No need to go overseas

We’ve got French culture and style right where we are, if we’re looking for it…

I live in Raleigh, NC, and although I go to my home in the Dordogne as often as I can, at this point in my life and career I’m not able to be there as long as I’d like. It can really feel like a tease!! So, to keep up my morale, I am always looking for places that give me the French vibe and experience. I’ve made a list of some of my very favorite women-led and owned places in my area that instantly relax me and allow me to hold tight until my next trip. I hope you’ll visit and experience them yourself! :

1) Raleigh is home to the Alliance Française, and it’s THE place to learn the French language and the culture. Become a member (like me!) and you won’t regret it because they have so many cool events all year round! For example, you could take language lessons, attend reading clubs, and even take French cooking classes with my friend the amazing chef Florence Melin, who also leads tours in France with her business Le Gourmet Getaway. We are truly lucky to have a French chef who trained at Ferrandi, Paris’ top culinary school, living in the Triangle. Take advantage!!!

2) Did you know that Durham has a clothing boutique called Vert et Vogue, owned by a Parisian woman named Nadira who is truly a style icône? She carries gorgeous offerings from eco-friendly European designers and the store itself is just incroyablement chic (they have gifts and jewelry too!). This is where I shop when I really want to look the part. Nadira helped me pick out a couple of outfits for a business conference in Paris earlier this year. I was supposed to meet up with a new contact, I was sitting on a bench waiting, and although I saw them right away, they called me on the phone, staring straight at me, to verify I who they were supposed to meet. I later learned it was because I looked so French it seemed impossible that I would be the American they were expecting haha!! I felt, upon hearing that, that I might die happy. Life dream UNLOCKED. Merci, Nadira!!!

3) My other happy place for a French-feeling shopping experience is in Raleigh! France is extremely eco-conscious. Vintage and secondhand clothing stores are everywhere—super super nice ones with great curated collections. Nothing reminds me more of that vibe than Revolver, on the local fashion scene since 2005 (a testament to how great it is). The owner Liz has incredibly cool style herself and is just so kind and helpful. Many fast fashion places have simply gone out of business in France, even some big chains, because French people simply refuse to shop at places like that now. It’s either high end eco-friendly like Vert et Vogue or places like Revolver. And you can quote me on that.

4) Want to wake up feeling French even before you dress? Culture Salon in Durham is where I get my hair cut, and I know for a fact one way I’m blending in when I’m in Paris is due to the owner Katie’s ability to cut my hair in such a way that I look the part. She does runway hair in Paris (and all over the world) for Chanel and other luxury brands, so if anyone around here knows what the latest in hair trends are, it is Katie Manselle.

Want a Raleigh option that embodies the cozy boutique French salon experience with worldclass styling ability? My friend Dina at Halo salon on the other side of the wall from Beauty Ethics is your girl, she travels regularly back home to New York and Europe to stay on the cutting edge of the latest trends, too, and her co-owner Betsy is fabulous as well. What I’m saying is, we’ve got some major talent right around here to get you looking chic without having to brave airports and customs haha!!

5) A French expression I love is “bien dans sa peau,” meaning feeling comfortable in your skin and body. Moving with elegance and grace is just part of it all. To that end, Base Moves Pilates is a place that feels extremely Parisian to me (they even sell really cute socks in their store that say “j’adore le Pilates")! They have created an aesthetic in their Durham studio that feels exactly like you’ve landed on the Left Bank for your workout class. It’s just so stylish!!! French people are about joyful movement and strength building without suffering!!

Exercise is about the pleasure of connecting with your body and staying active for life. My friend Jackie, who’s also a francophile and yogi (check out her oh so French outdoor Island Yoga to Go experience!!), told me about the yoga class she attended in Bordeaux where it wasn’t even necessary to speak French to understand. The movements are universally understood and the vibe is always welcoming and supportive.

And finally, honorable mention, I’m looking forward to the opening of a new French style boutique called Glassbox within the salon of DB Sutton hair salon in Chapel Hill on Franklin Street (they also sell French wine!). That’s going to be so fun!! Do you know anywhere else that feels French to you?? Let me know! I’ll meet you there!!

Bises,

Julie