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Trapeze Dress: retro and trendy, minimalist and perfect

As a tribute to the fashion designer André Courrèges, the creator of the trapeze dress that we love and that suits us all so well. Each of us has at least one in our wardrobe, without necessarily knowing the origin. This dress with a retro look is always very trendy and is the essence of the minimalist style with pure lines. If “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” to quote Leonardo da Vinci, then this dress is the perfect representation. Although the design is very sober, there is nothing static or rigid about it. Moreover, the trapeze dress enhances the beauty of all women, regardless of their body type.

André Courrèges

André Courrèges studied drawing and architecture. He creates a functional fashion where white dominates and he is inspired by geometric shapes. His little white dress is the counterpart of the little black dress of Coco Chanel. In 1965, Yves Saint-Laurent spoke of the “Courrèges Bomb” saying: “I was bogged down in traditional elegance, Courrèges took me out. His collection appeared like a bomb. Afterwards, nothing was the same”.

Throughout his life, André Courrèges will say that he is primarily aimed at modern women, active, wishing to buy a way of life than fashion clothes. Bold women, freed from the shackles imposed by traditional fashion, corsets, guêpières, high heels. The work of André Courrèges is that of a visionary. Architect of clothing as much as a couturier, outrageously copied, he refused pure aestheticism in favor of easy-to-wear creations. He created an accessible, highly feminine, pure fashion. His vision is more than ever at the heart of the most current trends, Slow Fashion, Hygge, minimalist.

The perfect fit

The trapeze dress is narrow from the shoulders to the waist and thus highlights the feminine bust. By flaring down, it does not insist on the hips or buttocks. Thanks to its cut, the fabric dances when we walk, putting us in touch with our femininity. It leaves us completely free to move, allows us to walk with big steps, to cross the legs and bend easily. This is exactly the spirit of the designer.

The trapeze dress adapts to all circumstances. It is perfect for everyday casual look with flat shoes or sneakers. On the other hand, its natural chic makes it a sublime garment for special occasions, weddings, romantic dinners or cocktails.

The trapeze dress enhances any figure. If you are slim and everything fits you perfectly, it will highlight your femininity and sensuality. If your hips are wider than your shoulders and you want to hide your curves, it is perfect. On the contrary, if your shoulders are wider than your hips, it balances the whole. In any case, its flared cut refines the legs.

This little dress, signed André Courrèges is therefore a stroke of genius. Every time you wear it with happiness, have a grateful thought to its creator, the one who was named Le Corbusier of fashion by the Women’s Wear Daily, a daily women’s fashion newspaper considered as the Bible in this field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A small dictionary that’ll whet your appetite

The Lexique français-anglais de la cuisine et de la restauration (French-to-English Lexicon of Cooking and Food Service) is one of those rare gems you come upon by chance. Lucky me as I am addicted to the pleasures of the table, and of language, and I’m eager to share with you my recent find.

This 350-page book with over 14,000 entries opens doors to key information about the global heritage of cooking and food service, with a focus on Quebec terms. You’ll find foods, cuts of meat and fish, preparations, cooking and preparation methods, styles of service, classic culinary terms such as Crécy and à la florentine as well as names of dishes and desserts.

For the sheer pleasure of words, here’s a sampling of terms and definitions, poetic or delicious or both. First off, the word puits, as in faire un puits dans la farine, or make a well in the flour. Then there’s puits d’amour, literally ‘well of love’, a dessert that’s a well-shaped small round puff pastry base topped with a ring of cream puff pastry, filled with vanilla pastry cream or praline pastry cream or jam. Next up, sambuca, a sweet, strong Italian liqueur flavoured with star anis, or aniseed, or both. How about farlouche, as in tarte à la farlouche which my grandmother would often talk about and just as often bake––Québec cuisine, pie filling, usually made with molasses, flour, and raisins. Mousseline, coquelet, omble chevalier, zakouski, à la cocotte, challah, aillade, kacha, papeton, chartreuse, Comté, confit, and so many more!

You’ll be surprised by the richness of cooking and food service language. You’ll discover not only words and their meanings, but also how they’re used and where they came from. This is a must-have reference work for everyone who wants to learn more about the world of the culinary arts.

Diana Bruno, author of the Lexique, had a long career teaching English as a second language at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, and in-between also taught English in China and Vietnam. When you look at the lexicon, you can’t help but notice that the author took on a Herculean task that required a tremendous amount of research as well as an incredible ability to synthesize information, and more. She’s given us an original work, the fruit of a lifetime, and it’s much more than a lexicon; IMHO, it’s a work of art.

By the way, the Lexique was shortlisted in the 2020 edition of the Taste Canada Awards in the Culinary Narratives category.

The Lexique is available at the following bookstores: Renaud Bray, Indigo, Archambault as well as at the publisher, CCDMD (Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique). While the printed version is French to English, the digital version, only available at CCDMD, allows you to search for terms in either French or English, with the equivalent provided in the other language. You can also install the digital version on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

For more information about the Lexique, head over to the landing page at: culinarydictionary.ca