Last Thursday for our Style Source Fave choice, I went with Genevieve Antoine Dariaux's book: A Guide to Elegance.

Well, I've been perusing it ever since, just to reacquaint myself with some of her French pearls of wisdom.  Madame doesn't pull any punches, and the book is filled with her pithy  comments.  And I must admit, some make me laugh out loud. 

So, if you haven't read her book, I want to give you a little enticement.  Here are some direct quotes from Madame:

• There is a saying in France, 'Elegance is the privilege of age' - and thank heaven, it is perfectly true.  A woman can be elegant until the end of her days.

• No woman has ever lacked elegance because of an excess of simplicity but always because of an accumulation of elaborate details or of ensembles that are badly co-ordinated or ill-adapted to the hour and the occasion.

• When comfort becomes an end in itself, it is the Public Enemy Number One of elegance.

• There are three kinds of husbands:  1. The Blind Man  2.  The Ideal Husband  and 3.  The Dictator

(Now, I'm not going to give all three descriptions here.  For that, you have to buy Madame's book.  I will say this however; I like her take on the subject.)

• Where elegance is concerned, the greater the luxury, the more discreet it is - until finally, after advancing through more and more exclusive and restricted stages, you reach the point of ultimate luxury which is imperceptible to everyone but you.

• To be elegant is first of all to know oneself, and to know oneself well requires a certain amount of reflection and intelligence.  Consequently, a woman who is utterly stupid will always find it extremely difficult to become truly elegant.

• The saying, 'I cannot afford to buy cheaply,' was never so true.

These are just a taste of Madame's philosophy on elegance.  The book has chapters on subjects as diverse as Necklines, Sex and Yachting.  Indeed, she covers quite a spectrum in this little book.

So if you've gotten a kick out the quotes above, buy her book.  You'll enjoy it immensely.