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Fashion & Beauty: The Big Fat French Lie
Aug. 20th, 2024 10:35 pmCaveat: I have nothing against French culture, per se. I'm listening to French music as I write this. I speak French tolerably well and enjoy French films. I think Emily In Paris is an abomination. However.
Why the fuck are so many people obsessed with "French girl" beauty? This isn't new, either; I've seen it all over YouTube and fashion rags for years now. I look at the lists: 10 Things Every French Girl Has In Her Wardrobe; How French Girls Do Their Hair, Makeup, Nails. And of course there's the infamous book French Women Don't Get Fat.
To be honest, I think it's in the attitude. French women would rather die than admit they tried too hard. So the done thing for hair is an effortless and careless looking mussed bedhead that probably took minimum 15 minutes to achieve. It's a red lip that looks instant but takes incredible precision. Sure, their skin looks good, but they spend money at the pharmacy for those products.
The worst part, though, at least for me (and I'm prejudiced, because I'm fat), is the emphasis on being skinny. There are numerous videos on YouTube of expats in France talking about being fat-shamed. And statistics don't lie: eating disorders in France are at an epidemic level. French women may not be getting fat, but it's because they barely eat and smoke two packs a day (not judging, just observing).
I don't know what the answer to all this is. I never really cared for the French girl thing. Some of it is useful advice for anyone: concentrate on good basics in your wardrobe, take good care of your skin. That's just common sense. I'm waiting for the day when French women start interrogating why they're so terrified of getting fat, though.
Why the fuck are so many people obsessed with "French girl" beauty? This isn't new, either; I've seen it all over YouTube and fashion rags for years now. I look at the lists: 10 Things Every French Girl Has In Her Wardrobe; How French Girls Do Their Hair, Makeup, Nails. And of course there's the infamous book French Women Don't Get Fat.
To be honest, I think it's in the attitude. French women would rather die than admit they tried too hard. So the done thing for hair is an effortless and careless looking mussed bedhead that probably took minimum 15 minutes to achieve. It's a red lip that looks instant but takes incredible precision. Sure, their skin looks good, but they spend money at the pharmacy for those products.
The worst part, though, at least for me (and I'm prejudiced, because I'm fat), is the emphasis on being skinny. There are numerous videos on YouTube of expats in France talking about being fat-shamed. And statistics don't lie: eating disorders in France are at an epidemic level. French women may not be getting fat, but it's because they barely eat and smoke two packs a day (not judging, just observing).
I don't know what the answer to all this is. I never really cared for the French girl thing. Some of it is useful advice for anyone: concentrate on good basics in your wardrobe, take good care of your skin. That's just common sense. I'm waiting for the day when French women start interrogating why they're so terrified of getting fat, though.
