Monday, September 17, 2007

"Je pense que la robe est trop petite pour vous"

I saw them queuing up to board my same flight to New York City at the CDG airport in Paris. The taller one had black hair that obviously came from a bottle and was cut just past her nape in a blunt angle with thick bangs that framed a face too mature for such a bold hair cut and color. She had a rather large nose but her lips were red courtesy of Chanel. This was apparent as she pulled the familiar black cylinder from one of her Chanel bags and as she twists the gold Chanel-marked band that pulls the bright red waxy bomb-shaped lipcolor from out of its case so she can gingerly rub more red on her lips. She flaunts a large "quilted" Chanel leather bag AND a smaller Chanel purse. She is dressed in black and white---a dress which may or may not be Chanel but curiously, she is also wearing a pair of black "skinny" pants underneath her dress. She is also wearing what appears to be a pair of Chanel shoes. There is a gold link chain around her neck and on her right wrist, she is wearing a very large bracelet which appears to be made of some kind of gold lame roping that wrapped around her wrist in some kind of curious knot. Resting on top of her head was a pair of Chanel reading glasses while and in concert with that, she wore a pair of very large Chanel sunglasses. In short, the woman was sheathed in Chanel from head to toe.

Her friend in contrast, was short and skinny. She had a mop of disheveled golden--almost yellow--blonde hair which obviously did not match the color of the rest of her body hair. I mean, her eyebrows were thick and dark. Her skin was pock-marked and greasy. But she had on a layer of coral orange shiny lipstick and very large, dark sunglasses. She was dressed completely in black. Over her black turtleneck, she wore a short and loosely flared black button-down jacket with a belt cinched around her waist. She also wore a pair of black, 'skinny' pants and black low-heeled slip-on shoes that I had just seen the day before at a store called Zara's on the Rue de Rivoli, close to the Louvre Musee. Ooh la la. They were obviously trying way too hard to appear 'Paris chic'.

Both women were posturing.

Later, as I was boarding, I spied both of them sitting separately... in coach. They were seated not far from me. In fact, the taller of the two was in the same row I was. It was strange to watch her as she opened a bag and pulled out a sandwich. She craned her neck and appeared to be smiling and gesturing at a 'friend' but when I looked to the direction of her line of sight, I did not see anyone. It occurred to me that she was merely uncomfortable and way too self-conscious and was therefore inventing a 'friend' so she could feel secure. Other passengers were looking at them askance at the way they comported themselves. I thought: this is why the French think Americans are stupid. And I could see some passengers surreptitiously acknowledging each other's bemusement upon seeing these two posturing women.

I felt sorry for them though.

And then I quickly turned on my ipod and began to watch my videos.