Personal Appearance

French Clothing Sense

French not only have a fabulous fashion sense, but they are trendsetters for the rest of the world to follow. Parisians in particular, look well put-together, whether it is professional or casual. French women accentuate their outfits with details and signature items that transform an average look into a chic outfit.

American brands are popular and much more expensive in France, however stores like H&M, Zara, Mango, Etam and Monoprix are considerably less expensive.

When cool weather arrives, French of all ages, regardless of sex, wear scarfs nestled tightly around their necks. Faux fur is gaining popularity as new generations are opposed to real fur.

At French weddings, hats for women are still popular and millinery shops still exist in Paris.

Teenage girls

• Wardrobe
  I didn’t see that much difference in the way teenagers dress, except for a few points:
  • Pants are tighter
  • Leggings are not worn as pants
  • Popular shoes are Vans, Adidas, and Stan Smith
  • Small canvas sneakers in many colors, like the brand Bensimon, are popular
  • Athleasure wear is worn exclusively for the gym
  • Follow more American trends
• Grooming
  Teenage girls generally have relatively long hair. They wear minimal makeup during the day and wear more at night for social activities. Girls remove leg hair with wax or an Epilady, but never shave. However, they do shave or wax their underarm hair.

Teenage boys

Teenage boys wear jeans or long pants, which are tighter than pants in the U.S. Shorts are not as popular in the city center and are seen more in the summer, on vacations and at casual outings. When going to a party, it is common to see guy in skinny pants, turtlenecks, cool t-shirts, nice belts and cool shoes like Vans. For casual wear, teenage boys wear polo shirts and t-shirts and streamlined athletic shoes.

Hygiene

Teenagers normally bath every day, but hair is washed only every other day or a couple of times a week. Teenagers apply deodorant daily, although their grandparents may still not be in the habit of doing so. There is little interest in teeth whiting like there is in the U.S., so that combined with smoking, results in darker and more yellow teeth.