 OOH
LA LA!
You would think that France isn’t really
all that far away from the United Kingdom. You can get there on
a ferry, on a plane and now by train straight from London. In
your local Sainsburys you wouldn’t be surprised to see a
baguette or a croissant, and you probably could 'get by' over
the channel with the odd word or two of GCSE French.
However, I can confirm that in one sense France
is actually very far away.... in fact light years away from Britain.
That distance is all in fashion. As this is my second time of
living in la belle France I was not quite so shocked as the first
time I arrived by some of the more unusual trends. First let’s
start with accessories. Any trendy lady in a French city needs
a dog. Think Geri Halliwell with her pooch, or Paris Hilton with
her tiny Chihuahua. You can take it anywhere and everywhere with
you, without batting an eyelid. Only yesterday the woman opposite
me in the hairdressers was having her highlights done complete
with a terrier on her knee; and no visit to a French market, fairground
or even department store would be complete without getting your
legs tangled up in the lead of a passing Labrador or cocker spaniel.
Also, if you have a small dog don’t forget the dog bag. Instead
of spending your euros on Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga, the latest
in French fashion is a patterned, quilted shoulder bag that you
put your dog in to take it round the shops.
Next we come to scarves. Various lengths of
material, in any pattern or colour, frequently with tassels are
always to be seen around a French girl’s neck, and somehow
they always manage to look chic. Anything goes; silk, wool or
cotton in pinks, blues or just plain black. When I have tried
to appropriate this trend I invariably end up looking like a polar
explorer, with material up to my eyebrows, or my scarf has long,
trailing ends which get caught up in doors. As I try to untangle
myself, the real mademoiselles swish past me with a mixed look
of disdain and pity, their neckscarves blowing prettily in the
breeze behind them… This is a look worth persevering with,
though, as a pretty scarf can brighten up a plain shirt or even
used instead of a belt to break up an average jeans and T-shirt
outfit. If you can’t get over to Bordeaux and raid the unbeatable
Salsa scarf shop (you know you want to!) then I have always found
Accessorize, Dorothy
Perkins and H&M
to be the best bet for bright, trendy scarves. For a bit of vintage
glamour try raiding your Gran’s wardrobe or take a deep breath
and go into a charity shop – they are an absolute treasure
trove of cool, one-off accessories. Check out the bags and brooches
too.
At first, French style struck me as being a
little strange. However, a second glance was quite refreshing.
Girls were covered up with no boobs or belly on show, and in the
bars there’s barely a bare shoulder to be seen. The men are
mostly co-ordinated too, carrying dinky little shoulder bags with
style and layering along with the ladies – casual T-shirt
under a soft, matching, v-neck sweater along with jeans that are
just the right length and fit. When I first arrived across the
channel in Autumn 2002 I chuckled at the flat shoes, and the tailored
cropped trousers worn with knee-high boots. Now, two years later,
if you open up any British fashion magazine you will see the same
thing. The French have been doing amazing, feminine, pretty sleepwear
for years whilst all you could find in England was a long nightie
with Winnie the Pooh on the front. In the last year the British
High Street has caught onto frilly shorts and vests too, and not
a moment too soon in my opinion. On arriving in Bordeaux I goggled
at the amount of girls wearing their skirts over their trousers,
or their dresses over their jeans. Five weeks on and I’m
about to purchase a funky, stripy sweater dress from French fashion
leaders Kookai, to wear to work over the top of my black trousers.
Give it 18 months in England and I bet we’re all doing the
same thing.
Fashion French style is not always easy and
is often plain bizarre – I don’t think Debenhams will
appreciate your Dachshund coming along on your next visit. However,
it is not nearly as prescriptive as British fashion, and leaves
a lot more room for creativity and colour. Though I have told
my friends to stop me, with physical force if necessary, if they
see me going near the bright red flared trousers….
- Article by Jenna Sloan
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