Avec Plaisir

Wonderwoman

As you already know, last Saturday three friends of mine took me to St Jacob's Market for my bachelorette party. I thought I could totally trust my girl friends - but my firm belief got a bit shaken when I entered the car and saw the boa and the tiara waiting for me...Fortunately enough, the individual flasks of champagne that Jen provided to the crew (except for her, the driver, of course) quickly eased off my trauma! I agreed to wear the boa and tiara for 5 minutes in the car and that was it! I felt like a hybrid of Wonderwoman and Zizi Jeanmaire. Mon truc en plumes ...

Zizi Jeanmaire and her Truc en Plumes
After Dark June 1981

When we arrived at St Jacob's market, a Mennonite market, I realized that men there have created the perfect society for them to enjoy; the women work on the market...

...and the men go shopping.

Not being Menonnites ourselves, we decided we could do like them, the men that is, and go shopping! So we headed to the Antiques Market. Every booth was perfectly organized and every item, neatly labeled - I had the weird impression that what I was seeing was not real antiques as they were too clean. But I got used to the Old Order's sense of order and my eyes were caught by several interesting pieces, among which was this milk glass set...

The girls and I reveled in a shop full of extraordinary antique jewellery and bought ourselves earrings, brooches, hair clips and necklaces for next to nothing.

My set of earrings...

Tess also found a beautiful hat, look!

Tess and her hat

After a day of fun, we needed to finish on a higher note and so we went to Benjamin's, a charming vintage local inn, where we had a delicious dinner.

Jen, Lara and Tess : Le trio de charme!

There the girls offered me a very thoughtful present, a gift certificate for a fine lingerie shop, Avec Plaisir...

Brigitte Bardot wearing a fancy corset in Louis Malle's Viva Maria-1965