Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

French Husband Goes Shopping

Shopping in France

French Husband is no fan when it comes to clothes shopping. I use to shop for his entire wardrobe: Suits, ties, underwear, socks, belts, shoes, motorcycle pants… He never stepped inside of a shop, seriously in over twenty years.

A few years ago due to one thing and another, I stopped doing his shopping. To make a long story short French Husband and I had an argument, bent our necks, and well you know how it is one person says something and the other says, "Fine!" and you don't mean it but keep to it anyway? He said, "I can do my own shopping!" and I said, "Fine!"

Three years later, French Husband still hadn't shopped, and I hadn't bought him a single new thing. Which gave a new meaning to Hol(e) ly socks. 

Well all that changed yesterday evening… we went shopping– for him. I am still in shock. 

Details of a Shopping Spree:

He bought bags of colorful clothes.

In less than two hours.

Almost like a true Shopaholic.

 

Trying on clothes

(I had to take a picture to believe my eyes… "My husband is in a DRESSING ROOM. My Husband is HAMMING it up in front of the MIRROR. My husband must be on drugs?")

The young sales lady exclaimed, "My dad would never be caught dead in any of this, he has a far more conservative style."

French Husband was tickled and threw in a pair of purplish pink pants for good measure. He bought red ones too, and mustard ones… Thank God there wasn't polka dotted ones.

The new clothes are sitting in bags on the floor of our house.

I imagine they might be there for a month of Sundays.

And he probably won't shop again until he is 100. 

 

Who wears the pants in your family? I mean who is the shopper in your household?

Comments

43 responses to “French Husband Goes Shopping”

  1. Karen C

    The only items of closing my husband will buy for himself are sports clothes.
    My strategy is to come home with a range of slacks and shirts, all in the wrong size, which forces him to come back to the shop with me where I allow the sweet young sales girl to fuss over and flatter him. Without fail we come home with at least 3 additional items.
    Also, have you ever intentionally complimented a man on the clothes he is wearing?
    I began doing this when I saw the positive effect this had on a friend of ours and realised that few men ever receive a compliment and yet it does so much for our self esteem. Maybe that is why women pay so much attention to the way they dress.

    Reply
  2. jody

    How funny and i love his new pants! i have some similar in brushed velvet, wear them often and always get compliments. My husband and i each shop for our own clothing, but usually go with one another. That does not mean he helps me, sometimes he plays chess while he waits, or talks on his phone, but if i need his opinion, he gladly advises. He almost always asks for me to approve.
    i shop often, he doesn’t. He will tire of his wardrobe, clean it out, and then go out and restock. buying the same shirt in several colors.He does the same with pants, though he primarily only wears jeans and cargos on a daily basis. He would not wear FH’s new pants! i like to switch up constantly, but am slow to discard. i love clothes and wish i dressed basic..but i like a variety. clothes are such fun! xo jody/fl

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  3. Diogenes

    I love, love Zara. That said, the clothes are not cut for American bodies, or for mine anyway. The only thing I can fit into is their shoes. At the LA store, the XXL and XL sizes go first, and the racks are left with smalls and mediums. Even Danny can only wear their largest sizes. I am not a fan of shopping either – why buy clothes when you could be at the brocante?

    Reply
  4. Sue

    Oh, my goodness!!! You two are soooo cute!!
    I used to try to buy clothes for my husband, but he is so stinkin’ picky that I gave up long ago. He seems perfectly content picking his own things, so there we are. I don’t mind, though. I’m not exactly a fahionista. If I had lots of money, I’d go over there and let you pick out a new wardrobe for me, Corey!!

    Reply
  5. Marilyn

    Wow! What a ham and he looks so good in those red pants, like a model. I was just looking for some red jeans a few days ago. My husband shops for himself and I shop for myself. I never like my husband to shop for me as his taste is conservative for sure. How your husband could give him a lesson or two.

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  6. Dawn Fleming

    My husband doesn’t like to shop either. Last time we went together about 6 months ago all he did was complain about prices and state over & over how he should learn to sew and make his own clothes, yeah like that would ever happen is his lifetime.
    I hope your husband wears his new clothes in the near future!

    Reply
  7. Sally

    Love the red pants – whenever we are in Europe we note the number of men who wear them – very trendy, and not seen around here – unless worn by golfers and that is a very different look!

    Reply
  8. Debra

    Are you sure you weren’t writing about me & my husband? This post was so funny & refreshing . . . a real hoot! Thanks, I needed it.

    Reply
  9. Ann

    DH shops for his own clothes but not very often. The other day he was folding his clean clothes and commented on one shirt that is 19 years. I laughed and said – you need to go shopping! If we have a special event, we will go shopping together. Since the corporate world has gone “business casual” we aren’t spending a lot on our wardrobes.

    Reply
  10. Jenny M

    My husband also hates to shop for clothes. I buy his shirts and underwear….and then every few years he hits the shops with a set mind that he is going to buy new jeans, modern shirts/tops, and jumpers all within an hour or so. And he buys the same top or shirt style, but in different colours. I would never take him shopping with me when I am looking for clothes!
    PS. My husband would never be seen in red pants!

    Reply
  11. Ed in Willows

    He could wear that outfit here in the states and fit right in. Well, maybe in the Mission District of San Francisco. Nobody would give him a second glance.

    Reply
  12. Franca Bollo

    He was inspired by your wallpaper.

    Reply
  13. Claudia

    French Husband should be working as a model. It might be fun. You could send a ‘one sheet’ to a modeling agency with a few photos you’ve already taken and see what comes of it! The red pants are very sporty!

    Reply
  14. Shelley Noble

    That is so cute! Pretty poppinjays like Yann need nice clothes to strut around in. They are so adorable, it’s a sin to keep them in sack cloth!

    Reply
  15. Shelley Noble

    OMG! I just looked up poppinjay! They say it means a vain, conceited, and overly talkative type. Which–I will quickly clarify– is the exact opposite of your Yann!
    I always thought it meant, handsome, pretty strutting blue jay-type of creature, who is showing off a little and looks great doing it.

    Reply
  16. 24/7 in France

    My French husband doesn’t mind shopping and blue is his color – mais oui, “les bleus” 🙂

    Reply
  17. Evelyn

    He’s so nice looking, I’m sure he even looks stunning in hol(e)y sock and ‘droopy drawers.’ (that’s what my mom used to call old, stretched out underwear!)

    Reply
  18. Leslie in Oregon

    Neither my husband nor I like to shop, so we each buy our own clothes (excepts for gifts). I love the colors of the clothes FH chose, and I hope we get to see him wearing them!

    Reply
  19. Cheryl

    OMG – I can relate. I nearly fell off my chair recently when my husband bought himself a new winter jacket. He finally decided the one he had been wearing for 15 plus years was worn out. I think it should have been reserved for yard work only years ago- but you have to pick your battles right? How he keeps telling me how many compliments he’s getting on the new jacket 🙂

    Reply
  20. Shannon Marie

    I love it! Sometimes time is relative to the female and male perspective. My dad just bought 3 new shirts….the exact same ones he’s been wearing for 10 years… in a different color. HA! It makes me feel guilty about getting 3 new shirts in a month! I’d rather have the men in my life be so simple than have them constantly getting more like me! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Becky F

    I have learned through the 26+ years now that if I buy anything for my dear hubby it had better be black, khaki, white or navy blue. Otherwise it hangs in the closet until it’s too late to be returned. At that point it donated to the local thrift store. Love the red pants!

    Reply
  22. Cindy

    hahaahaaaaaaa! Your husband is such a good sport — posing, actually posing for the camera. Like so many women on here and Yann, my husband hates shopping, but has learned to do it “a little bit at a time.” I call it the “dash & grab”. Dash in a store, grab what he needs and gets out. Some things have to be returned, so he’s getting better with his “dash and carefully grab”! It’s hilarious!

    Reply
  23. Kim

    Oh my. AP does not like shopping but about once a year he will say, “I need some new shirts” or “I need a pair of jeans” and just like that, we walk into a store, he picks out a couple of (very conservative) items, and pays for them. It’s that simple. If we get home and they don’t look very good he’ll say, “eh…it’s good enough.” AP is not a clothes horse or a fashionista. He always tells me that he is very uncomplicated and as far as his clothing is concerned, that is true.

    Reply
  24. Kiki

    giggles here……. that’s ME and HERO HUSBAND all over!
    I take shamelessly advantage of him if I ever get lucky enough to be able to drag him to a shop ((which I have – BIEN SUR – CAREFULLY checked out before including if HIS SIZES are available….!!!! What a calculating woman I am (and desperate at times!) lol). Last time was in Switzerland: We got him a jacket, TWO pairs of work-trousers (think office!!!), 2 shirts and some ‘small items’….. And YES; he’s wearing red which generally become then his favourite items after much muttering when I bring them home (I can’t possibly wear those….!!! And then I can’t get him take them off long enough for washing or getting them to the clearners!).
    Such FUN…. I hope he bought the sweater/jumper too of the first pixie…. And finally, I AM WEARING RED SOFT CORDURAY TROUSERS which I bought on the same day as HH’s stuff…. only earlier! LOL

    Reply
  25. Lynne

    Love it . . . and the NEW male model! Yann is quite the handsome and stylin’ look!
    My hubs like likes to do his own thing, seldom likes “my buys!”

    Reply
  26. Peggy Braswell

    speaking of clothes buying “starter husband” only buys what is in front of him + wish sales people understood that + they would make a killing! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    Reply
  27. Brother Mathew

    Never wore red pants before. Might be kinda fun.

    Reply
  28. Patti L

    my husband won’t shop either. Then he doesn’t wear what I buy him because it’s “too stripey, too silky, too red” etc. etc. Then he wears the gray velevet blazer I bought him for gardening!!!

    Reply
  29. Teddee Grace

    Too funny! It was reassuring to know you two actually argue occasionally!

    Reply
  30. Rosemary

    I used to buy all the clothes for
    my husband. then after years,
    he went shopping on his own for
    new clothes. Turns out he was
    having an affair.

    Reply
  31. Debbie

    OK Corey French Husband is styling now!!!!! when I’m in France somehow I always see men in red pants – and I never see them here in San Francisco!! French husband looks great – excellent choices all around and oh so French !

    Reply
  32. Jennifer

    Very funny post! He looks great! But probably waiting for you to hang them up in the closet! lol

    Reply
  33. Rhonda

    Oh my, just how do you sleep at night? What a handsome husband, handddddddddddddsoooooommmme. He does look like a model in those red pants, truly.

    Reply
  34. Teresa Young

    Tell Yann that Dave loved this post. He said he was proud to call him a friend…he would shop with him. Personally, I think he looks a little like Mr GQ in the pic. Regardless, we enjoyed the post!

    Reply
  35. The Bold Soul

    My husband also hates to shop for clothes (though he will willingly shop for FOOD which I encourage as often as possible because it’s one less thing for ME). When I go back to the States I pick him up the brand of work shirts and black Dockers he likes to wear to work, so I keep him well stocked in that department. He loves color in his wardrobe too but he prefers to wear colorful sport coats with the black pants, and do you know where he shops for those most of the time? THRIFT SHOPS. Because it’s not so easy to find colorful sport coats for men in normal stores. WELL… a miracle happened in the summer Soldes – Printemps and H&M had some colored ones and his 25-yr-old son took him shopping there, and he got 3 new ones! First time since our wedding (when I got him into a lovely grey suit) that he bought anything NEW for himself like that. He won’t wear colored pants, though: it’s black Dockers or dark-wash or grey Levis, and that’s it. Not even taupe or khaki. Chacun à son goût, right?

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  36. The Bold Soul

    PS Your husband’s a hottie. 😉 Which of course you already know.

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  37. The Bold Soul

    3rd and last comment: you might get Yann to go shopping with you for one thing: LINGERIE. That’s one shopping excursion my husband is always willing to sign up for (he’s allowed in the dressing room with me here in France – in case any of your American readers were wondering about that).

    Reply
  38. Paulita

    French Husband looks great. I bought my husband a new shirt yesterday after returning a sweater that didn’t fit him. It’s an Izod and a lovely robin’s egg blue with a hint of green. “Don’t buy me any more clothes,” he flippantly replied when he thought the sleeves were too short. Rather than taking him up on it though, I pointed out that if I didn’t buy him any clothes, he wouldn’t have any. Now as far as him buying me clothes, he’s theory is, “I bought you this because you have nothing like it in your closet.” There’s a reason I have nothing like it.

    Reply
  39. Janice

    Where can I get one of those French husbands LOL???????

    Reply
  40. monika

    I love those pants! And red looks particularly good on Yann!
    When we first met, Pierre was wearing a pair of khakis hemmed above his ankles — that’s how I knew he didn’t have a girlfriend. He’s pretty darn handsome, and so I made it my mission to get him in some nice clothes… He actually has a good eye, and so while he usually has me around for advice, he has been known to buy suits and other major things on his own 🙂
    Can’t imagine buying things without Pierre there because of fit; guess that leaves underwear and socks. A month ago, I almost bought Pierre a pair of hot pink underwear, remembering your post about Yann’s and Sacha’s, but when I went back to get them, they had disappeared :-(.

    Reply
  41. Tamara

    The timing of me finding this post is impeccable! I was shaking/scratching my head at my own belovedly quirky husband this evening regarding this very subject! He needs new clothing on a fairly regular basis as we get things in dribbles and then others wear out, and have to be replaced. We’ve never really indulged in a new “wardrobe” but rather a shirt here, a sweater there, pants here, and once in a while a larger purchase like a suit or overcoat.
    I shop…ahem…regularly…and he, less so. And when he does, he’s less confident about what looks good, and how to ask for good service.
    So when he came home emptyhanded after going shopping after work for the second night in a row, I sighed a heavy sigh. And then when he told me he is going to try again tomorrow night (same store, mind you), because he has found what he wants, TRIED IT ON and left without it, I just knew…this is one time I need to let him do the shopping for himself. I give up.
    🙂

    Reply
  42. Marcheline

    Good lord, but he’s lovely!

    Reply
  43. Anne

    What a male model , looks great , and how fantastic that he is shopping and WANTS to shop:-)

    Reply

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