Hi everybody!
As you might know, France (and above all, Paris) is the Fashion’s capital! Strolling on the Champs Elysees, and (window?) shopping at a Dior store are part of the Parisian way of life.
Today, we are therefore focusing on the French clothes!
Vocabulary
A basic work outfit is constituted by:
A shirt: une chemise
Pants: un pantalon
A skirt: une jupe
A pair of shoes: des chaussures
Underwear: des sous-vetements
Yet, if this a sunny week-end day, you will perhaps wear a t-shirt (-> un t-shirt), a pair of shorts (-> un short) and a pair of sneakers (-> des baskets). As you see, many words in French are inspired from English.
If you go visiting Paris, you might be wearing an umbrella (-> un parapluie), a raincoat (-> un impermeable), a pullover (-> un pull) and a pair of boots (-> des bottes). The famous leather jacket (-> la veste en cuir) is also a must in Paris, as well as premium materials such as silk (-> la soie), satin (-> le satin), wool (-> la laine) or cashmere (-> le cachemire).
red-umbrella-paris
On the opposite, if you prefer to spend some summer time in the south of France, you might prefer more light clothes such as a dress (-> une robe) or swimwear (-> un maillot de bain).
A belt: une ceinture
Jewellery: des bijoux (eg. a necklace: un collier, a bracelet: un bracelet, earrings: des boucles d’oreille)
A bag: un sac
High heels: des hauts talons
A watch: une montre
History and famous brands
France is known for its famous haute couture!
Along with New York City, London and Milan, Paris is considered as a leading fashion capital. Chanel, Dior, Louboutin, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hermes, Givenchy, Vuitton, or Yves Saint-Laurent are renown brands that made the reputation of the country in the fashion sector!
The French reputation in the fashion field started under Louis XIV, a true fashion lover, in the 17th century. Immense wigs of curled hair has become a trend for all the royal men of that time thanks to the king. The Rococo style did not please peasants who had to pay taxes to support this extravagant and expensive trend among the nobility. In fact, the Marie Antoinette’s taste for the rococo fashion to the detriment of the population, probably accelerated her execution by guillotine by the people.
Today’s reality is (hopefully) more bright for everybody! French haute couture is pretty expensive but, today, many women can afford at least an accessory piece from their favourite brand. Other French fashion brands also flourish and are known for their cheap but trendy clothes.
That’s it for today! I hope you liked this article about clothes and fashion, and we are waiting at French Lessons Australia to hear from you 🙂 contact us at info@frenchlessons-australia.com.au!
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