The French

[SeeYouWhenISeeYou]

Just been to Biarritz for a week. I went feeling good as I have lost some weight, got some nice outfits and thought I was set. Ince there I found myself surrounded by svelte, impossibly good looking, tanned people of all ages, wafting around in gorgeous linens with minimal jewellery, somehow cool in the sweltering heat. They were slim despite the amazing food on offer (and carrying baguettes under their arms!!), had simple perfect haircuts and apparently never got bitten by mosquitoes. Meanwhile I could only wear flat flip flops because my feet swelled too much for my wedge espadrilles, my fake tan slid off, my patchy white legs were covered in scars from relentless mosquito bites, my hair exploded into a frizzball in the humidity and even though my outfits were cotton they somehow looked wrong. By the end of the week I looked like I had been on a survival course rather than a chic French beach holiday.

I hear you OP. Thanks for making me smile this afternoon..I've decided that my style/vibe just doesn't translate to beach chic, I look so much better in the autumn!

As a Frenchie, this is definitely not the norm! It’s a bit like me going to Shoreditch and thinking all British people are young, skinny, and fashion forward! I’m sure you looked great. Maybe next time go to some of the northern beaches or drive a couple of hours inland - you’d feel a lot better!!

I simply cannot wait for the autumn

I hope you enjoyed yourself anyway.

Oh it’s so long since we’ve had a French thread! I love them - they always get so heated 😄

Stunning place, I loved the area, but I struggle in the heat. The food was simply amazing though.

They may not have all been french 😛

I was in the south of France in June and there were many glamorous Eastern European young women snapping themselves for Instagram or whatever

But why didn't I see any of those beautifully tanned legs with mosquito bites?? Do mosquitoes prefer pasty legs?

I went to Rome a couple of months ago and I couldn't believe how gorgeous the people were. Effortlessly stylish and I'm just ... not.

They just dress properly for the weather

and having a tan covers up skin irregularities pretty well

and the baguette. …. French women won’t be eating any of that.

Tanned skin makes such a difference...

Many years ago, Biarritz used to be a byword for wealth, style and glamour, properly posh.
I went there a few years ago, not in high summer, and didn't find it too intimidating. It was just very surfer-ish , so young but not exactly high fashion-forward.
(And I am decidedly not stylish or glamorous).

Your final point is untrue. My MIL and SIL (French!) do eat plenty of bread and are tiny (somehow).

I'm pretty sure French women eat bread. OP saw them buying it!
It could be that some only buy it for the family, but not all.

Biarritz is a rich place so of course people look good.

I was in south west France recently. People weren't particularly stylish, but they were very slim. In fact, the young waitresses were so slim that they would be seen as unhealthy in the UK (they were not, but I'm pretty sure this would be some people's perception).

I think they get away with eating bread because the rest of their diet is so good. All that fresh produce and light on the desserts/
sweets. I thought bread was a staple in France.

I find my first bite of the season looks horrible and lasts for at least two weeks. Then I get a couple more which last three/four days and after that I don’t seem to get any more.
I always assumed that after the first one, my immune system sprang into action to stop the swelling. Any doctors around to tell me I am talking rubbish?

This. They eat a small quantity of bread with their salad. French people actually eat "everything" just in small doses. Like they can have ONE glass of wine. It's like the french are having the weight jab effects of eating small portions naturally.

Well that's the stereotype but there are obese people in France as well, just less than in the UK. And it's a socioeconomic question as well; the people you saw in Biarritz were mainly rich Parisians.

This may surprise you. Yep! That really is true. They can bite into soft whiter skin much easier.

I'm French and when at home eat baguette every single day like every member of my family.
If we had whatsapp growing up, our family chat would have been 70% made of "can someone pick up some bread please".

The queues to buy bread were incredible!

I have French family and they do have a certain something but a good tan really helps. I have just come back from Cornwall and the people I thought looked good invariably had great tans. I hardly fucking tan!

And French people have got bigger not everyone is petite.

bread is definitely a staple

My mum reckons that French women have access to really high quality skin care from an earlier age, and they are taught to use it.

who knows? I live in France and permanently feel like a total treg. All my neighbours are slim and stylish, even when they are just taking the grandkids to the parc 🙄.

I'm assuming the baguettes are fresh with minimal UP ingredients as opposed to a lot of the supermarket breads over here.

I was on a French thread a while ago and a few people mentioned buying clothes in France (or Spain etc) as they are cut better than clothes sold over here.