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Original poster

Observations from Paris

148 replies

ParisDispatches · 05/08/2023 19:28

I was recently in Paris & spent an inordinate amount of time people / fashion watching!

In the spirit of the London thread I thought I'd share my observations.

I was there for several weeks & was based in the 5th but spent lots of time in 6th, 7th, 1st as well Marais, Montparnasse etc

Teens / early 20s were wearing lots of cropped wide legged pale denim with vest tops or cropped tshirts & clumpy trainers or converse. Delicatet gold jewellery.

Or flippy little short skirts & vests. Tanned arms & legs & generally far slimmer than we see here. More natural makeup too. Lots of 90s inspired looks

Around St Germain I saw some incredibly elegantly dressed women 30 upwards
Again generally v slim (I myself have gained weight from 12 to large 14 in past year & so was v conscious )

One woman had an incredible all black outfit. She was in her late 20s & was cool & edgy looking & I felt myself gazing enviously after her...

Birkenstocks abounded . Small cross body bags. There was an hour long queue to get into Polene which shocked me

Lots of beautiful silky shirts at dinner in the evenings.

I don't recall seeing floral midi dresses & white trainers much

Lots of veja on both men & women.

Overall more casual than I'd expected but v groomed

OP posts:
wizzywig · 13/08/2023 14:01

Don't they just have tit tape to keep their boobs looking pert?

HappiDaze · 13/08/2023 14:40

@TheCyclingGorilla size 10-12 has always been a medium 14-16 Large 18-20 XL

Didntmeanto6 · 13/08/2023 15:18

Nobody in Paris in August is from Paris

TizerorFizz · 13/08/2023 16:39

Of course they are. Not everyone goes away in August! Parents might due to school holidays but others definitely don’t. Do we all go in August here? No because of the expense or no Dc . Same in France.

TheGander · 13/08/2023 17:14

Just reporting that my Uber stylish and skinny french Parisian cousin is currently in Paris. Whereas I got a summer job stacking shelves in Sainsbury’s, hers at the same age was working at Prada.
Anyway, re the Japanese pics, I was going to say how bizarre, but then I thought don’t be so judgy. Maybe those shapes upon shapes are an inheritance from the traditional kimono. Can’t get my head round all that polyester though, must be awful in the humid heat.

Original poster
ParisDispatches · 13/08/2023 17:40

Fascinating about the Tokyo fashion!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie where were you? I was in Lucca last year but didn't see many dressed as you describe.

I had beautiful, perfect for the occasion dress envy there looking at all the women of all ages in the most gorgeous summer dresses. It really did strike me. And made me wish i lived in a climate that allowed me to just have a wardrobe of beautiful cotton dresses to throw on each day with flat leather sandals- mostly tan coloured.

I remember remarking to dh about the absolute lack of skinny jeans & far fewer trainers overall.

OP posts:
Original poster
ParisDispatches · 13/08/2023 17:42

Also I didn't find people rude in Paris & they responded very well to my not terribly good French.

OP posts:
Original poster
ParisDispatches · 13/08/2023 17:45

I bought some clothes in ba&sh & when the young, gorgeous 20 something sales assistant approached me I immediately thought in my own mind oh here we go- I'm not their desired demographic (beinb in my 50s!) But I was totally mistaken & she was super helpful & got loads of stuff from the back & she made me v comfortable & welcome. So I was totally in the wrong.

OP posts:
NoStrangertotheRain · 13/08/2023 21:11

See these threads are amusing because they're always "oh all the French/Spanish/Italian/Polish women are so much slimmer/more chic/less skanky than the fat, tattooed British women in their skinnies/floral dresses"

Of course those making the observations are often British but they don't conform to the above sterotype and their daughters are "teeny tiny" and very stylish ...

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 14/08/2023 07:55

I saw lots of tattoos on the Italian women.

Daffodilwoman · 14/08/2023 08:22

Did the French women have bleached blonde hair with black roots favoured by many young British women? The style which looks awful unless you can have your roots done at least every 6 weeks?
I also agree that, in general, French women are thinner that British women and they do smoke!
Lets not deny it, many people smoke primarily to stay thin, it is a fact.
Anyhow, I mentioned to a colleague that where I live at least, the trend for very heavy make up seams to be on the wane. Women, manly young women under 40, still slapping plenty on but not quite so severe as it was a few years back. Less spider lashes and the ridiculous duck lips seam to be rapidly going out of fashion.

Daffodilwoman · 14/08/2023 08:25

Also who cares if women wear a bra?
Stop buying into the misogyny which sexualises women’s breasts. I hate wearing a bra.

Didntmeanto6 · 14/08/2023 08:28

Haha I am French and I smoke, same as all my friends and family and my DP. People don't smoke to stay thin, maybe in 1950s movies 😅
People smoke because it feels good and its addictive.
I guess we are thinner in France maybe not as much snacks.
But you know Paris isn't France, I'm from the province and many many women in my town dress from kiabi or H&M or carrefour and are overweight and don't give a shit. I went to London and People there looked good, also in the magazines there are often fashion articles about the "so british" look

Didntmeanto6 · 14/08/2023 08:29

Maybe smoking helps you stay thin because if you are stressed or bored you can smoke, but if you don't smoke maybe you eat some peanuts instead

Daffodilwoman · 14/08/2023 08:42

There is a chemical in cigarettes which speeds up metabolism and has an effect on the glands which tell your brain that you are hungry. Of course the General Medical Council is not going to publicly advertise this fact!
Why do you think models and such like smoke?
They also take drugs too as these have the same effect and stop you from eating/snacking.
I know people who started smoking and continue to smoke primarily to keep their weight down all linked to the specific career they have.
This thread isn’t about that but obviously there is a link between staying thin and smoking.
Just as there is a link between having a glowing tan and living in a hot country. The above helps you to look good too.

Didntmeanto6 · 14/08/2023 08:42

Actually when I go to Paris I'm inspired by the African ladies I see in the metro. Its surprising fashion designers haven't taken inspiration from this look to make it mainstream because it seems like a style that can work on all body shapes and sizes. They wear long skirts and these cropped shirts and a kind of structured hair wrap, in some kind of fabric that seems very structured, it looks good

Didntmeanto6 · 14/08/2023 08:43

@Daffodilwoman
Wow I didn't know that about the metabolism chemical! 🫨

TheGander · 14/08/2023 08:43

Let’s hope you are right about the duck
lips and spider eyelashes @Daffodilwoman . I think social media must have a lot to answer for, those curated pics seem to over ride the cold daylight reality that it looks ridiculous.

Fraaahnces · 14/08/2023 08:43

I’m an Aussie and when I moved to the Netherlands, I went to Paris for the weekend with some of the other mums from the International school so we could get to know each other. There were French, Italian, Spanish, German, English, Irish, Swiss and Scandinavian mums amongst our group, plus a few of us from other non-European parts of the world. They all found it easy to recognise where other women were from based on the way they dressed, and all of them had their individual styles as well. The English woman was utterly scathing about the way English women dress when travelling (and at home). She said that they either dress like mutton dressed as ham or like their daughters or granddaughters. We were all a bit 😱, but soon realised that’s her personality. They all loved pointing out the couple of people in stripey t-shirts and berets and said, “American Tourist!” at the same time. Didn’t see a single Parisienne dressed like that! I’m 5ft tall and quite slim, but have a huge rib cage from carrying twins. I found the French shop assistants to be absolutely amazing when helping me find my sizes and suggesting things I might try.

Usernamen · 14/08/2023 08:43

NoStrangertotheRain · 13/08/2023 21:11

See these threads are amusing because they're always "oh all the French/Spanish/Italian/Polish women are so much slimmer/more chic/less skanky than the fat, tattooed British women in their skinnies/floral dresses"

Of course those making the observations are often British but they don't conform to the above sterotype and their daughters are "teeny tiny" and very stylish ...

I agree some of the comments are a bit silly, but it’s not hard to believe that those who can afford to go to France or Italy for weeks during the summer holidays are from the socioeconomic group where people are slimmer than average (average being fat, in this country at least) and are less likely to be covered in tattoos, etc.

What I find peculiar is the amount of people watching and then committing themes to memory that it must take to draw some of the conclusions drawn here. The only thing that stands out to me whenever I’m in France is that the French are generally slimmer and there are more smokers - the huge variety of people and styles I see there make it impossible to draw any other conclusions. Maybe I need to get better at people watching!

Daffodilwoman · 14/08/2023 08:43

Unfortunately as it’s peeing it down where I live, I am once again going to resort to my Skinny Tan to achieve my healthy ‘glow’ 😆😆😆

lovewoola · 14/08/2023 09:18

I think the biggest difference is the way men dress here vs other European cities. There are plenty of stylish women in London but very few well dressed men (i'm not including suits).

narniabusiness · 14/08/2023 09:20

@Didntmeanto6 I was interested in your comment about the ‘so British’ look. In the UK we have the image of the ideal chic French or Parisian look, which is widely admired. Our view of our own style seems rather disparaging, so I’m interested in what the French admire about us. Is it all tweed riding jackets, a fair isle cardigan and knee high leather boots with silk floral tea dresses for afternoon tea? Or am I wide of the mark?
(Apologies for the derail)

PuppyMcPupFace · 14/08/2023 09:24

lovewoola · 14/08/2023 09:18

I think the biggest difference is the way men dress here vs other European cities. There are plenty of stylish women in London but very few well dressed men (i'm not including suits).

Very true, many of my neighbours take real care over their clothes although they're not adventurous by any stretch of the imagination. They also smell lovely and now how to wear a scarf 😃

Pigtailsandall · 14/08/2023 09:43

I was also going to say this about men - I think the contrast between how British men vs. French men dress is more striking that how the women dress. I know two French dads who I often see at the playground here and they are always so well dressed, even to the playground (and clearly don't mind getting mud on their nice scarves and trousers). I also find myself watching the male fashion more in Paris.

I'm going to Paris next month so please do give me tips on where to people-watch. I have a few spots I've enjoyed in the past but I'm always on the lookout for nice areas/streets/cafes where you see people flow past.