Great point and well made. Im not sure what the following weight discussion has to do with the OP's point! But this is the simple and definitive answer to it!
WSG xxx
French Ladies: Style, aura, what is it?
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Great point and well made. Im not sure what the following weight discussion has to do with the OP's point! But this is the simple and definitive answer to it!
WSG xxx
:back2topic: can we get back to topic here please? This is not about whether 'fatness' is genetic or a result of too much snacking. There are plenty of threads that deal with weight gain, obesity and its correlation to food so please post there or start another discussion. We were discussing the french 'aura' (so much more interesting and elusive than reading about people trying to justify their snacking addiction) A true French woman will not be stuffing her face with cheeseburger and fries and then picking her teeth, while guzzling a bucket of diet coke. Its really hard to have any sort of 'aura' doing that...
http://vox.ulule.com/why-french-women-just-dont-get-fat-1093/
http://vox.ulule.com/why-french-women-just-dont-get-fat-1093/
:back2topic: can we get back to topic here please? This is not about whether 'fatness' is genetic or a result of too much snacking. There are plenty of threads that deal with weight gain, obesity and its correlation to food so please post there or start another discussion. We were discussing the french 'aura' (so much more interesting and elusive than reading about people trying to justify their snacking addiction) A true French woman will not be stuffing her face with cheeseburger and fries and then picking her teeth, while guzzling a bucket of diet coke. Its really hard to have any sort of 'aura' doing that...
http://vox.ulule.com/why-french-women-just-dont-get-fat-1093/
Well said!!
:back2topic: can we get back to topic here please? This is not about whether 'fatness' is genetic or a result of too much snacking. There are plenty of threads that deal with weight gain, obesity and its correlation to food so please post there or start another discussion. We were discussing the french 'aura' (so much more interesting and elusive than reading about people trying to justify their snacking addiction) A true French woman will not be stuffing her face with cheeseburger and fries and then picking her teeth, while guzzling a bucket of diet coke. Its really hard to have any sort of 'aura' doing that...
http://vox.ulule.com/why-french-women-just-dont-get-fat-1093/
I don't recall reading posts about people trying to justify a snacking addiction. Can you link to these posts, please?
Honestly, I am just sick and tired of reading posts that snark on women because of their weight or body size. Our own plus size fashion thread demonstrates that there are a number of ladies of all sizes who care about their appearance and are fashion forward.
The idea that the only women aren't sticks is because they eat too much junk food is absolutely ridiculous. Research is increasingly demonstrating that there are a number of psychological, social, and physiological factors at play. Just telling someone to lay off the candy isn't going to help anyone magically look like Charlotte Gainsbourg (and do I need to point out that many skinny starlets are incredibly unhealthy? Weight doesn't necessarily have anything to do with health, and it's laughable that we think that a skinny girl is necessarily more healthy than one who is not).
The saddest thing I've realized is that not one person reading this thread will take this post seriously, because as another poster put it, people who write things like this must be trying to justify their own size or cravings for candy. Well, guess what? I am in the third body percentile for my height and weight, and odds are that I am significantly taller and thinner that the other commenters here. These two things don't preclude me from doing research (not just posting links to websites, but actually reviewing the literature in a systematic manner) before I decide to post my thoughts and opinions online.
Peace out, guys. Have fun with the rest of the discussion.
Which once again, the lady I am referring to is twice my age, NOT naturally thin, and she is thinner than me with proper diet and exercise. What I am saying is that genetics aren't everything. She's not the only person I know who has made a turn-around with genetics and body weight. I know plenty of people who have. It's what you eat, not how fast your natural metabolism is (though that does play a part in how you can eat).
As for physiological factors, I do understand them. Certain people are more prone to fat gain and have a harder time losing weight, but that does not mean it is impossible or really difficult for them. Health and weight loss requires a commitment and a proper routine. There are people I have met who cannot lose weight--usually that's because of medication, not genetics. You have to work with your body to get it to a healthy weight. I am sorry, but nobody is "naturally" obese or "naturally" 30+lbs overweight.
Obese parents are more likely to have obese children. It could be related to what the parents feed their kids, rather than genetics.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=20791&sc=801
"The bottom line is that biology is not destiny. While genes influence susceptibility to overweight and have an influence on weight-related behaviors, the genes cannot be expressed unless the environment supports them."
It is not generalizing when it's true. Some women in America are health conscious, but that does not change the fact that the vast majority are not or are misinformed and make the wrong decisions health-wise. In my particular region it is very common to see healthy, fit women in their 30s, 40s and 50s walking around. However where I grew up, it's less common. I have spent a long time looking at the eating and exercise habits of Americans.
Our exercise and healthy eating has not been increasing. Some years it'll go up a little, some it will go down. America has a huge weight problem that it needs to fix, and it really has let itself go. Part of it is people who are not properly informed about nutrition and parents that make bad choices for their kids, but a good chunk of it is people who just don't care. I've seen fit women shamed by women who did not stay in shape as they aged because the fit women were "vain and stupid and care too much about their appearance". While a niche health movement is slowly growing, it isn't enough to counter the obesity problem.
You make a great point! I was just having this conversation today at lunch, and I agree about being healthy vs an ideal weight. So important and many as you said are not as healthy as they look.
The post was phrased, American women let themselves go. So yes, it is a generalization because there are MANY women, myself included, that this is not true for. It's rude and insulting, on top of that. Certainly there are people who are not as healthy as they should be, but the rest of the world is hardly glorified in comparison. Many places are not that much better off nowadays.
I do think more credit is due, because honestly some of the posts in this thread make it sound like we're a bunch of lazy, frumpy slobs.
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LOL - even within my own Northern European home country people dress totally differently from one big city to another. so this is quite a generalisation to suggest that ALL Northern European ladies look the same....
we are a neighbouring country with France but for some reason the Parisienne style has not reached us as something outstanding, or is only doing so now slowly. but in general understated is preferable. i personally love lots of French designers, like Maje and Sandro, and am a fan of the understated look, but am not so sure about the total lack of colour, once in a while an accessory that pops can't hurt.
I know more suburban french women (south) than city women, and I say confidently that even the suburban french women dresses better than the suburban American women (in my area).
It's not just the weight, but the way they play with basics without being sloppy. Shoes or sandals, not just sneakers, for instance. Most wear jeans throughout the week, just like the American woman, but with capsule tops, scarves, simple accessories that are comfortable yet elegant.
I don't mean to be offensive, it's just my general observation.
It's not just the weight, but the way they play with basics without being sloppy. Shoes or sandals, not just sneakers, for instance. Most wear jeans throughout the week, just like the American woman, but with capsule tops, scarves, simple accessories that are comfortable yet elegant.
I don't mean to be offensive, it's just my general observation.
This thread is making me sad, and I really miss Paris. I was born in french Algeria, France owned Algeria from 1830-1962. Algeria until this day is considered french. The language is widely spoken everywhere, everyone speaks french there. My first language as well was french. We left in 1990 and moved to Germany, my father travelled so much as a petroleum engineer. Anyway, when we lived in Germany, we would drive to France every summer, just to buy almond soap! If anyone is going to france, make sure to buy nut soap! You will not regret it. Funny, when I think of paris, I think of almond soap.
Anyway, back to fashion. (sorry about that) People have always admired my fashion sense. It all makes sense now. It is extremely french. I was just looking at pictures of my mother in her twenties last week, while she is standing at the eifel tower and she was dressed very chic in pencil skirt and heels with a hat. That was back in the 80's. Maybe their fashion doesn't change much? Maybe they don't try to keep up too much with the international trend like the Americans do? We constantly change our style. The french seem to always look the same. Hmm...
Anyway, back to fashion. (sorry about that) People have always admired my fashion sense. It all makes sense now. It is extremely french. I was just looking at pictures of my mother in her twenties last week, while she is standing at the eifel tower and she was dressed very chic in pencil skirt and heels with a hat. That was back in the 80's. Maybe their fashion doesn't change much? Maybe they don't try to keep up too much with the international trend like the Americans do? We constantly change our style. The french seem to always look the same. Hmm...
French copy Americans, too. They love Levi's and Converse. You can't get any more American than that! But leave it to them to make wear something quintessentially American, very French.
But regarding the discussion of difference between the Americans and French, it's not just because we are a fatter nation, we choose to look sloppy or gravitate towards frills or colors.
The American woman's style or lack there of, is deeply rooted in the American way of living.
In terms of physique and eating healthy, food is really cheap in US compared to the rest of the world, and junk food is a lot lot more cheaper than the rest of the world. For example, soda and chips are a lot cheaper here in US than the countries in EU I have visited.
In terms of fashion and options, the existance of multi level malls, and hundreds of stores, makes stores compete a lot in price. I personally have never seen clothing (in general, I don't mean premium designers), so cheap in price (during sales and clearance) in US. There is a lot more sales and discounts at the end of the season here than in EU. This leads to stores having to continuously spit up new designs, new colors, add ruffles, ... BTW, if ruffles are in style, finding a basic top without ruffles would be very hard sometime impossible!!
I am not sure what the statistics are, but in US (and I mean the majority of Americans) we buy a lot more, our closets are bigger, .... Our walk in closets are filled with ill fitting, cheap outfits that we bought at some clearance rack that we are not even sure when we get a chance to wear it, but it was a good value.
We see value different than our EU counterparts. In US a good value resturant is a place that the food portions are big, in EU the value is reasonable price for a innovative culinary experience. In US a good value for clothes, is the cheaper the better, if I can find a coupon to get additional %40 off, even better, it may last me only a month, but who cares, there is going to be more clearanced items next month. But in EU, they truely care for the craftsmanship, fiber content, where the garment was made in, will this design last me a few years or it will look dated in a few months. Afterall they can't afford to buy as much or even if they can, they live in a tiny space with limited closet space.
It's not just the taste of the consumer, economy and culture also plays a big role, too and I see that's getting missed in the arguements most have made so far. Seems like everyone is focused on the difference in the body shape.
But regarding the discussion of difference between the Americans and French, it's not just because we are a fatter nation, we choose to look sloppy or gravitate towards frills or colors.
The American woman's style or lack there of, is deeply rooted in the American way of living.
In terms of physique and eating healthy, food is really cheap in US compared to the rest of the world, and junk food is a lot lot more cheaper than the rest of the world. For example, soda and chips are a lot cheaper here in US than the countries in EU I have visited.
In terms of fashion and options, the existance of multi level malls, and hundreds of stores, makes stores compete a lot in price. I personally have never seen clothing (in general, I don't mean premium designers), so cheap in price (during sales and clearance) in US. There is a lot more sales and discounts at the end of the season here than in EU. This leads to stores having to continuously spit up new designs, new colors, add ruffles, ... BTW, if ruffles are in style, finding a basic top without ruffles would be very hard sometime impossible!!
I am not sure what the statistics are, but in US (and I mean the majority of Americans) we buy a lot more, our closets are bigger, .... Our walk in closets are filled with ill fitting, cheap outfits that we bought at some clearance rack that we are not even sure when we get a chance to wear it, but it was a good value.
We see value different than our EU counterparts. In US a good value resturant is a place that the food portions are big, in EU the value is reasonable price for a innovative culinary experience. In US a good value for clothes, is the cheaper the better, if I can find a coupon to get additional %40 off, even better, it may last me only a month, but who cares, there is going to be more clearanced items next month. But in EU, they truely care for the craftsmanship, fiber content, where the garment was made in, will this design last me a few years or it will look dated in a few months. Afterall they can't afford to buy as much or even if they can, they live in a tiny space with limited closet space.
It's not just the taste of the consumer, economy and culture also plays a big role, too and I see that's getting missed in the arguements most have made so far. Seems like everyone is focused on the difference in the body shape.
I rarely post in the wardrobe forum, but I just have to say that this thread has become amazingly insulting to American women. We have been labelled fat, unhealthy, lazy, candy eaters and soda guzzlers. While of course there are women like this, I'm pretty sure many countries have all kinds of people who fit the same description. Or something equally unflattering. And I'm a 5'9", size 2, yoga practicing, healthy eating, vegetarian, candy loving suburban American housewife. And I can put together an outfit just as well as the Parisian ladies. That won't necessarily fall apart in a month because I had a coupon when I bought it. Sheesh.
I must be living in an alternate reality of this European Union then.
Many women my age (late 20s) have a wardrobe that consists only of Zara, Mango, H&M et. al. I really don't see a big difference there with the US (or other parts of the world).