Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic: Lessons in Everyday Elegance

I subscribe to Jennifer L. Scott's blog and I couldn't wait for Polish Your Poise to become available. I started reading it as soon as it was available in my Kindle, and finished it in two days. She gives practical advice on improving your life in all its aspects, such as grooming, dress, makeup and hair, manners, getting along with other people, becoming more aware of the arts and culture - and considerably more. Movies, television programs and books that exemplify poise in their characters are listed, and she shares interesting and amusing anecdotes about her life. What I like most about her book is that she emphasizes our ability to transform, letting the reader know that it doesn't matter how they grew up or how they acted yesterday or even an hour ago, they have it in their power to change. In other words - she gives us hope for our lives. In a time when there is so much rudeness and vulgarity, so much dispensing with tradition and the things that make life beautiful, Jennifer L. Scott's book (and her blog) stand out like a shining star. I highly recommend this book, which is appropriate for women of any age.

Wonderful book! I have read all of the Madame Chic series and this book might be my favorite. It is informative and a message greatly needed today. When we look to history we gain wisdom and knowledge. Poise is a forgotten art! Poise is an attribute that anyone can cultivate and this book is a delightful read on how to do so. Some reviewers found the book redundant and common knowledge. I found the book very enjoyable. Is it grandly profound? Of course not. Did my Grandmother teach me some of what is in this book? Perhaps, but it is a delightful read anyway! The point is to enjoy these books for what they are. Luxuriously light reading with a positive message. Loved it!

Great book! Such nice reminders on how to maintain poise and class.

A good read that I have yet to finish. Her first book was Insightful and interesting. How to make first impressions and live minimalistically with timeless fashion are parts of the content in this book.

In a time where rudeness is prevalent in public as well as private life, much less accepted, we can choose to be different. It takes work, but endeavoring to be our best selves and a light in a sometimes dark world, the reward of the positive effect on us is very gratifying. Be bold. Be different in a very positive, influential way. You may just like the results .

It's been quite a long time since i have written an Amazon review, and I want you all to know that for me to order 3 series of Jennifer L.Scott books written for Madame Chic is something I thought I would never do! I am in the process of reclaiming a new lifestyle after years of caregiving and the passing of my beautiful Mom. I picked up the "Poise" book with the intention of finding new information of living a chic fashion model ( I am a self-proclaimed 'fashionista'). The information I garnered from this book inspired me to throw away tons of crummy old tops I had been saving and had accumulated!! I had to know more! Ms. Scott Indeed, inspired me and is so right when she says everyone should take pride, not only in their fashion style, but in their home as well! I am in the process of following her advice and am clearing and cleaning up my place ( not that it was ever really a sloppy horror to begin with) from all my past dedicated effects of having had to live a caregiving life for quite some time! One only has to read all three books to know that the French have it right when it comes to a life of dignity and class and style!, of living the 'good life', without having to sacrifice or break a bankbook to do so! I take pride in all of my accomplishments and endeavors, and it shows as a polished diamond in my style and home flavors! I now want to entertain and enjoy every minute of life's offerings with friends and those who would enjoy living my lifestyle with me! Brava, Jennifer Scott!

I've been a follower of Jennifer's blog for a long time, at least back to 2009 or 2010. I loved her first book, and the second book was good too. This book was disappointing as it was quite repetitive and mentioned points already stated before in her other two books. I do appreciate what Jennifer was trying to say but I felt she could have benefitted from a different editor who could have steered her in a better direction, or at least pointed out which areas of the book were too repetitive. The character of Madame Chic (or should I say Madame Shrew?) needs to be retired. No doubt she gave Jennifer some good advice during her stay in France, but from the stories Jennifer tells in all three books, Madame Chic sounds like a bit of a shrew who wasted no opportunity to scold Jennifer or "reprimand", "school" her on something, as if Jennifer had no clue about anything! My favorite part of the book was when Jennifer stood up to Madame Chic after Madame Chic told her (in front of their family at the dinner table) what is the correct way to eat cheese in France. I doubt the way Jennifer was eating the cheese was hardly as offensive as Madame Chic made it out to be. Good for Jennifer for standing up for herself, I would have done the same thing after spending months of Madame Chic breathing down your neck about the littlest things and probably embarrassing her. I still follow Jennifer, her YouTube channel is worth checking out and she generates good discussions on different topics there.

Oh I loved this book, but how to put it into practice? I am an English lady, living in the USA and married to a lovely, wonderful man who comes from a Minnesota Rural Farm background...there are cultural differences aplenty, as you can imagine...especially at the dinner time, where the 'plonking down' of a gallon plastic milk jug directly onto the dining table is an unfortunate regular occurrence (not to mention the roll of paper towels to be used as napkins, and the use of a tablespoon to eat most types of food) lol! Being of English origin, I have cupboards full of fine bone china, delicately embroidered linens, Crystal glasses, delicate tea cups...all of which languish unused. Ah well, I can read this book and dream of more gracious times...maybe sneak some of that gallon of milk into a crystal decanter? On a more serious note, I realised that my own manners had deteriorated somewhat over the past 10 years or so...I was a nurse in a busy city hospital working night shifts for several years, and 'lunch' (when it existed) was eaten in 10 minutes on the run and consisted of microwave meals or hospital burgers...and my language and general manners were starting to mimic that of my patients (mostly detoxing alcoholics and drug abusers, sadly). Now that I have retired, I can work on bringing back some graciousness into my life and this book has reminded me of many things that I had let go. Time to get back to being the English Lady that I was born to be.

This book was presented to me on my birthday by a friend who s an avid fan of Mme chic books. I loved reading every bit of it and have passed it on to my niece, but not before downloading it on my kindle as "keepsake"

An excellent follow-up to the other Madame Chic books. Jennifer L. Scott states the obvious that most of us are too foolish to notice: that how you carry yourself and how you dress impacts not only on your behaviour and also on how others see you. I agree with Jennifer that too many of us act and dress sloppily. We've lost the ability to see how much this actually does matter. I had certainly forgotten, and now I'm pleased to be following Jennifer's advice, especially with regard to the 10 item wardrobe and just making an effort to be neat and tidy, even if I'm just going to the supermarket - it makes life a lot less complicated and a lot more pleasurable. I do everything better when I know I look better because I feel better. I'm now far less likely to make impulse-buys whether for clothes or when food shopping (I stick to my list now). I have far greater self-esteem now!

Love her style of writing, nice lite read. Recommend

El libro es bueno e interesante, amplia los contenidos de 20 lecciones de Madame Chic, el cual recomiendo leer primero.

I would definitely recommend this book as always Jenifer writes in an easy clear and concise way. Always thought provoking. A thoroughly enjoyable read.