No longer need tourists humble themselves before la grande indifférence that Parisians traditionally inflict on visitors. By the simple expedient of renting a lovely French aristocrat, the froideur turns to fun, and the surly city becomes all smiles and elegance.
At least, such is the aim of Hôtesses Internationales, an elite assortment of young ladies who were organized two years ago by two aristocratic demoiselles — Countess Marthe de la Rochefoucauld, 28, and Mademoiselle Claude de Clermont-Tonnerre, 24. Says Marthe: "The idea came to me when I was in New York and heard Americans complain about the difficulties — and the coldness — they found in France." She recruited her cousin Claude and a dozen other sang-bleu friends to provide chic and cheery guidance for foreigners in Paris.
Never After Dark. It was an instant success, and the stable of Hôtesses Internationales now includes some 800 women, of whom about 60 (most with the best of family connections, several the daughters of diplomats) work full time. H.I.'s services include elegant rubbernecking tours of Paris (with precisely informed history lectures from the young ladies), shopping excursions that range from a Dior boutique to the Flea Market, as well as even more individualized aid, such as locating a race horse for two Germans to buy, arranging a female golfing partner for a Taiwan businessman, finding a secretary who can take shorthand in Turkish, and accompanying one client to the infamous Olympia Press bookstore, where he browsed happily and finally selected Whipping Incorporated and The Sex Life of Robinson Crusoe.
There is an absolute taboo against socializing alone with the customer after dark, although the ladies are allowed to go out with a group of clients. Even then, the restrictions are so straitlaced that they stifle hopes for amour — or even for an evening of routine high life. "No nightclubs, no bars, no discothèques," says the Countess de la Rochefoucauld, and the girls, many of them young-marrieds, religiously obey.
Uncrossed Legs. The prices for a hostess are as aristocratic as the girls, ranging from $31 to $42 for an eight-hour day. Most people who can afford it find it well worthwhile. Not only are the ladies of H.I. extremely attractive; they are also smartly turned out in red wool uniforms by Jean Patou and hairdos by Jean-Louis David. Before they are allowed to serve on H.I., they must submit to a demanding 21-month training program. It includes courses in Paris history, French government, sophisticated shopping hints and "civilization" — a class in which they learn esoteric tips about how to behave with various foreign visitors. Sample: when guiding a Japanese, never cross the legs or show the soles of the feet, since that is considered offensive by some Orientals.