Sunday 22 November 2015

A Comparison of Fall and Winter Outerwear: France & Canada

One of the big clothing differences between Canada and France is how we dress relative to the seasons and the weather. In Canada, fall and winter temperatures demand heavier clothing, winter jackets and even fur. Fur can be considered a necessity in minus twenty temperatures. Here in France, fall and winter fashions dictate the heavier clothing, more so I believe than the weather. Mais oui, the temperatures are cooler and when the rain and fog settles in during the winter here in the south-west of France, there is a humid cold that will chill you to the bones. I may have to update this post in January. However, with November day temperatures reaching 12 to 16 degrees celsius, seeing fur trimmed jackets and capes seems a tad premature - overkill even, by Canadian standards. In Canada many would be pulling out their flip flops on a sunny 16 degree fall day. Unfortunately, as I write, there is snow on the ground on the Canadian prairies.

Although, I must say, the fur jackets I have seen here seem flimsier, much more "fashionable" than "functional". Canadian outerwear, in general, is definitely heavier, and relative to the weather, more appropriate. It is the same with gloves or mittens and scarves. When I inspect the fibres or the workmanship in what is available here in France, I use the Canadian winter standard to judge them. And reasonably, for the most part, none would stand up to the minus 20 temperatures to which Canadians are accustomed. Simply, they don't have to.

Fashion, not only in clothing but in decoration, is curious because here too we see snowmen decorating city streets when in fact snow is seldom seen. Snowflakes and artificial snow even decorate Christmas inspired windows in places where snow never falls. (November 24th update: While in Arcachon today, I watched the city crews decorating the traffic roundabouts/circles with . . . evergreens bearing "snowy" branches.)

Conclusion - winter and Christmas beg for snow, no matter where in the world you are.

4 comments:



  1. Great Winter wear post. From what you've said and what I've experienced a foggy, damp or humid cold is hard to dress for. Humidity does give you that bone chilling feeling. Around freezing or colder feels really cold. That said the cold we feel on the prairies can get down right COLD. I think the coldest I've ever felt was -43 Celsius. For anyone who doesn't relate to the Metric system and uses the Imperial system minus 42 Celsius is the equivalent to minus 42 Fahrenheit. Now you know how cold that is. ( or maybe you don't ). But here's the thing! I'll take a minus 40 degree day with sunshine and no wind on the prairies before I'll take a zero degree day with foggy, wet or damp condition like France. I just feel warmer. Fashion outerwear for a cold day in France is stylish and hopefully keeps you warm. Functional outerwear for the prairies isn't often fashionable but keeps you warm. I guess I'll take warm over stylish in the Winter.

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    1. My sentiments exactly - we agree again. The sunshine is the clincher. When I try to explain the beautiful sunshine in our cold, the French here have a hard time understanding. To wear sunglasses when walking on a bright day with the sun reflecting off the white snow is beyond their experience. However my husband reminds me that one does not have to shovel rain - bien sur. Since we're returning in February, we will have our share of both winters.

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  2. Yes we do agree. If I can't escape Winter I love nothing more than bundling up and going out on a cool sunny day with no wind. There's nothing better in the Winter. I get what people mean when they say they prefer rain cuz you don't have to shove it. But with rain comes humidity and humidity chills my bones.

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    1. Besides not having to shovel it, the humidity is great for the skin. Those of us on the prairies and in the foothills of the Rockies, the dryness is unbelievable. Where else in the world do we have products for extra dry skin - or very very dry - I have seen both on skincare products sold in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I must admit I do not have the dry flaky skin here that I do when I am at home. But there it is . . . home . . . Home is still Canada for me.

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