French Winter Fashion

How do they do it?

As I sat in class last week shivering, I looked around and noticed the new wave of apparel all the French girls are sporting. Their garb completely baffles me. Sincerely, I want to ask them if their sanity has disappeared with the colorful fall leaves....

My outfit last week consisted daily of tights under jeans, two pair of socks with my pair of penny loafers, an underarmour turtleneck with a cardigan over it, a hoodie and my peacoat. Also I wore gloves and a jersey scarf. All of that clothing and I was still thawing my poor toes after an hour of being in my warm apartment.

Meanwhile the French girls in class seemed to be split 50/50 on two insane outfits (although admittedly they looked quite pretty in either style).

Half of the girls were wearing black or brown riding boots with black tights (not leggings), sweater dresses with a turtleneck underneath, and had draped around their shoulders chunky, extra long, knitted scarves. These girls sat through class showing off their slim figures and long legs, seemingly not feeling the 30 degree temperature, while I spent my time blowing on my fingers to keep them warm.

The other half of the girls in class donned leggings or skinny jeans, wore flats and had on long sleeve light sweaters under ridiculously two sizes too big knitted cardigans.  I could more easily understand the warmth of these latter ladies; after all their top halves were basically shrouded in knitted blankets in the shape of cardigans...but it's the flats that I couldn't fathom. Within my two pair of socks my toes were numb by the end of the day. How could these girls go through the day wearing thin little flats?

I'd like to dress as the French girls do, but I'm fairly certain that I'd catch a severe cold or lose some appendages to hypothermia - no kidding. H&M has been calling to me for weeks from the sleek ads in the metro, saying "come buy warmer things" but thus far I've resolutely resisted upon principle. Remember how I packed two huge suitcases just bursting full of clothes to come to France? After lugging all those clothes here, I refuse to buy more that I'll have to lug home. If only the french girls would share their secret with me of wearing less while staying warm ..... If only.....

~Tam in Toulouse