by Lisa Bullard

Created on: March 16, 2009   Last Updated: April 03, 2009

EUROPEAN FLAIR

European women have a flair, a certain je ne sais quoi, that's hard to explain, but easy to identify. Even here in New York, where I live part time, you somehow always know who the Europeans are (and this in a city which is pretty stylish in its own right).

Travel to any major city in Europe and look at the women as they walk by, going to work, to shop, to play. In any mode of dress, these women are supremely stylish. There's an aura about them that is more then just about their physicality. Yes, some are beautiful, but certainly not all. So what is it about their look that makes them so striking? It's an attitude, an attitude borne of confidence that makes them beautiful. It's the way they hold themselves, the way they wear a scarf, the way they carry a handbag. These are women who are comfortable in their own skin and it shows in their dress.

It's a special quality, inbred in most of these women. And no I don't think it has much to do with their proximity to the major cities. I think. European women simply know what looks good on them. And, knowing this, they use fashion in any way they choose, rather than fashion using them. They know how to accessorize (no one can work a scarf like a European), how to make a look work for them. To most of these women, it's not about high fashion and expensive couture at all, but more about the look that they have created. They are not slaves to fashion but actually create fashion, adding a pin here, a belt there. Accoutrements aside, European women just know what to do.

They don't follow the latest trends, leaving that to those who can afford to change their wardrobe on a whim. Or can afford a stylist. Or just don't have the confidence to be themselves. Europeans will pick and choose what looks good on them, and then just add a touch here, or a touch there, to make that look their own. This is true fashion sense the difference between what looks good, and what looks good on you. And this is something that most Europeans just know innately.

So remember, when in doubt as to what to wear, think like a European. (393)

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