It's Saturday morning, et mais oui, it's Inés de la Fressange. Yes, I know the 53-year-old model and latest That's Not My Age grown-up-style-crush is becoming a regular feature on the blog, but this week IdlF became the 'Paris Ambassadress' for L'Oreal, so I figured she's worth it. And, whilst Jennifer Anniston's, 'I'm still in love with love,' quote on the cover of Red magazine (May issue) makes me want to gag, inside, the Q&A with Karl Lagerfeld's muse more than makes up for it:
Best everday outfit: I moved house a month ago and, when I unpacked my clothes it looked like the wardrobe of a maniac. It was one navy blue sweater after another, about 10 pairs of white jeans and hundreds of black penny loafers.
Best designer: Phoebe Philo at Céline. I buy two or three things each season and mix them with items I wear all the time, like cropped jeans and ballerina flats. Then I'll add diamonds, or a beautiful crocodile handbag with an old trench coat.
Best style advice: My grandmother used to tell me that the older you get, the more you have to be very neat, very soignée. When I used to visit her in hospital, her hair would be perfect and, instead of medicine on her side table, there would be perfume.
IdlF also says the best thing about returning to the Chanel catwalk was being allowed to have normal hair, her own shoes and not having do that silly dressage-style walk, that models do. So there you have it. The secret of French style: choose classic colours and simple shapes that work with what you've already got, keep hair and make-up as neat possible - and best of all, wear flat shoes.
And now I'm off to buy Parisian Chic: A Style Guide, by Inés de la Fressange and Sophie Gachet.
Photo: L'Oréal