I%26#39;m starting to second guess myself. there%26#39;s alot of talk about how small/thin french women are on different travel forums. (not so much on this one but on the fodor site and others) I%26#39;m almost 5%26#39; 11%26quot; and posess some serious curves. I%26#39;m well proportioned but there%26#39;s no getting around the fact that I%26#39;m not small or thin.
I know that there are different cultural attitudes towards women%26#39;s body types ( e.g. in latin american countries I am a goddess) but I%26#39;m wondering if I%26#39;m going to feel uncomfortable or awkward in paris because I%26#39;m not small. I%26#39;m a chef and I%26#39;m going with my husband who is 6%26#39;5%26quot; and a head turner in his own right but I don%26#39;t want to spend our trip feeling self concious. Are there truly no tall voluptuous women in paris?
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The Paris population is very diverse. OK, you have the %26quot;quintessential%26quot; thin Parisienne bla bla bla. But 25 % of the population is either Afro Caribbean or from the Maghreb, cultures where curves are an asset, no to say a must. So, don%26#39;t worry, nobody will care anyway, if we Parisians were as physically intolerant as some posters on this forum would lead poor would be American tourists to be, life would be hell even for us local souls!
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Oiseau, there are so many women in Paris of all descriptions, no one is going to take any special notice of you! It%26#39;s true there are a lot of slim women (and men), but every other person you see is a tourist, who come in all shapes and sizes. You won%26#39;t be singled out, believe me!
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I live in Paris, and was also worried about the same thing when we arrived (1 Sept.) I am not 5%26#39;11%26quot;, but at 5%26#39;6.5%26quot; and seriously curvy, I knew I wouldn%26#39;t match the typical french ideal.
What I found though, was a wide mix of shapes and sizes. There aren%26#39;t as many overweight people as there are in Wisconsin, where we used to live, but there are twigs and there are the obese as well--just fewer of the latter.
I am proportional (although I may feel I am %26quot;too fat,%26quot; no one I know has ever agreed with me on it), and I have found that I turn heads in a good way here (and get deals at the markets and small shops from very appreciative french men, as well as from other immigrants.)
French men are, after all, Latin, so you will probaby find you are treated as a goddess here, too. I know I enjoy it!
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Bob%26#39;s comment is correct in that Parisians aren%26#39;t as intolerant about body shape as we Americans are. Parisian women are, generally, smaller than American women, both in terms of weight and in overal body type. Go...be happy to be in Paris...nobody will care and if they do you won%26#39;t ever have to see them again. :)
The one discomfort you might find depending upon your size (it%26#39;s just best to be mentally prepared) is that things in Paris are made to accommodate smaller people. For example, restaurant tables are close together and if you%26#39;re seated at a banquette, getting in and out can be somewhat less than graceful.
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I%26#39;m a 6%26#39; amazon, and it%26#39;s never even occurred to me that I may be looked at any differently in Paris from any other place. There is such an amazing mix of nationalities and cultures in the city - both visitors and residents - that every size and shape is represented. Relax, walk tall, and enjoy yourselves.
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Thanks everyone, I know you%26#39;re right...We can%26#39;t wait for our trip. Sometimes when you%26#39;re not in a city you can get to thinking of it in terms of it%26#39;s stereotypes..I know Paris is not one dimensional any more than New York or Chicago for that matter.
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You will have no problem w/ people. The only difficulty might be in clothes shopping...I wear a size 6 US and find that my bum won%26#39;t get into most French jeans!!!
Les
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The comparison between French men and Latin American men is right on - you’ll be a rock star. Being a little different is a good thing. Just be careful with the eye contact – I look strangers in the eye all the time in the US without thinking about it – but it comes across as oddly flirtatious in France. Start working on the distant, board looking gaze now – because a giddy, excitable smile could get you more attention then you want.
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You should have no worries. It is fairly open and diverse here. I%26#39;m 6%26#39;4%26quot; %26amp; My wife is 5%26#39;10%26quot; and we fit right in....If men stare- they are checking you out...which happens a lot here,like it or not, it is culturally accepted and non threatening...Just part of being French...The French will not try to make you feel ackward for being tall, proportioned or different.
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I remember that about the eye contact in Italy. It%26#39;s definitely like that with men there too and sometimes european women seem offended if you look at them.(can%26#39;t quite explain it, is the same true in france?)
Anyway,I have to remember that when I travel with my husband he%26#39;s always the one people are looking at..most of the time if people are looking at me it%26#39;s just to see who the hot guy is with. I can%26#39;t complain I guess.
You guys have helped alot in re-boosting my confidence..a momentary lapse in confidence is allowed right?
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