J'ai passé une soirée difficile
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| Phillip Lim Silk crepe top |
Just winding up my Express Checkout experiment, I wore black pants and that black leather tee with pearl ropes, but this Philip Lim embroidered top would have fit right in, as it would for so many holiday parties. Price, $425 from Barney's.
Digby &Iona's cocktail ring, with a big silver "stone" set in brass shows that slouchy attitude; price, $130 from Catbird.
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| Silver "stone" |
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| Bakelite ring with diamond |
If I were buying one new piece of jewelry, it would be a big cocktail ring. Plenty of well-priced pieces around, and they look so pretty as you wave your hand.
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| Pavé sapphire star |
Matthew Campbell's Sapphire Star: blue sapphires set in lavender resin. If you think, Oh I couldn't, try one on. It changes everything you wear; price, $440 from Bergdorf Goodman.
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| Alexander Wang boots |
I'm hoping a fab pair of tall boots in my size might go on sale after Christmas. (Shown, Alexander Wang Sigrid boots, $895 from Saks Fifth Avenue.)
Studying the crowd of a dozen or so, I asked myself if the women looked different from a random roundup of any dozen in that neighbourhood. Yes: more long hair on women past 50, a trend gaining speed everywhere. Many heads with artful high and lowlights, discreet colour, but no natural grey. Admittedly, a small sample.
If anyone cares, the men wore jeans, one with a white shirt and black velvet jacket with a print pochette, the others with cashmere sweaters.
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| Serge a 60 ans! |
My terror? Nothing to do with the convivial guests. I realized that if we do move to Montreal, my French will not be up to readily connecting with a French-speaking crowd for at least six months. (Le Duc pointed out that everyone there spoke English too. But the chatter around the table was in rapid French, and I'd like to participate.)
Without ease in language, how can I make new friends or even enjoy a gathering? I'll have to get serious about ramping up my fluency.
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| Je suis adorable! |
I could dance, though, and play with Annie's new Tibetan terrier, Fanny. I'd never met this breed before; she captured each of our hearts (and a slice of cake.)
Comments
I'm sure you looked great in your leather T and ropes of pearls.
I do wear upper eyeliner (Lancome's artliner is great). Since I am a blond, I wear it in brown--which is not as harsh as black would be. I HAVE been skipping the lower liner (which I never wore anyways) and sometimes the lower mascara which is likely to smear, transfer to the skin as the day wears on.
The dog is indeed adorable.
If you find any good programs to help with your French, let us know. I speak much better than I'm able to understand, especially once the rapid-fire delivery kicks in, and would love to improve my "ear."
I've had a nice big cocktail ring on my "want" list for several months. I may need to get serious about my search, and these are some lovely choices. I love that bakelite one especially, really different!
M: Thanks for the support; I am a polite guest- my heartfelt wish is to be a guest who can converse. Desperately grappling for verb tenses and then being too late is a state I long to move beyond.
Frugal: 6 mos. is optimistic, IMO. We are a bilingual family but Le Duc speaks to me in English; if he had spoken more in French to me over the past 25 years, I'd be more fluent now! I can understand almost any conversation.
re the liner: A certain kind of mature woman rocks the full liner, think Juliette Greco. I have several 50+ friends who do the full kohl eye even by day; their style is not preppy-LL Bean-tote bag. (Le Duc calls one 'Italian beach- babe'.) Undereye bags are not an issue, It's just whether you can carry it off and like it.
I'll do a post on cocktail rings!
You might consider taking a non-credit course in French when you move here, or even doing French conversation (with a group past beginner level) while still in Toronto. Course in French not necessarily a language course; it could be on any subject you enjoy.
Switch over to Radio-Canada (TV news and radio) and you might want to buy Le Devoir or La Presse in paper (sometimes people read all articles more attentively that way; I really skim online).
I DO think some women would be surprised if they practices with Lancome's easy to use Artliner, and would find that they like the results--even if they have never worn eyeliner previously. For many of us, the trick is a soft color and a thin line.
Your post today is another great one--multi-faceted with lots of meat for discussion.
Have you thought of asking Le Duc to converse with you in only French at home--at least for one hour a day?
I've taken college immersion courses here, if we move will look for similar, and figure it will be a good way to meet people. Radio Canada is on often, we have no TV. I'm lucky to hear French spoken daily due to our business (and my children were educated in the French system through high school), but one could live life in Toronto completely unexposed to French (except maybe a menu).
So I'm in what I call "the vast sea of intermediateness".
Anyway, your suggestion brings up a fraught topic. I attended years of immersion classes so I could speak with my sons and in laws but Le Duc has not spoken French to me as he found it "work". Now, after 25 years, he sees this *might* have been a mistake, and *might* begin to do so regularly. MIL says my French is good but she is being very generous.
What is your eye makeup regime?
On Monday I thought I would wear a skirt and boots. It was sunny and pleasant. I put on straight/skinny jeans and boots. On Tuesday I thought I would wear a skirt and boots. It was rainy and raw. I put on straight/skinny jeans and boots. Today I planned on the skirt with the boots. It is partly cloudy with mild upper 50degree temps. I put on my (same)jeans and boots. Honestly, tights and a skirt are more comfortable than my jeans. The boots are the same ones I would wear anyway. I love skirts and dresses. My jeans don't even serve the useful purpose of allowing me to go without a purse. What is all that?
And longer with no gray you say? Sounds well done.
Yes : Just listening to group conversations will help with that part.
Maybe : I'd like some boots too but I believe they will be imaginary boots, since I just don't need them now.
Maybe : If Alexis can do Bakelite and Lucite we all can.
No : Sturdy Gals look dopey when they try to ape sirens. Eyeliner round here is brown, thin, or occasionally on wild days, purple.
Lord I hope those tags work. If not, my apologies. One must always try new things:).
I would also be concerned about learning French to fit in...but i would also certainly make the effort...and also make lots of boo boos.
I'd only have short grey hair if I had no other choice (illness, severe hair loss) and I think I'd wear bérets all the time then, as short hair really, really doesn't suit me.
I don't think smoky eyes have anything to do with being a sylph. LPC, the aesthetic is very different here in Montréal (not to mention Paris) from Silicon Valley or California in general (except perhaps some SF artsy circles).
I shall be rimming my eyes for the next soiree...the faux cocktail rings are not for me...unless of course it was a real gem...a family heirloom would suffice.
(Mother has an enormous ring that I could borrow!)
Your attire and attitude sound perfect for the event. The fact that your French is not completely fluent would hint at that "mystery
that so many French gals exude! You are much more stylish than you think :)
materfamilias: Well said, I have thought about that too, no longer having children with which to break the ice.
Maureen @ Modecor: I would not be "learning French to fit in". It is a deeper matter of participation in the culture, and of familial communication, since various members of my immediate family speak only French. And I believe, as Charlemagne said, "to have a second language is to have a second soul."
LPC: The tags don't work but that may be b/c I have disabled cookies after getting sick of being tracked by every marketing site known to humankind.
lagatta has nailed it re the aesthetic and region.Of course there are exceptions but they stand out where they are the exception and blend in when in their habitat.
hostess: I felt inarticulate, but stylish enough! Borrow that ring!
As for my brain sparkling, after one of our bilingual dinner parties my brain is fried! But I'll persevere.
I am comfortable and I am not a follower. I hope the women at the party were comfortable and not just followers. But, still, I question my own and so many other women's lack of selectivity lately. Maybe it is just easier. But, I really do prefer dresses...
I find the comments about gray hair very interesting. I recently let go of low lights as they appeared reddish and I didn't like them (have an excellent colorist) and am letting the "white" blend with the highlights of blond. My avatar is not exactly my current color.
The idea of a huge cocktail ring is fun. I've never had one. Once, I was in a (silver) shop that also had huge cocktail rings and a friend came it. She is a very tall woman and striking--I remember her saying that smaller rings just didn't look attractive on her. Food for thought for sure. I'm not a petite woman myself.
I find the different aesthetics of various regions to be interesting as well. I live in Dallas---we are known to be fashion conscious and for having "big" hair. I haven't seen anyone here with the kohl eyes. I'll keep my eyes open though.
I agree that our Duchess has great powers of observation. That's one reason I keep coming back to read.
Susan: Women of a certain age can wear big rings; a dainty ring on a woman of 50 or so looks like it belongs to someone else, unless stacked. I'm fond of big silver rings.
Anonymous: Were you there? Yes, that is the look!
Your reasoning for going to classes in Montreal makes great sense, and I think you'd also do well to go to some classes before you move. There's something about "lubricating" that part of the brain even when you don't need to speak a foreign language that prepares you for the situation before you're actually in it.
It can take a long time to get beyond intermediate, and the more input you've got, the better.
i do japanese and the podcasts are very, very good. my listening comprehension has soared.
Neki: Thanks for this, great resource for us and others.
Coco: Might that be, "Vous êtes élégante"?