On my last vacation I had the opportunity to travel to France and England (I’m very fortunate to have friends and family abroad who made my trip possible).

As a plus size fashion blogger and Health at Every Size activist, I had the chance to observe plus-sized fashion and lifestyles in these two places (at least a little bit).

I know that I can only talk about my own impressions of Paris and London; I’m not trying to write an essay or prove that everything I observed is the Capital T Truth. They are my considerations, and if you disagree or have alternate views, please share in the comments, as I’d love to hear.

This trip was very important to me to clear my head and see my life in different and new ways, including my new year’s fashion resolutions.

So, let’s start with the first stop on my trip: Paris.

A Plus-Sized Gal in Paris: Impressions

It’s a city crowded with tourists. I mean really crowded. Thus, pinpointing “real” French people is a hard task. The city is a multicultural metropolis, and you can find people of all ethnicities there, whether tourists or residents. So, let’s call those people “French” who I saw working and speaking French.

My first observation was that, at least in Paris, there weren’t a lot of plus-sized people. I saw a lot of thin girls and women. The curvier ones had an African background. Some men were fat, but most of them were thin.

In every food commercial on TV there are calorie intake recommendations for men and women (fewer calories for women). Commercials often recommended at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

And in Paris we walked a lot. Seriously.

The most important means of transportation is the subway, which they call the Metro, and trains (for longer distances). Most people use the Metro (according to my friend who lives in Paris, taxis are a nightmare), and you have to walk long distances within the stations. And there are lots of stairs.

Besides the long walks and stairs in the subway stations everything in Paris is sumptuous and grand, and there are many big, open spaces.  

And they have this amazing cycling system called Velib’, which is a spectacular way to get to know the city. There are lots of people cycling around Paris, and I can say that it is one of the most beautiful ways to get to know the City of Lights.

Having said that, from what I could observe there are not a lot of fat people in Paris (I can’t say anything about other cities, though). I don’t know if it’s because people walk a lot or because there’s a diet mentality, or if it’s the so called French Paradox. (they eat a lot of fat and are thin and lack high cases of heart disease). Honestly, I have no idea. I just know that seeing plus size people in Paris is rare. If anyone knows anything about this (studies or research) I’d be delighted to learn more because I’m intrigued.

Stephanie & Sakina

Regarding fashion, there are two plus size bloggers whom I follow who live in Paris: Stéphanie, from Le blog de Big Beauty
and Sakina, from Saks in the city. I love their amazing styles, and I’ve been following their blogs for a while. Before I travelled I checked on their blogs to see if they had a shopping guide, but most stores were online or in England.

Both bloggers, Stefanie and Sakina are known around the world (just check out the session Press and Features on their blogs to have an idea).

While I was there I watched a piece about Stefanie on television. I also found her book at Fnac, one of the most famous book stores in France. You can also find it on Amazon.. I must say that I felt really proud when I saw the book on the shelves at Fnac.

Apart from these two episodes - seeing Stéphanie on TV and her book - I didn’t see any stores specializing in larger sizes or any department stores like H&M, C&A, Gap, Printemps and Galleries Lafayette. It’s possible that I don’t know where to find bigger sizes in these stores, but it didn’t seem like an easy task (and I usually have a pretty good eye for finding the plus-sized section).

So, I didn’t put much effort into finding plus-sized clothes in Paris and spent my time going to amazing museums, beautiful places and delectable restaurants (well, the food was delectable, not the restaurants)!

The funny thing is: as soon as I arrived I was browsing the internet looking for more info on plus-sized fashion in France, and I found the blog A night in Paris by Teena Hughes.

Teena is an australian woman who loves Paris so much that she has a blog about Paris alone (she’s lived there more than once and goes there every year). One of the sections is only about Plus Size Fashion in Paris. Unfortunatelly I didn’t see it while I was there, but If you plan to go to Paris, her blog is a great resource. Teena also offers a Plus Size Fashion Adventure in Paris which is a shopping tour (le sigh).

So, If you are planning to go to Paris please take some time to explore this blog. And after your trip please share your findings.

Be positive that whether you find plus sized fashion or not while there, I guarantee that the city is worth visiting year round.

Next stop: London. See you next week!

Patricia Morgado is a Brazilian teacher, jewelry designer and a self acceptance and fashion blogger. She has a degree in Pedagogy and a Master's degree in Human Rights Education. She believes that the key to a happy life is learning to love ourselves. She also believes that fashion is for everyBODY. You can find her jewlery work at Madame Papu's.