How do you define the word "Chic"? - YouLookFab Forum

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How do you define the word "Chic"?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

It's not that easy, but you know it when you see it.

You go first and I'll chime in along the way.

Dressing

42 replies

Latest reply was from BlondeAmbition

Anonymous

Chic is a "je ne seis quoi". It is when you no longer see the clothes in isolation, you see the person first, then the clothes. Chic is a "state of being" LOL. Not super fancy but there you have it
ETA: Also, chic is not necessarily trendy or avant garde, but it can be.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

Timelessly elegant and stylish in dress? Although that seems to say you can't be fashion forward and chic, so I'm not sure that's right.

Anonymous

I have been poring over style books trying to find a good definition of *chic* for months. I'm on pins and needles, but I'm scared to start! Let someone else go first.

Day Vies

Veteran

It's so many things, if I were forced to define it for myself -- I'd start with perfection of a perspective then moving beyond the generic into the personal. Chic is when the look starts to provide a view into the wearer's thought process.

K. Period.

Veteran

LOL! That's a fun one. For me chic always connotes some degree of tailoring. Fashionable, tailored, polished, current styling. It's interesting that I immediately thought of styles I like that I'd not describe as chic. I'd describe RATE and UWP as hip, stylish, enviable, but not as chic.

Thistle

Veteran

I think of stylish and elegant. Really a less is more philosophy. Not entirely minimalist, but much closer to that than maximalist.

Honestly, I think French women!

Sona

Veteran

kind of interesting I was going to answer with " I am" not as in I ( me) am chic but more like She is chic. Like Zap said - you know it when you see it. And a huge part of it is deportment and a little secrecy. A confident stride in the chic-ista's walk and attitude if you will!

Vildy

Veteran

At first, I think of smoother surfaces. But perhaps a rougher textured piece if only the one, set off, an exemplar. A bijou style of dressing. Forethought and control. An exactness.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Tailored, timeless clothing styles, mostly neutral colors with just the right splashes of classic color, good shoes, well kept hair with a great cut, manicured nails, professional natural makeup (if worn) and a confident attitude all combine to mean "chic" to me.

jenanded

Veteran

All of what everyone has said... smooth, polished, every little piece down to the nails etc are just so but I always find that there is also a 'natural' look to chic as well (false nails, mega heels, 'done hair' are not chic on their own). More that it looks like it COMES naturally. "I just threw on this old thing darling"... Its kind of like having to define frumy... One is what the other one is not!

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Refined!

Emily

Veteran

I would say a Chic outfit...

-Is stylish and current
-Is possibly (but not necessarily) classic
-Is a perfect fit on the wearer
-Looks polished
-Has an effortless quality about it, probably achieved with clean, simple lines

Anonymous

I think the chic dresser is very, very smart. She really uses her head to combine just right amount of current or trendy with other elements that are quite plain, but elegant in their simplicity. Line and proportion are so important, and I think of chic women of having a very one-of-a-kind look that no one can copy exactly, no matter how much money they have to spend. I strive for chic, but it will probably always be out of my reach. It's fun to try, though! There's so much to learn.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Polished. I think of Coco Chanel.

I don't think RATE is chic. It might be edgy or glamorous. Not chic.

Susie

Veteran

Current
Polished
Simple but strong
Cohesive- all of the elements- from hair and makeup to shoes- work together with nothing jarring
Effortless
More minimal than ALGo

Suz

(website)

Veteran

How do I define the word "chic?"

ANGIE.

I love Day Vie's formulation, also. "Chic is when the look starts to provide a view into the wearer's thought process."

Hire that woman as a wordsmith. She is SMART!!

Astrid

Veteran

Some time ago I read the book "A guide to elegance", first published in 1964. They have an own chapter on chic that I thought was very well written out.

"The essence of casual refinement, chic is a little less studied than elegance and a little more intellectual. It is an inborn quality of certain individuals, who are sometimes unaware that they posses it. [...] It is a gift of the gods and has no relationship to beauty nor to wealth."

And further on:

"In order to increase your chances of acquiring chic when it is lacking, the first requirement is to be aware of the fact that you do not possess it. [There follows some advice on how to emulate chic] If you are aware of your lack of chic, the battle is already half won, because the only really hopeless case is the woman who hasn't the faintest idea of what is chic and what is not."

That's 1964 for you. But I think the essence of it is true.

Emily

Veteran

Claire, in my opinion you are SO chic! You always look effortless and perfectly coiffed.

Day Vies

Veteran

I think chic can "strike" the average person. I see chic walking down the street every day. I do believe there is a point when someone perfects their "look" to the point it can't be duplicated by anyone else. I certainly believe Angie is chic (agreeing with Suz) but I also believe I could post dozens of pics of the women on this forum when they have achieved chic.

I also don't think chic is limited to super refined or restrained looks -- but there is certainly a balance of embellishment and thought about its placement apparent in the outfit. Above all, I think it is a perfect expression of the wearer summarized by the outfit.

unfrumped

Veteran

Often I think of a person as chic and not just an outfit--so I think it has something to do with the personality coming through as several posters mentioned above. The total package--hair, nails, makeup (or not), clothes, accessories and mannerisms all together.

Chic is "cooler" in several senses of the term--the descriptors of effortless, polished, simpler used by others resonates with me, too. You can't be a "hot mess" and be chic. And "cool" in that old sense we discussed awhile back about having that certain something that others are attracted to even if you can't pinpoint it.

But I don't think it has to be totally minimalistic. I think Natalie looks very chic in many of the outfits she has posted, and though they have much more going on than I can usually achieve, she has such great style sense for combining things.

When I try to accessorize I sometimes think I'm closer to chic when I do the "put on your accessories and then take one off" thing.

Chic to me tends to be more feminine than not, but doesn't have to be "romantic" or ruffly and definitely not overtly sexy. Again--cool, collected femininity.

I think I would like to look chic....amongst other options as well.

morethanbeige

Veteran

Stylish and fashionable, but with the person's own spin or "skin" in the trend.

Deborah

Veteran

I might pop back when I arrive home later today as Im reading a book that provides a bit of a definition but can't recall the details. It says something along the the lines of chic being a little more individualistic than a pure modern classic. Angie subgested Queen Modern Chic for me on yesterday's thread (which made me smile) as I agree chic is one of those tricky things to define but for me there is always a component of elegance when I see someone I think looks chic.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Chic is never overdone, there is an ease about the look both in terms of movement and acceptance. Yes there is polish but chic is not rigid and would never hobble in overly high heels for fashion.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Not me.

Jamie

Veteran

This is a hard one. When I recognize someone as chic, for me it has nothing to do with particular style elements, such as classic, bohemian, romantic, etc. Instead, I get an overall impression about the person and then hone in on what they are wearing. What strikes me most often when I think that someone is chic is that they look current, no matter what style preferences they are conveying. Along with that, I usually pick up on a sense of confidence.

rachylou

Veteran

Lol, Anna.

I reserve the word "chic" for women who are done up, styled head-to-toe, sophisticated, svelte, and elegant. They don't have to be all that original or stylish, just striking.

Gaylene

Veteran

To me "chic" describes a synergy between the wearer and the outfit that elevates both the clothing and the wearer. And I also believe that "chic" is not universally perceived as such--what is "chic" to one person might be classified as "overdone", or "not exciting", or even "aesthetically unpleasing" by another. Just like Beauty, there is no universal standard upon which everyone will agree.

In my definition, it's not the perfection of the garment, the outfit, or the woman, but the melding which results in something which is much greater than the sum of the parts. I've known women who look chic wearing quite ordinary clothes, while I've also known women who wear wonderful garments who look like clothes hangers or, worse, like they are in costume.

I also think that the term "chic" is really overused by the fashion industry these days as in a "chic" little black dress, or Euro "Chic" style. To me, "chic" is rare and beautiful, not something I can pull off a rack at BR.

Anonymous

I'm just cracking up on this one, great quote Astrid:
"If you are aware of your lack of chic, the battle is already half won, because the only really hopeless case is the woman who hasn't the faintest idea of what is chic and what is not."
I'm off to evaluate if I have a "lack of chic".... hahahaha.
I'm enjoying this thread. You are all so intelligent and eloquent.

Diana

Veteran

Someone who wears her clothes and OWNS them, not the other way around. Someone who looks great in her clothes and knows it (not in a vain sense but in a self-confidence sense.)

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