If there is one thing the French have made me that I was not before, it's a window shopper. With their adorable displays, items and prices listed (required by law, yet oh so practical, so I know if I should even bother going inside) and their signs that say "vitrine en cours" [window in progress] when either element is not yet up to par, there is a certain attention to detail and je ne sais quoi that pulls me in. But in France one doesn't just window shop, you lick the windows – lèche vitrine – when you're eyeing something new. French friends, correct me if I'm wrong, but to say you're going window shopping you can say, Je vais faire du lèche-vitrine. A good time to go lèche vitrine would be for three weeks in January, and three in July during les soldes [the sales] when everything in the city goes massively on sale to make room for the new season stock. Then you can actually afford to acheter [to buy] something!French Lessons is an ongoing series where I teach you French words and cultural lessons while beefing up my Illustrator skills.
This is great, luckily I will be there next week so I can jump right into the sales!
ReplyDeleteThere is also lèche-c.l which describes the way so many people reached success so fast and taking all the room.
ReplyDeleteOh, haha, nice to know! Thanks. //study french
ReplyDeleteYes we do say "faire du lèche-vitrine" when we go windows shopping.
ReplyDeleteAlso we tend to do the windows shopping before the "Soldes" (Sales) to spot which shop we should go to when the time is right.
I love lèche-ing vitrines in Paris! Almost better than buying. Almost ;)
ReplyDeleteI for some reason thought the sales were for 5 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen anywhere, never in New York, people merging with a window the way they do in Paris. The windows are well worth it certainly, but there is almost a physical state as well as a trance-like mind set that's unique to Paris I think...
ReplyDeleteI love catching these on camera.