We just went to Europe for 2 weeks (got back yesterday) and were in Paris for 4 days.
There ARE fat french women. Obesity is definitely not a problem like it is in the US, but there are chubby and occasionally very overweight women.
I saw quite a few French people in white tennis sneakers as well. They wore all kinds of shoes, sneakers, etc.
And in one instance, I was behind two women speaking French - one was slim and wore what you%26#39;d more consider a classic French style, and the other woman was a size 20 or so, and wearing white sneakers.
I had bought shoes for the trip - but ended up wearing my white tennis sneakers through most of our trip. They were comfortable and I never felt out of place.
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hey - im an obese man from the usa - and i plan on wearing sneakers when i get there!
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FYI - just because the %26quot;size 20%26quot; was speaking French doesn%26#39;t mean she IS French... and tourists who do a lot of walking should wear comfortable shoes, whatever color. But it is less remarkable if you can wear black %26#39;sneakers%26#39; instead...and even more %26#39;in tune%26#39; if you wear multi-colored ones.
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Friday I went for a wallk with a Parisian friend, well actually, she has been living here for 20+ yrs, but she is Breton. She is also a size 18 and was wearing white sneakers and a backpack.
The funny thing is that when we%26#39;d walk in to the upscale antiquaires, they were treating her like a foreigner and shouting French, as if maybe that way she%26#39;d understand better... she wasn%26#39;t having a hard time understanding French, but rather, the obscene prices being asked in some of the shops!
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I do believe the woman was French - she looked like she belonged (not like a tourist otherwise).
It%26#39;s funny the whole stereotype thing. The last time I was in Paris, I%26#39;d not heard that you shouldn%26#39;t supposedly wear white sneakers, etc. But you can buy them on the Champs d%26#39;Elysee. French people come in all sizes, shapes...they wear whatever they want to. I saw Levis, white sneakers, etc. I was staying in a home in the 16th arrondisment, surrounded by plenty of locals who lived there - and going into local stores.
The point is - don%26#39;t worry about what you look like or wear. I saw some really crazy, over-the-top outfits too (in both London and England). Some French women have a flair for fashion, some don%26#39;t. There were heavyset women going and coming from work on the metro we took to where we were staying (most Parisian women are thinner than their American counterparts, and I never saw anyone who was over a size 20 or so). I never got treated poorly or like a tourist - I spoke a little French, and nearly everyone treated me wonderfully. Personally, I found Paris the warmest of the cities we visited - even though it was obvious once I opened my mouth, I wasn%26#39;t French. I spent $50 on a pair of shoes before we left, and ended up carting them around Europe. If you usually wear white sneakers, just wear them. I exercise a lot and that is what I pretty much always wear.
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Phread -
Actually, the woman we saw (less than a week ago) was wearing a backpack as well. I just thought it was interesting after all of the ongoing discussion - I am pretty sure she was from there, she looked like she completely belonged.
I just want people to not have to worry about wearing certain clothes or not wearing certain clothes. Or what they look like. When tourists come to Orlando, I don%26#39;t expect them to dress or look any certain way. Just be respectful - learn a few phrases at least, and most French people that I spoke with will speak English (although often they would say they knew %26quot;a little%26quot; - same with Germans - even though their English was quite good).
And while you can%26#39;t really say anything to people in the street, shop owners and employees at a lot of places were extremely friendly - very warm (compared to our stops in London and Munich).
The only things I really didn%26#39;t like were the huckster people at the Eiffel Tower and such trying to shove things they wanted you to buy into your hands. And we did see someone being taken away by the police for trying to steal from a vendor. One guy actually tried putting a rose into my hand - I wonder what would have happened if I%26#39;d just said thank you and walked away with it?
Also, we walked a lot instead of taking the metro. I loved getting to see different parts of the city by foot!
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Nbodyathome:
He can%26#39;t do anything if you walk away with the rose, as it is, by law, a present that was given to you.... but I would not try it!
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So, People are just People everywhere, race and culture aside-they May or May not ~~~~~~~~dress fashionably, act nice, be helpfull, understand you, look at your point of view, or in general be what you expect. I feel we have stumbled on to something here!! Maybe if we all keep this somewhere in mind, tolerence leavels will rise and somehow we can just get along. Love, it! Thanks, nbodyhome
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I agree Moonwisper. I think nbodyhome meant well; it is her topic subject that does not sound right or should I say it stinks!
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Paular2000, I see you%26#39;re relatively new to the forum. Just to give you a bit of background, we%26#39;ve had SO many discussions in the past about shoes (especially white sneakers) and fashion - and body sizes - all in entirely appropriate contexts.
Given the above, nbodyhome%26#39;s comments are not offensive, certainly not to me, anyway.
I understand exactly where she%26#39;s coming from, as when I travelled on the train in the morning rush, I was very surprised to see many sneakers - even really old, dirty and smelly ones! Discussions on this forum had led me to expect that it was mainly the pickpockets who wore sneakers - I tell you, when I got on that train and more than half of the passengers were wearing sneakers, I though %26quot;either I%26#39;m in real trouble here, or I%26#39;d better adjust my thinking!!%26quot;. I chose the latter....
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Sure you can wear what you want. But, be aware that in some places you will not be treated as well if you do not dress well. My freind and I were escorted out of the lobby at the Ritz simply because we had on Niki%26#39;s and blue jeans. It was humiliating to say the least. Came back dressed well the next day and walked into lobby and on into the bar for drinks.
You can%26#39;t board the Bateaux Mooches dinner curise unless you are dressed in formal attire.
It is also a matter of good taste and style. I don%26#39;t care what nationality, or size you are, or for that matter what country you are in there is still no excuse for looking sloppy or unkempt in my opinion.
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