France in Focus

Is almost two meters the perfect height for a man? I'm not so sure, it is expensive, only big cars. Robert, the ceiling needs painting. There is one bright spot fortunately, not any possibility to spend my money in Paris to buy fashion, only small and medium sizes. But I would still love to walk along the Boulevard Saint-Germain again, just window shopping, looking around.

RA my friend, I would find that most depressing. Just peering into the windows at prices in down at heel rural towns does as well. Who spends almost €100 for very ordinary looking shoes? And almost the same prices for kids shoes that will only fit for a short time, or fall apart the first time they get wet. Thank flip for second hand on Ebay.

Hotrodder wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:53 pm RA my friend, I would find that most depressing. Just peering into the windows at prices in down at heel rural towns does as well. Who spends almost €100 for very ordinary looking shoes? And almost the same prices for kids shoes that will only fit for a short time, or fall apart the first time they get wet. Thank flip for second hand on Ebay.

I was told by mum & dad that you should always buy good fitting shoes as you only get one pair of feet in life, if you can afford 100€ shoes so be it the DW has trainers in that price range and her jeans are pushing 150€ a pair, suppose we are lucky but we all spent our hard earned cash differently.

You only have to look at many adult women's feet today to see that well-fitting shoes have never been a priority in their lives ! Misshapen and not a pretty sight. I was fortunate to grow up and start work at a time when flat, comfortable shoes were fashionable, easily obtainable and not necessarily outrageously priced. We always had well-fitting shoes as children, often hand-me downs from cousins. So much for the myths put about that sharing shoes is bad for feet !
I love shoes and today I will happily spend my hard-earned cash on a pair that I like. I wouldn't bother to go to Paris, I can get everything I want in the way of clothes locally !! (including good waterproofs)

I hate shopping, most especially for clothes and shoes! I wear shoes until they fall apart or fray and still wear some clothes that I've had for up to 40 years. One of my daughters pinched my blue velvet flared dungarees that I bought in High St. Ken in the 60s...
I used to check the cost of replacing stuff, but I no longer do that in case I have a heart attack.

MAD87 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 3:55 pm I wear shoes until they fall apart or fray and still wear some clothes that I've had for up to 40 years.

Me too .. some of the clothes I've kept (too sentimental by half) I can't quite manage to get into now .. I must have been thinner then

suein56 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 4:53 pm

MAD87 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 3:55 pm I wear shoes until they fall apart or fray and still wear some clothes that I've had for up to 40 years.

Me too .. some of the clothes I've kept (too sentimental by half) I can't quite manage to get into now .. I must have been thinner then

Me too, some clothes I still wear occasionally that are heading for being antiques, at least 40 years old anyway - one top can be clearly seen in a photo in the dining room, don’t actually know why the photo’s still on a shelf in there!

I still have my wedding dress, which I haven’t been able to get into for donkeys years, and my head-dress and veil, both of which are almost 56 years old!

I still have a black velvet jacket bought at M&S about 30 years ago that I keep for funerals and serious occasions - fortunately it still fits. Can't fault the quality.

I've still got a wardrobe full of suits, jackets & shirts I last wore when I was in business 21 years ago. Some of them, including lovely suits I had made in Singapore must date back to the early eighties.
I'm sure they all still fit me but dog knows why I keep them as the poshest things I wear these days are my 'best jeans' & check shirts. Anything else is far to pretentious in the circles we now mix in.
My week is mostly spent in pantalons de travail, torn shirts , holy pullovers & old gilets & boy do I feel comfy in 'em.

I've just got rid of 3 business suits I brought over when I retired in 2010 but still cling onto my DJ hoping for an opportunity to use it. I have a T-shirt for The Captain's Arms I bought in Lloret de Mar in 1967 or so which I can still just squeeze in and a school football shirt from the '50s.
Loads of stuff I still wear that's 20-30+ years old