Soigné Care Describe Fashion Swahn Yey Fr Swa Nyey Adjective

adjective

1. Carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed.

2. Well-groomed; dressed with great care and elegance.

[Not surprisingly, "soigné" comes from French, where it serves as the past participle of the verb "soigner," meaning "to take care of." It first appeared in English in the 19th century and can be used to describe such things as an elegant wardrobe, a fancy restaurant, or the extravagant meal one might enjoy at such a restaurant. It can also be used to describe people, as in a recent article on fashion designer Donna Karan: "Though her name is really pronounced 'Karen,' people said it with a glamorous continental inflection; it suited their image of a fashion designer: aloof, soigne, different from you and me." (Josh Patner, The New York Times, April 11, 2004)]

I saw...books being borrowed from the library by gentlemen of soigné appearance. - W.G. Sebald, Austerlitz, 2001

A moment later the lights dimmed, the orchestra struck up the prelude and the curtain slid smoothly up. Later, during the intermission, Hearn took a cup of hot chocolate and mingled with the soigné crowd. - Eric Van Lustbader, The Bourne Legacy, 2010