My wifes complaining....... Again

[Quillan]

This time it's French cloths so perhaps some of you ladies may either help me out by telling me where to go or give my wife some sympathy.

The crux of her bane (which is normally me) are cloths or rather the lack of them in shops for the lady with a 'fuller figure' here in France.

It is her opinion that French women never get beyond a size 12 to 14. This she feels is proven by the fact that if one visits the local, ordinary, cloth shops there is little or nothing on the racks above these sizes. It has been suggested that she should try the catalogs where there are cloth sizes bigger than 14 but the styles are basically what your granny would wear and often quite drab.

I did take her to Toulouse to buy cloths (I got dumped in the local man park thank god - better known as a bar) but that was no good. Apparently again bigger sizes but the styles were out of the 1940's.

She is not looking for mini skirts and stuff that 16 year olds would wear more the same sort of stylish things other women wear but in bigger sizes.

I have told her to drink more wine, smoke 80 a day and eat lettuce but that does not seem to help much.

So HELP ladies pleaseeeeeee.

[Pangur]

Has she tried the La Redoute catalogue?  www.laredoute.fr It's definitely not frumpy, aimed at all women, and a quick flick through, has sizes in some things going up to 52 European (which I think is about a UK 24?) and lots of them seem to go to at least 44 (size 18).  I haven't actually ordered anything from them yet but it does come highly recommended. 

You get about 2 weeks to try on and return and this goes up to a month if you get their store card.

 

[Christine Animal]

Most shops have farily large sizes, dont they.  Otherwise...

http://www.jemaimeenronde.com/

http://www.gianiforte.fr/

http://www.ludesa.com/

[Furry Knickers]

A friend of mine that lived on Sark in the Channel Islands for 6 months, told me that they have a law that states you must beat your wife every thursday afternoon between 3pm and 5pm!

[Russethouse]

FK - could that be why the population of Sark is going down

I will second the LaRedoute suggestion, also ebay can be OK or as the $$$ is fairly low you could try Lands End, LLBean or JC Penney, although I have bought things from them for the UK I haven't looked into shipping to France.

[Teamedup]

And 3Suisses do a catalogue called Votre Mode. And C&A have a fuller figure range........ it is worth fouille'ing through the wracks of clothes though as at first glance it isn't always evident that there is anything interesting. 

Frankly a cheap flight to the UK and stocking up in some of the cheaper outlets may well be the cheapest option.

[Val_2]

M&S Modes have shops in France (nothing to do with Marks and Spencer,these are dutch) and they go upto a 56 size. In fact, the shop in St.Brieuc is a real ego booster as everything they sell is far too big for me now I have been losing weight and boy! does it make you feel good. The have a website if you search google etc for the connection address. Eurodif also have upgraded their stores round here and now have a larger person's section with extremely good prices as well. We have always distrusted french clothes sizes as they are always at least a size smaller than the equivalent to british measurements.

[SaligoBay]

So true, there's something amiss with the sizes.  I often see that French 44 = UK 18.  Huh??  I usually end up with size 44 for trousers here, but in the UK there's just no way in a million years that I'm an 18, they would just fall straight off me.

And TU's right, you have to look through everything.  In fact, don't dismiss ANY shops either as being "not my kind of stuff".   Kiabi, Babou, Gémo, C&A, Fille à la Vanille, markets, La Redoute, Tam Tam, try every one of them because there are the oddest things just where you expect them least.

I think the only place I've never bought anything is the supermarkets.

 

[Chris_Haze]

My wife has the fuller figure and she managed to buy some nice clothes from La Halle, which is a french version of primark.

3 items for under 50euros bargain.

[Coco]

You could also try http://www.neckermann.fr they have a section called Boutique Plus for us more voluptuous ladies.  I've just ordered the catalogue, haven't yet bought anything from them but a friend has, and the quality seems just fine.  Some of the styles are a bit frumpy but there's quite a good selection.  Land's End France has just ceased trading but I've always used Lands End UK but they charge a minimum shipping fee of £10.95 per order, so it puts the price up quite a bit.

[Mistral]

Of course, the other end of the scale has its problems too. My sister in law was complaining the other day how difficult it was to find clothes in size 34. Yes, 34. I thought that was a shoe size

[SaligoBay]

[La vieille]

Must say a word on behalf of the markets!   I have bought at least four blouses and knitwear from the market this year, you have to look through to get the really good stuff, but it is there.   Sizes are definitely for the larger lady - I can get away with a size 1 or 2 at the most, so I can only imagine what size 5 is like!

Additionally we have two exceptionally good women's shops in the town where I have already bought my Christmas outfits for this year.   You pay a little more than the market but cheaper than in the UK.   I rarely buy stuff in the UK now.

[la bezarderie]

France = shoes, handbags and lingerie

UK = everything else.  I'm fortunate enough to do a monthly commute and I can only say I experience a frisson of excitement as I walk through the doors of Debenhams, T.K. Maxx etc. after two weeks of French shiny polyester and acrylics.

Can thoroughly recommend Holland for all types of shopping. Styles and prices are unbeatable. Well worth the trip, though strangely, husband disagrees.

[SaligoBay]

I can only say I experience a frisson of excitement as I walk through the doors of Debenhams, T.K. Maxx etc. after two weeks of French shiny polyester and acrylics.

Yes, you really are very lucky.  I LOVE shopping in the UK whenever I'm there. 

And you know, I was going to start a thread about polyester clothes myself!   I hate wearing it, but it really does seem to be the default fabric for clothes in France.  And not just in markets either.   Nasty nasty stuff!    Polyester blouses, polyester skirts, I just don't know how they do it!

[Miki]

" Nasty nasty stuff! Polyester blouses, polyester skirts, I just don't know how they do it!"

Now I don't know how true this artice was but, a story I read in "Pompiers Monthly" said that in a vote among the chaps, 90% of the Pompiers themselves went for women in.............wait for it..............Polyester garments.

Looking in my crystal ball, I see a sudden change of thought and wonder if there will be enough Polyester in the Languedoc for the expected rush.

"Get outa my way Madame, I saw the pinny first. I am pushed for time and I see a bush fire arriving quite soon so need the poly pinny...... desperately"

[Vraititi<P>PSG till I die -fluctuat nec mergitur.<P>]

Talking of MIL's + OH's and large sizes, why not kill two large birds with one stone and shop at TATI, they store large sizes all right, in fact they only seem to do the juggernaut ones, but, attention hein, not any TATI, for yr street cred, only the best of the bestest will do (not one of them pale provincial imitations, perish the thought), NO, only the original will do, the real Mc Coy, j'ai nommé the TATI on Bvd Barbès, I go there all the time for corky high heelers and 'p'tite' lingerie fine (yes my MIL only will not have them from anywhere else now), cabines d'essayage très chic évidemment, entre deux cartons, you can see instantly if it's occupied or not, no complaints either, all in all great afternoon of free fun for the family.