Bon chic, bon genre
(English: Good style, good attitude) is an expression used in France
to refer to a subculture of stylish members of the Paris upper class.
They are typically well-educated, well-connected, and descended from
"old money" families, preferably with some aristocratic
ancestry. The style combines certain fashionable tastes with the
appearance of social respectability. The expression is sometimes
shortened to "BCBG"
Parallels are often
seen between this subculture and similar upper-class social groups in
the United States ("preppy") and the United Kingdom
("Sloane Rangers"). As with these groups, BCBG drew
mainstream attention during the 1980s. Thierry Mantoux published a
handbook for BCBG style (BCBG - Le Guide du bon chic bon genre) in
the 1980s, a French equivalent to The Official Preppy Handbook and
The Sloane Ranger Handbook, both published earlier in the decade.
The BCBG social
group is not to be confused with the "bobo" Paris fashion
subculture (short for "bohemian bourgeois").
The style of BCBG
tends towards the conservative and classic, to "de-emphasize
'sexiness' and 'flashy' signs of wealth", and is influenced by
"Anglo-Saxon" styles.
The BCBG social
group is associated with certain residential areas in Paris and
Versailles. BCBG are often identified with the "NAP" area
formed by the triangle between Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy, from the 16th
arrondissement to the Bois de Boulogne, as well as the 6th
arrondissement closer to the centre of Paris, and the 7th and 8th
arrondissements for shopping.
In France, if
someone: Salutes kissing hands, resort to the "vous" when
dealing with one's parents, wear Hermes scarves and use Hermes
notebooks for taking notes, use a Montblanc fountain pen, have a
French car, play bridge, love rallies, write letters and answer them
in due time, say "at home" even if that person owns a
castle or an apartment in Neuilly-Sur-Seine, read the social news
published in Le Figaro, talk English with and Oxbridge accent, only
wears clothes and accesories made of natural fabrics like silk,
cotton or tweed, wear ties of the colours of that person's club, like
gaming, play golf and tennis, disregard fashion in all its
expressions, don't talk about one's social origins, prefer dressing
in a conservative fashion, say "la tour", have a priest as
a friend or a relative belonging to the Catholic church, being simple
when entertaining friends, refering to him/herself in a simple
manner, don't like showing his/her feelings, prefering good taste
rather than confort, that person would be called "BCBG".
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Béatrice Goulard de
Montmirail “Les Visiteurs”
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