FRENCH WOMEN: A CHANGE IN HEART

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I have always been intimidated by and in total awe of French women. Their perfectly toned, slender bodies are always impeccably dressed with clothes that fit just right - expensive jackets with intricate seaming are worn over sophisticated tops in rich colors that follow the slight curves of their torsos. Tight, dark wash jeans (never without embellishment, mind you, be it dull bronze studs, teeny silver jewels, antiqued silver zippers on the back pockets, or some abstractly feminine pattern either stitched, patched, or dyed on one leg) or perfectly fitting black or grey dress slacks outline slender yet muscular legs and give way to very classy shoes - tall, black, pointy-toed boots; red pumps; brown ballet flats with pink flowers and script stitched on. And then there are the scarves - every color and pattern imaginable, and NEVER matching any other article of clothing they are wearing too closely; instead, they complement the outfit by providing a contrast or a needed pop of color.

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Add to that fancy, trendy earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Fashion forward glasses are also often worn, and French women who wear glasses often own several pairs, as they are an accessory as much as a visual aid. And then there is the makeup, applied both very well and very liberally. Black eyeliner often extends (shh, Daddul and Maman) way out past the end of the lid to make the cat eye slash Egyptian eye look, and the eyes are completed with several shadows. There is also foundation, powder, blush, lipliner, and lipstick involved.

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And they look beautiful. French women are beautiful, sophisticated, elegant, and classy. They also give off a very intimidating and confident vibe.

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And I do enjoy the fashion here, as well as the pride taken in one’s appearance. I love dressing up and putting thought into my outfits. It makes me feel better and more confident when I am more nicely dressed.

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However, I realized something when I was out and about today. I was standing in the metro next to two French girls around my age, and I could see all three of our reflections in the door across from me. My first thought was, wow, they are so beautiful and so well put together. Why can’t I seem to quite get there? But then I looked at my own reflection. I was dressed quite nicely myself. I was wearing a deep turquoise, three-quarter sleeved tunic with very fine (thread-width), slight gold diagonal stripes noticeable only in certain light conditions over black dress pants with black pointy flats. I was wearing my black trench and a bright, rich salmon scarf. I also had on green-grey and purple earrings and my usual rings. I was wearing mascara, blush, and clear lip gloss. I was dressed quite nicely, I realized, and I looked quite put-together. But I still hadn’t gone quite as far as the French girls standing next to me. Their clothes were a little tighter, looked a little more expensive, they had on way more accessories than I had, and they were wearing substantially more makeup than I was.

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But then I realized that I was okay with that. While they were certainly exquisite, I felt like I looked more easygoing and approachable than they did, and I decided right then and there that I liked that after all. This was a fairly big realization for me, as I had been striving to perfect the Française look since I got here. Today I decided that I’m okay with just getting close. While I definitely spend time to make sure that I look my best, I like that I don’t feel the need to put on quite as much makeup and spend quite as much time on my appearance to feel good about myself and the way I look. I also realized that in realizing THAT, I probably achieved that vibe of confidence that they seem to so easily give off. Bonus. It was a good day.

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Comments

[Lucy]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? I'm glad that you feel confident. A beautiful girl should feel that way...