A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions

I found an original edition of this book in the library years ago and fell in love with it. Many years later, I spotted a copy of the same original, 1964 edition at a book-sale, andbought it forthwith! Sadly, though -- influenced as I was by "politically correct" ideas --I felt guilty about liking this book......and THREW IT OUT! (This was before I got a computer and found out about Amazon.com, obviously....)Well, I began thinking about it, somehow, just last week....andthat was when I looked it up on Amazon. I was amazed (!), andtotally delighted to find that the book was still in print! AndI bought a copy! I just received my copy today, in fact -- and was both delighted and disappointed.The new edition is a great deal smaller than the older one -- this one looks almost like a guide-book. No-where on the cover is a picture of Mme. Dariaux--but it is mentioned that she "now lives in the south of France." (Hooray -- she's still alive!)The paper of this second edition is, at least, much better than the paper in the first edition.It seems that this second edition has been edited. Another reviewer mentions that subtle references are made to PrincessDiana. I myself an omission...which has probably been"politically correctly" taken out. But I remember it, even though the last time I looked at the original edition was overten years ago. The ommission was under either "Age" or"Models": The story is told of a model who kept her age a secret. Until several of the models of her fashion-house, travelling together, had to show their pass-ports to the officials. The poor girl, (or woman, actually), then could not prevent it being known that she was, (gasp!!) 33 years old!The tale is then told that she committed suicide soon after!!!!!Mme. Dariaux either rightfully was aghast at this act....orsaid that, thank goodness, people no longer acted that way. Thisis a horrifying example of what ageism can do....and shouldhave been left in, both to show how much we have advanced, andso people could site this terrible loss in theses!I looked up the original edition on a rare-book site on theinternet. Three copies were available there: ranging in pricefrom $175 to over $500!Trying to find a less expensive first edition, (which I haven't, as yet), I found that the republication of "Elegance" by Ms. Dariaux, is due to the fact that a novel, also called"Elegance", has been written by another, younger authoress,which tells the story of an American woman who finds a copy ofthe original book and tries to pattern her own life on it. Hmmm... A fascinating premise, and a very tempting book to buy!However, I had wished that the reason that Mme. Darieux's book had been reprinted was that the world was, indeed, returning toelegance....so slowly that I wasn't aware of it. Well, maybe the republication of Ms. Dariaux' "Elegance" will start this"counter-revolution", anyway! I, for one, hopes so. Having"fashion" now full of torn jeans truly upsets me. If one saysthat torn jeans as a fashion is a social equalizer, one is vastlty mistaken: some of these "fashionably" torn jeans can'cost $200 or more! Spending that amount of money -- or far less -- on a pretty dress or suit makes much more sense to me!Although Mme. Dariaux's advice may seem arbitrary to some, and infuriating to others, there is still much to be learnt here, even in the newer edition. At the very least, all this fashion advice -- listed alphabetically, from "Accessories", "Adaptability", "Age" (with No mention of the aforesaid model story), and "Bargains" to "XMas", "Yachting", "Zippers", and "Zoology", (the care of pets, and the wearing of animal prints) -- and all that is inbewtween -- gives much food for thought. (Does this make "Elegance" the thinking person's fashion guide?)The most important part of this book, I think, are the very last words in the very last part of it: the Acknowledgements.The very last person to be acknowledged is a certain "Madame G. L." (name given in the book). It is stated: "...whose elegance of heart matches her elegance of appearance."Perhaps, at every age, in every era, and at every income level, it is the combination of the two that true elegance is really all about.

this book by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux is refreshing. The funniest chapter was on "Knees." Too short of shorts with butt cheeks showing is considered vulgar. I jump to the conclusion too short of skirts worn with stilettos in the daytime would be considered by Madame Dariaux vulgar, too. I've made a few fashion gaffes in my lifetime, but not one exposing my butt cheeks during the day (or night) at work.I'm sure young ladies today might think this book is terribly outdated, but it's just what I needed to read. After having lost a substantial amount of weight through a lifestyle change in diet, I realized if I were called to an evening social event, I have nothing in my closet to wear that fits! I decided to seek out fashion ideas, and I stumbled across this book on Amazon. I found many of the comments intriguing, so I bought "A Guide to Elegance", read it -- and glad I did.With the advice in this book, I think I have found the perfect ensemble to wear if I need to go to a semi-formal evening event. Dariaux offers tips on color combinations, neck and hemlines, jewelry (both real and costume), and types and color of shoes to wear with what outfits. I found her advice extraordinarily helpful and enlightening. Keep in mind the author is discussing elegance and eschews following the latest fashion trends. Fashion trends and fads tend to detract from elegance.I learned a great deal from reading this book. I did not know the history of the wedge shoe. If you don't know, you'll be surprised to learn the where and why of the invention of this classless, shoe style.Granted the book was written in a past era. I am not acquainted with women today who have a vibrant social life of going out to events every evening. Most women I know are struggling to keep balance with both job/career and home life. I don't live in the city and go out to the country for week-long visits, so that part of the book was old-fashioned. But I did enjoy reading the contrast of what to wear in the city compared to the country, and what hour of the evening to wear what type of dress and so on.If you need to revisit what proper dress might be for any occasion, this book will help sort out the do's and don't's. It is a guide to elegance, which truly never goes out of style. What the world needs now is elegance.