A quaintrelle is a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life’s pleasures. Quaintrelles are not female dandies; rather, they share the same philosophical underpinnings of dandies, developed within feminine nature and styles.

Etymology

Quaintrelle is often noted as an obscure word, with many spelling variations. The stem origin is coint, a 12th century word applied to things skilfully made, later applied to person of beautiful dress or refined speech. The Pilgrimage of the Lyt of the Manhode, about 1450, contains the line ”It folweth nouht that thouh j be thus kembt and a litel make the queyntrelle that for swich cause j am fair…” By the 18th century, coint became quaint, used to denote elegance. The Middle English Dictionary defines queintelle as "A person of fashion" while the Norfolk Archaeology, Volume 37, defines quaintrelle as a feminine "over-dressed person'. The New English Dictionary on Historical Principals defines quaintrelle as, “a finely-dressed woman.”

Famous Quaintrelles

There are no universally agreed upon quaintrelles. Possible quaintrelles include Lady Blessington, Marchesa Casati, C. Z. Guest

C. Z. Guest

Lucy Douglas Cochrane was an American stage actress, author, columnist, horsewoman, fashion designer, and socialite who achieved a degree of fame as a fashion icon. She was frequently seen wearing elegant designs by famous designers like Mainbocher. Her unfussy, clean-cut style was seen as...

, Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...

, Tamara de Lempicka

Tamara de Lempicka

Tamara de Lempicka , born Maria Górska in Moscow, in the Russian Empire, was a Polish Art Deco painter and "the first woman artist to be a glamour star."- Early life :...

 and Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...

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