The Journal

In Conversation with Marie-Anne Lecoeur, Style Consultant

Did you know that British Heritage and French Chic can go hand in hand? Today we would like to introduce you to Marie-Anne Lecoeur: The French Chic expert! Style consultant, writer, founder of the ...

By Liv Bonsall

Posted on 04 Nov 2022 14:29

In Conversation with Marie-Anne Lecoeur, Style Consultant - Cambridge Satchel

Did you know that British Heritage and French Chic can go hand in hand? Today we would like to introduce you to Marie-Anne Lecoeur: The French Chic expert! Style consultant, writer, founder of the French Chic Academy and lover of The Cambridge Satchel Co. bags, Marie-Anne has been advising women on their style since 2011. 

Style is Marie-Anne’s life passion, and having lived in France for twenty years before moving to the island of Jersey, in the Channel Islands, it is safe to say that she has a perfect understanding of how French and British style can work together. We got chatting to her about what French Chic really is, as well as her best-selling books, and even her favourite French foods and songs to really get ourselves into the French spirit! Allons-y…

The Cambridge Satchel Co. 

Could you start by introducing yourself?

Marie-Anne Lecoeur

I am an author of two Amazon bestsellers, I’m the founder of the French Chic Academy, I'm a YouTuber, and I am a style consultant.

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What do you mean exactly by French Chic?

ML

Chic, first of all, is a timeless style, classic and simple. To me, and to all the people who follow it, I think, it's very simple to create outfits from its guidelines. French women use these guidelines and they apply these guidelines everyday to dress, so this is why we associate that way of dressing with French women.

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How does your programme work? What do you hope that it offers for potential students?

ML 

I offer many courses and masterclasses. My main programme is a 12 week programme that is fully mentored and which really teaches women to think, to dress and to shop like a chic French woman, so that they make the right decisions for their body shape and size. They learn how to wear colours and prints, to dress thinner or younger, to shop or to declutter their closet. It’s an intensive programme with a weekly live Q&A call so that students can actually ask me questions about the courses or even about their own style and wardrobe, etc.

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Do you find that you have a particular type of student?

ML

My main demographic is a woman over 50 who is at a stage in her life where she’s probably stuck and wants to really rethink or change her style, because perhaps she was working in the corporate world and now she's retired, or she's moved town, or she has had a divorce and things have changed. These women often open their wardrobe or look at a photo of themselves, and realise: ‘that’s no longer me’. They want to move forward so they don’t get stuck, and this is why most of my students come to me. 

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Why do you think those women are drawn to French style in particular?

ML

Because it is a simple, timeless style, and it's easy to create outfits according to its guidelines. It's a style that is easily recognisable and you can use your pieces for decades - and they’ll still look good! If you apply these guidelines, you can't go wrong. French Chic is a recipe for style success in my opinion. 

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That’s true; when you think of French style, you can think of a particular image, whereas I don't know if a Spanish or Italian style, for example, is as ingrained in society. French style creates a very specific kind of image, which is interesting. 

Now, moving onto bags. I can see a few of ours on your shelf, including a past style of ours, the Small Emily in Rhubarb Red!

ML

Yes, I’ve just received a few for my new video and they’re beautiful. It was difficult because I received the parcel but I didn't want to open the bags because I wanted to shoot them as a B roll, so I had to wait to open them. They’re so gorgeous.

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We love a big bag, and it's interesting because tiny micro bags are all the rage at the moment - what is a chic French woman’s attitude to wearing bags? Is there a specific kind of bag that you would recommend?

ML

French women like things that are practical, and this is relevant to our style too. Our clothes have to be practical for the life we’re living. French women often carry totes, and we also carry bags in a smaller size to wear crossbody, but not in a micro size. What is good about The Cambridge Satchel Co.’s bags is that they have long straps, so they can be worn in this way. 

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Do you have a favourite Cambridge Satchel Co. bag?

ML

My favourite is the large Emily in Bay. When you use something a lot, it’s easy to know that it’s your absolute favourite. I like the look of it, I like that it's not too large, so you can't overstuff it, but it's large enough to carry my laptop or an iPad, as well as a magazine or journal too. It’s always handy to travel with or to go out and about with.

I also like the look of the satchels; I’ve got some of the really cute little ones, but I also love The Poppy. I have The Poppy in Peacock, which has a beautiful colour and it’s a good size as well. I think that could become another favourite!

The Emily in Bay

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It’s difficult to choose just one! Now - this month we have launched our very own The Cambridge Satchel Co. Spotify Playlist. We’re asking our interviewees and partners to share a song that’s special to them to add to the playlist. Which song would you recommend? 

ML

If you want a French song that really represents France, I would say La Foule (The Crowd) by Edith Piaf. It’s a lovely song with so much meaning. It's a love story about a couple who lose each other in a crowd. The lyrics and the rhythm emulate the movement of the crowd, which is really really nice. At the end, she can't find him again, so it’s a sad song too, but I think it’s very powerful. 

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I noticed a section of your website about a food programme that you have too - and so I wondered if you had a favourite French dish that you could share with us?

ML 

There are so many French dishes, but the one that I cook very regularly in winter, as do many French people, is Boeuf Bourguignon. You cook it slowly over a few hours, with mushrooms and red wine, and of course, as with many dishes, it's always nicer the next day. It’s a beautiful dish for winter.

One of the delicious meals in Marie-Anne's programme!

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And finally, at the start of the interview, you mentioned your bestselling books. Could you tell us a little bit about them?

ML

So, my first ever book, which became a best seller on Amazon a few months after its publication, is called How to be Chic and Elegant: Tips from a French Woman. This is the book that started it all, that started my ‘style empire’! I wanted to write something about style because I worked in an office in Jersey for 30 years, and many of the women in the office used to ask me how to wear this and how to wear that. This made me think, if people ask all these questions, there’s a need for a book! There are over 200 tips about clothes, makeup, shoes and everything like that in my first book.

After that, my second bestseller was The Tidy Closet: Easy Steps And Motivation To Declutter Your Closet And Organise Your Wardrobe. This one is more of a step by step guide, and it’s so, so good. You can open it, read it and declutter as you go. Organising your clothes and accessories by category and colour makes it so much easier to find things. 

As I was teaching my students, I also realised that they were in need of a style journal, so I made a few that are on sale on Amazon. One of them is great value because you get both the tips from How To Be Chic and Elegant and the space to write your own style journal. On each page, you have the tips at the top and some space underneath to write notes. 

Style journaling is one of my very important courses as well. When you write, you learn about yourself, you learn about your style, and it becomes more of a life journal. We have a slogan: Your style journal for your style journey - because as you move along in life, your style follows you. If you are stuck in one place in life, as many of my students are when they come to me, you can see it in your style too. Thanks to the style advice they receive and the study that they do, they can move forward and it changes their life. 

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Of course; the way you dress makes you feel so different every day, and I can see how style journaling would help to track both your style and your mood. Thank you very much, Marie-Anne, and we’re looking forward to seeing your new videos featuring our bags!

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If your style needs a bit of a boost, make sure to visit Marie-Anne’s French Chic Academy website here and check out her Youtube Channel here

By Liv Bonsall

Posted on 04 Nov 2022 14:29