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Parisians do believe that most human beings are respectable. Except for those wearing white socks.
Seeing someone wearing white socks provokes an immediate and brutal reaction inside the Parisian. He is suddenly taken over by disgust and scorn. The white socks wearer is immediately removed from the community of human beings.
As lenient as the Parisians would like to be, he cannot just let some things slide.
High standards make the Parisian harsh at times. Parisians get truly offended when they see someone wearing white socks.
The sight of white socks makes Parisians sigh. They feel that such poor taste should really not be allowed.
When it comes to colours of socks, Parisians stop being liberal. White socks worn with chaussures de ville being the worst of fautes de goût, they are a clear indicator of appartenance sociale.
Everyone wearing white socks is a gros beauf. Parisians want none of that around. Seeing a gros beauf on TV makes the Parisian laugh. But seeing one right near him, live in sock offence mode, is an insult the Parisian cannot cope with. Some liberals assert that white socks worn with des tennis is ok. Truth is, it only could be – exclusively if worn on a sports court. Anywhere else, that would be accumulating two fautes de goût: sneakers and white socks. Game over.
Wearing white socks ranks first in the Parisian pantheon of mauvais goût vestimentaire. Number two is for sure short sleeved shirts.
A Nobel Prize winner wearing white socks shall always just remain to the Parisian a-gros-beauf-who’s-good-at-science-or-whatever-it-is-he’s-good-at,-I-don’t-care-he’s-just-a-beauf-putain-mais-comment-c’est-possible-de-porter-des-chaussettes-blanches-c’est-quand-même-dingue-ça. Sadly enough, in the world, most people put progress of science and humanity ahead of colour of socks in defining the quality of an individual. But Parisians know the type of socks these people are wearing.
Yes, for the Parisian, sometimes indeed, things are a bit lonely in this world.
Useful tip: When travelling to Paris, just don’t go there – really – won’t serve your cause.
Sound like a Parisian: « Non, enfin, le mec, chaussettes blanches, manches courtes… la totale quoi, l’enfer »
Tags: Americans, beaufs, clothing, fashion, Paris, socks, style, white socks
David Letterman is un gros beauf. I bet he doesn’t really care.
1)White socks
2) Short sleeved shirt
3)Short tie what stops at the belly button
4)Moustache.
Et la messe est dite.
Elisabeth… I didn’t know he was all about white socks. Well, he’s a comedian (let’s say), and not from Paris… so I think he’s safe. But yeah, you’re right, I suspect he wouldn’t care indeed…. and he would be very right!
Marc… I’ve heard stories of men with a moustache ending up with Sharon Stone…
The headline made me laugh out loud! Is this really true or is there some exageration? I’m afraid that there is not, since I’ve recently met une parisienne that was behaving exactly the way you describe these people in this blog.
[D'ailleurs, portant des chaussettes blanches dans mon labo en ce moment précis, je me demande si en revanche, ça veut dire que je gagnerai un prix Nobel;)]
And what about all these elegant german people coming with white socks and s(c)andals…
Mlle Différentielle… I’m glad it did. No exageration, really: this is a field report – live from Paris! Pour ce qui est du Prix Nobel, il faut commencer quelque part, et la stratégie de la chaussette est inovante, pour le moins…
JN… Hello! Yep, well, I feel they could very well belong in the ‘gros beauf’ category! They probably are the world champions of the category.
I wouldn’t be caught dead talking to someone in white socks… I’d rather be spotted lying drunk next to a clochard in the underground with my tie around my forehead – it would do less damage to my reputation!
olivier–this must be another article about foreigners. french people don’t own white socks, do they? they jog around the champ de mars with black socks on which i found so humorous.
… and my cousins make fun of me when I say white socks aren’t fashionable. pffft. what do they know!
still, last week I made one of them throw away all her white socks… baby steps, baby steps… it’s funny you wrote about this, now I have proof!
Jacques… oh boy! Quite the statement here!
Kim… People who exercize with dark socks on are either are beaufs or think they are beyond these considerations. What’s for sure is that style is not their main quality.
Nennii… Well, I’m not sure I can be presented as the arbitre of all style-related things really!!
You’ve just described my father, white socks, short sleeves, but you forgot the visor. You probably won’t know what a visor is, I’m sure there aren’t any in Paris, or France for that matter. ..
I think white socks to Americans has something to do with cleanliness, or purity, or some other bollocks like that. I was guilty for many years, but my English husband beat it out of me eventually.
Even worse is white knee socks with shorts- and sneakers. I shudder at the thought.
C’est si stupide ‘that thinking’! il y a donc trop des ‘gros boeufs’ dans le monde.. j’ai porte a Paris les chausettes blanches avec mes tennis et quoi..? c’est tolere alors? chacun a droit avoir son propre style, les situations comme ca sont donc (manque de mot… pitoyables?) il est vrai que le plus souvent ce sont les etrangers qui se particularisent a Paris par son style, les couleurs ou bien, les chausettes blanches:) c’est trop drole.. Vive la France, quoi? …
Rachelle… Ah, visors!! Well, it’s true these are not too popular here!! Never thought of the whole purity thing! Being taught style by an Englishman is a unusual thing: you got lucky!
Amanda… You could not work in tourism!!
JB… Tout est toléré. Mais le Parisien n’en pense pas moins. C’est d’ailleurs un de ses traits de caractère principaux.
I am really, truly surprised! So, for the rest of the world, wearing white socks with dark shoes and pants is ok??? Even if I’m now living in Paris, I was brought in in “la Province”. However, I was always told that wearing white socks with black or brown shoes was “no way”. I studied 2 years in Germany and discovered the white socks-sandals, but I didn’t know it was the same for England for example…
I exercise in white socks but never wear white ones when dressed in regular outfits. J’ai bon ou pas ?
Magalie… I think it’s more about social class than it is about geography! Every country has its Parisians and its beaufs!
Noodle… Je crois que c’est un sans faute!
well well well… once again I felt parisian when reading your perfect english tagging our stupid habits and our social behaviours…
Man, you should write books in english, or maybe give some radio chronicles…
This is so exhilarating !!!
thanks again
Stéphan… Thank you really for these encouraging comments. Very much apreciate this. Radio chronicles… never thought about it, but why not, that could be fun. As per the book, I hope to be able to tell you more on that side soon. And hopefully, TV too… we’ll see!
In all cases, thank you so very much and I’ll try to keep things up!
… whereas red socks with black shoes are perfectly accepted! Just considered as a bit original, snobbish perhaps ? (See Balladur, Fillon…)
Even worse are the white socks with worn-out elastics, so the socks slide down…
In California where I live, far from my Paris hometown, we have the solution: sandals with no socks (no ties either, shorts and short sleeve shirts are welcome)
Peter… True! Parisians are such risk takers…
Cecile… Flip flops, shorts, t shirt… I miss California! Skaters in SoCal love to pull their white socks high up: different vibe!
I am mysteriously drawn to your commical banter. Do believe all that you write?
Charlie… Well, it’s nice to hear, thank youvery much! Now, do I believe everything I write? Well, everything I write has a lot to do with the truth I’m afraid… So in my case, it’s not about believing it, it’s about coping with it!
Does this mean that, as a Parisian, you have to learn to cope with yourself?
Charlie… Coping with ourselves is each and everyone’s prime challenge I believ. Parisians being in that case no exception. My personal case is rather uninteresting: I’m just reporting. Merely translating…
The white socks teasers have long spread away from Paris, I live in the so far “province” and the habit is very present here as well…And I believe it may be womewhat worse here !!!
Marrant ce blog, je reviendrai
Hm, this disgust for white socks is pretty accurate all around the world I think. Most of us cringe when we spot that hint of white socks on anyone older than the age of maybe 4 or 5…Unless in Tokyo of course where almost anything goes.
I didn’t know short-sleeved shirts were treated with such scorn though!
Stan… More white socks en province? Hmm, let me think …
Clara… Welcome! Yeah, Tokyo is like a different galaxy lookswise!
You could add to the list ties with Mickey Mouse&Co on it!
Nous, d’une bonne formation, s’en f… de votre humeur
I am coming to Paris with some American friends. If any of them show up in white socks, I will take them to a department store and make them buy the most expensive black socks for sale in order to teach a lesson or two about style!
Haha, Funny but great article…
To comment Rachelle; you’re pretty much right. Americans tend to be very hygienic and clean people. Most Europeans don’t shower regularly, so it’s only natural that they don’t…can’t, wear white socks. They’d look awful in them…and probably smell even worse than they do now. An American can wear white socks becuase most are always clean and smell nice. So yea, when I see someone (American) wearing white socks; I indeed see them as more clean/pure than anybody else around.
Think about it…how long can someone re-use a pair of black socks…at least with white, you know when they’re dirty! So I tend to run from any guy that wears dark socks regularly. I see them as dirty/disgusting!
Helolimone… True true!!
Oz… OK, super!
KDS… Yeah, you could do that or have them buy a tennis racket and walk carrying it!!
Monique… Merci!
Cloud… May I object that some (could I be bold enough and say most) Europeans do shower regularly. As in every day regularly. I do understand your reasoning though. But why stop with just socks? Why not say that any one wearing anything black is suspiciously dirty. As exposed in a previous article, Parisians love to wear black. Now I understand why. Merci Cloud! Oh, and for the record, I know it sounds weird, but some Europeans (could I be bold enough and say most) also change socks regularly. As in every day regularly. We don’t change socks when they start looking dirty; we change socks when it’s a new day. Gosh we’re a weird crowd!
i dont like white, but i love black
but you write a great article with usefull tips
great Job,
wwb
This is absolutely hilarious. I needed a good chuckle, this post sums up about 60% of the people where I live. I especially liked the comments others have made about those that wear shorts, visors, white socks (we all know a visor makes the man) It’s even better when you go out for dinner here and see the exact same thing..
I agree, white socks wearer are hated here too, for unknown reasons..
white socks sucks
I think it depends on various things. sometimes white socks are not looking good. sometimes else its the perfect fit
I think white socks is good if you will play football. I like Real Madrid socks
What about Red socks?
David Letterman is un gros beauf.
and… don’t try it in germany either (esp. berlin) wow… a woman went all the way around a revolving door to see my white sox again..s.
oh, and forgot to say… in america, if men wear dark sox and are wearing shorts with sports shoes, they get stared at. traditionally, dark sox are ‘dress sox’ worn with long slacks and white sox are ‘sports’ sox, worn with shorts or casual pants.
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