Brigitte Trogneux

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She's 24 years older than me, AIBU to copy her clothes. She always looks very "together", whereas I don't!

I had to Google who she Is, but as far as I can see all you need to do is wear navy blue, pout a bit, and have one of those expensively messy hairdos and job's a good 'un. Go for it!

And, in my case, lose about 3st.

I just can't imagine any female partners of UK politicans wearing jeans on the campaign trail and getting away with it.

Ah yes the one who met her husband when she was a teacher, he was 15 and the same age as her daughter..

I wouldn't want to use her as any kind of role model tbh.

Although apparently that's fine because she isn't running for office but if she were a man, there would be an outcry

Apparently it's the same age diff as Melania and Trump and I've not heard many people complain or see that as remarkable.

Yes but I believe Trump wasn't her teacher and she wasn't 15 when they met?

Brigitte Macron is dressed by Delphine Arnault who lends her clothes from the LVMH stable of brands. Good luck trying to imitate her look!

MUCH as I hate The Donald, i don't think there is any suggestion that he as Melania's teacher or she was 15 when they met

I think BT looks a bit mutton, TBH

I agree, btw, that she looks a bit mutton. Sleeveless with wrinkly arms is not a good look. I'm not crazy about the veneers and hair extensions either.

Livia I doubt there would be much of a fuss in France if she'd been a man and he a woman either. Culturally, the French are very much more blasé about relationships that would seem very inappropriate to the British.

I have a 15 year old ds and to be honest I'm not sure I feel entirely comfortable with the idea how this relationship began. Having said that they appear to be very happy and it's really none of my business.

I was planning on keeping my own teeth and hair

I'd love to know what his parents think of her.

Culturally, the French are very much more blasé about relationships that would seem very inappropriate to the British.

This. Or can you imagine how that would have played on the campaign trail in the US presidential election? Oh, hang on, they elected a man who talks cheerfully about grabbing women by their genitals, has had multiple women make credible accusations of sexual assult, and who apparently had a habit of dropping into the dressing rooms of semi-naked pageant contestants when he owned Miss Teen USA, which included girls as young as 15, which he admitted to in 2005 to Howard Stern.

Yes, it is interesting to see how this has played in France. Half the references I've seen to it in the French media seem to have been various former colleagues and friends of EM's saying that the relationship existed was testament to EM's 'persuasiveness' and ability to overcome his parents' opposition etc, so converting it into evidence of his savviness/singlemindedness.

I do think part of the reaction in this country is pure spite (good-looking young, powerful man with a much older, less obviously attractive woman, when the opposite is entirely 'normal') masquerading as concern about a teacher having a relationship with an underage boy. (Though I gather they deny anything took place while he was underage...?)

I just don't think she's any kind of role model imo

I think her hair looks like a wig. I'm obviously glad he's beaten Le Pen, but I'm not overly keen on Macron, either. Seems rather smug and smarmy, somehow

I think she looks great.

I also think that they've been together more than 20 years, so it obviously works for them - why should the rest of us care?

Interesting that you consider it spite. When Jeremy Forest had a relationship with a 15 yo pupil, it was rightly condemned, if someone's had suggested that it was people being jealous, that would have been bizarre.

Each to their own, I just don't see that she is particularly admirable

When Jeremy Forest had a relationship with a 15 yo pupil, it was rightly condemned, if someone's had suggested that it was people being jealous, that would have been bizarre.

Flip the sexes, and the idea that male power and authority 'buys' access to female youth, beauty and fertility still goes largely unchallenged. I'm simply pointing out that, whatever the circumstances of Trogneux and Macron originally getting together 20 years ago, the sneers at the fact that they're still together come down to a largely unexamined set of assumptions that a powerful man like him 'can do better', so why isn't he? Therefore whole thing must be a bit fishy.

There's no evidence that they had a relationship when he was 15.

Who said he could 'do better'?

I was just pointing out that she was his teacher when they met - why would anyone of that age be attracted to a 15 yo?

Apparently he was 17 when they got together - I personally think fancying a 17 yo is odd if you are over the age of about 25 but I appear to be in s minority

I'm not saying she's a bad person, just that people are always going to judge how they got together.

I don't personally think he's hot so it's not jealousy

On some photos they look easily like mother and son its the identical smiles (down to the teeth) in nearly every photo of them that I find a little unnerving.

Who said he could 'do better'?

It's implicit (and often explicit) in large amounts of the slightly prurient interest in their relationship -- 'why would the good-looking 39 year old president of France be with a woman who looks as if she might be his mother? Why hasn't he traded up?' How does their relationship endure? It isn't normal!'

The comments on some tabloid coverage have been astonishingly cruel about her appearance.