Tish Jett

I admit my first reaction to this book was to retreat from the advice to combat aging by embracing at a fairly young age what seemed to me to be very expensive dermatological procedures. The author assures the reader that this really isn't extravagant because you find your own very trustworthy dermatologist and then follow his/her advice with his/her products formulated specifically for you and changing year by year as you get older. This saves you from the drugstore approach, where you buy pot after pot of pricey anti-aging cream, only to find they don't work and you've wasted all your money. It still seems that she is writing about Frenchwomen living in one or two extremely wealthy arrondisements of Paris, who are hardly typical of most Parisiennes and certainly not typical of Frenchwomen as a whole living outside the capital. It would be like saying American women are all like the lucky few who inhabit 6 blocks of the Upper East Side in New York.

I did enjoy the clothes chapter, as the French seem to embrace the "less is more" philosophy of clothes, with a very minimal wardrobe (to a North American) of chic, timeless clothes you can wear for several years, which is how I like to dress too. I still have my 1960s copy of Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux which describes how to do this, and not much has changed except the 21st century woman has had to give up the mink hats and alligator shoes so as not to be cruel!

As long as you realize that the women described here are a very small, very fortunate cohort, you might restrain yourself, as I did, from flinging Forever Chic across the room while muttering, "What happened to Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite?" Then you can take a few of the useful parts and not be put off too much.… (meer)

Shall I call this review: she lost me at botox?

While I expected to read all of the "naturel" methods a French woman uses to keep herself looking beautiful through the ages, I received a rather expensive and thin manifesto, which includes pricey facial teatments, botox, injections for the decollatage, medical pedicures and so on. I had thought I was going to learn about a culture that earned it's beauty/confidence naturally, but, really, the prices and description indicated that one was going to war to avenge aging, which seems totally antithetical to what I believed the original treatise was.

Much of what is described is only for those well-to-do, which, I am sure does not encompass all of the French. I expect that the discussions, at least some of them regarding exercising and diet might be across the board, but even here I am skeptical. Like most European countries, French towns, cities and villages are more set up for walking than American ones.

I wanted this book to be something more, I guess. Something about how French woman take aging more naturally and go with the flow. If the book is true, they just throw more money into it, do medical teatments as necessary, and then act confident. With all of the descriptions of what the women need to buy to keep their faces, hair, nails and feet looking fit, I am surprised that they could purchase the latest litature. But then, I suppose Jett was never talking about the average working woman...only actresses, models, etc. Pfttt!

Obviiously not recommended for the average woman who can't afford the regime and will feel sad.… (meer)

American born Tish Jett has been a journalist for many newspapers and magazines, including editor of American Elle. Twenty-five years ago, she moved to France on a job assignment with her young daughter. There, she met her future husband and stayed. Over the ensuing years she has observed the Frenchwoman and her approach to health, beauty, makeup and clothing. This led to the creation of the popular blog A Femme d'Un Certain Age, sharing her keen observations. Her book, Forever Chic, brings her insights to a wider audience, primarily aimed at those for whom 40 is the rear view mirror. Chock full of tips, Jett brings her brand of helpful humor that makes this easy reading. A fast read.… (meer)

The book is well written and personal; reading it is much like settling in for a cup of coffee and conversation with a friend. Yes it does include information on rather expensive cosmetic procedures and products, but also much practical advice about common-sense approaches and the importance of a lifetime of care and attention to face, body and mind. Yes Frenchwomen do exercise, and yes they do watch what they eat, but the emphasis here is different than the standard American approach, at least the one I grew up with. Unlike many books it does not read as a bible of specific instructions, with the author repeatedly reminding us that each of us will find different solutions while recommending an informed approach. I was also thrilled that the author points out that beauty, charm, and allure come not only from the surface, although this should not be ignored, but from within, noting that the French women of whom she writes are also interested, engaged, and informed about the world, and that this active engagement in the world and that this very engagement forms an important part of their allure. This is refreshingly different from the beauty or intelligence dichotomy that still seems to plague parts of American culture.… (meer)