La Mode

You knew I was going to write about fashion eventually, didn't you? But perhaps you thought it would be earlier than month 7. Well, so did I. I have spent the last six months desperately searching for clues to what Real French Women are wearing, and I am sad to say that it looks basically like what Real American Women are wearing. Thanks, globalization.

Some people hoard books.
I hoard scarves.
photo (c) 2015 by jenveltsos

When we first traveled to France in 1999, the French women seemed so effortlessly chic. Back then, the most obvious clue was the scarf: American women weren't wearing them, and if they were, it was thick, warm lengths of yarn wrapped above their heavy overcoats. (Love you, Minnesota!) The French women, on the other hand, wore them in all sorts of fabrics and arrangements. Belle Mere has a lovely and sizable collection, although she admits that most of hers tend to be the large 60-70 cm square scarves that were popular for decades but were overthrown in the 1990s by the long, rectangular ones. Even French schoolgirls wear scarves, from the 13-year-old daughter of a family friend in 1999 to the girls in Boy1's class today. The ubiquity of scarves and the American women's fascination with them was even noted in the 2003 novel Le Divorce by Diane Johnson, which features a character who is writing a book about French women:

"Just their scarves alone, an entire chapter," Janet said. It is true they are never seen without their scarves, I had noticed that already. "Knot in front, one end in front, other end over the shoulder; looped around double, ends tucked in; over the shoulders outside the coat, like a shawl; tied in back. Chale, foulard, écharpe--only think of the number of words they have, and in a language with a very sparse vocabulary."

In those early years, I would buy a scarf as a souvenir because it was light and easy to pack. When I wore them back home, other women tended to comment on their novelty. Fast forward twelve years and everyone wears scarves. Men and women. All the time. Video tutorials like the one below help hapless people like me learn the complicated twists and knots that were once handed down from French mother to daughter like careful secrets.

   


Worse, there's no longer much variety in the way the scarves are worn. Even here in France, they nearly always worn in The Modern One Loop (0:15 in video, looped around once, both ends hanging in front) or the European Loop (1:15 in video, folded in half, both ends pulled through the fold at the middle).

I spent much of July, August, and September sitting on our terrasse, which overlooks the village. It offers a perfect vantage point to people watch the crowds as they visited the confiserie and the river. This gave me an idea of what summer and casual dressing is like, but the thinner crowds (and overcoats) of winter have made my work much more difficult. If we lived in Paris or Lyon, or even Toulouse or Nice, I would probably have a better sample to work from in this informal research project. However, I live in a village of about 1000 people, so we'll have to make do with what I have seen in the villages around here and in the cities of Nice (and its suburbs, total population 1 million) and Grasse (population 50,000).

What can I tell you about French fashion, my little fashionistas? It is futile to generalize an entire nation based upon this ridiculously small sample, but the only peer review this blog post is getting is yours. I hope you won't be too critical as I address some of the more common stereotypes of French fashion. As you read, keep in mind that these stereotypes are created and perpetuated by the fashion industry so that we will buy more clothes.


1. French women develop their own signature looks. 

True. The look varies considerably from woman to woman, of course, but they tend to find something they like and stick with it. There is one mom at school drop off/pick up who wears nothing but exercise clothes. She has four or five kids and is probably running from one school and activity to another, so she wears something comfortable. Another mom wears the same two or three work outfits of brown or gray dress pants and dark sweaters, but you can tell when she works from home by her jeans and t-shirt. A third wears jeans with rolled cuffs and Converse high tops every day. No two women are the same, but they do seem to have found signature looks that make them feel comfortable and happy.

2. French women wear mostly black and gray.

True, seasonally. As soon as the weather turned chilly, women began wearing all black outfits. That's not surprising for big cities, but we live in a village of about a thousand people. But in the summer and early fall, women wore lots of color. 

3. French women do not like brightly colored clothing.

What I now think of as French Riveria Pink
on Antibes city bus. 

False, seasonally. During the summer, the most common color worn on women or men was hot pink. It's everywhere, even on employee uniforms in the magasins and on city buses!  

In the fall and winter, I think it may be more accurate to say that they tend to dress monochromatically, matching their scarves to their shirts or sweaters. In addition to black and gray (item 2), there is a lot of tan and dark blue. It's also really common to see women wearing colored pants with otherwise muted colors. For example, one of the kiosks at the marché  has a display consisting of a pair of mustard yellow pants, gray shirt, gray sweater, and a gray and mustard scarf. It's lovely and very French, but I was thinking that no one actually dresses like that. A few days later, I noticed a woman wearing maroon pants and a black top and scarf. And the most quintessentially French-looking woman I have seen yet was wearing gray skinny cropped pants, a white t-shirt, a gray blazer, orange loafers, and an orange scarf tied around the strap of her expensive bag. (I wish I had a photo to show you, but we were in a moving car.)

4. French women invest in quality over quantity. 

Split decision. There are lots of expensive watches and purses around here--one otherwise understated mom carries an $850 Longchamp purse--but if you dare venture into H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo you risk being crushed to death. I think they invest where it counts and spice up their wardrobes with trendy items. I also think that high unemployment within the French GenY may be encouraging younger women to purchase less expensive clothing. Plus: globalization, again.

5. French women wear high heeled shoes.

False. Have you seen the roads and sidewalks around here? Um, probably not. Suffice it to say that high heels and southern French sidewalks (when they exist at all) are a recipe for twisted ankles. Around here, nearly everyone seems to be wearing either ankle books or knee boots, even women in their 70s. Flats are fairly common, particularly in the summer. 

When I first came to France, I could spot une vraie femme française by her red shoes. Sadly, I don't see many around here anymore and they are probably more common in the U.S.

6. French women do not wear athletic clothes unless they are exercising.

True. The one school mom I mentioned earlier is the anomaly, and when I asked other women about fashion, they agreed that athletic clothes in public--even yoga pants--is simply not done. Even the Converse high tops worn by one mom are a fashion statement and not intended for exercise. By and large, athletic shoes are still an easy way to spot an American in France. (But wear what makes you comfortable. See item 1.)

7. French women do not wear shorts.

Mostly true. I do remember seeing women wearing shorts to the beach, but otherwise it's just young women (20-25) who wear shorts in public. They simply wear pants or skirts instead.

His and Hers Breton sweaters from H&M.

8. French women wear nautical-inspired striped sweaters. 

True. The Breton striped sweater and shirt made famous by Coco Chanel are still found everywhere. It's like the government requires clothing stores to sell some version of it to get a business license. (That being said, Hubby and I both purchased one--separately, but on the same day--because it's so typically French.)

9. Uncategorized Observations

a. They wear cardigan sweaters over crew neck sweaters. Even as a Minnesotan, I find this is a little odd, but if you have a small wardrobe then I guess this layering makes the most of what you have.
Remember: French women tend to have fewer items in their closets than we do. 

b. Ponchos and capes are everywhere. (Yes, I bought a fleece poncho. I needed something to keep me warm in this drafty apartment while I write these musings.)

c. Every once in a while you can still see old-school glamour. Just before Christmas, we found ourselves walking behind an woman in her mid-to-late eighties who had just finished shopping for presents at the confiserie next door. She was wearing a tweed skirt suit in plum with dark green flecks, sensible heels in a perfectly matched shade, and an honest-to-goodness beret. We admired her as she climbed into her tiny car and zoomed out of the parking lot, just as terrifying as any teenager.

Now that you know how the French women dress, my next post will tell you what I wear. More precisely, it will describe the wardrobe capsule that I organized to get me through 12 months in France.