This week’s style diary guest, the lovely Mathilde Thomas, is an accomplished woman who knows a great deal about style and beauty. She is a successful entrepreneur, founder of the skincare company Caudalíe, a wife, mother, and bestselling author of ”The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out.”
Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style? If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be?
Mathilde Thomas: My sense of style is very casual chic. If a friend had to describe me in three words it would be natural beauty junkie.
Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager? What is the wildest thing you ever wore?
Ms. Thomas: I was an outdoorsy girl raised in nature. I was always in denim hanging out with my dogs. Now I am a city girl who spends her life between Bordeaux, Paris; New York, and Hong Kong—still in my denim, but with a white silk blouse.
Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends?
Ms. Thomas: On a workday I’m dressed in a casual chic outfit because I bike to work. It’s usually white pants, navy top, and my Hermès satchel. On the weekends I’m in shorts and a T-shirt on the countryside with my husband and kids.
Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident?
Ms. Thomas: Definitely my Hermès satchel, dinh van silver ring, and a very old leather cuff that I wear every day. One item that makes me instantly more confident is a spritz of Beauty Elixir!
Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences? Who is your style icon?
Ms. Thomas: I am a big fan of Lanvin dresses, tops, and silk pajamas. I love Jason Wu’s silk pants and blouses. My style icon is the very Parisian, Emmanuelle Alt.
Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style.
Ms. Thomas: Wearing original, unique pieces that no one else has and that do not follow the typical trend of the season. Style to me is having a graceful silhouette.
Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for?
Ms. Thomas: My Lanvin silk cream blouse was a great purchase. I would invest in staple pieces and would not invest in a fad that will go out of style the following season.
Ms. Eschapasse: When you go on the red carpet, how do you want your outfit to make you feel? Which designers can achieve that?
Ms. Thomas: Confident. Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jason Wu.
Ms. Eschapasse: What do you think of how others dress and what’s your advice to people who would like to develop their personal style?
Ms. Thomas: Know your own body, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Don’t follow fashion trends by the letter. Create your own style.
Mathilde’s Favorites:
Favorite color: Caudalíe grapevine purple
Favorite perfume: Thé Des Vines, the sexiest fragrance on earth
Favorite restaurant in NY: ABC Kitchen—it’s green and delicious
Favorite drink: Smith Haut Lafitte, red 2009
Favorite movie: ”The English Patient“
Favorite book: “Le Parfum,” by Patrick Suskind
Favorite quote: “Impose ta chance, serre ton bonheur et va vers ton risque. À te regarder, ils s’habitueront.” ― by René Char [ The English goes like this—Create your own luck, embrace happiness and face risks. They will know you when they see you.]
Sibylle’s Style Diary explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York.
Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications. Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy a New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at [email protected]
