NOM: _____________________________
LE FRANÇAIS I
BON VOYAGE!
DATE: _______________________
CHAPÎTRE 7 : LES VÊTEMENTS
APERÇUS CULTURELS : ON FAIT LES MAGASINS
PREMIÈRE PARTIE : LES HISTORIETTES
A. LES MAGASINS
There are huge shopping malls in France but fewer than in the United States. However,
small specialized stores still do a brisk business. Just as in the United States, you can go to le
pressing or la teinturerie (dry cleaner’s) to have your clothes dry-cleaned, le tailleur (tailor) to
have your clothes altered and la cordonnerie (shoe repair shop) to have your shoes repaired.
B. LA MODE
In general, the French place more importance on having quality clothing that is the latest
style than on having many different outfits.
C. LE QUARTIER LATIN
Le Quartier latin, near the University of Paris, is an area where students often find
clothes, international restaurants and entertainment which appeal to their contemporary values.
D. LE MARCHÉ AUX PUCES
At le marché aux puces (flea market) you can purchase a variety of items ranging from
antique lamps to secondhand clothing. At such outdoor markets buyers often try bargaining with
vendors to get a reduced price.
E. À MONTRÉAL
There are many opportunities for shopping in Montréal, the second largest French-speaking
city in the world. Beneath Montréal’s busy streets in the midtown area, and literally carved from
the rock that supports them, lies the world’s largest subterranean city. Shopping, strolling, eating,
doing business and finding entertainment are easy at any time of the day or night, with no worries
about the cold Canadian winters. Department stores, hotels, restaurants, movie theaters and many
businesses are located in and around large squares, such as the Place Ville-Marie and the Place
Bonaventure. The four-line métro (subway) system and a series of walkways, stairways and
elevators connect this underground complex. Decorations, such as stained glass windows, murals,
and ceramic artworks, beautify the modern métro stations, each designed by a different architect.
Aboveground, concrete and glass skyscrapers top the subterranean complex.
F. SOLDES
When items are en solde (on sale) in French shops, they are sometimes displayed on the
sidewalk in front of the store marked with the sign Soldes to attract customers.
G. PARDON?
If you haven’t heard what someone has said, you may ask the person to repeat by saying
Pardon? or Excusez-moi? You may also say Comment?, or in less formal situations, Quoi? or Hein?
H. LA TAILLE
To ask a salesclerk the size of an item of clothing, you say C’est quelle taille? To ask the
size of a pair of shoes, you say C’est quelle pointure? The accompanying chart compares sizes in
the United States with those in France and Great Britain.
I. LA MODE ET LA LANGUE
Many English words related to clothing originally came from French. For example, we use
the word chic for “stylish,” boutique for a “shop” and beret for the small round cap that was first
worn in les Pyrénées. The French also gave us the word for “jeans”. French tailors created denim
pants, called genes, which were named after the city of Genoa, Italy. They were first worn there
by sailors during the Middle Ages. Later the word was modified to “jeans.” The fabric that is used
to make jeans was originally called serge de Nîmes after the town in France where it was loomed.
This was eventually shortened to “denim.”
VOCABULAIRE:
1.
Le pressing/la teinturerie:
2. Le tailleur:
3. La cordonnerie:
4. Le Quartier latin:
5. Le marché aux puces:
6. En solde:
7. Une boutique:
QUESTIONS
1.
What would you say if you didn’t hear what your teacher said the first time?
2. What would you say if you didn’t hear what your friend said the first time?
3. What is the French word for “size” if you are referring to an article of clothing?
4. If a woman wears a size 38 shoe in France, what size does she wear in the United States?
5. If a man wears a size 15 shirt in the United States, what size does he wear in France?
6. If a woman wears a size 38 dress in France, what size does she wear in the United States?
7. If a man wears a size 9 shoe in the United States, what size does he wear in France?
8. What are several French words related to clothing that are commonly used in English?
9. What two French words were combined to give us the word “denim”?
DEUXIÈME PARTIE: LES VÊTEMENTS
Whether they are digging through racks of secondhand clothes at the marché aux puces on
the outskirts of Paris or window-shopping (faire du lèche-vitrines) at the haute couture (high
fashion) shops along the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the heart of the city, French teenagers
follow fashion trends (la mode) and strive to achieve their individual “look” (le look).
French teens, like their American counterparts, spend quite a bit of their free time and
money on clothes. In larger cities, they go to the centre commercial to shop. In smaller towns,
they often browse along the rues piétonnes (streets reserved only for pedestrians), looking in
department stores or boutiques for a unique outfit at an affordable price.
Different stores cater to people with a wide variety of tastes. You can find anything from
a discarded designer dress to old army boots at the open-air markets. Small boutiques offer
personalized service and specialized lines of clothing. Here customers may shop in a more relaxed
setting as salespeople hand them clothing from racks and shelves to try on or purchase. Les grands
magasins, such as the Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, and the Samaritaine, have branches all over
France and sell a large variety of goods. The oldest department store in the world, Au Bon Marché
in Paris, opened in 1852 and is famous for its extensive épicerie that sells everything from
escargots to champagne. When you shop in a grand magasin, a salesclerk helps you select the item
you want to buy, then brings it to a cashier. Usually stores also wrap the purchase free of charge
when you say that it’s for a gift. This comes in handy if you have been invited to a French home for
a meal and want to bring something to your hosts, as is the custom. Les grandes surfaces (large
supermarket and discount stores), also called hypermarchés, offer customers moderate prices
along with a wide selection of merchandise.
In small towns, shops normally close for two hours at noon, but in large cities, department
stores stay open all day. Stores are open until 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM at a centre commercial, but
most small shops close between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
The entire world looks to French fashion houses, such as Cardin, Dior, Lacroix, Chanel, Saint
Laurent and Nina Ricci, for the latest styles. Fashion shows twice a year in Paris attract buyers
from all around the globe to see the défilés (showings). Most designers also create prêt-à-porter
(ready to wear) clothing which is more affordable for the average customer. If you can’t get a
ticket to a fashion show, you can always go to Angelina. In the spring and fall, you can get a seat
near the window of this tea salon on the rue de Rivoli and watch models and designers rushing off
to exhibit the latest collections.
But French teenagers are interest in more than high fashion. For school, casual clothing is
the usual attire; many students wear jeans to class. On weekends and for parties, students have a
chance to show off their own personal style. Some prefer an upscale, conservative look called
B.C.B.G. Others favor a more radical style. For French teenagers, tastes in fringues (slang for
clothes) vary just as they do in the rest of the world.
VOCABULAIRE:
1.
Faire du lèche-vitrines:
2. La mode:
3. Le look:
4. Un centre commercial:
5. Les rues piétonnes:
6. Un grand magasin:
7. Le grand surface/l’hypermarché:
8. Le défilé:
9. Prêt-à-porter:
10. B.C.B.G:
11. Des fringues:
QUESTIONS
1.
Where do teenagers often go in Paris to find secondhand clothing?
2. Along what street in Paris are the boutiques of the leading fashion designers located?
3. What is the French term for streets reserved only for pedestrians?
4. Why do some people prefer to shop in a small boutique?
5. In a small boutique is it the customer or the salesperson who takes clothing from racks and
shelves?
6. What are the names of two French department stores?
7. In what country did the concept of a department store originate?
8. If you are invited to eat at a French person’s home, what is it customary to bring?
9. What are the names of two famous French designers?
10. What are the initials used to describe a rather expensive, conservative style of clothing?