I was fortunate to have a veteran Parisian take me shopping last week. We went to the 16th arrondissment, known to have the swankiest of clothes and shops and homes and in particular to Kekao, a store that features Italian clothing for the French woman. The problem of course is the size. The Italian sizes are 1,2, 3, 4 (now getting more rare) and my size 5 (very rare). French sizes are also different from American sizes, and they definitely aren't made for the American hips. I have lost over 20 pounds since I have been here, and I still am in the largest of the sizes available in regular stores. As one sales woman said to me and a friend, "oh, non, they do not make sizes for regular women here, only french women." Fortunately there are retailers who are figuring this out, and especially with the reliance on the American (and I bet German) tourist there are many stores that now feature Plus sizes. Note - Plus sizes begin at size 10/12 here (American scale). For those who have never ventured into this area of info, Plus sizes in the states begin at size 14/16 and go up from there. I read somewhere recently that the average American woman is a size 10. In France she would be shopping in a Plus size boutique.
The really interesting feature of this trip was the excellent service we received, where ever we were. I think that was because we were with Michele, who clearly knew these shops and was known for shopping there. But we were waited on with great attention. Also, there was a real effort to find beautiful pieces for us to try, and a lot of clucking over us as we did. I don't think this kind of service is normal, but it might come with familiarity.
I did buy a lovely linen dress, salmon colored, that will be perfect for roaming around in Italy, where apparently shorts are a real no-no. Carole, the American woman with me also found a couple of outfits, but the accessories!! Carole bought this most amazing "scarf" that came in black or white, and is really a shawl made of a very fine net with fabric rose bud flowers and silk strands of fringe. It was really something amazing, and very french.
Then we went to the lingerie store. We really need to think about this a little more in the states. According to Michele, you just cannot dress without some beautiful lingerie, no matter what you wear over it. Of course, Michele wears only the most elegant clothing over the top. The lingerie sizes are also pretty tricky, and Michele recommended that we go for a fitting so that we knew our correct sizes. The bra sizes are in centimeters, so for instance a 40 is 100, but the A, B, C, D stays the same. We were all measured and fitted, but I didn't buy anything.
We also looked at shoes, and let me just say there are a million shoe stores. Michele showed us this great little store behind Gallerie LaFayette, where there were two floors of shoes! Carole bought two more pairs of shoes, and I found a pair of black walking shoes I had been looking for. European sizes are about US size plus 30. Of course we ended up at Gallerie LaFayette, with the most amazing stained glass dome in the center, and marvelous views from the 6th and 7th floor. We sipped iced tea and ate a chocolate thing looking out at the Eiffel Tower. I was further reinforced in my efforts to lose another 20 pounds as I looked at the beautiful fabrics and colors that GL has everywhere. ... I am going to an August wedding in Germany...
