home), but it also presents temptations. It is terribly difficult to avoid the cookie jar if it is staring you in the face while you try to mind your own business in the living room.

Famille Chic’s kitchen was purely functional. While many modern kitchens boast granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and espresso makers, Famille Chic’s kitchen was tiny and quite dated. Its main function was to turn out meals (albeit spectacular meals). Breakfast was the only meal of the day consumed in the kitchen; dinner was always served in the dining room.

Famille Chic’s living room was very formal. It was not the sort of place one would lounge in while snacking. There was no comfy sectional with throw pillows, no La-Z-Boy chair, no giant flat-screen TV. Instead, there were four antique armchairs. They did have a tiny, dated television, which they rarely watched—but it was tucked away in the corner. Famille Chic’s living room was set up for conversation, entertaining, or reading a book. And because it was so formal, one would have felt quite strange devouring cheese puffs out of the bag whilst in it.

Snacking is not chic. Have you ever watched someone mindlessly snacking? Sitting in front of the television with a bag of pretzels or a pint of ice cream—absentmindedly eating while not really paying attention? Perhaps crumbs are falling down the front of his shirt. Or an errant drop of ice cream ruins her freshly pressed skirt. Snacking is the opposite of chic. And in Paris, that simply won’t do.

High-Quality Snacking

Back home, I admit that I will snack, but only if it’s a high-quality snack. Before living in France, I would think nothing of eating really poor-quality foods like drugstore candy, potato chips out of the bag, or crackers out of the box. Now I avoid eating these things at all costs. My snack foods must be high quality—Greek yogurt with blueberries, a bowl of tomato soup, or a piece of fruit. And I have definitely eliminated the midnight junk food snack I used to have. My husband and I have dinner quite early now that we have children, and I no longer need anything after dinner. I find that if I have a well-balanced, quality dinner and a small dessert, the need for a snack is completely eliminated.

I suggest that you do not even bring low-quality snack foods into your home. Don’t even go down that aisle in the grocery store. If it isn’t readily available, you won’t miss it after a while. I promise you will not think back fondly about those addictive cheesy powdered crackers. Instead, you’ll wonder how you could ever have consumed such a horrid thing in the first place.

Never Eat on the Go

The French do not eat while on the run. In the book Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, authors Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow recall walking out of their apartment building in Paris while simultaneously eating a sandwich and being met with a sarcastic “Bon appétit” from the sneering doorman. The only people you see eating and walking at the same time in France are tourists. I can’t even imagine Madame Chic doing such a thing—it just would never happen!

I used to think nothing of eating and walking at the same time. Now I would rather not, merci. In fact the other day I was out shopping and realized I was quite hungry. I briefly considered stopping in one of those pretzel places and getting a giant pretzel to eat while I shopped, but when I imagined Madame Chic’s disapproving glance, I simply could not bring myself to do it. I opted, instead, to walk to the food court, sit down, and eat my lunch like a lady.

Eating should command your full attention. After all, you are bringing things into your body. The act should be civilized and respectful. This cannot be achieved on the subway. If you must snack, do so in a controlled and civilized manner. Pop into a café and have a seat to enjoy your cappuccino and croissant.

Allow Yourself to Feel Hungry

So many of us snack because we don’t want to feel hungry. I learned in France that feeling hungry is a very good thing. You’re not starving. You have an appetite, which is the result of lots of stimulating activity.

My days in Paris were extremely active. I was out all day long, walking in the city, going to classes, meeting with friends. I built up a tremendous appetite! And that marvelous appetite would be satisfied every evening when I came home and dined with Famille Chic. I was able to appreciate Madame Chic’s well-cooked meals and really savor them. If I had spoilt my appetite by indulging in crackers or candy beforehand, I wouldn’t have appreciated her meals at all. Who wants to ruin sole with beurre blanc, new potatoes, and haricots verts, followed by a crème caramel, by eating too much bread before dinner? Not me!

Diagnose the Problem

Many times what we think is hunger is actually something else. If you are eating three balanced meals a day and afternoon tea, you probably aren’t hungry. You might be feeling thirst or acute dehydration. The next time you feel like snacking between meals, have a tall glass of water with lemon instead and wait twenty minutes. Chances are your hunger will dissipate.

If you are not thirsty and you have a feeling you are not really hungry, could you be bored? Most of us have snacked out of boredom at some point in our lives. Amuse yourself with other pursuits—reading a book, getting some fresh air on a walk, or playing the piano . . .

And finally, try not to snack in front of the TV, unless you are watching the Super Bowl.

Make Dining Well a Priority

Of course, all this effort to not snack is futile if you are not eating at least three balanced meals a day. Do you feel like you can never get ahead when it comes to planning meals? Are you always wondering where your next meal will come from? (Take out? Delivery? Rummaging around the kitchen cabinets?) Are you slightly neurotic when it comes to food? Maybe snacks are taking the place of meals in your life.

Famille Chic made meals a priority and enjoyed them ritualistically. There was not one night where we considered ordering pizza delivery because there was nothing for dinner. Or, even worse, stood above the kitchen sink while eating a bowl of cereal at nine p.m. because dinner failed to happen. (We’ve all been there—especially me. I’m not denying it!)

Madame Chic had a set of recipes that she made very well, and she provided them in rotation. The pantry was always stocked with the ingredients to make a satisfying meal. On the nights when we didn’t have a spectacular casserole or some other delight, we would have salad with select cuts of cured meats from the charcuterie. Even this dinner held importance, and the tray of cured meats (salamis, sopressatas, etc.) was passed around the table as though it held the most exquisite delicacies.

Every day they enjoyed real food (no fake butter, fake sugar, or diet anything). Their meals were rich, decadent, and very traditionally French.

Editorial Reviews

"Scott blends vignettes and fun encounters with philosophies and lessons that helped her evolve a sense of style and aesthetics. Lessons from Madame Chic is a fine pick for anyone interested in women's fashion, style, and how the French have recreated style lessons."

California Bookwatch

"Scott's book encourages American women to live simply and beautifully by eating well, slowing down, simplifying their lives and enjoying life."

NC) The News and Observer (Raleigh

"The writing here, a combination of elegance and breeziness, seems to reflect Madame Chic’s personal philosophy that life is to be lived fully and elegantly."

Smoky Mountain News

Downright intriguing. . . . You’ll close the book feeling inspired.

The Plain Dealer

"Part tribute to the effortlessly glamorous Parisian way of life, and part tutorial . . . on how to emulate the French je ne sais quoi."

Daily Mail (UK)

"A guide for women who yearn to channel Audrey Tautou. . . . Personable, anecdote-filled, and studded with lifestyle tips . . . its vivacity and sincerity have struck a chord among women who would like a French role model of their own, but don't have a year to spend apprenticing with one in Paris."

The New York Times

"Scott's book encourages American women to live simply and beautifully by eating well, slowing down, simplifying their lives and enjoying life."

The News and Observer (Raleigh NC)

As we're reminded by books from Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat to Elaine Sciolino's La Seduction, Americans really do want to emulate the French in lifestyle matters. Here's a primer, originally self-published, from the writer/editor of the Daily Connoisseur. Drawing on her time in Paris (in the elegant 16th arrondissement), Scott gives us tips on dressing well (with a ten-item wardrobe), grooming (what about that no-makeup look?), and simply enjoying life.

Library Journal

Daily Connoisseur blogger Scott explains what she learned about living well from the two French families she stayed with a decade ago as a student in Paris. Lovers of books about self-improvement will enjoy the author's debut, which she originally self-published. She winningly combines sincerity and self-deprecation, and her heartfelt desire to improve readers' lives is touching, if a bit wearying after more than 250 pages. The "lessons" of the book's title are certainly sound, though it is difficult to see how they qualify as "stylish secrets"; it's not exactly a secret, even to unchic Americans, that snacking on junk food is bad, exercise is good and clutter is undesirable. Scott's gestures toward inclusion are admirable; she is careful to emphasize that true style is not a quality available only to the wealthy. This egalitarian principle is undermined to some degree by constant references to products like the Clarisonic, a "sonic skin care tool" that "starts at $149." It's hard to miss the product placement--Scott helpfully includes an index of shockingly expensive recommended beauty aids at the end--but even this can be overlooked, since it's clear the author is more true believer than cynical shill. For the most part sweet-natured and well-intentioned, the author will find few to quibble with her concluding recommendation to "lead a life of passion." Lighthearted and silly, full of advice as patently obvious as it is sensible.

Kirkus Reviews

"A guide for women who yearn to channel Audrey Tautou. . . . Personable, anecdote-filled, and studded with lifestyle tips . . . its vivacity and sincerity have struck a chord among women who would like a French role model of their own, but don't have a year to spend apprenticing with one in Paris." —The New York Times

From the Publisher