President Sarkozy On French Style: "Our Country Is Too Conservative"

He may have kept everyone waiting as he tied up official state business, but it didn't take French President Nicolas Sarkozy long to win over the fashion crowd as he decorated designers Sonia Rykiel and Jean-Louis Scherrer in a ceremony at the Elysées palace Wednesday evening. "Even I know you're famous for stripes," said Sarkozy as he praised Rykiel in a speech before making her a commander in the French Legion of Honor. "You are terribly French," he continued of Rykiel. "We need more free spirits like yours to turn our habits on their heads. Our country is too conservative."

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Comments

[mikesw]

And thinking you're the King?

What would that be Sarkozy?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/officials-sacked-after-sarkozy-hears-jeers-1521692.html

[Nick Kai Nielsen]

"Style" for Sarkozy is pork barrel politics, RayBans and Rolex.

[driven989]

I live in Paris, and the average salary here is 1,200 Euro per month. People may dress well, but they are broke!

[yellowdogminnesotan]

Maybe Nicolas Sarkozy should give the state of the Union in a G-String, talk about style! Oh I'm just kidding I think Obama is going to bring style back. Lord knows after the most recent presidential cowboy boots we're going to need it.

[nkc46]

i see one thing about america hasn't changed under obama from these posts. americans still like to bash france

[eden4barack08]

Please, don't judge us all by a few posts. Plus, keep in mind, most people when they hear "conservative" they automatically think GOP and lump foreign "conservatives" in there too, as if they were all the same.
I guess after what the "conservatives" have done to our country these eight years, you can understand the knee-jerk, allergic reaction to the word "conservative".

[KillBillV2]

J'aime la France!

[Nick Kai Nielsen]

Rather less bashing France than its bling bling president !

[tomjones44]

well...it has its roots in history

[sparkey]

Looking at the picture on the front page, if she was my wife and was looking at me that way, we'd be headed for the kitchen table, and it wouldn't be to eat supper.

[mommadona]

HE'S NOT EVEN A NATIVE....­..

He needs to move to Las Vegas or Dubai...

Wait - his wife would be arrested in Dubai..

He needs to move to Las Vegas.

[petrosbasileus]

There are people who LIVE in Las Vegas... I don't think they'd like it very much.

[Perry Clease]

I have some friends who grew up there. Outside of the strip is a regular city.

[Clavis]

But how does he feel about the sequel to "Nailin' Palin"?

[MHamlen]

Have to remember we're dealing with another language here. In France "Libéral" refers mostly the idea of "liberating" the economy. So the left is against Liberalism (relaxing employment protection, controls on prices and that sort of stuff). So the right is very Liberal and the left is conservative. So Sarko is playing double entendre here.

[SaulBloodworth]

Exactly. "Liberal" in Europe means neoconservative (as in actual neoconservative, not Likudnik)

[Wazzat]

Sarko is an authoritarian, bullheaded president, and this is a typical tactic: diverting attention just when 2 million people went on strike to protest horrible and quite destructive "reforms". His PR machine is powerful, he intimidates and screws over those that go against him....but people are starting to see the real effects and to wake up....henc­e the diversion ..... He and Carla are perfect for each other; each knows how to manipulate and use people, each is using the other, they are happy as clams at this, both being on the top of their respective heaps and neither gives a damn about the damage they do to ordinary people's lives along the way.

[Peabodies]

well said, Wazzat.

[liviapeacock]

I don't care who you are even if you work in fashion. No American should be judging the French on fashion. Period. Add to that food and wine as well. But feel free to dream.

[Perry Clease]

Yes, because Californian wines have never bested French ones.

/snark

[JSDKoeln]

without the French and Italians there would be no california wines.

/snark snark snark

[LITU]

Despite the context, to hear a phrase such as "too conservative" come out of Sarkozy's mouth is too hilarious.

If it weren't for his harsh immigration policy as concerns labor, the French would have never bought into his BS.

[kurtlockwood]

I lived in Hendaye, France this past fall and it seemed like every single person had ordered their clothes from the same catalogue. It was all very nice, well-made clothes but it was like one could say to the other, "Oh, I see you are wearing outfit #32a from page 56! I wore that last week! Today I'm wearing 88c from page 82!" It was a lot of black and brown leather (and this was just to walk along the boardwalk next to the beach!) Needless to say, me and my American-style clothes (and rolerblades) made me stick out like a chili cheese dog in the land of mixto. I found myself longing for the diversity that is the U.S.A.

[Furby]

Why is it that, no matter what they wear, they look so darned stylish and, even in the name of diversity, we keep looking so darned gaudy? Why don't we have that style gene?

[Lalita Amos]

Good question, Furry One!

[Kishmish]

Honesty the only stylish places in the US are NYC and SF.

[mjeffn]

Because corn-dogs and funnel-cakes turn that gene off.

[mjeffn]

Because corn-dogs turn that

[johnmorgan]

No. I'm soooooo tired of fat chicks wearing leggings and a sweatshirt. Give me French style anytime. They try to look nice! When did Americans decide that looking nice isn't important?

[lykitis]

Thank you, johnmorgan!

[cdnnewsjunky]

A friend of mine, once asked me about my fascination with the province of Quebec. My answer was that in la belle province the three's dress as nines with wonderful success.

[squander123]

Have just come back from a long session at my hairdressers', where coincidentally we fell to discussing American fashions, and their differences from European fashions. I diplomatically suggested that much of the US has some awful winter weather to deal with for much of the year...to which my hairdresser exclaimed 'oh yes, I never thought of that. I suppose that would explain why most American women dress just like guys!'. I just hoped that there were no Americans in the salon at the time...but seriously, why do American women for the most part not wear skirts (outside of NY etc)?

[lykitis]

how'd that "lookin' stupid" work out for you?

[kurtlockwood]

Not nearly as stoopid as your comment made you look.

[PORTAGE]

close your eyes and think about the French in some of the more "interesting" styles from Japan.

[getalong]

What do you mean?

Like those sick, scantly clad, "loli" types.

http://bluemist.animeblogger.net/images/lolitech%20(1).jpg

Cause, if that's the case, I would rather NOT think about it!

[NoPCZone]

I dislike his taste in politics but like his taste in Wives. Ms Sarkozy is very hot...

[GOPApostate]

Who cares?

[NoPCZone]

I do, among others. If she isn't a WILF your blood is cold in your veins.