UN-bimbo: the Light Alchemy of Madame Sarkozy

My love for feeling the pulse of the world as reflected in "trivia" has made my heart give more than an extra thump in the past few days.

I've always loved the art of strategy; and when strategy includes playing on the seemingly eternal precepts of beauty, I am in love. (With the strategy itself, not necessarily with its executor.)

Carla Bruni, now Mme Sarkozy, has gone to Britain on a state visit with her new husband, the French president - and conquered it hands down.

I knew she would.
How could she not? She has the poise, culture and self-assurance of the "well-bred", and the grace that once made her a "supermodel".

Nor was I surprised by her choice of clothes.
(You can see a lovely set of photos here, at the BBC website.)

Some of the commentators expressed surprise at her "nun-like" attire (it tells you a lot about the general concept of elegance in this day and age, when mega-stars of the pop kind indulge in showing their privatest parts in very public spaces...).
What did they expect? That she would strut around in a mini and decolletage down to here?

But the Dior outfit she chose for the first day of her visit is hardly "nun-like" anyway, if by that they meant 'unflattering'. Grey is not really the way to describe its colour (no more than red or green or yellow even begin to describe their nuances): it's "Dior grey", an enchanting slate/steel bluish grey that conveys a very "ladylike" (and sexy!) modesty while enhancing the delicate freshness of fair skin and bringing out the colour of grey, blue or green eyes. And combined with the daring black (oh yes: black is the daring colour par excellence) of the handbag and shoes, with the lady's beauty as its only "ornament", it's irresistible.

This is almost as good as it gets, I thought - until I saw the gorgeous violet coat with which she complemented another grey outfit today, and the sheer evening gown of the same hue (violet) she wore last night.

What fascinated me the most was the perfect harmony between her outfits and her colouring AND the colouring of the environment itself.
Because, you see, this is an aspect of "style" that is seldom, if ever, talked about - and yet any woman of style (i.e. the opposite of a fashion ape) takes into consideration when choosing her outfits for the day: the colours and general "feel" of your environment - including the weather - will make your particular colours (skin, hair, eyes, etc.) look in a certain way. And it's hardly surprising: light is colour, colour is light - and light is always subject to change.

Of course, to enhance one's colouring does not equal fighting the local atmospheric conditions influencing the colouring - certainly not at all costs. (Which is where the occasion itself should be taken into account.)

And so, in a mostly grey/steel/green/mist coloured environment, such as London in the early spring, it makes perfect sense for a woman of Carla's colouring to wear an intense, bluish/greenish grey, which blends so beautifully with the "misty" and picturesquely "cloudy" atmosphere of oceanic islands, especially in a metropolis such as London, and especially during a strictly formal, state occasion. (A first lady, or the consort of any high-powered man, should never outshine her husband by the sheer "force" of her clothes and grooming - but she need not vanish into woodwork, either.)

When the schedule become a tad less formal, Carla chose a light coat in a marvelous violet colour, with no frills or ornaments, to wear over (and complement the colour of) her grey outfit . The "water" tones set off by the vibrant violet made Carla graciously "acknowledge" her environment (always a sign of good breeding ; - and a must for a first lady, of course) and at the same time stand out from within it, not from without; it was as if she grew organically from the colours of her environment.

A warm cream/beige suit, perhaps with a very modest touch of golden thread, would have been another good choice, although it would have required an extra glint of sunshine.
(Late April is probably the best time - in the UK and many parts of Europe, that is - to wear cream/beige/gold.) And, of course, jewel tones - such as subdued emerald green - never fail in the "moist" and "misty" atmosphere, such as the early spring weather conditions in the UK.

The worst colours to wear would have been mustard yellow/green, pigeon grey, strident red (it would look just cheap), baby blue or baby pink, mauve, most brown hues. (And black, of course, is never worn before early evening, unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.)

Anyway, Carla delivered the goods, as I (and her husband, if I may presume of being able to read his mind) expected her. She came across as a vision of grace, beauty and culture: the UN-bimbo. (And remember: you heard it here first. ;) Not for the first time, of course - but certainly at a very important occasion.

Knowing the lack of imagination that so many reporters seem to be afflicted by - not to mention the populistic mindset of their editors - the comparisons with Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy were inevitable.
But comparing Carla with Diana Princess of Wales?
It's not surprising, of course, given the fashion revolution that Diana introduced and which became her hallmark.
But the reports that draw such a comparison don't stop at the clothes and "glamourous" image, as they should. They push it further and generalise it - as if Diana were a role model for Carla (or for anyone) to follow.

I doubt that Carla will ever be the "queen of people's hearts" (picture a puking smiley here).
She simply hasn't been miserable enough to redeem herself for the outrageous benefits of her enchantee - if "wild" - life so far.

And I doubt that she gives a damn.