Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the nice reaction to this video! I am very happy to see a comment section filled with constructive, respectful and fun conversations on this topic!
you’re a voice of reason! Great video and lots of clever, wise thoughts. This unrealistic image from social media is just ridiculous. That book is absurd)) especially the guide for how to make your boyfriend think you have a lover - this just can’t be serious 🤦🏻♀️ I’m Armenian from Russia, who lived in the US for 10 years and now in Dubai :) i love your pronunciation and you look great!)
Part of me wished you talked about the stereotype of French people always having lovers and mistresses. Almost every depiction of France or French culture that I see in the media contains this stereotype, and it has always bothered me. I mean, sure, every country has married couples that are unfaithful to each other, but I feel that the media seems to portray this as being a norm and almost expected in France. I would love to hear your take on that.
am French based in the UK and I have been saying for years, fashion houses are using the French habits as a marketing strategy to make us spend more - glad to see other French people see through this!
Well, I'm a french sambista & when I talk to brazillian ppl that I also love roda de samba, they look to me with a kind of "meh, ok boomer". That's me sounding like a brasilian dude saying to us "oh, I love your french bal musette !"
I am married to a Mexican man… I can confirm that he does in fact eat tacos everyday (some sort of entree accompanied by tortillas on the side). It’s not street/restaurant style, but he can and will put anything into a folded tortilla, hence, making it a taco.
I’ve been in Korea so many times, and how I hate when people in the internet act surprised and disappointed that Seoul isn’t a perfectly clean city or that Koreans aren’t as perfect as they have imagined, they create a delulu image then complain that it doesn’t meet reality..
I’m in Paris right now. The Parisians who are nice to Americans tell us they work every day just to afford their rent. They don’t travel but hope to. The cab driver made jokes about how bad the drivers are here. I’ve had two old Parisian women shove me for no reason. Some are very rude to us even though we smile and say Bonjour. The Metro is pretty clean but don’t ride during rush hour, you’ll be packed in like sardines and pushed. The city is huge and spread out. It’s also beautiful, but loud! Sirens all day. Tourists from all over and very, very crowded. Nobody cares what you are wearing. They don’t look at others.
I’m American and one of the funniest things ever to happen to me was when someone asked my husband if he had a French girlfriend, just because I’m a brunette and was wearing bold red lipstick with vaguely vintage-styled clothes. They were dead serious and this actually happened more than once. 😅 So weird. The stereotype is powerful.
I am Mexican and I’ve always been asked if I am French because of my Spanish accent in the US and because I am pale with almost black hair. I’m not trying to look French, I am Mexican born. Which Mexico has its own stereotypes.
I love the recurring mention of "effortless". There are a minority of women who have this aesthetic here in Paris (not the lifestyle as it doesn't exist), it requires a HUGE amount of effort!
In my experience, it's a lot up to your genes. I met an ex-supermodel from India when she was over 60 already... and she was still beautiful. Old, but beautiful no doubt.
@@RonBhattacharya I don't dispute that but I'm talking about the "effortless" Parisienne which involves nude makeup, designer clothes, starvation, laser and botox, manis and pedis...all in the name of fake natural beauty
@@TheTigronette: I can vouch for it that those high-end nail-shine kits available are hard to pass - even as a man! 😆 But yes, being from a design and advertising background, I do see how these glammed-up, modified images in glossy magazines can push teens towards eating disorders and I'm not for it - at all. Because they are just kids... Even if we explain that 'nobody', not even those people in those ads look like that - it gets ingrained in the psyche. Thankfully a few celebrities are now agreeing, with some even insisting that their figures are not modified in any way in visuals. But it's still a long way...
This is so good. During a trip to Paris and Belgium earlier this year, I met 2 sisters that were literally running from town to town to take/post pics in front of recognizable sites. They were rushing to get to the train to spend 2 hours in Brussels before rushing back to Brugges. This made me so sad for them and an entire generation that is now traveling to capture the best images for IG/tik tok. They are really missing out AND causing overtourism, ruining cities and cultures, and accelerating to climate change.
The trans and planes have a schedule and would’ve followed the schedule whether the girls bought tickets or not. How do you know it’s for instagram only and they don’t get to appreciate and keep the memories? Such an entitled snobbish way of looking at other people.
Oh be quiet. You sound sanctimonious. And stop with the nonsense of these 2 women conrtributing to climate change. You've been sold a lie thay the average person does more harm to the planet, when it has - and always will be - big corps doing extreme damage. They make money you don't though, so no one points fingers at them. As an aside, didn't your trip to Paris also contribute to climate change by your thinking? Stop being a hypocrite.
I’m from Russia and i never tried vodka, I’ve lived in Houston Texas for 10 years and I’ve never been to a rodeo (though i think i should’ve gone to one, but definitely not in NRG stadium, something smaller and more authentic))) enjoyed my trips to Austin btw :)
A lot of you tubers pretending to teach parisian style and a lot of middle age women( especially from USA) pretending to learn and be finally chic… oh my god , as italian often i have to say that they have not idea of what classy really is. Espacially the shoes are oh my god , so cheap looking!
@@marilupaternoster7647 You started well, but then this: "as italian often i have to say that they have not idea of what classy really is..." Another stereotype?
Just want to say, as someone who visited Paris for the first time in April, everyone was lovely! I was saved from a pickpocket on my birthday, everyone was very kind about my subpar French, and my husband and I received some wonderful recommendations. Such a beautiful place with genuine people and rich history. Sadly, too many people forget that France isn’t a theme park. It’s a real, functioning country with real people.
As a black woman, born and raised in Paris, guess how much I feel represented by the « true » Parisian/French look 🙄😅 Bravo pour la vidéo, j’ai adoré. Et je suis tellement d’accord avec tout ce que tu as dit. Je suis Parisienne et même moi, je trouve ça dommage de réduire notre beau pays à une seule ville, bien que Paris soit magnifique. Seul critique: ne pas oublier les DOM-TOM qui font eux aussi partie de la France 😊
@@allytrudie864 France doesn’t care about skin color. Or at least most of us don’t. The racists from my country sing another tune, alas. 🙄 Anyway, contrary to what you see in movies and tv shows, the French people has multiple roots: the French come from all shapes, backgrounds and colors. So, it might surprise you but when I walk around in Paris or in France, « I am NOT the different one. » There are multiple skin colors, and I love this. Our commercials are more and more inclusive and you’ll see people from all backgrounds on our media because once again we’re all French. That’s what I’m saying, what this video is explaining: our country is very diversed. Don’t believe us? Come and see for yourself. 😊 I know some people from other countries have the hardest time understanding that idea but this is the French way. If you’re born in France or if at least one of your parent is French, you ARE French, regardless of your external appearance, regardless of your race/ethnicity. In my case, my parents, grand parents, great grand parents, great-great grand parents, their parents and their parents before them were born in the French West Indies which means we’ve been French for generations. I was born and raised in Paris. I am French. 😁
Samantha, I've removed the comments of the people who answered you as it goes against the values of this channel, sorry you had to go through this! I was really happy at the reactions on this video but I was very disappointed by the few people who reacted to your comment. For anyone reading this: French identity is not about looking a certain way (It's literally the point of the video I made) and also, please be polite on the internet!
@@LucileHR Thank you for moderating the comments. 😊 I’ll leave mine. Hopefully it’ll help people to understand that the French people’s diversity is one of its strengths. Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. Vive la France 🇫🇷🎉😊
@@iknow2145 No, I am French in *EVERY* senses. There is not one UNIQUE « French girl » look. This is what LucileHR explains in her video. Or did you miss the entire point? But if after watching her video, and after reading my previous comment, you STILL don’t understand, so I won’t waste my time. A piece of advice, though: try to open up your mind, try to educate yourself, read books, visit foreign countries and see how the *REAL* world truly is. You’ll be shocked to see that the movies and tv shows are just that: fiction. Hope one day you’ll understand.
I’ve been waiting for this video since I’ve been so curious about your thoughts on this! My issue with this stereotype (and ANY stereotype in general), is how it tries to make people believe that the companies and ambassadors profiting off of an aesthetic is “valuing the culture”. No it’s not, it’s promoting a superficial attitude towards a group of people with a set of traditions, beliefs, and values that make up its culture. When I think of a Parisian woman, I think of a woman who’s intentional about what she wears and purchases because France has seasons and most people don’t have the storage space for tons of expensive outfits and skincare products. I think about a woman who works, travels when she can, and has good days and bad days. There’s a charm to a city within a country that influences who you are as a person and the goal of traveling abroad is to learn about what makes a culture unique. I’m of Latin American descendant, and the “hot and spicy Latina stereotype” is similarly as harmful. It usually just results in men saying they want to learn about Latin American culture, when in reality they just want to sit in an expensive resort in Latin America (that locals most likely cannot afford), drink cocktails, and try to pick up a woman that looks like Sophia Vergara 😂
Future Generations will cherish these tiktok artifacts documenting what the outside world was like as they sit in their underground bunkers after climate change.
I am Russian and no, I don't support Putin and his war thank you for the video! as I visited Paris for the first time I was impressed with Parisians! everyone is so beautiful, chic, stylish, I had to integrate at least visually and I liked it! can't wait to come back✨
I'm Indonesian. What I had perceived for years about the French Girl vision was that you've all got that content life--the inner peacefulness, the unbreakable self-esteem, and the sense of pleasure--no matter the chaotic events happening in your life. And obviously we all have always wanted that women's contentedness. Even though it's not true or real, there's that ideal.
Well, I live in Florida and we don't wear flip flops and shorts all the time. It's not always sunny and it gets cold during winter (except Miami but that's another country).
Such a refreshing content! Thank you for sharing this. I’m Brazilian and we don’t have monkeys running around us 🤣 we have wi-fi, we don’t speak Spanish and not everyone can play soccer and dance samba 🤪 I was told on my Fashion channel that Sézane (French brand) was not for Americans (which I’m actually not). 😂 I love the brand and feel great wearing it. I was blown away by the idea that people actually believe that all French women are tall, skinny and look like models. I’m sure there are many, but these exist in the entire world as well as the opposite and just so many other forms of beauty 🌹
You are spot on. I am a California girl ( who lived in France) . I dont have enough time to break down the strange obsession with 'that' woman or 'this' look
London is diverse too. That includes chic and attractive women. But the last two commenters seem part of the disrespecting internet jokers who use stereotypes as standard. Loved the video and your open, honest, and calm way to give the reality check to people who are not aware of the real world and all the beautiful diversity we have in our communities. Merci!
I'm Russian and one of the most popular stereotypes is it is always winter and it is always cold. No!! We do have 4 seasons and hot summers. And we dont drink vodka everyday and bears dont walk on the streets.
Great video! I really dislike the Parisian or French stereotype. You're absolutely right-this is not a good stereotype, but it does make money for a lot of people. There are so many books here in the USA that glorify a mythical Parisian or French lifestyle while putting down our American ways. "Oh, the French do this so much better than we do; they eat this way, they dress that way," when in reality, they’re often describing something that doesn’t exist, like the idea that the French don’t eat in the kitchen, always use fine china, and are very formal. I would love to see a video where you discuss some of those books like Madame Chic, Entre Nous, Forever Chic (I actually like this one), etc. Thanks for a wonderful video!
Oh I love your comment and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun checking your book recommendations! Yes, I don’t like when people use this stereotype as a way to criticize the US too!
Thank you! As an Italian, what you say about selling a way of life rings so true. So many people come to Italy on vacation and believe the "dolce vita" fable...Which as anything, is only true if you have enough money to entertain it. The myth of "Made in Italy" resists strongly, but it is also mostly used to increase sales abroad since the market in Italy has been shrinking forever. Most people under 40 actually struggle to find/keep a job or to earn enough to live on their own. But that is hard to believe when all you (choose to) see on holiday are full restaurants and beautiful palaces. Truth is, someone is not getting paid enough to be a waiter or security is non-existing on building site. Anyway, rant over! Thanks for this interesting video and for sparing me the read of "how to be parisian" which for a brief minute I thought could be an amusing read - wondering what you think of "La Parisienne" by Ines de la Fressange? I sometimes wonder if they all hang out together, Caroline de Maigret, Ines, Jeanne Damas, Charlotte Gainsbourg...
As they say in Italy, "class is not water". You can't buy class and style, no matter what people who want you to spend money on their products are telling you.
Well,...shall we say "only money is not enough to be classy and stylish"?? Cause obviously even if you already have those qualities in you, without "enough" money sometimes you might not look as stylish as you want. I certainly believe that money helps a lot, but definitely not enough on its own.
@@handebarlas6248money cannot buy style or class. It can help, for sure. If I had lots of money I would hire an etiquette teacher, and I would afford to buy all the expensive fabrics I want to make the stylish clothes I love. But class cannot be bought, it is a rigorous, years-long effort by someone who doesn't care to look crass or be uncouth.
Very interesting video. I live in L.A., and even people in the U.S. have stereotyped ideas about L.A. and all of California, and what "we" are like, although it's a huge and diverse state. It can be annoying, but on the other hand, if you live in an iconic city, the myths come with the territory. But it's a good idea to discuss the realities!
Much agreed. As an American who doesn't live in a large city. If you have a southern accent you are from Texas, or if you are "loud and direct" then you must be from New York City, and the laid back "surfer type" must be from LA 😂 . Basically the three stereotypical "Americans" from movies. Yet in reality the US is so crazy big and diverse. Like in square miles it is only slightly smaller than Europe. Comparing train travel since that is way more popular in other countries than America. For me in my small city, getting to LA would take 3 full days via train so I have no clue about LA culture or anything about that part of the same country I live in.
yeah agreed, this sort of happens to all big cities around the world. for better or worse. it's aspirational marketing! the french girl stereotype has def been the trend of the last couple years but honestly the LA and NYC "aesthetic" are always used to sell people on products too... I don't know if i'd say it's "harmful", probably just annoying.
Honestly, as an Indian woman I never understood the obsession with french girl aesthetic, the Italian aesthetic, or the Ralph lauren aesthetic etc etc. they are making money off people who have no individuality. Italy is considered the capital of fashion because everybody has an individual sense of style and it's rooted in their culture, they are inspired by their surroundings, same is true for french women they identify what is their style inspired by their culture. You can't have the same style everywhere. When I think American the typical American aesthetic that comes to mind is good quality jeans, lot of thick plaid, parkas, and converse or boots. That's beautiful in itself and perfect for the country it belongs to. It's great to take inspiration but not become someone else. I love to pick things from different styles that work for my weather and surroundings. The most photographed tribe in the world is Rabaris from Rajasthan and Gujarat and if you search pictures it's men in white with red and colourful turbans against the backdrop of sandunes and desert with sheep, and women in black with colour in embroidery and a lot of mostly silver traditional jewelery. That aesthetic is beautiful and is inspired by the culture of the land, it wouldn't be so beautiful if it was a man dressed in a long wool coat and boots again the backdrop of a desert. I like to wear a lot of Indian textile, mostly traditional textile and embroidery and jewellery. I have very few pieces that can be considered completely western and mostly I combine them with something Indian. If I try to do the stereotypical Parisian style in new delhi against Humayun's tomb or in Jaipur in from of the amer fort I'd look like a fool. But if I'm in a bandhej or leheriya saree or a bagru handblock print outfit it makes a lot more sense for the weather and the aesthetic of my surroundings, and it's inspired by my culture so it's mine and i own it better, everything else just compliments it.
To be honest as much as I get everything you just explained, everything French from beauty or fregrances, fashion etc.. is so fasinating to me. When I tried to follow how French women put their makeup I felt so pretty.
You certainly have a very valid point about all the marketing, and the way overdone stereotype. But I have to say it's kind of funny that you actually have the look, flawless skin, a casual, effortless seeming tastefulness and beauty, plus your so appealing accent, that you are a perfect example of the French women I've often seen on the Metro in Paris. It really is undeniable that it's common to see women there who have an understated calmness, and a style that is casual, but also put together just right. Stereotypes are overdone, but nearly always have an element of truth, and this one is no exception. You are my Exhibit A. Cheers.
@@sunsetsam33 I'm not sorry I don't see the so called 'Parisian girl',I didn't see her when I was in Paris either. I'm sorry you and those that liked you do,though. You are such a poor souls :(
I can't say you're wrong about Lucille, but I lived in France for a year and have visited Paris several times over the years and I definitely didn't see anyone that gorgeous in the Metro. Where I went to university, in Angers, the girls were mostly a bit pasty and all wore brown lipstick which didn't suit their complexion. I knew two gorgeous women, a bit older than I was, who were always beautiful and elegant, but I also knew a frumpy housewife who wore housedresses and aprons and her hair looked just like my grandmother's. Also, yes, different styles in different regions. There may be an overall French aesthetic to some extent, as in any country, if only because of culture, language, products available and watching the same movies and so on, but the world is changing fast and information (and products) are spreading everywhere. Although, as the author pointed out, with a generous amount of stereotyping and bias!
@@carolesmall-diop2333 I've only spent several months in Paris combined over the years, including 2 months one summer taking a class at the Sorbonne, and traveled a bit around France. So my experience is limited, but for me it's genuine, and I've traveled a lot around the world. In Paris specifically I have often seen women/girls with a striking sense of composed, natural, fashion sense. Not showy, or too made up, casual not dressy, not always beautiful but attractive with a flattering fit and style, and a calm confidence. Lucile is a perfect example. Of course, not everyone, but it stopped surprising me that there was at least one who stood out in my Metro car or standing on the platform. Google "Paris street girls" images and you'll see what I mean. It includes some ads and models, but also numerous examples of what I'm describing. I also noticed away from Paris the same wasn't nearly so prevalent. But you see obvious gorgeous fashion models on the street in NY and rarely in other parts of the US, so not surprising that Paris may be unique. For me there is some truth to the image.
It’s funny that you mentioned Sabrina Socol because in many ways Romanian girls are similar, we are way less “casual” than other women, girls usually dress up to go to the grocery store, we don’t go in our PJs in public. We’re not that much into PDA though, imo it’s tacky. But as I commented before, we have other negative stereotypes which are much worse (“easy” and goldiggers) than “standard Parisian girl”, miss Socol is somewhat lucky to be the standard Parisienne rather than Romanian.
@@LucileHR I think I watched you and Bobby having street food in Romania a while ago🙂 I’m not sure the “Parisienne” stereotype is that bad, to me it means a girl who is efortlessly chic and looks kinda like yourself. Of course not everyone looks like on instagram but everyone’s appearance is exaggerated there. It’s refreshing even, to see girls w/o so many “enhancements”. I guess the bad part is the pressure put on all of you French ladies to look like the IG or “Emily in Paris” people but tbh that pressure related to looks is the same everywhere (unless you choose to ignore it like I do😁)
As a brunette, American woman who was named after Brigitte Bardot, I think what you’re reacting to is the cut throat pressure there is on the working class in America to fight their way into the rich, upper class. This depressing root goes all the way back to the agricultural and Industrial Revolutions near the end of the 18th century in England, where certain religious perspectives as the prosperity gospels started to take root and are now pervasive here, emphasizing wealth and status as a sign of good faith and moral character. You’re probably rejecting it because there may be more financial equality in France than America these days, and you’re not wanting to replace your culture which gives you more personal choice and freedom for one that seems fake and misogynistic. Thank you for your take on this and for your free thinking video.
My family is in Bordeaux, Lac de la Croix, Marseille and always had apartment in Paris. They do not care about the stereotype. I will say the older generation sure did smoke 😅.
Yep, the whole notion that God shows his favor in this life through material "blessings" was a formative notion in this country from the earliest days. Even now, with God mostly out of the picture the notion that wealth naturally flows toward the most deserving is as pervasive as ever. It's then almost inevitable to believe the flip side of that reasoning --if wealth is a reward for virtue then poverty is a punishment. The poor have done something, or at the very least failed to do something, that makes their poverty their fault.
"To use the concept of "deserving" is to suggest that the universe is innately just". And we know it's not the case. Why would have the politicians at the beginning of the twentieth century decide to forbide the companies'trusts in the US? Because the more you're rich, the more you're rich. Wealth and power work together and so the laws are made more and more for the wealthiest people except if some counter-powers are built to prevent "the conquest of people's lives" by the wealthiest. France is a rich country where social differences are not as largely deep as the US but for the twenty last years we follow the way of "deserving ideology". Today you can't rent a flat as a temporary worker. The more you're in the need, the more you're in the need... If you work with the lowest salary and have children, you're life is just "surviving". The politicians created a new worker status "auto-entrepreneur" in which you're are you're own boss, but have to pay a lot of charges and don't have any security if you become hill or do not have new clients. The big companies pay less taxes than a small "auto-entrepreneur". The power of "you have what you deserve" became true in France too. And life is hard for many of us. The more you're poor, the more you're poor... Many people don't want to open their eyes because they are wealthy, but life in France is hard. In the countryside they are no doctors anymore, no dentists,... Our country lost all his powers and solidarities... I like this sentence of the Bible: "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God" Egoism is the ugliest way of being and living.
I've been living in Germany for 8 years, and every time I've either gone to Paris or met French people, I've been so impressed with how cool, friendly, helpful and kind they are. Every single person was just so relaxed and real, and made me wish I had picked France to move to instead.
There was quite a big scandal in Hungary recently - the government-owned Hungarian Tourism Agency was paying a lot of (public) money to invite influencers to attend all sorts of glamorous events in Budapest and produce content about it. Fantastic parties on the roof of Buda Castle, cruises on the Danube, relaxing in the famous spas and much more. All the clichés you can imagine. But many of the videos refer to the place only as Europe, somehow "Budapest" is left out... Meanwhile our hospitals are in scandalous condition, inflation is sky high and we have the highest VAT on all products in the country. Sure, Budapest and Hungary can be beautiful but it's not just black and white. Stereotyping a city can be just as damaging as you point out, I think.
Thank you for that insight. That sounds to me that the govt wants to hide the dark parts of their country and drive attention away from the corruption.
This is a great video - thank you! I think in the end we are all pretty similar. Feeling beautiful can be seem difficult, but what it really takes is self awareness, highlighting our unique/positive features (both physical and other), BEING REAL, HUMAN, KIND - being a human, and being female, has its challenges! Perhaps the one French stereotype (in my mind) that Is valuable is - be yourself and give other people grace to be themselves - being genuine is the most beautiful thing!
I studied in France for 6 months for an exchange program. French professors and classmates were so different from what I expected. They are friendly, hardworking, kind and easy to talk to.(so different from what Emily in Paris portrayed French people) I also cannot speak French but most people there were so patient and tried so hard to communicate with me. I am so grateful really.
Burton is better than Patagonia. I live in SoHo NYC so the two above stores I just mentioned are across the street from one another and Burton is classier.
Vidéo très intéressante et captivante, et je suis content que tu abordes cette problématique et luttes contre ces idées reçues. Je m'y suis abonné ! D'ailleurs, ton anglais est absolument excellent ! Tu devrais en être fière. Je n'ai constaté aucune faute, ni de tournure bizarre. Chapeau.
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been annoyed by this stereotype for a while even though I am not French. What I do get about it is that we all want dreams and stories that inspire us, that guide us and make our lives more poetic. The best bet is to make up your own fantastic story because if you don’t the marketers of the world will fill that void and you’ll end up lots of things you don’t need.
There is an another stereotype distrubing me, when the foreign tourist visit Budapest they think its Hungary, but not. There are nice architecture in Bp but the other cities are more clean, colourfull and floral.
Thank you very much for your posting! I agree with you that some stereotypes are made by movie, drama, social media (for example beret, baguette, croissant, wine) I'm Japanese but I don't eat sushi everyday🍣😂(for example, rice, bread, ramen, soba-noodle, udon-noodle, curry, sandwich, hamburger, pizza, pasta)
Thanks for this video. It touched on all the stereotypical aspects of Parisian women who have to somehow represent all of France which is not always the case. When I first was exposed to French culture it was through the language program French in action. And the main character Mireille was just a regular girl and her sister was hilarious. Besides helping me with the language it gave me a glimpse of the varied people of Paris. Watching Eric Rohmer movies helped me to see the a typical French woman. Somehow, pinterest conflate and made us believe there is a homogeneous parisian gamine that represents the whole of France and that's not true. And thanks for pointing out the French diaspora. What about women from Martinque and the other colonies...are they not embodying the aspects of French culture and style?
Hi Lucile, I really enjoyed this one! It seems like people are always chasing after something that either doesn’t exist or is not attainable. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Such great thoughts.
I' m Polish. I don' t drink vodka everyday, not everybody like "pierogi" and not every Pole is a "car thief". But yes, i have blond hair & blue eyes ;)
I tried Parisian aesthetic, it was actually quite difficult. It is not easily attainable nor convenient in real life. I feel so much better after this video.
I’m of Korean descent and there is something strongly familiar to me in French culture. I used French skincare brands for years and I chose France as my study abroad country in order to fully immerse myself and seriously party in the budding electro club scene 20 years ago. And still today, no music hits me like French Touch does. Before I went, I didn’t care too much for French culture but fell in LOVE with France and love French anything! I was amazed by the fresh aesthetics of everyday people. I live in California so it was truly different. I hope to visit again soon!! I have so much love for France!
I am from Georgia (USA), yes, we are educated. No, not everyone has a deep, Hollywood Southern accent (actually, in the Atlanta area, the Southern accent is dying out due to the diverse cultures that exist.. African, American, Filipino, Chinese, Latin, etc)
you’re a voice of reason! Great video and lots of clever, wise thoughts. This unrealistic image from social media is just ridiculous. That book is absurd)) especially the guide for how to make your boyfriend think you have a lover - this just can’t be serious 🤦🏻♀️ I’m Armenian from Russia, who lived in the US for 10 years and now in Dubai :) i love your pronunciation and you look great!)
This! I’m German. We don’t wear traditional Bavarian Trachten in our everyday life. We don’t show our spilling cleavage every single day. I’m from the Northeast - where other traditional clothing is worn, but no one knows about. Ugh.
OMG I just discovered your channel and I am so happy about it. I started learning French recently after I had an absolutely fantastic roundtrip in South France, mainly Occitanie, so to get myself absorbed in the culture I was trying to search for videos, but most of them were all about Paris and exactly representing this stereotype! I got even discouraged as in wow, this is crazy and much less sympathetic then I felt when I actually visited. Your video is so useful actually showing foreigners who might be interested in the culture or language to what actually is like to live in France and Paris!
I went to France (Normandy) in May and got lots of comments before I went about what I planned to wear because "you don't want to look scruffy around all those French girls". Firstly, I don't ever do scruffy unless I'm gardening or painting! Secondly, although clothes shopping was fun there was plenty of overlap with the styles back home in the UK. I find the stereotype of rudeness to be ridiculous as most people I interacted with were friendly and polite, we all made the effort to communicate in French (even my husband who got told to quit by his teacher in school) and just behaved in a decent way, generally that gets respect back regardless of where you go.
A bit of topic but you should really trie a restaurant Thai market close to the louvre it’s probably the best restaurant I have ever tried love from Belgium 🇧🇪 😊👐
gosh, I agree with you. I have had people tell me things like "I really did not expect tthis from a French girl" (regarding orange trousers I love) and the tone was very disapproving. And yes, many of us have foeign born parents!!
thank you again for the thoughtful video, What I think is harmful with this stereotype, is that it is so narrow. The stereotype fails to show the diversity and cultural depth of women who live in Paris, I have Parisien friends who are French but have Morrocan, Algerian, Jewish and Asian background. Paris is a modern beautiful complicated city with a rich history and unique influences. Also, If I see one more post of Café De Flore I'll vomit in my espresso, there are so many places to go and actually hang out with Parisians, just a few blocks away is my favourite, La Pallete in Saint Germain.
Lucile, thank you for the wonderful video! ❤ Honestly, I think everyone dreams of having a perfect appearance without effort, spending their days doing only their favorite things, and being very rich. I also like this fictional Parisian style, to be completely honest. I don’t think I’m against romanticizing the Parisian. I’m against overconsumption. Overconsumption is any quickly changing aesthetic, be it Parisian, or "it girl", "clean girl", etc. If a person has found their long-term style and sincerely fell in love with Paris, I will not judge them. ❤
I grown up and found that my style of make up and fashion is very "Parisiene vibe" but I have no idea and I never know anything about Parisiene or French girl vibe. I'm a Asian girl I look nothing like French girl and I've never been in French but looking at the Instagram photos and Pinterest, I quite surprise seeing my style and my makeup is similar to the French chic style 😮. I think it's a beautiful aesthetic just like the coquette, ballerina or dark feminine, femme fatale vibe, of course to follow a style we have to spend money on items. By the way I really like this video and your vibe, you are very beautiful and well talked lady.
I loved this so much! Thank you Lucile, I am hoping to move to Paris for a study exchange and this has helped me understand Parisian society a little bit more, to a deeper level
The French Girl stereotype is perhaps the child of the hollywood 1950’s-60’s ideas of what ‘French’ is and the evolution and integration of aesthetics that appeared on tumbler when it was at it’s height of popularity. As a half-french female born and living in Australia I have often wandered what it means to be french and reflected on and reflected upon the french culture and elements of it. It seems that I would return to the French Girl aesthetic too often without even realising I was getting sucked into an idealised creation. This video made it clear how ingrained it had become for me. It’s true that the French can be more intellectual, it’s true that a great way to meet up with friends is around a restaurant table or out the front of cafes, it’s true that there is an emphasis on quality garments that withstand the passing of trends. But it’s also true that many French people are becoming more aware of the dangers of smoking and many are never starting. I thoroughly enjoyed this video thank you so much for starting this conversation!
Oh my goodness, it’s also the child of the literary movement of Americans in Paris (and Europe) and French film stars of the 60’s like it said in the video… haha there are probably others too. Again awesome work here, it was super informative and illuminating!
Thank you for your perspective on this subject. For years I dreamed of going to France, specifically Paris, and was finally able to go last year. I fell in love with it even more after that and I didn't think that was even possible. As I've studied history from about 500 years or so ago up until today, you can see how this obsession with France has been going for centuries. France has been the "standard" for fashion, hair, etc for some people in certain places of the world. There have been stereotypes for years, even when Queen Anne Boleyn went off to serve in the French court and return to England. She was heavily influenced, obviously, and people were influenced by these things she adopted into her daily life.
The thing about French women or Parisian chic is simply a style and has nothing to do with the people who live there. I often go to France and have been to Paris several times. The people there are as diverse as in the rest of Europe. And the big Parisian fashion houses don't represent this style either. I'm a customer of one myself. That's not possible because they're designer brands and so they have to be innovative. Then these brands would get stuck, which they don't want, and they'd quickly be off the international stage and bankrupt. So the cliché about Parisian women is nonsense. And Paris is very diverse culturally, ethnically, religiously and socially, so the cliché is nonsense.
Today I saw your video on my sidebar about why French people are thin and just seeing the preview I thought you were a Latin American youtuber talking about this, you didn't look like the French idealization of women that I have installed, then my main page recommended this video to me, and now I understand everything. Wow! Thanks! (Hello from a Latin American country :))
Thb, I don't like stereotypes at all. They can give people a curated view on a person, which can make people disappointed when it turns out thf we're not as they expect
I completely agree, but started learning french as a kid and have been to France 14 times. I just try to find places where English isn't spoken so I can learn about the culture. The stereotypes are very annoying. Especially when my American friends say the french are rude, but dont realize THEY are being rude and borderline cliché.
I don’t follow fashion too closely, but several years ago I gained some weight rather quickly and needed a whole new wardrobe. I found a “French Minimalist” capsule wardrobe and loved the promise that if I bought quality, basic pieces (which I did) that they would never go out-of-style. Well…. They did. 😂 I’ve been feeling really down - less than - as I’ve been trying to refresh my wardrobe. Thank you for a refreshingly honest look at the hype.
I really enjoy your videos. Being French vs "looking French"...so interesting. I have spent a lot of time in France & I have had all sorts of experiences. I had a hairdresser tell me she thought I should go back to the US because I am really not French (I speak French.) I once encountered a leading politician from Le Front National who spent our entire time together lecturing me about France being only for the "historically" French. I suppose he meant no immigrants, even if that meant your parents or your grandparents were not born in France. There are cultural differences which distinguish the French but they are not genetic. They are learned much the way if one is from the South in the US there are distinct "learned" behaviors (Y'all) (only qualifying as a "real" southerner if your family lived in the South prior to the War Between the States) that are a part of living there. To me it is important to apprciate the differences & to emulate the ones that improve the quality of your life--slowing down, putting people first (family, friends) over employment & employers, expanding culinary experiences, i.e. une assiette de fruits de mer vs a Big Mac. Taking time to actually experience your food instead of swallowing it quickly on the go. La Politesse which is a way to let others know they have value when all is said & done. Less dramatic make-up, which lets others see a bit more of the authentic you as opposed to not being recognizable after you wash your face before bed.
Oh I totally get what you mean. I'm reminded of the resurgence of the 90s TV show Friends and how it misled everyone into thinking what life in New York City is like. I grew up here and as I'm sure you know from your own experience living here, literally nothing in that show resembles the city at all (except for the exterior shots). So many people have moved here with that show in mind, only to be disappointed at the reality. 😮💨
When i went to Paris in February, i was amazingly amazed by a building with many plants on it. I’m coming from a country named Romania who is in the eastern europe and we don’t have so many pretty buildings. Anyways i was in love with the architecture and how respectful french people were. Once you go there, you realise how unique everyone is.
I don't think french person can make objective video about this subject after watching many. But person who lived at least 8 years in France and has lot of french friends and partner can be in my opinion more objective. I've lived in France for 20 years my husband and friends are french. But working with french people daily in business for me: they do not realize certain things about themselves. Yes french in general have way too many pause cafés in comparison to other countries. So yes you go to café way too many times in one day or café machine at least. 😂 I've realized how France and french woman is so elegant once I moved out of France and lived in 8 other countries each time at least 3-8 years. Doesnt matter that you dont dress like Caroline de Maigret etc. You have elegance and sophistication in your blood you will just dress better overall compared to women in many countries if you send them to shop. You are thought to have these skin care routines, your hairstyles cuts are made to look good even without blow-dry. That's not the case for british, german or eastern central Europe. Here you go to hairdresser and you end up with lots of spray. It looks good and way too intricate 24 h then its just like broomstick rest of the week and doesnt look nice. British haircuts have been explained to me by hairdresser who lived in few countries and said british haircut is made to look wow same day. French haircuts last and look good for 8 days even with couple of dry shampoos. Your make ups are created to be fast like 10 minutes. Etc etc thats what effortless means to me. In other countries hair makeup dressing up takes really long time and as You are not from those countries you cannot grasp it. I'm German and Eastern European and I grew up with that complicated routine here. So I can appreciate effortless and short efficient preparation period of French women with hair, make up and clothes. I have never had such beautiful hair, skin and never got so many compliments as when I lived in France and traveled home or elsewhere. You have better quality water, better quality of food. And 5 fruits and vegetables campaign per day ingrained in your head. We other countries don't. That already makes your hair and skin more beautiful and your Mediterranean way of eating more healthier and skinnier. As therapist no french girl esthetic is not harmful it teaches other countries girls to eat healthier to take better care of their hair, body and skin so it looks healthier. And clothes make them more elegant feminine and sophisticated. So more good then harm in my personal opinion as therapist and nutritionist. And what about That everyone has same instagram photos? Thats the case for every travel destination these days. So blame social media. Everyone wants to belong and rassemble masses. Just Let them! 😉 Sterotypes unfortunately sell even I had to adjust and begrudgingly had to stick eiffel tower, baguette, french markets and french girls in ballerina on bikes etc.. in our épicerie bistro café because thats what sells and people come. Otherwise I wont make any money to survive at all. Without those stereotypes people refuse to try it and buy it at 99% refusal rate. People try what is familiar thats how brain works. So if I want to educate people eat healthier here which is my goal I will use every french stereotype available as nutritionist. If my people can finally get healthier, skinnier and have nice hair and skin. We tried for one year doing without it. And it did not work even with great advertising agencies. Many french tried in 25 years to open budiness to sell french food and most of them had to close because french reputation without any stereotype or teaching people was not enough. They all waited with I have great product that should be enough. It never worked for them. Only french people who married partner from around here had a success, because they finally understood and had to adapt to the market. Hope that helps you to understand. Have a good day. 😊
Thank you for your perspective in this video. I was in Paris this summer (pre-olympics) and I was surprised at the amount of graffiti on the streets. I confess I do like an idyllic, picturesque perspective, which isn’t indicative of a true international living city. While there was a lot to see that is beautiful, Paris, like any other city, does have a diverse population. I caught a pickpocket trying to get my husband’s wallet on the metro. I punched her in the arm and she sheepishly wandered away into the crowd. It was disenchanting. Still, Montmarte was particularly lovely and we had some amazing meals - one at Boullion thanks to one of your videos!
I visited Paris only once and I was there only few days but everything I can remember from this trip (about like living in this city, not infrastructure and monument, because they are pretty) id that there is a huge mess, and people are really mean. To be honest when I think about France first thing that comes to my mind is "mean people"
I really had a blast watching this video. The classy thing would be eating croissants all day while staying skinny. I love your videos because they have a fresh tone, and I absolutely enjoy the professional vibe while still showing such an excellent naturalness.
Tellement intéressante ta vidéo, c'est des réflexions que je me suis aussi faite en voyageant et en vivant à l'étranger. Tu as dû aussi l'expérimenter, mais tout le monde va te trouver chic parce que tu leur dis que tu es française. Et c'est la même chose pour la gastronomie, je pouvais trouver des produits surgelés "à la française" alors que ce n'était pas du tout un plat français. Ils capitalisent sur une image bien ancienne de la France romantisée et popularisée par les films d'auteurs en noir & blanc...
"Russians love money" Since 2002 I've been listening for this phrase in France (Франция 🇨🇵) "Russian girls adore money and rich men". Rather nice face, height 1m78, svelte, i have my job, no car, self-made and free ❤
It’s funny cause I dress how Japanese interpret French style. I call it kawaii French chic. It’s more doll like than actual street style but I love it.
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the nice reaction to this video! I am very happy to see a comment section filled with constructive, respectful and fun conversations on this topic!
Hi)in 9:30 min is my wife)she is Russian)))
you’re a voice of reason! Great video and lots of clever, wise thoughts. This unrealistic image from social media is just ridiculous. That book is absurd)) especially the guide for how to make your boyfriend think you have a lover - this just can’t be serious 🤦🏻♀️ I’m Armenian from Russia, who lived in the US for 10 years and now in Dubai :) i love your pronunciation and you look great!)
It did exist before every city became a carbon copy of each other. Nothing is special or unique anymore.
Part of me wished you talked about the stereotype of French people always having lovers and mistresses. Almost every depiction of France or French culture that I see in the media contains this stereotype, and it has always bothered me. I mean, sure, every country has married couples that are unfaithful to each other, but I feel that the media seems to portray this as being a norm and almost expected in France. I would love to hear your take on that.
am French based in the UK and I have been saying for years, fashion houses are using the French habits as a marketing strategy to make us spend more - glad to see other French people see through this!
I’m Brazilian and I don’t know how to samba 🤭
But for sure you shower everyday right???? This is the stereotype I think it is the most true about Brazilians! We shower everyday
Well, I'm a french sambista & when I talk to brazillian ppl that I also love roda de samba, they look to me with a kind of "meh, ok boomer".
That's me sounding like a brasilian dude saying to us "oh, I love your french bal musette !"
What about capoeira.
@@evelicI'm Brazilian and nope haha
😮 disappointing for me, but I’m Mexican and I don’t dance very well cumbia or salsa
I’m Mexican…. I don’t eat tacos everyday.
Bueno un poco sí, pero le tuve que bajar :( chale
I am married to a Mexican man… I can confirm that he does in fact eat tacos everyday (some sort of entree accompanied by tortillas on the side). It’s not street/restaurant style, but he can and will put anything into a folded tortilla, hence, making it a taco.
I am Italian...and I admit I eat pasta every day 😅
Besotes amiga Mexicana
why not
Yes we do tf
Thank you for speaking out. I am Korean, but I don’t own a Kimchi refrigerator. 😂
I’ve been in Korea so many times, and how I hate when people in the internet act surprised and disappointed that Seoul isn’t a perfectly clean city or that Koreans aren’t as perfect as they have imagined, they create a delulu image then complain that it doesn’t meet reality..
But your mom or you grandma does and bring to you, be honest 😂
Ps: I'm just joking, and I love kimchi, I wish I had a refrigerator just full of it ❤
And you don't play Squid games everyday?
@@bailahie4235, I didn’t and I don’t. 😊. I only lived in South Korea very short time.
I'm Australian. We don't ride kangaroos 😂
What? I am very dissapointed to get to learn this 😭😅...
@@susannesonnenschein2878 me too hahaha
I’d no idea. Here in Wales we have over three sheep per person as everyone imagines
Quel dommage 😢!@@susannesonnenschein2878
you get kicked by them instead..😈
I’m in Paris right now. The Parisians who are nice to Americans tell us they work every day just to afford their rent. They don’t travel but hope to. The cab driver made jokes about how bad the drivers are here. I’ve had two old Parisian women shove me for no reason. Some are very rude to us even though we smile and say Bonjour. The Metro is pretty clean but don’t ride during rush hour, you’ll be packed in like sardines and pushed. The city is huge and spread out. It’s also beautiful, but loud! Sirens all day. Tourists from all over and very, very crowded. Nobody cares what you are wearing. They don’t look at others.
(Big Sigh!)…Thank you.☺️🙏🎉
In europe you dont salute unknown people
@@ajmosutra7667 Exactly. Especially not in that American forced and fabricated way
@@ajmosutra7667 which country are you referring to?
@@Fiorellandia Croatia
I’m American and one of the funniest things ever to happen to me was when someone asked my husband if he had a French girlfriend, just because I’m a brunette and was wearing bold red lipstick with vaguely vintage-styled clothes. They were dead serious and this actually happened more than once. 😅 So weird. The stereotype is powerful.
I am Mexican and I’ve always been asked if I am French because of my Spanish accent in the US and because I am pale with almost black hair. I’m not trying to look French, I am Mexican born. Which Mexico has its own stereotypes.
I love the recurring mention of "effortless". There are a minority of women who have this aesthetic here in Paris (not the lifestyle as it doesn't exist), it requires a HUGE amount of effort!
yeah
but looks good
In my experience, it's a lot up to your genes. I met an ex-supermodel from India when she was over 60 already... and she was still beautiful. Old, but beautiful no doubt.
@@RonBhattacharya I don't dispute that but I'm talking about the "effortless" Parisienne which involves nude makeup, designer clothes, starvation, laser and botox, manis and pedis...all in the name of fake natural beauty
@@TheTigronette: I can vouch for it that those high-end nail-shine kits available are hard to pass - even as a man! 😆
But yes, being from a design and advertising background, I do see how these glammed-up, modified images in glossy magazines can push teens towards eating disorders and I'm not for it - at all. Because they are just kids... Even if we explain that 'nobody', not even those people in those ads look like that - it gets ingrained in the psyche.
Thankfully a few celebrities are now agreeing, with some even insisting that their figures are not modified in any way in visuals. But it's still a long way...
As a non-skinny, non-smoking Parisian with 2 foreign parents, a heartfelt merci, Lucile, for such an insightful, articulate video!
This is so good. During a trip to Paris and Belgium earlier this year, I met 2 sisters that were literally running from town to town to take/post pics in front of recognizable sites. They were rushing to get to the train to spend 2 hours in Brussels before rushing back to Brugges. This made me so sad for them and an entire generation that is now traveling to capture the best images for IG/tik tok. They are really missing out AND causing overtourism, ruining cities and cultures, and accelerating to climate change.
Travelling abroad for Instagram be like😢😢😢😢😢😢
And not learning or appreciating history.
They are lost.
The trans and planes have a schedule and would’ve followed the schedule whether the girls bought tickets or not. How do you know it’s for instagram only and they don’t get to appreciate and keep the memories? Such an entitled snobbish way of looking at other people.
Oh be quiet. You sound sanctimonious. And stop with the nonsense of these 2 women conrtributing to climate change. You've been sold a lie thay the average person does more harm to the planet, when it has - and always will be - big corps doing extreme damage. They make money you don't though, so no one points fingers at them. As an aside, didn't your trip to Paris also contribute to climate change by your thinking? Stop being a hypocrite.
Y’aura tjs des cons partout. C’est pas la faute de TikTok ni d’Emily in Paris
I live in Austin Texas and I own a pair of cowboy boots I’ve worn twice in the past 35 years .
I’m from Russia and i never tried vodka, I’ve lived in Houston Texas for 10 years and I’ve never been to a rodeo (though i think i should’ve gone to one, but definitely not in NRG stadium, something smaller and more authentic))) enjoyed my trips to Austin btw :)
What?
I'm a German and I wear my Dirndl all days ! 😅😅😅
@@karina.kagramanovavodka tastes like shit, you're not missing anything
Did you have a dog in you're pick up truck ?
😂
There are a lot of people making a fortune from this stereotype
So true!
A lot of you tubers pretending to teach parisian style and a lot of middle age women( especially from USA) pretending to learn and be finally chic… oh my god , as italian often i have to say that they have not idea of what classy really is. Espacially the shoes are oh my god , so cheap looking!
@@marilupaternoster7647 You started well, but then this: "as italian often i have to say that they have not idea of what classy really is..." Another stereotype?
Yup
@@marilupaternoster7647who are you talking about? Anyone in particular? Do tell....
Just want to say, as someone who visited Paris for the first time in April, everyone was lovely! I was saved from a pickpocket on my birthday, everyone was very kind about my subpar French, and my husband and I received some wonderful recommendations. Such a beautiful place with genuine people and rich history.
Sadly, too many people forget that France isn’t a theme park. It’s a real, functioning country with real people.
As one of their neighbors, the "functioning" part is very debatable.
Paris is oppressive, ugly and gray, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.
As a black woman, born and raised in Paris, guess how much I feel represented by the « true » Parisian/French look 🙄😅
Bravo pour la vidéo, j’ai adoré. Et je suis tellement d’accord avec tout ce que tu as dit. Je suis Parisienne et même moi, je trouve ça dommage de réduire notre beau pays à une seule ville, bien que Paris soit magnifique.
Seul critique: ne pas oublier les DOM-TOM qui font eux aussi partie de la France 😊
@@marteumar8429 You’re joking. Right?
@@allytrudie864 France doesn’t care about skin color. Or at least most of us don’t. The racists from my country sing another tune, alas. 🙄
Anyway, contrary to what you see in movies and tv shows, the French people has multiple roots: the French come from all shapes, backgrounds and colors. So, it might surprise you but when I walk around in Paris or in France, « I am NOT the different one. » There are multiple skin colors, and I love this. Our commercials are more and more inclusive and you’ll see people from all backgrounds on our media because once again we’re all French.
That’s what I’m saying, what this video is explaining: our country is very diversed. Don’t believe us? Come and see for yourself. 😊
I know some people from other countries have the hardest time understanding that idea but this is the French way. If you’re born in France or if at least one of your parent is French, you ARE French, regardless of your external appearance, regardless of your race/ethnicity.
In my case, my parents, grand parents, great grand parents, great-great grand parents, their parents and their parents before them were born in the French West Indies which means we’ve been French for generations. I was born and raised in Paris. I am French. 😁
Samantha, I've removed the comments of the people who answered you as it goes against the values of this channel, sorry you had to go through this! I was really happy at the reactions on this video but I was very disappointed by the few people who reacted to your comment.
For anyone reading this: French identity is not about looking a certain way (It's literally the point of the video I made) and also, please be polite on the internet!
@@LucileHR Thank you for moderating the comments. 😊
I’ll leave mine. Hopefully it’ll help people to understand that the French people’s diversity is one of its strengths.
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. Vive la France 🇫🇷🎉😊
@@iknow2145 No, I am French in *EVERY* senses. There is not one UNIQUE « French girl » look. This is what LucileHR explains in her video. Or did you miss the entire point?
But if after watching her video, and after reading my previous comment, you STILL don’t understand, so I won’t waste my time.
A piece of advice, though: try to open up your mind, try to educate yourself, read books, visit foreign countries and see how the *REAL* world truly is. You’ll be shocked to see that the movies and tv shows are just that: fiction.
Hope one day you’ll understand.
I’ve been waiting for this video since I’ve been so curious about your thoughts on this! My issue with this stereotype (and ANY stereotype in general), is how it tries to make people believe that the companies and ambassadors profiting off of an aesthetic is “valuing the culture”. No it’s not, it’s promoting a superficial attitude towards a group of people with a set of traditions, beliefs, and values that make up its culture. When I think of a Parisian woman, I think of a woman who’s intentional about what she wears and purchases because France has seasons and most people don’t have the storage space for tons of expensive outfits and skincare products. I think about a woman who works, travels when she can, and has good days and bad days. There’s a charm to a city within a country that influences who you are as a person and the goal of traveling abroad is to learn about what makes a culture unique. I’m of Latin American descendant, and the “hot and spicy Latina stereotype” is similarly as harmful. It usually just results in men saying they want to learn about Latin American culture, when in reality they just want to sit in an expensive resort in Latin America (that locals most likely cannot afford), drink cocktails, and try to pick up a woman that looks like Sophia Vergara 😂
Loved reading your comment and your experience! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!!
Future Generations will cherish these tiktok artifacts documenting what the outside world was like as they sit in their underground bunkers after climate change.
Having living in France for 2 years, it’s not a stretch to say women in France are often very fashionable though!!! 😅
I am Russian and no, I don't support Putin and his war
thank you for the video! as I visited Paris for the first time I was impressed with Parisians! everyone is so beautiful, chic, stylish, I had to integrate at least visually and I liked it! can't wait to come back✨
No one expects you to, it's more about a bear and balalika
have you stopped drinking vodka in the morning? :)
I'm Indonesian. What I had perceived for years about the French Girl vision was that you've all got that content life--the inner peacefulness, the unbreakable self-esteem, and the sense of pleasure--no matter the chaotic events happening in your life. And obviously we all have always wanted that women's contentedness. Even though it's not true or real, there's that ideal.
You can be the Jakarta Girl 😂. Whether it floods or not, you are still who you are 😂😂😂
@@migspeditionomg not the floods😭. Monsoon season is so brutal, there's always news about flooding and destroyed property, I hope yall are doing ok.
Self Pleasure!?!?! Are you talking about flicking the bean?
I Live in Los Angeles California and we do not spend our days at the beach in perfectly warm sunny weather. Just kidding, we do.
Well, I live in Florida and we don't wear flip flops and shorts all the time. It's not always sunny and it gets cold during winter (except Miami but that's another country).
But do you always wear cut off jeans and a bikini top? Lol
@@christinecho779 That's a good one. LOL
I don't but the gurls do =)
Haha, lucky you. Would love to visit LA. More than New York, in fact.
Such a refreshing content! Thank you for sharing this. I’m Brazilian and we don’t have monkeys running around us 🤣 we have wi-fi, we don’t speak Spanish and not everyone can play soccer and dance samba 🤪
I was told on my Fashion channel that Sézane (French brand) was not for Americans (which I’m actually not). 😂
I love the brand and feel great wearing it. I was blown away by the idea that people actually believe that all French women are tall, skinny and look like models. I’m sure there are many, but these exist in the entire world as well as the opposite and just so many other forms of beauty 🌹
You are spot on. I am a California girl ( who lived in France) . I dont have enough time to break down the strange obsession with 'that' woman or 'this' look
How many French guys did you date or hook up with during your time there?
@@Mogamishu what a weird question.
Happens in the UK, too. Many media have London-centric focus.
What do you call an attractive girl in London?
A tourist.
Nobody's ever accused London girls of being "chic" lol.
London is diverse too.
That includes chic and attractive women.
But the last two commenters seem part of the disrespecting internet jokers who use stereotypes as standard.
Loved the video and your open, honest, and calm way to give the reality check to people who are not aware of the real world and all the beautiful diversity we have in our communities. Merci!
I'm Russian and one of the most popular stereotypes is it is always winter and it is always cold. No!! We do have 4 seasons and hot summers. And we dont drink vodka everyday and bears dont walk on the streets.
Середина сентября +28° 😢
@@zinkin_sadLOL
i don’t drink vodka every day but want to 😂
You don’t drink Vodka, you drink Boyara
Russian woman stereotypes are true..
Great video! I really dislike the Parisian or French stereotype. You're absolutely right-this is not a good stereotype, but it does make money for a lot of people. There are so many books here in the USA that glorify a mythical Parisian or French lifestyle while putting down our American ways. "Oh, the French do this so much better than we do; they eat this way, they dress that way," when in reality, they’re often describing something that doesn’t exist, like the idea that the French don’t eat in the kitchen, always use fine china, and are very formal. I would love to see a video where you discuss some of those books like Madame Chic, Entre Nous, Forever Chic (I actually like this one), etc. Thanks for a wonderful video!
Oh I love your comment and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun checking your book recommendations! Yes, I don’t like when people use this stereotype as a way to criticize the US too!
Your voice needs to be heard because your message is so strong and draws truth into French culture myths that are often overlooked..
😂
I agree with you 100%. I’m learning French and as beautiful as the language is parts of it is absolutely crazy and the glamour has gone out of it.
Thank you! As an Italian, what you say about selling a way of life rings so true. So many people come to Italy on vacation and believe the "dolce vita" fable...Which as anything, is only true if you have enough money to entertain it. The myth of "Made in Italy" resists strongly, but it is also mostly used to increase sales abroad since the market in Italy has been shrinking forever. Most people under 40 actually struggle to find/keep a job or to earn enough to live on their own. But that is hard to believe when all you (choose to) see on holiday are full restaurants and beautiful palaces. Truth is, someone is not getting paid enough to be a waiter or security is non-existing on building site. Anyway, rant over! Thanks for this interesting video and for sparing me the read of "how to be parisian" which for a brief minute I thought could be an amusing read - wondering what you think of "La Parisienne" by Ines de la Fressange? I sometimes wonder if they all hang out together, Caroline de Maigret, Ines, Jeanne Damas, Charlotte Gainsbourg...
As they say in Italy, "class is not water". You can't buy class and style, no matter what people who want you to spend money on their products are telling you.
Well,...shall we say "only money is not enough to be classy and stylish"?? Cause obviously even if you already have those qualities in you, without "enough" money sometimes you might not look as stylish as you want. I certainly believe that money helps a lot, but definitely not enough on its own.
@@handebarlas6248 If a person has taste, she can style herself second hand. Money is overrated.
@@handebarlas6248money cannot buy style or class. It can help, for sure. If I had lots of money I would hire an etiquette teacher, and I would afford to buy all the expensive fabrics I want to make the stylish clothes I love. But class cannot be bought, it is a rigorous, years-long effort by someone who doesn't care to look crass or be uncouth.
@@Pomoscorzothis!!
@Pomoscorzo try to buy medicine second hand
Very interesting video. I live in L.A., and even people in the U.S. have stereotyped ideas about L.A. and all of California, and what "we" are like, although it's a huge and diverse state. It can be annoying, but on the other hand, if you live in an iconic city, the myths come with the territory. But it's a good idea to discuss the realities!
Much agreed. As an American who doesn't live in a large city. If you have a southern accent you are from Texas, or if you are "loud and direct" then you must be from New York City, and the laid back "surfer type" must be from LA 😂 . Basically the three stereotypical "Americans" from movies.
Yet in reality the US is so crazy big and diverse. Like in square miles it is only slightly smaller than Europe. Comparing train travel since that is way more popular in other countries than America. For me in my small city, getting to LA would take 3 full days via train so I have no clue about LA culture or anything about that part of the same country I live in.
yeah agreed, this sort of happens to all big cities around the world. for better or worse. it's aspirational marketing!
the french girl stereotype has def been the trend of the last couple years but honestly the LA and NYC "aesthetic" are always used to sell people on products too... I don't know if i'd say it's "harmful", probably just annoying.
Honestly, as an Indian woman I never understood the obsession with french girl aesthetic, the Italian aesthetic, or the Ralph lauren aesthetic etc etc. they are making money off people who have no individuality. Italy is considered the capital of fashion because everybody has an individual sense of style and it's rooted in their culture, they are inspired by their surroundings, same is true for french women they identify what is their style inspired by their culture. You can't have the same style everywhere. When I think American the typical American aesthetic that comes to mind is good quality jeans, lot of thick plaid, parkas, and converse or boots. That's beautiful in itself and perfect for the country it belongs to. It's great to take inspiration but not become someone else. I love to pick things from different styles that work for my weather and surroundings. The most photographed tribe in the world is Rabaris from Rajasthan and Gujarat and if you search pictures it's men in white with red and colourful turbans against the backdrop of sandunes and desert with sheep, and women in black with colour in embroidery and a lot of mostly silver traditional jewelery. That aesthetic is beautiful and is inspired by the culture of the land, it wouldn't be so beautiful if it was a man dressed in a long wool coat and boots again the backdrop of a desert. I like to wear a lot of Indian textile, mostly traditional textile and embroidery and jewellery. I have very few pieces that can be considered completely western and mostly I combine them with something Indian. If I try to do the stereotypical Parisian style in new delhi against Humayun's tomb or in Jaipur in from of the amer fort I'd look like a fool. But if I'm in a bandhej or leheriya saree or a bagru handblock print outfit it makes a lot more sense for the weather and the aesthetic of my surroundings, and it's inspired by my culture so it's mine and i own it better, everything else just compliments it.
To be honest as much as I get everything you just explained, everything French from beauty or fregrances, fashion etc.. is so fasinating to me. When I tried to follow how French women put their makeup I felt so pretty.
You certainly have a very valid point about all the marketing, and the way overdone stereotype. But I have to say it's kind of funny that you actually have the look, flawless skin, a casual, effortless seeming tastefulness and beauty, plus your so appealing accent, that you are a perfect example of the French women I've often seen on the Metro in Paris. It really is undeniable that it's common to see women there who have an understated calmness, and a style that is casual, but also put together just right. Stereotypes are overdone, but nearly always have an element of truth, and this one is no exception. You are my Exhibit A. Cheers.
The girl looks normal.
What are you talking about?
@@Nannas-cp5nd Sorry, if you don't see the Parisian girl I and those who liked my comment see, I can't help you.
@@sunsetsam33
I'm not sorry I don't see the so called 'Parisian girl',I didn't see her when I was in Paris either.
I'm sorry you and those that liked you do,though.
You are such a poor souls :(
I can't say you're wrong about Lucille, but I lived in France for a year and have visited Paris several times over the years and I definitely didn't see anyone that gorgeous in the Metro. Where I went to university, in Angers, the girls were mostly a bit pasty and all wore brown lipstick which didn't suit their complexion. I knew two gorgeous women, a bit older than I was, who were always beautiful and elegant, but I also knew a frumpy housewife who wore housedresses and aprons and her hair looked just like my grandmother's. Also, yes, different styles in different regions. There may be an overall French aesthetic to some extent, as in any country, if only because of culture, language, products available and watching the same movies and so on, but the world is changing fast and information (and products) are spreading everywhere. Although, as the author pointed out, with a generous amount of stereotyping and bias!
@@carolesmall-diop2333 I've only spent several months in Paris combined over the years, including 2 months one summer taking a class at the Sorbonne, and traveled a bit around France. So my experience is limited, but for me it's genuine, and I've traveled a lot around the world. In Paris specifically I have often seen women/girls with a striking sense of composed, natural, fashion sense. Not showy, or too made up, casual not dressy, not always beautiful but attractive with a flattering fit and style, and a calm confidence. Lucile is a perfect example. Of course, not everyone, but it stopped surprising me that there was at least one who stood out in my Metro car or standing on the platform. Google "Paris street girls" images and you'll see what I mean. It includes some ads and models, but also numerous examples of what I'm describing. I also noticed away from Paris the same wasn't nearly so prevalent. But you see obvious gorgeous fashion models on the street in NY and rarely in other parts of the US, so not surprising that Paris may be unique. For me there is some truth to the image.
It’s funny that you mentioned Sabrina Socol because in many ways Romanian girls are similar, we are way less “casual” than other women, girls usually dress up to go to the grocery store, we don’t go in our PJs in public. We’re not that much into PDA though, imo it’s tacky. But as I commented before, we have other negative stereotypes which are much worse (“easy” and goldiggers) than “standard Parisian girl”, miss Socol is somewhat lucky to be the standard Parisienne rather than Romanian.
I've loved Romania when we were there a few years ago and felt very "at home" there! Also I hate those stereotypes
@@LucileHR I think I watched you and Bobby having street food in Romania a while ago🙂 I’m not sure the “Parisienne” stereotype is that bad, to me it means a girl who is efortlessly chic and looks kinda like yourself. Of course not everyone looks like on instagram but everyone’s appearance is exaggerated there. It’s refreshing even, to see girls w/o so many “enhancements”.
I guess the bad part is the pressure put on all of you French ladies to look like the IG or “Emily in Paris” people but tbh that pressure related to looks is the same everywhere (unless you choose to ignore it like I do😁)
France, don't worry. You, as a great nation, can not be influenced by a company or foreign people.
Enjoy your lives, French people :)
As a brunette, American woman who was named after Brigitte Bardot, I think what you’re reacting to is the cut throat pressure there is on the working class in America to fight their way into the rich, upper class. This depressing root goes all the way back to the agricultural and Industrial Revolutions near the end of the 18th century in England, where certain religious perspectives as the prosperity gospels started to take root and are now pervasive here, emphasizing wealth and status as a sign of good faith and moral character. You’re probably rejecting it because there may be more financial equality in France than America these days, and you’re not wanting to replace your culture which gives you more personal choice and freedom for one that seems fake and misogynistic. Thank you for your take on this and for your free thinking video.
That was a really interesting comment, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!
My family is in Bordeaux, Lac de la Croix, Marseille and always had apartment in Paris. They do not care about the stereotype. I will say the older generation sure did smoke 😅.
Yep, the whole notion that God shows his favor in this life through material "blessings" was a formative notion in this country from the earliest days. Even now, with God mostly out of the picture the notion that wealth naturally flows toward the most deserving is as pervasive as ever. It's then almost inevitable to believe the flip side of that reasoning --if wealth is a reward for virtue then poverty is a punishment. The poor have done something, or at the very least failed to do something, that makes their poverty their fault.
@@brigittebeal2237 Great comment!!
"To use the concept of "deserving" is to suggest that the universe is innately just". And we know it's not the case. Why would have the politicians at the beginning of the twentieth century decide to forbide the companies'trusts in the US? Because the more you're rich, the more you're rich. Wealth and power work together and so the laws are made more and more for the wealthiest people except if some counter-powers are built to prevent "the conquest of people's lives" by the wealthiest.
France is a rich country where social differences are not as largely deep as the US but for the twenty last years we follow the way of "deserving ideology". Today you can't rent a flat as a temporary worker. The more you're in the need, the more you're in the need... If you work with the lowest salary and have children, you're life is just "surviving". The politicians created a new worker status "auto-entrepreneur" in which you're are you're own boss, but have to pay a lot of charges and don't have any security if you become hill or do not have new clients. The big companies pay less taxes than a small "auto-entrepreneur".
The power of "you have what you deserve" became true in France too. And life is hard for many of us. The more you're poor, the more you're poor... Many people don't want to open their eyes because they are wealthy, but life in France is hard. In the countryside they are no doctors anymore, no dentists,... Our country lost all his powers and solidarities...
I like this sentence of the Bible: "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God"
Egoism is the ugliest way of being and living.
Love your channel and so glad you are presenting real life information. There is really too much "fantasy living" on social media.
Thank you so much! I agree with you and that was one of my motivations with this channel :)
I've been living in Germany for 8 years, and every time I've either gone to Paris or met French people, I've been so impressed with how cool, friendly, helpful and kind they are. Every single person was just so relaxed and real, and made me wish I had picked France to move to instead.
There was quite a big scandal in Hungary recently - the government-owned Hungarian Tourism Agency was paying a lot of (public) money to invite influencers to attend all sorts of glamorous events in Budapest and produce content about it. Fantastic parties on the roof of Buda Castle, cruises on the Danube, relaxing in the famous spas and much more. All the clichés you can imagine. But many of the videos refer to the place only as Europe, somehow "Budapest" is left out... Meanwhile our hospitals are in scandalous condition, inflation is sky high and we have the highest VAT on all products in the country. Sure, Budapest and Hungary can be beautiful but it's not just black and white. Stereotyping a city can be just as damaging as you point out, I think.
right, all that and your buffoon president telling people not to come to his country while he can barely keep his people from migrating west.
They were just trying to boost tourism. Nothing wrong with that? It's a source of revenue.
Thank you for that insight. That sounds to me that the govt wants to hide the dark parts of their country and drive attention away from the corruption.
Thank you for that info!
@@Cjoybellclovescakemate... That should be the last source of income a city should depend on...
I love watching your videos, Lucile. Nice breakdown here! Have a beautiful weekend & keep up the great work! 👍
Thank you for watching!! Have a nice weekend too!
This is a great video - thank you! I think in the end we are all pretty similar. Feeling beautiful can be seem difficult, but what it really takes is self awareness, highlighting our unique/positive features (both physical and other), BEING REAL, HUMAN, KIND - being a human, and being female, has its challenges! Perhaps the one French stereotype (in my mind) that Is valuable is - be yourself and give other people grace to be themselves - being genuine is the most beautiful thing!
I studied in France for 6 months for an exchange program. French professors and classmates were so different from what I expected. They are friendly, hardworking, kind and easy to talk to.(so different from what Emily in Paris portrayed French people)
I also cannot speak French but most people there were so patient and tried so hard to communicate with me. I am so grateful really.
9:15 "the french girl is not real, she cant hurt you.
the french girl:🧍🏻♀️"
I'm from Seattle. We do wear Patagonia daily (no matter our job type) and drink Starbucks (while simultaneously hating on it).
Me too! I like Vivaci though instead. But do own a Patagonia and various other coats/rain coats lol
Burton is better than Patagonia. I live in SoHo NYC so the two above stores I just mentioned are across the street from one another and Burton is classier.
Vidéo très intéressante et captivante, et je suis content que tu abordes cette problématique et luttes contre ces idées reçues.
Je m'y suis abonné !
D'ailleurs, ton anglais est absolument excellent ! Tu devrais en être fière. Je n'ai constaté aucune faute, ni de tournure bizarre. Chapeau.
Brilliant commentary. Thank you for keeping it real!
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been annoyed by this stereotype for a while even though I am not French. What I do get about it is that we all want dreams and stories that inspire us, that guide us and make our lives more poetic. The best bet is to make up your own fantastic story because if you don’t the marketers of the world will fill that void and you’ll end up lots of things you don’t need.
There is an another stereotype distrubing me, when the foreign tourist visit Budapest they think its Hungary, but not. There are nice architecture in Bp but the other cities are more clean, colourfull and floral.
Thank you very much for your posting!
I agree with you that some stereotypes are made by movie, drama, social media (for example beret, baguette, croissant, wine)
I'm Japanese but I don't eat sushi everyday🍣😂(for example, rice, bread, ramen, soba-noodle, udon-noodle, curry, sandwich, hamburger, pizza, pasta)
Thank you so much for watching! I love Japan and I’ve been a few times and I agree there’s a lot of different good food!
Thanks for this video. It touched on all the stereotypical aspects of Parisian women who have to somehow represent all of France which is not always the case. When I first was exposed to French culture it was through the language program French in action. And the main character Mireille was just a regular girl and her sister was hilarious. Besides helping me with the language it gave me a glimpse of the varied people of Paris. Watching Eric Rohmer movies helped me to see the a typical French woman. Somehow, pinterest conflate and made us believe there is a homogeneous parisian gamine that represents the whole of France and that's not true.
And thanks for pointing out the French diaspora. What about women from Martinque and the other colonies...are they not embodying the aspects of French culture and style?
Thanks for your comment!! I really loved reading your thoughts :)
Girl! I swear if you follow this stereotype, you would think there are NO BLACK in Paris 🙄. I love living in Paris but I HATE this stereotype.
I'm from Australia and I can say that we don't ride kangaroos to school and having a pet koala is illegal here.
Wait what?😂
My whole image of Australia is now ruined😂
@@harlock75 😂
You break dance!
@@bukbukforever4934 I don't but I can see where you're going with this
But you are still a bogan.
Hi Lucile, I really enjoyed this one! It seems like people are always chasing after something that either doesn’t exist or is not attainable. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Such great thoughts.
I’m danish and I don’t do “scandinavian” style either...
Oh, come on. You must own at least one viking helmet with bull horns attached 🐃😂
@@ryankramer8779 😂 I wish!!!
I' m Polish. I don' t drink vodka everyday, not everybody like "pierogi" and not every Pole is a "car thief". But yes, i have blond hair & blue eyes ;)
I'm Californian....and I don't surf every day, just every other day.
Informative❤. Thanks Lucile!
I tried Parisian aesthetic, it was actually quite difficult. It is not easily attainable nor convenient in real life. I feel so much better after this video.
How so? What does the entire aesthetic consist of besides red lipstick and eating an entire baguette for 4 hours at a cafe every morning?
@@zvezdoblyat Guess you have to dress fashionably, be skinny and basically look flawless as well?
I’m of Korean descent and there is something strongly familiar to me in French culture. I used French skincare brands for years and
I chose France as my study abroad country in order to fully immerse myself and seriously party in the budding electro club scene 20 years ago. And still today, no music hits me like French Touch does. Before I went, I didn’t care too much for French culture but fell in LOVE with France and love French anything! I was amazed by the fresh aesthetics of everyday people. I live in California so it was truly different. I hope to visit again soon!! I have so much love for France!
I am from Georgia (USA), yes, we are educated. No, not everyone has a deep, Hollywood Southern accent (actually, in the Atlanta area, the Southern accent is dying out due to the diverse cultures that exist.. African, American, Filipino, Chinese, Latin, etc)
I’ve been waiting for this video. Thanks so much for your honesty!
And yet you look like the mixture of the two stereotype examples you showed on the thumbnail! 🤣
Haha love this!
Ouais!
So beautiful yes ❤
you’re a voice of reason! Great video and lots of clever, wise thoughts. This unrealistic image from social media is just ridiculous. That book is absurd)) especially the guide for how to make your boyfriend think you have a lover - this just can’t be serious 🤦🏻♀️ I’m Armenian from Russia, who lived in the US for 10 years and now in Dubai :) i love your pronunciation and you look great!)
This! I’m German. We don’t wear traditional Bavarian Trachten in our everyday life. We don’t show our spilling cleavage every single day. I’m from the Northeast - where other traditional clothing is worn, but no one knows about. Ugh.
Exactly. And not all of us enjoy drinking beer 😅
OMG I just discovered your channel and I am so happy about it. I started learning French recently after I had an absolutely fantastic roundtrip in South France, mainly Occitanie, so to get myself absorbed in the culture I was trying to search for videos, but most of them were all about Paris and exactly representing this stereotype! I got even discouraged as in wow, this is crazy and much less sympathetic then I felt when I actually visited. Your video is so useful actually showing foreigners who might be interested in the culture or language to what actually is like to live in France and Paris!
I went to France (Normandy) in May and got lots of comments before I went about what I planned to wear because "you don't want to look scruffy around all those French girls". Firstly, I don't ever do scruffy unless I'm gardening or painting! Secondly, although clothes shopping was fun there was plenty of overlap with the styles back home in the UK. I find the stereotype of rudeness to be ridiculous as most people I interacted with were friendly and polite, we all made the effort to communicate in French (even my husband who got told to quit by his teacher in school) and just behaved in a decent way, generally that gets respect back regardless of where you go.
A very cool place in Paris is the city of science! It’s amazing! My wife and I have fond memories of our trip to Paris 😊
Love the video you’re my favorite RUclipsr I love to watch your videos cuz it feels like I’m a little bit in Paris 😊❤❤
A bit of topic but you should really trie a restaurant Thai market close to the louvre it’s probably the best restaurant I have ever tried love from Belgium 🇧🇪 😊👐
Aww that’s so sweet, thank you so much! And thanks for the recommendation :)
You better trie it hahaha Thxx for commenting it made my day ❤🎉
gosh, I agree with you. I have had people tell me things like "I really did not expect tthis from a French girl" (regarding orange trousers I love) and the tone was very disapproving.
And yes, many of us have foeign born parents!!
thank you again for the thoughtful video, What I think is harmful with this stereotype, is that it is so narrow. The stereotype fails to show the diversity and cultural depth of women who live in Paris, I have Parisien friends who are French but have Morrocan, Algerian, Jewish and Asian background. Paris is a modern beautiful complicated city with a rich history and unique influences. Also, If I see one more post of Café De Flore I'll vomit in my espresso, there are so many places to go and actually hang out with Parisians, just a few blocks away is my favourite, La Pallete in Saint Germain.
Lucile, thank you for the wonderful video! ❤
Honestly, I think everyone dreams of having a perfect appearance without effort, spending their days doing only their favorite things, and being very rich. I also like this fictional Parisian style, to be completely honest. I don’t think I’m against romanticizing the Parisian. I’m against overconsumption.
Overconsumption is any quickly changing aesthetic, be it Parisian, or "it girl", "clean girl", etc. If a person has found their long-term style and sincerely fell in love with Paris, I will not judge them. ❤
Such a cool breakdown Lucile :D
I grown up and found that my style of make up and fashion is very "Parisiene vibe" but I have no idea and I never know anything about Parisiene or French girl vibe. I'm a Asian girl I look nothing like French girl and I've never been in French but looking at the Instagram photos and Pinterest, I quite surprise seeing my style and my makeup is similar to the French chic style 😮. I think it's a beautiful aesthetic just like the coquette, ballerina or dark feminine, femme fatale vibe, of course to follow a style we have to spend money on items.
By the way I really like this video and your vibe, you are very beautiful and well talked lady.
I’m Indian and Indian food is waay beyond chicken tikka masala 😢
I loved this so much! Thank you Lucile, I am hoping to move to Paris for a study exchange and this has helped me understand Parisian society a little bit more, to a deeper level
The French Girl stereotype is perhaps the child of the hollywood 1950’s-60’s ideas of what ‘French’ is and the evolution and integration of aesthetics that appeared on tumbler when it was at it’s height of popularity.
As a half-french female born and living in Australia I have often wandered what it means to be french and reflected on and reflected upon the french culture and elements of it. It seems that I would return to the French Girl aesthetic too often without even realising I was getting sucked into an idealised creation. This video made it clear how ingrained it had become for me. It’s true that the French can be more intellectual, it’s true that a great way to meet up with friends is around a restaurant table or out the front of cafes, it’s true that there is an emphasis on quality garments that withstand the passing of trends. But it’s also true that many French people are becoming more aware of the dangers of smoking and many are never starting.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video thank you so much for starting this conversation!
Oh my goodness, it’s also the child of the literary movement of Americans in Paris (and Europe) and French film stars of the 60’s like it said in the video… haha there are probably others too. Again awesome work here, it was super informative and illuminating!
I was thinking that the idea of French Girl chic started in the 1920s after WWI.
Thank you for your perspective on this subject. For years I dreamed of going to France, specifically Paris, and was finally able to go last year. I fell in love with it even more after that and I didn't think that was even possible. As I've studied history from about 500 years or so ago up until today, you can see how this obsession with France has been going for centuries. France has been the "standard" for fashion, hair, etc for some people in certain places of the world. There have been stereotypes for years, even when Queen Anne Boleyn went off to serve in the French court and return to England. She was heavily influenced, obviously, and people were influenced by these things she adopted into her daily life.
The thing about French women or Parisian chic is simply a style and has nothing to do with the people who live there. I often go to France and have been to Paris several times. The people there are as diverse as in the rest of Europe. And the big Parisian fashion houses don't represent this style either. I'm a customer of one myself. That's not possible because they're designer brands and so they have to be innovative. Then these brands would get stuck, which they don't want, and they'd quickly be off the international stage and bankrupt. So the cliché about Parisian women is nonsense. And Paris is very diverse culturally, ethnically, religiously and socially, so the cliché is nonsense.
Today I saw your video on my sidebar about why French people are thin and just seeing the preview I thought you were a Latin American youtuber talking about this, you didn't look like the French idealization of women that I have installed, then my main page recommended this video to me, and now I understand everything. Wow! Thanks! (Hello from a Latin American country :))
Thb, I don't like stereotypes at all. They can give people a curated view on a person, which can make people disappointed when it turns out thf we're not as they expect
Nice video. Glad you showed a map of France including Corsica. We also can't forget the other 'Outre-mers' departments. Merci
I completely agree, but started learning french as a kid and have been to France 14 times. I just try to find places where English isn't spoken so I can learn about the culture. The stereotypes are very annoying. Especially when my American friends say the french are rude, but dont realize THEY are being rude and borderline cliché.
I don’t follow fashion too closely, but several years ago I gained some weight rather quickly and needed a whole new wardrobe. I found a “French Minimalist” capsule wardrobe and loved the promise that if I bought quality, basic pieces (which I did) that they would never go out-of-style. Well…. They did. 😂
I’ve been feeling really down - less than - as I’ve been trying to refresh my wardrobe. Thank you for a refreshingly honest look at the hype.
I really enjoy your videos. Being French vs "looking French"...so interesting. I have spent a lot of time in France & I have had all sorts of experiences. I had a hairdresser tell me she thought I should go back to the US because I am really not French (I speak French.) I once encountered a leading politician from Le Front National who spent our entire time together lecturing me about France being only for the "historically" French. I suppose he meant no immigrants, even if that meant your parents or your grandparents were not born in France. There are cultural differences which distinguish the French but they are not genetic. They are learned much the way if one is from the South in the US there are distinct "learned" behaviors (Y'all) (only qualifying as a "real" southerner if your family lived in the South prior to the War Between the States) that are a part of living there. To me it is important to apprciate the differences & to emulate the ones that improve the quality of your life--slowing down, putting people first (family, friends) over employment & employers, expanding culinary experiences, i.e. une assiette de fruits de mer vs a Big Mac. Taking time to actually experience your food instead of swallowing it quickly on the go. La Politesse which is a way to let others know they have value when all is said & done. Less dramatic make-up, which lets others see a bit more of the authentic you as opposed to not being recognizable after you wash your face before bed.
You are completely correct in everything you have said here. Everyone is an individual.
Jeanne Moreau would be my ideal "French Girl", there was a sparkly warmth to her that made her attractive.
brigitte bardot as well, plus she didn't have the stereotypical style and makeup (she never wore red lipstick for example)
Oh I totally get what you mean. I'm reminded of the resurgence of the 90s TV show Friends and how it misled everyone into thinking what life in New York City is like. I grew up here and as I'm sure you know from your own experience living here, literally nothing in that show resembles the city at all (except for the exterior shots). So many people have moved here with that show in mind, only to be disappointed at the reality. 😮💨
I'm Chinese, and I don't eat rice everyday.
When i went to Paris in February, i was amazingly amazed by a building with many plants on it. I’m coming from a country named Romania who is in the eastern europe and we don’t have so many pretty buildings.
Anyways i was in love with the architecture and how respectful french people were. Once you go there, you realise how unique everyone is.
You have some, but many were ruined by
daddymummy Ceausescu !
The number one misconception about French women is that they're stylish
Ay, they are, but not in the stereotypical way
Haha I love the ending. My dad is actually Spanish . Well done girl ❤❤
I don't think french person can make objective video about this subject after watching many. But person who lived at least 8 years in France and has lot of french friends and partner can be in my opinion more objective. I've lived in France for 20 years my husband and friends are french. But working with french people daily in business for me: they do not realize certain things about themselves. Yes french in general have way too many pause cafés in comparison to other countries. So yes you go to café way too many times in one day or café machine at least. 😂
I've realized how France and french woman is so elegant once I moved out of France and lived in 8 other countries each time at least 3-8 years.
Doesnt matter that you dont dress like Caroline de Maigret etc. You have elegance and sophistication in your blood you will just dress better overall compared to women in many countries if you send them to shop. You are thought to have these skin care routines, your hairstyles cuts are made to look good even without blow-dry. That's not the case for british, german or eastern central Europe. Here you go to hairdresser and you end up with lots of spray. It looks good and way too intricate 24 h then its just like broomstick rest of the week and doesnt look nice. British haircuts have been explained to me by hairdresser who lived in few countries and said british haircut is made to look wow same day. French haircuts last and look good for 8 days even with couple of dry shampoos. Your make ups are created to be fast like 10 minutes. Etc etc thats what effortless means to me. In other countries hair makeup dressing up takes really long time and as You are not from those countries you cannot grasp it. I'm German and Eastern European and I grew up with that complicated routine here. So I can appreciate effortless and short efficient preparation period of French women with hair, make up and clothes. I have never had such beautiful hair, skin and never got so many compliments as when I lived in France and traveled home or elsewhere. You have better quality water, better quality of food. And 5 fruits and vegetables campaign per day ingrained in your head. We other countries don't. That already makes your hair and skin more beautiful and your Mediterranean way of eating more healthier and skinnier.
As therapist no french girl esthetic is not harmful it teaches other countries girls to eat healthier to take better care of their hair, body and skin so it looks healthier. And clothes make them more elegant feminine and sophisticated. So more good then harm in my personal opinion as therapist and nutritionist. And what about That everyone has same instagram photos? Thats the case for every travel destination these days. So blame social media. Everyone wants to belong and rassemble masses. Just Let them! 😉 Sterotypes unfortunately sell even I had to adjust and begrudgingly had to stick eiffel tower, baguette, french markets and french girls in ballerina on bikes etc.. in our épicerie bistro café because thats what sells and people come. Otherwise I wont make any money to survive at all. Without those stereotypes people refuse to try it and buy it at 99% refusal rate. People try what is familiar thats how brain works. So if I want to educate people eat healthier here which is my goal I will use every french stereotype available as nutritionist. If my people can finally get healthier, skinnier and have nice hair and skin. We tried for one year doing without it. And it did not work even with great advertising agencies. Many french tried in 25 years to open budiness to sell french food and most of them had to close because french reputation without any stereotype or teaching people was not enough. They all waited with I have great product that should be enough. It never worked for them. Only french people who married partner from around here had a success, because they finally understood and had to adapt to the market. Hope that helps you to understand. Have a good day. 😊
That's a thesis!
Are you writing a book? 😂
Better quality of water, better quality of food. That's it.
Thank you for your perspective in this video. I was in Paris this summer (pre-olympics) and I was surprised at the amount of graffiti on the streets. I confess I do like an idyllic, picturesque perspective, which isn’t indicative of a true international living city. While there was a lot to see that is beautiful, Paris, like any other city, does have a diverse population. I caught a pickpocket trying to get my husband’s wallet on the metro. I punched her in the arm and she sheepishly wandered away into the crowd. It was disenchanting. Still, Montmarte was particularly lovely and we had some amazing meals - one at Boullion thanks to one of your videos!
I visited Paris only once and I was there only few days but everything I can remember from this trip (about like living in this city, not infrastructure and monument, because they are pretty) id that there is a huge mess, and people are really mean. To be honest when I think about France first thing that comes to my mind is "mean people"
I really had a blast watching this video. The classy thing would be eating croissants all day while staying skinny. I love your videos because they have a fresh tone, and I absolutely enjoy the professional vibe while still showing such an excellent naturalness.
I am Brazilian, but I don’t know how to play soccer, let alone how to dance samba 😂😂
Tellement intéressante ta vidéo, c'est des réflexions que je me suis aussi faite en voyageant et en vivant à l'étranger. Tu as dû aussi l'expérimenter, mais tout le monde va te trouver chic parce que tu leur dis que tu es française. Et c'est la même chose pour la gastronomie, je pouvais trouver des produits surgelés "à la française" alors que ce n'était pas du tout un plat français. Ils capitalisent sur une image bien ancienne de la France romantisée et popularisée par les films d'auteurs en noir & blanc...
I'm from Russia. We don't drink vodka every day. We don't wear leopard leggings with rhinestones.
also no mini-dresses under the fur coat & high heels at winter 😂
"Russians love money"
Since 2002 I've been listening for this phrase in France (Франция 🇨🇵)
"Russian girls adore money and rich men".
Rather nice face, height 1m78, svelte, i have my job, no car, self-made and free ❤
But I've got an leopard ambrella for this autumn, a T-shirt with a leopard print with a signature "brave heart" ❤
You don't??
@@Je_suis_belle_27 I've got a cute faux fur leopard coat 😅 (well more like clouded leopard actually)
love it!
31 is def on my wishlist! You’re reading my mind!
It’s funny cause I dress how Japanese interpret French style. I call it kawaii French chic. It’s more doll like than actual street style but I love it.
I really appreciate this content. Thank you❤️
In south africa we have lions for pets