Ladies: Get Edith Piaf's sultry look now

In "La Vie en Rose," Oscar-nommed actress Marion Cotillard plays legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf. From her inky ringlets to her crimson smirk and stingy brows, Piaf embodied the look of a sultry, half-starved artist.  She was known as the "little sparrow."

Piaf was born in 1915 in Paris -- but, of course. Her Italian mom sang in local cafes; dad was a street acrobat.  It all sounds like a merry, old time until you hear that they abandoned her. Afterward, she stayed with her grandmother and the local prostitutes often looked after her.  Now that sounds like a sitcom to me. Like "One Day at at Time" set in a Parisian brothel, right?

Back to Piaf. Her style matched her moods: theatrical, glamorous and brooding. She mostly wore black, with lace accents or animal-print cuffs. Think cabaret meets red carpet. She never stepped out into the rue without her signature cherry lips and hair meticulously coiffed. The little sparrow always minded her feathers.

Taking a style cue from Piaf is pretty easy. Her chic look works for anyone and it's romantic in a sexy, self-empowered way.  This is a woman who hung out with Marlene Dietrich, people. I like the bateau neck and lace overlay of this Notte by Marchesa dress ($850) at netaporter.com. The ribbon belt and full skirt make it slightly retro in all the right ways -- not to mention, flattering to any body type. The lace arms will show just the right amount of skin and help create a lean silhouette.

For shoes, I dig these Bruno Frisoni pumps for two reasons: A) They're on sale, dammit and B) they run big, so you can order a half-size smaller than usual. The satin pumps -- trimmed in lace -- are now $310.90, down from $777 on saks.com.  Oh, and Saks is offering free shipping on all orders over $150 -- just put in the code "Valentine" when you purchase.

Finally, you're nothing without red lipstick. I have experimented with many vermilion pouts and I always return to "Coco Red" by Chanel -- $26; Bloomingdales.com. There's something about this blend that makes teeth look whiter -- I think it has a touch of blue -- and its creamy base doesn't dry up. There's nothing worse than those dried flecks of red lipstick that make you look like you bit off the head of a squirrel en route to your date.

Finally, here's an Edith Piaf quote that you should repeat like a mantra: "As far as I'm concerned, love means fighting, big fat lies, and a couple of slaps across the face."

Um, bon.

Photo credits: Cotillard, Picturehouse; netaporter.com; saks.com; bloomingdales.com