Bon chic bon genre


Bon chic, bon genre 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 and the United Kingdom. As with those groups, BCBG drew mainstream attention during the 1980s. Thierry Mantoux published a handbook for BCBG style in the 1980s, a French equivalent to The Official Preppy Handbook and The Sloane Ranger Handbook, both published earlier in the decade.
Examples of BCBG are seen in Clive James’s first 'Postcard from’ series where he visits Paris where he is sitting in a cafe and people demonstrating ‘good BCBG’ are pointed out to him.
The BCBG social group is not to be confused with the "bobo" Paris fashion subculture.

Fashion

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. Some brands trendy with the BCBG group include Gucci, Max Mara, Le Bon Marché, and Chanel.
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 Neuilly-Auteuil-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.