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.

@rickyrickygrimes - As l said up thread, travellers on Paris Metro Line 5 tell a different story. So does wandering around various parts of Marseilles.

That’s true. I’m talking about a pretty well off arrondissement in a city that is neither Paris or Marseille, and it’s the same people as are holidaying in Biarritz etc.

Im very interested about the lower incidence of fake lashes, acrylic talons, fillers , excessive makeup. I noticed the contrast a lot when on holiday in Spain as well, where most women of all ages look a lot more natural than British women. Realistically, a fair number of French women especially in more prosperous areas have “ work” ( don’t know about Spain) but I suspect it’s a lot more subtle and skilled than what you see here. Maybe goes back to the French thing of willing to pay more for better quality. Cut price Botox parties and any old random injecting you in your lunch break probably is less of a thing.

I may have answered my own question https://www.drbarthelemy.com/faq/medecine-esthetique/qui-peut-realiser-injections-botox/
Looks very strictly controlled in France

On the baguette point, don’t they have much tighter regulation on what can be called bread/baguettes, hence baguettes aren’t UPF. Interestingly in Slovenia I also noticed ‘fresh bread’ from their shops went stale much quicker than ‘fresh bread’ from Sainsburys! Something to do with the lack of rubbish in it.

Sometimes where you are can influence the people who holiday there. In a Slovenian resort in the mountains most were slim, presumably as they were the kind of people who like to hike, bike, Sup etc on their holidays!

If we're discussing men, the Italian men seem to do an incredible job of looking smart, well dressed and elegant despite the heat. It always amazes me seeing them walking around in Rome or Milan when it is 35°C looking cool and crisp in a suit, shirt, tie etc.

With one exception in a chateau hotel outside Bayeaux this is a phenomenon I've never noticed in all the many, many times I've been in France.

Possibly all these effortlessly stylish neutrals are just so boring they pass me by.

Usually?

Really?

I find Amsterdam style really cool. The streets were full of grey jeans and cool trainers when we were still wearing blue jeans and ankle boots. Lots of very cool stylish clothes yet people can express themselves.

Definitely no breton striped tops or effort to copy.

Given I notice what people are wearing in Amsterdam and Copenhagen I guess I find those cities far cooler stylewise than Paris or Italian or Spanish cities.

Most of them were not Dutch...I near enough guarantee it.

Let's not forget most cities (especially capitals) are not representative of a country as a whole.

Let’s not forget most Dutch people are really tall. It’s a health and safety issue as a significant proportion of them live below sea level 😀.

Well we can only form opinions from what we see in everyday life. People in supermarkets, restaurants and cycling to and from work.

The opinion was not formed from a seaside/holiday resort.

The streets were full of grey jeans and cool trainers

stylish?

usually?

really?

Sounds horrible.

At the time we were still wearing blue jeans and black boots so we were the ones who were dressed ‘horribly’. We caught up a couple of years later though…

I think you saw the elite of France like if someone foreign hung round Kensington for a day, it would give a completely false representation of the country.

Totally untrue. Most of French friends have bad skin because if all the smoking they do! I lived in France for years.

They don't eat MUCH though. I think UK portion sizes have followed the US.

That said, I do think the stylish French woman thing gets overplayed.

There are some very chic French women - of course there are. But there plenty of attractive women everywhere.

There are also a lot of very wrinkly, chain-smoking French women and loads of dress boutiques that look like a dress up box of WW2 donations. And lots and lots of acrylic.

I agree.

Well i have been in France quite a lot this Summer and they look pretty normal to me, including Parisiens. Some people slim, some people a bit chunky. Few people morbidly thin obese though.

I love the French way of eating, the fresh food and the fact that even supermarket clothes look classically stylish.

However I actually feel London is a much healthier example. Lots of slim,stylish women as everyone walks a lot and lots of people are health conscious but with their own style, they don’t look like card board cut outs.

More emphasis on looking strong and being comfortable and wearing whatever makes you look and feel good - whether that’s a chanel dress or yoga pants.

Still, nothing special with grey jeans and cool trainers.