I didn't take this as a joke or a spoof, either, just a kind of cute, charming and humorous way of imparting pretty standard advice. The only thing I really disagree with is wearing clothes a half-size too small -- and she did say a half-size, not a size. But that's a reaction to a lot of women (and we American women are particularly guilty of this) wearing clothing that is actually too big for them.

Finally, "you must suffer to be pretty" isn't meant to be taken literally -- it's an aphorism that by definition gets at the truth of something which is, usually, the things that we are most comfortable wearing are not the things that are the most flattering on us.

So lately, inspired by a friend, I had been making an effort to wear more skirts and dresses. Usually, I'm completely devoted to pants (even though I can never find a pair I think doesn't make my a** look fat!). And I have to say that it's been eye opening, because when you wear a dress, you have to wear decent shoes, and then since you're already more "dressed up" than usual, why not take a little more care with jewelry, makeup, etc. And the reaction has been noticeable, both from men and women.

Bring back the best of both worlds -- dress+pants=jumpsuit. I am probably one of the few who can wear one and I loved them back in the, what, Eighties? As easy as popping on a dress but no worries about shaving my legs!

To which she would add:

[exasperated sigh]
[dramatic eye-roll]

And please...please, please, please...if you insist on being a b*a*l*l breaking b*itch.....wear Chanel No. 19".


I thought that she was adorable. Yes, her skin is not perfect, and her hair is a little wispy and stringy, but I attribute that to her youth. And I don't think that she was trying to tell us all to wear the same dress, the same makeup, the same beads. She was just saying not to be afraid of going outside our comfort zone -- wear a dress if you usually wear pants, if you are putting on three different kinds of eyemakeup every day, try a little less, and the beads were just an example of the general admonition to buy basic clothes and then make them your own with accessories.

I didn't take this as a joke or a spoof, either, just a kind of cute, charming and humorous way of imparting pretty standard advice. The only thing I really disagree with is wearing clothes a half-size too small -- and she did say a half-size, not a size. But that's a reaction to a lot of women (and we American women are particularly guilty of this) wearing clothing that is actually too big for them.

Finally, "you must suffer to be pretty" isn't meant to be taken literally -- it's an aphorism that by definition gets at the truth of something which is, usually, the things that we are most comfortable wearing are not the things that are the most flattering on us.

So lately, inspired by a friend, I had been making an effort to wear more skirts and dresses. Usually, I'm completely devoted to pants (even though I can never find a pair I think doesn't make my a** look fat!). And I have to say that it's been eye opening, because when you wear a dress, you have to wear decent shoes, and then since you're already more "dressed up" than usual, why not take a little more care with jewelry, makeup, etc. And the reaction has been noticeable, both from men and women.

Bring back the best of both worlds -- dress+pants=jumpsuit. I am probably one of the few who can wear one and I loved them back in the, what, Eighties? As easy as popping on a dress but no worries about shaving my legs!

The only thing I really disagree with is wearing clothes a half-size too small -- and she did say a half-size, not a size. But that's a reaction to a lot of women (and we American women are particularly guilty of this) wearing clothing that is actually too big for them.

Smelka, loved those photos! Could you please post the link so I could view some more? All I get from photojug is videos.

here's the page I got the photos from. It is the site of Russian expatriates that live in France, one of them, amateur photographer, just made photos of different women on the streets of Paris - young , old, different nationalities , when you go to that site, there would be also discussions in Russian, ignore it (unless you can read Russian ) and just stroll down the page - there would be more photos.



http://www.infrance.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=44117

Thanks, Smelka! Reminds me of when I lived there, briefly in 1985. Like taking a walk thru the streets of Paris:-)

It stinks with effort... LOL.

I got a lot of this advice, unsolicited, when I was staying in Paris last year. I was staying with two early-twenties French men, and they were always on my back about... well, if it wasn't the whole don't-wear-sneakers thing, it was the don't-get-too-dressed-up-either thing. There was always, several times daily, this little hand sneaking around to fix the back of my parka collar. The conversations would go something like this, "Don't you want to wear heels like the French women today?" "I don't know, darlin, how much driving do you feel like doing?" "Ah, now you sound French! Always with the 'drive me to the door, I have my heels on!'" "I hardly think this kind of logic is a regional specialty." "It is, it is, a French woman would take it as a given that she would be driven to the door and wear her heels without asking questions. Logic is so American!" "Oh." As for my male friend, he took a lot of ###### about the T-shirt he wore under his dress shirts.

Oh my God, it was constant. This brought me right back to the half-fond, half-irritated amusement I felt then.

It stinks with effort... LOL.

I got a lot of this advice, unsolicited, when I was staying in Paris last year. I was staying with two early-twenties French men, and they were always on my back about... well, if it wasn't the whole don't-wear-sneakers thing, it was the don't-get-too-dressed-up-either thing. There was always, several times daily, this little hand sneaking around to fix the back of my parka collar. The conversations would go something like this, "Don't you want to wear heels like the French women today?" "I don't know, darlin, how much driving do you feel like doing?" "Ah, now you sound French! Always with the 'drive me to the door, I have my heels on!'" "I hardly think this kind of logic is a regional specialty." "It is, it is, a French woman would take it as a given that she would be driven to the door and wear her heels without asking questions. Logic is so American!" "Oh." As for my male friend, he took a lot of ###### about the T-shirt he wore under his dress shirts.

Oh my God, it was constant. This brought me right back to the half-fond, half-irritated amusement I felt then.

Smelka, that was a funny site. I like THIS Parisian look. It's called 'Why try? Hijab solves all fashion dilemnas!'

LOL! Yes, no standing at the closet wondering what you're going to wear, pulling things out and throwing them on the bed.