The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour

By Joan DeJean

Book Overview

What makes fashionistas willing to pay a small fortune for a particular designer accessory? Why does a special occasion only become really special when a champagne cork pops? Why are diamonds the status symbol gemstone, instantly signifying wealth, power, and even emotional commitment?

Writing with great lan, 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 takes us back to the birth of haute cuisine, the first appearance of celebrity hairdressers, chic caf s, 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.

Full of wit, dash, and verve, The Essence of Style will delight fans of history and everybody who wonders about the elusive definition of good taste.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743264142
• ISBN13: 9780743264143
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating

I found this book very enjoyable, well-organized and researched. I liked the way that history was made so accessible and related to modern day. Although I read the book some months ago, I think of its content often.

A Treasure

Fantastique! As entertaining as it is enlightening! Authoress Joan DeJean's delightful and witty style of writing will make you feel as if you too are partaking of all the lavish indulgences and gossip of King Louis the Fourteenth's court!

"stylish" social history

This was such a pleasant, historical read. I'm very interested in all things stylish, if not fashionable. This title interested me at once. It really describes how so many things we use today date back to the era of Louis XIV. Today's obsession with luxury goods really has its roots in France's history. Louis XIV wanted every aspect of his life, including those around him, to be luxurious. Today, many middle-class (and sometimes lower class) working person thinks they deserve a Louis Vuitton bag or Lexus SUV. Living in style is a privilege, but can be obtained with some creative thinking and budgeting, just as long as we have our priorities straight.

The Business of Fashion in History

A Fashion book that attempts to show in a narrow and easily understood sense the historical origins of some of the key points of the modern obsession with style and design. The author discusses the economic and social aspects that led to the creation of the industry in France, clearly admiring Louis XIV and his ministers as the masterminds behind the idea of Fashion as a business. The central idea of the book is that the promotion of luxury was not some frivilous whim, but a calculated and systematic way to bolster French industry and culture across Europe. Creating ideological and economic dominance through the selling of a lifestyle. Highly readable and entertaining too. A good book for those who 'don't know' Fashion.

Could not put this book down!!

Captivating, awesome reading!! I was amazed the depth of reseach. A unique perspective and delightful insite. Could not put this book down!! Super attention to detail. 'The Essence of Style" is an extraordinary and tantalizing look at our culture.