Karen, When that happened to us we found a far more satisfactory way of interrupting the conversation. My other half made a bit of a display of carefully leaving the tee-shirt at the till and walking out. The poor woman actually ran after us, apologised profusely outside of the shope and implored us to come back into the shop!
My other half joined an Acceuil Villages group for languages. It soon became evident that there was an unspoken rule about not using the WC in someone else’s house. In other circumstances, French people would do anything to avoid using the WC when they were out.
Strangely this was not a hard and fast rule. We were invited into the homes of several colleagues and such behaviour did not crop up.
was she wearing it at the time? that would make a statement for sure 
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We have been know to creep out of such events when we couldn’t keep going any longer. Is that really bad form ?
My thought was that it must have been quite some t shirt, or the shop must have REALLY been desperate that day, I can’t see some staff member running after me to get me to spend that 3€ I spent on my last t shirt 
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Not at all, we know many of you are petites natures 
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I don’t understand you.
Better than falling asleep over the table.
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Sorry Jane, it should have been knitted or crochet the dress, fecking autocorrect.
The freedom for debate and disagreement, including political, has always been something I like in France. In the UK a spikey hatred enters peoples eyes if you vote left and they right or vice versa . Here people just try to persuade you to the other side which is much healthier and they seem to enjoy trying to do it.
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@Heinrike1
Hi denise. Can you please amend your registration to include just your first name and last name as per site T&Cs. Adding your email address to your displayed name is not something to be encouraged on a publicly accessed forum.
Thanks
@cat
People have talked about clothing - which in Paris, for women particularly, is more casual than it used to be. However, if you look , even though young girls are copying US movies more and are less ‘chic’ notice few people wear truly scruffy-looking clothes, trainers or shoes . At funerals though people are more casual they’re carefully put togethet not just slightly grubby or sloppy. Hair is more carefully cut and arranged generally and if you just walk out the door having crawled out of bed (acceptable in London) in Paris you’ll get stares from other women or even the occasional tut tut. People appreciate others appearance more - its acceptable to comment. I love this. Making the effort to learn French is absolutely essential to understand the culture and is appreciated. It’s impolite in the extreme when people make zero effort - after years here - including visitors/tourists who dont even attempt basic little phrases with a phrasebook just assuming others will speak English. ( The massive effort foreign students of tricky subjects make at UK colleges and universities goes unappreciated)
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Knitted.
Slimline, I was in those days, with a ribbon interlaced bodice with long sleeves.
The skirt had panels of lily of the valley leaves separated by ribbon interlacing.
There was a bonnet to go with it as well.
At the same time we don’t like to look too ‘done’ unless we are very old or very provincial - we don’t put as much make-up on as Anglosaxons and spend a lot more on skincare and a really good uncontrived haircut rather than product, extensions, etc. Brigitte Macron uses extensions and her hair is very done, and apart from her role as mrs president and looks fine, she fits my theory in that she is both old and provincial.
Nothing says frumpy like trying too hard and being too done up in fake stuff be it tan nails hair eyelashes let alone surgical stuff. Basically if you can see it, it is bad.
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They also piss on the edge of the supermarket car park, which can be embarrassing if youre a lone woman parked there waiting for someone to come out of the supermarket.
Interesting @vero I read a Quora comment only yesterday about why Russian women generally look beautiful and the commentator suggested because they walk everywhere, eat lots of fresh produce (as opposed to loads of junk food) and drink little alcohol (not sure I believe that one!).
Vanessa has lovely soft skin. She rarely uses cosmetics (I think the last time was when we got married in the early 70’s!) and has never smoked. We generally eat well and consume (now) no alcohol. Modern lifestyles really do take it out on you.
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It is just like dogs peeing on lamp posts, you wouldn’t look because it is not interesting, so there’s no need to be embarrassed.
Another thing I thought of, food: there is no moral aspect to eating something (unless it is ortolans etc) so saying “oooh I’m naughty I’m going to have a biscuit” is stupid pointless and makes a person sound like a twat. (actually saying “a cheeky biscuit” is even worse. A cheeky anything makes me want to kill the person).
If you want to eat one or half a dozen coffee eclairs on one sitting just DO IT and enjoy it and rejoice in the deliciousness, don’t say it is naughty, if you think you shouldn’t be doing it then don’t do it.
And breathe…
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That certainly applies to French women. My daughters eat proper meals and are awesomely fit and slim because they all walk everywhere at great speed. Admittedly it helps to live in Paris.
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Public toilets where you have to walk past the urinals.
I am the only person in this little village of 100 or less houses who walks routinely or who walks to the bigger village, everyone here clings to their cars, and I’m the only one who needs a cane to walk. I guess it’s different in different places.