Sacre Bleu. And Pink. And Red

It’s not just that Brigitte Trogneux Macron is turning out to be quite the fashion plate – we anticipate nothing less from a French first lady – but that the former English teacher is already talking in her own language. And one that doesn’t necessarily include the usual French idioms. Not for her the studied je m’en fous approach of modern Parisian style, the almost ostentatious lack of make-up, the wardrobe of interchangeable skinny monochrome pieces and avoidance of any obviously ephemeral trends.

Madame Macron, as she confirmed when pictured on her rounds of some of this week’s couture shows in Paris, is indefatigably groomed, her eyes black with dark shadow. She’s not afraid of colour either. While she wears black – a lot – she’s also partial to cornflower (that Louis Vuitton mini skirt suit), powder pink (a mini Dior skirt), royal blue (more Vuitton, more truncated lengths) plus coral trousers and nude shoes normally associated with our Royals. Oh, those short skirts. Hmm. The minis break every age rule, and however unconventional we like to think ourselves, iconoclasm tends to snag on the eye initially. But when I had tea with Natacha Ramsay-levi, the new designer heading up Chloé, we agreed that it’s encouraging to see a first lady dress as she pleases. As for trends, she’s been working the oversized jacket this week, and full marks, as it’s not easy. It might be stretching it to turn her spirited wardrobe into a metaphor for Macronomics. But it’s tempting.