Totally superfical, but don't French female Polactian look good?

[starbear]

Doesn't Rachida Dati look good? Now I've seen a few more french women in power look good I DO want them to write a book on fashion & beauty tips for the working woman. I was/am ( a little)a total feminist and I do a man's job and I have been very strong blah,blah. Now I just want to look good at forty. What was the point of me working so hard at a man's job to end up looking like a scruffy, about to have a heart attack man????

I mean Politician.

LOL I keep going to click on this thread but am put of by Polactian as don't know what one is.
Yes French politicians do look compared to our MPs. But then so do American one's as well. Look at Condoleezza Rice.

She does look good, but French women's attitudes do often make me a bit uncomfortable - there seems to be an ethos that you have to look good (and that means in a very narrow, slim, groomed, fairly identikit way) to be seen in public and if you don't, well you are on the sidelines. I mean is it that all french women look good, or is it that the pressure to look good is so great that if you don't, you don't even make it at all? IYSWIM...

I do see UK politicians (male and female) and sometimes think "you would so much better if you wore a different shape/colour" etc. Same for Hillary Clinton too. But I think of that as a side-issue and I think we should be able to maintain respect for people's abilities however they look.

I think of Mo Mowlam in her later years when the fact that she had hair loss and illnesses didn't stop her being her own wise, warm and witty self and maintaining her position in public life. Good for her and good for us in Britain that we still loved and admired her for who she was.

snowleopard I was of course being totally flippant. Mo Mowlam, Barbara Castle both heroes to me. Female MPs, politicians, campaigners do not have to conform to a magazine type look for me to listen to them and the issues. The men don't either.
BUT I'm 45 years old, dark haired, dark skin and have the same facial features as Dati, so I could look as good as her but, I don't.
I have promised myself this year to lose a little weight, stop looking so scruffy in men's jeans & dodgy t-shirt. But I have no blue print to follow in the UK magazines.

Weeell (sets feminist hat aside) I'm nearly 40 and I think looking good obviously takes a lot more effort now. Luckily I rarely have to look polished (I work at home) but I think various things can help - more expensive, well-made clothes and make-up, good haircut and colour etc. do actually make a difference for me if I want to look "done up".

You could try a bobbi brown consultation, and personal shopper session, to give you some ideas. I've never done this but I have been considering it. I'm pretty much a scruffbag in daily life but I have some important work things coming up where I might have to be filmed, so need to grow up a bit and look less like a student. OTOH, I can't bear the thought of becoming mumsy and Next-y and besuited with little tippy-tappy shoes.

Thought this was about bf!!

I don't need to look polished for work as I wear a uniform, little or no make-up (it's in the rules) tidy hair off the collar. So I just throw on jeans t-shirt and a fleece and off to work.
BUT... sometimes I asked to dress 'smart but casual' I not sure about the tip-tappy shoes as I've got serious problems with my feet after years of walking & running. Depends on what type of mumsy. Mummsy e.g from kitchen, cooking cleaning clothes with grease spots worn ALL the time (me) To 'I'm me' who just looks the best I can. Or Yummy Mummy in the identikit Boden, Monsoon, thirty something (which of course I'm not.) I do need an identikit as I have no interest in really shopping (life's to short) I want a recipe follow it and go. i just wish the UK shops have that kind of European style just for me.

I consider Boden to be like a uniform, just throw it on away you go in your fun skirt !

Oh Boden! It just didn't work for me Going to Spain in the summer I'll see what I can find with a shopping trip with my Spanish Aunt & cousins

Agree but TBH Rachida Dati not really doing anything for the cause of working women by going back to work 5 days after giving birth in full sex and the city stiletto mode.
She looks good but definitely tries too hard. Its awkward. You can have it all, just not all at the same time.

slim22 Totally agree. When I had Ds I didn't go back to work but thought I had to be out walking all day!!! Tea ready for DH and house spotless. As having a baby was no problem for a strong woman like me. What tosh! My lovely Sister, sil and GP told me to go to bed and stay there for two weeks as I was in pain and nearly dropped my insides.
They reminded me that not so long ago women had to stay in hospital for 10-14 days to rest! I only have a DS but I'm going to put money aside for my Dil (if I like her!)so she can have a cleaner and a mothers help for a while. No she has done nothing for the cause. I just want that look
But as your name suggests you might be slim and 22 years (oh those were the days)

I think it's great that politicians in the UK - both male and female - look like normal people; badly dressed, paunchy, bald, whatever! Conventionally attractive well-dressed folk dominate in the media so it's nice to see that in politics it is still Ok to look like a normal person.

Slim22 - agree with your point on Rachida Dati. She must be struggling, just very, very good at not showing it.

I doubt she struggling. She turned up one day. Who know what she doing now? Various staff have various things sorted. Sits down reading a little while, makes a few phone calls more staff run around her house looking after her little one and cleaning her house. I just want to know the various products she uses, when she exercises for how long and all the names of her clothes so I can look for knock off's.
BUT it's against by principles to buy Okay, Hello Grazia etc.... So I might never know

I WAS very slim when I was 22

So was I!