Mon Dieu. Carla Bruni isn’t wearing a bra. Viva la petite boobies.
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I love it when fashion crashes politics’ party. Thank you Carla Bruni for being so fabulously French and turning up to an official function as France’s first lady without a bra. Viva la petite boobies.
The Daily Mail reports:
Former model Carla Bruni’s figure is envied by women the world over – and it was brought into sharp focus by her choice of outfit for a state dinner last night.
The French First Lady wore a floor-length Roland Mouret gown which was so tight it revealed the exact outline of her slim body – and the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president greeting his Russian equivalent Dimitry Medvedev at the Elysee Palace, certainly looked a proud husband.
On a night when several guests struggled to keep their composure the Italian Bruni, 42, looked elegant and composed with her hair tied back and matching bracelets on each arm.
She played it safe in blue satin Christian Louboutin heels – for which the shorter Sarkozy would have been grateful – as other guests stumbled and tripped on their way into the Elysee Palace.
There’s really not much else to this story except that it’s an excellent chance for a newspaper to run large shots of Carla’s boobs and visible nipples. That’s not really a problem because she’s pretty fine with her body and her boobs. Fine enough to allow Christie’s auction house to sell this photo by Michel Compte in 2008.
It’s difficult to know whether it was a faux pas or fabulous. I’m going to go with fabulous. There’s just so something….not try-hard (what’s the opposite of try-hard? try-easy?) about Carla and all French women.
When she first married Sarkozy and became France’s first lady, I noted:
Some people are born with style. I am not one of those people. Sure, I
can buy it and sometimes, I can fake it but it’s not in my DNA. French
people, however? Oh, their DNA is saturated with style. Particularly
the women.
I noticed this a few years ago when I went to Paris and it hit me like a
slap. The first time I ventured onto the street, I suddenly felt like
I’d stepped into a parallel universe. Planet Chic. The Land Tracksuit
Pants Forgot. It became immediately apparent that if I wanted to blend
in, I’d have to lift my game. Possibly with a cherry picker.
My idea of casual daytime attire is a lot like something a French
homeless person might wear. Actually, many of the homeless people I saw
were better dressed that me. Some even had laptops and I’m not even joking.
Of course, the first lady of French style and politics right now is Carla Sarkozy, formerly Carla Bruni*. She has the world buzzing about her supreme chic in a way no other world leader’s wife has managed since Jackie O.
And it’s not only because she used to be a supermodel and just had naked pictures of herself sold by auction house Christie’s. That’s just the icing. The cake is simply that she’s French. Well, she’s actually Italian but she’s lived in France since she was 6.
Sarkozy’s first wife was just as stylish. In fact I think you could pluck pretty much any French women out of a supermarket queue and she’d run fashionable rings around the most try-hard fashionista from any other country for that exact reason; French women never look like they’re trying. Me? I always look like I’m trying when I dress up, probably because I am. I’m forever aiming for “Effortless Cool” or “Nonchalant Chic” or even “Casual Eclectic”. But I never pull it off.
I think this is perhaps because I am innately lazy when it comes to clothes and now that I’m not working in an office along side Australia’s army of fashion elite every day, I’ve embraced my laziness. Temporarily free from the relentless scrutiny of my outfits by talented women who consider fashion an extreme sport, I’m letting it all hang out.
I’ve stopped buying fashion magazines and I’ve stopped obsessively trying to emulate whatever look is in this microsecond. The result? I have more money, more time and I’ve almost forgotten how to walk in high heels. I’ve also become one of those people who flip through a fashion magazine at the hairdresser, note that this season’s trends are “Military! Playsuits! Purple! Corsets! Tartan! Cowgirl” and exclaim out loud “Are you people on frigging crack?” Except I don’t say frigging.
French women don’t go for any of this of course. They’re not remotely trendy. Pah to that, they say. French women are timeless and classic, qualities I always used to dismiss as boring when I dressed among the trendsters. But as one gets older, timeless and classic gain appeal.
During the time I spent in Paris, I did lift my game – with both hands and modest results. I tried hard. I sacrificed comfort for appearance and wore ballet flats instead of trainers, pants instead of jeans, a jacket instead of a hoodie. It was kind of like playing dress ups and I never looked remotely French but I did look slightly less homeless which was a win.
My mum doesn’t need to leave Sydney to feel inadequate about her wardrobe. One of her closest friends is French and she’s forever hassling my mother to dress better. My mum is no fashion slob and dresses very appropriately for a woman of her age. In fact by Australian standards, she’d be considered very stylish. But Australian standards are anathema to French women, even those living in Australia. “She wears to coffee what I would wear to a wedding!” my mum marvels of her French friend, resolving to step up from her black pants and sandals and make more of an effort next time they meet. But then she can’t be bothered. I understand.
*I like to think I helped Carla Bruni become Carla Sarkozy because when we were in Paris, the apartment we stayed in was directly above the clinic of France’s best osteopath. We bumped into him in the lift one day and he mentioned that President Sarkozy was one of his regular clients and would be coming for an appointment the next day so to be prepared for extra security. It just so happened that I’d just downloaded Cara Bruni’s new album and since it was, you know, in French, I’d been playing it non-stop to get myself in the right ambient mood for Paris. Clearly, while he was lying on the table getting cracked, President Sarkozy heard Carla’s music coming from our apartment upstairs and declared “What a beautiful voice! I must marry that woman!” and the rest is French history.
In other fashion faux pas news, here is Liz Hurley:
For more fluffy light relief, you can check out the Best & Worst Dressed celebrities of the week here. Very subjective that one.
And don’t forget to drop by on Monday because we’ll be live posting special Oscars Frockwatch throughout the day. If it’s frocking up the red carpet, you’ll see it here.
Ever had a good fashion faux pas? Toilet paper on the heel of your shoe?
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GUEST POST: What does Australian style look like?
When I was in Italy, I found the fashion was all the same no matter where you went, and with a ridiculous price tag. They were happy to pay AU$200 for a hoodie. Every girl dressed the same and they were more interested about what was trendy rather than what suited their bodies. I think we Aussies are much more stylish.
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Viva PETITE boobies?
But not GRANDE, JIGGLY or NIPPLE-Y?
It’s 2010.
We’ve had 40 years of feminisim, and a sexual revolution, and still women are discomforted by boobs in all their glory?
What’s this all about?
Rethink your girls, girls….
http://wp.me/pverz-9W
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Twenty five years ago I meet a wonderful Australian girl in Italy,( she was a friend of a friend), I remember her with lots of fondness, she had this beautiful innocence and ingenuity that I did discover and feel in love with years later about Australia and Australians, anyway one day she went out and when she did come back she said, that people were looking at her shoes, well she was wearing a nice dress and wearing sneakers with it, BIg no no in the Italians fashion, twenty five years later, here I am wearing sneakers with anything, pants. skirt,ect ect, I have been contaminated by the australian fashion, it is soooooo liberating and freeing, honesty who want to be slaves of fashion and fashion culture anymore?! love to all ooxx
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Nice to see you back here wollywally! =)
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JOjoland thank you very much, bless you,:) love ooxx
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Carla Bruni is stylish, there is no doubt about that. Bra, no bra, whatever. But, at the risk of beeing shouted down…I think Italian women are better dressed. The French girls certainly have flair, but there is something about the Italian girls. Maybe it was all the furs and jewels promenading in Venice. Or the fantastic boots & coats in Rome. Or the scarves and handbags in Florence (I was there in the winter). Whatever it was the Italians certainly did it well.
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Well Carla is Italian anyway… so of course you are right!
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I love Carla Bruni as long as I ignore the whole “left husband for son of husband” saga. A bit messy. Anyway, I think she looks fab – shame about the darts on the side of her dress, but great nonetheless. Bra, no bra,offial dinner or not, either way she looks tres amazing.
For years my “friends” have payed me out over my “boring” look & lack of interest in all things “on trend”. I love clothes, but never understood the die-hard attraction to a trend that lasts five minutes and is fashionable just because someone who is great with a pencil and a sewing machine says so. And all of that pales into insignificance when I think about how awful some women can be to those that decide to dress for themselves or their figure, and not to impress other shallow women or Anna Wintour.
I like the classic stuff. It can look hot too. And with a few accessory changes, can long surpass the fleeting “trends” of today. What was I talking about……oh yes, Carla Bruni/Sarkozy. Go the French women, and their classic threads! (even tho she’s an Italian adoptee!)
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i hate being without a bra, the feeling of my boobs (or any body else’s) touching my body grosses me out!!!!!!
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I think the opposite of try-hard is Cool…
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the first thing my friend said to me after a month in paris, was ….”we are such slobs” french women are so stylish right down to their undies. no nana undies for them….its inbuilt through the generations
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Does anyone really wear a bra out of choice? This is when small boobs finally come into their own. Enjoy!
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Ah, Paris, brings back memories. I say ‘viva la Carla Bruni.’
Did you know:
If you jump off a bridge in Paris, you are in Seine.
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It’s a lot easier to dress beautifully in Europe though. Here, what would be a casual outfit in Paris is greeted with “WHAT are you wearing? Why are you SO dressed up?” Unless you work in said fashion magazines, I find most Australians distrustful of dressing up, they don’t want to be seen as “trying too hard” or “putting on airs”. Maybe the laid-back attitude extends to fashion?
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I know! It annoys me when I go out to dinner in Melbourne people don’t make the effort to dress nicely. My parents are European and my grandparents are Indian and are always the more ‘dressed-up’ people when they go out, and I’ve been influenced by them. In my family, trainers are strictly for exercise
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This is not my experience in the country. When we were kids we would be dressed up in our best outfits along with Nan too, just to go to town to do grocercies and errands.
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Carla always looks beautiful and why do some women just have to brush their hair and everything falls into place? When I do the same I still look like I could spend hours on my appearance and still not get it right!
As for Liz Hurley’s boobs, she’s always been risky with fashion (remember the Four Weddings and Funeral premiere in that safety clip Versace dress)? Everyone remembers that dress and how fabulous she looked – I’m not a fan of the safety pin dress but if I had a body like she does I’d possibly pick something a bit more riskier. Sometimes you don’t know material is see through, you can’t necessarily see in front of a mirror, its only when photography lights pap that you sometimes get to see more than you should. Afterall that indian dress she has on does have dark blue in it, she should be wearing a slip underneath. That photo won’t cause Liz any damage, but it might just embarass her son LOL
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I love this Mia. I live in Paris and I feel exactly the same way. Initially I thought it was a look I could emulate (dirty hair, natural colour, blacks, greys, neutrals, hardly any make up) but it just never looks the same on me. I look like I just got out of bed (often because I had). I once saw this terribly elegant french woman step out of a car wearing the most chic beige ensemble with a perfectly cut bob. All seemed normal. And then I saw her shoes: converse. She looked incredibly chic and elegant and cool all at the same time. And she was 60!! That’s when I decided to give up.
PS. I think CBS looks amazing. Perky nipples and all.
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Hmmm…. I kinda think that not wearing a bra and flashing nipples at this type of event (or any black tie event) lacks sophistication and polish. If you’ve got great boobs, sure, flaunt them. But there’s a time and place for everything.
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Lingerie is my favourite thing in the world , i could’nt live without it. It completes my outfit but i must say she is gorgeous and her boobs are so perky she can pull off anything. Why are her boobs so perky, mine are about that size and they dont sit like that!!!
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don’t despair Madison, I’d say she has the help of double sided tape
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i actually think the long shot of just her shows a slight outline of a build in support with the dress -very thin material, the right side is more clear to see. it’s not much, but either way, her breasts are tastefully petite enough to not warrant a bra.
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Liz totally takes the class out of a saree. She’s not even wearing a choli underneath! You can’t go topless with a saree, that’s crossing the line! Dreadful.
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Personally, I would add nipple covers. I believe the French are less prudish about such things.
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I think Carla,s looking a bit lifted. I can see a smidgen of the catwoman Jocelyn Wildenstein in those photos.
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OMG. I was just about to post that myself. Definitely more than just a little touch of Jocelyn Wildenstein!!
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yes.. definitely had some facial work done!
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Absolutely, I was going to point out the same thing!
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Please don’t forget that France doesn’t equal Europe.
Here in the home of the Birkenstock, we see many go braless. Unfortunately, it tends to be done by those who unlike Carla could do with a little more support.
Makes me wince and clutch my chest protectively. I wish I could carry around a stash of sports bras and hand them out to braless joggers, I really do.
Each area, as opposed to country, has a particular local style, so I wouldn’t expect to see a Carla-clone in the Brittany countryside. There’s a Munich uniform, all the girls dressed very middle-class, long straight unlayered hair, jeans tucked into knee boots and the like. You’d get laughed out of Berlin for that look.
But embrace Aussie style! Rip Curl’s profits went through the roof after my visit…
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Vive les petites boobettes! I think it’s hot. But I don’t know if it was appropriate for a state dinner. Would’ve been better at a funky fund raiser/concert or Paris fashion week. I agree with Banana, I’m not into making people feeling uncomfortable. The last thing I want to think about while shaking her hand is her in bed nekked with zee leetle napoleon Zarkozee. non non non…
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Oh gosh how I wish I could go bra-less. I’ve been in bras since I was 8 (I developed VERY early) and totally hated it. The other girls made fun of me because I had “boobies that bounced”, and since they have swelled to an E-cup.
So to Carla Bruni, I say woohoo! You go girl and show off those pert little boobies! Do with pride what I will never ever be able to do in a billion years
And Liz Hurley… Hrmmm. That is all.
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Sigh…I love her so much. She really is just so effortless!
As for fashion faux pas…I decided that my dress to my year 12 formal was tight enough to not need a bra. It was tight enough, at the beginning of the evening, but under the sheer weight of my size D boobs straining against the lycra fabric all night it ended up an absolute boob-a-palooza.
Sigh…Carla Bruni I am not.
taragotblogged.wordpress.com
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what is liz hurley famous for again? i’m not being contentious, i genuinely can’t remember.
carla looks gorgeous, but can you imagine the uproar in australia if a politician’s wife did that. i think carla’s husband probably loves having the sexiest woman in the room as his wife, probably says a lot about his personality and therefore his political position too.
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I think she looks stunning.
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Grrrrr, this is not edgy and “fabulously French”, it is just lazy and uncouth in my opinion. It really isn’t that hard to put a bra on is it? Why is she trying to draw attention to her free roaming boobies anyway? Was her intent to make every man (and woman for that matter) in the room uncomfortable not knowing where to look? Women who do things like this normally do it for attention, for a reaction, which is quite sad really when you think about it. Maybe she has nothing witty to say so thought that she would let her nips do the talking!
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Maybe she is just really comfortable with her own sexuality and didn’t think it was that big a deal…or maybe she tried the dress on without the bra and realised it looked a little bit hot, a little bit chic and a little bit daring and thought well this is one way to spice up that boring state dinner.
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It’s definitely a cultural thing – I have a French mother and have lived in France. The French consider breasts to be sensual, but not overtly sexual.
There is a very relaxed attitude to tasteful exposure of breasts – it’s fine for models to appear topless on the cover of respectable fashion magazines. Models routinely strut down the catwalks without wearing a bra – it allows for quick wardrobe changes, and I guess it looks young and sexy.
I also think wearing a bra is more of a necessity in this country. I’m built very petite, much like Carla Bruni (only shorter) and I noticed that French women overall do appear to be smaller. I find it hard to find clothes that fit properly here – I have a much easier time in France.
This is a generalisation I know, but it does seem that aussie women are bigger, sportier, boobier and more curvy in general. I was getting fitted for a new bra yesterday, and the saleslady told me that cup sizes are expanding. She told me Elle Macpherson is expanding her range to fit much larger breasts. On the other hand, she told me that if I wanted to find a sports bra petite enough to fit me around the rib cage, then I would have to either get a seamstress to make the alterations, or else shop online in overseas ranges – because Australia doesn’t cater to my size.
I personally don’t find it odd Carla Bruni isn’t wearing a bra, nor a call for attention. The only reason I wear a bra these days, is because they’re padded and I need all the help I can get to gain a little more shape! Before I had children I’d often go without a bra – particularly if the back of the dress had a deep plunge (which I very much suspect that this dress does).
As for nipples, that’s very much a cultural thing too. I lived in Japan for a while too, and the Japanese were very surprised to see us westerner’s appearing with nipples on cold days. In Japan, women prefer to use special nipple plasters for modesty. All swimsuits come with padding to alleviate this embarrassing condition!
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I’m so in the braless brigade. I’ve always hated bras and my measly chicken chest means I go braless more often than most.
The comfort’s worth the slight jiggle.
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I WISH I could P23! Half your luck
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I am also flat chested but I feel I need to wear a bra so that I look like I have boobs and will not be mistaken for a 10 yr old boy
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I’m like you KP. I don’t need a bra, I hate them but if I don’t wear one I look like a man with big nipples. Yay for Carla! We need more petite boobies role models after being blasted in the face by the media with big (usually fake and hideous) boobies for too long.
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Pfft who am I to judge. I won’t ware a bra unless I absolutely have to. I only own three bars anyway, so meh.
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Are they topless bars that you own?
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I’m with you. I own 3 and only ever wear them if I have to (ie work).
I LOATHE them with a passion.
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Carla’s back story isn’t classy at all, in fact I think she has questionable ethics but that’s another discussion (not inviting argument thanks). I do concur that she’s got buckets of style and I think if any other nation comes even close to matching that effortless chic exhibited by the French, its Australian women…
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good lord liz hurley. put.it.away.
possibly parisians need to be fashionable to make up for their rudeness? woops did i just say that?
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Funny, I didn’t find them rude at all. Maybe ’cause I can speak a fair bit of French and wasn’t afraid to have a go.
http://www.princesseemma.com/
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In my brief French experience, I found the locals to be friendly and courteous. I speak not a word of the language, but don’t have a single ‘rude French person’ story to tell.
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lucky for you all.
i have plenty of rude french experiences.
and i’ve been there 3 times. and lived there once for a month. oh and i speak some french. guess each to their own experiences.. as always.
i much prefer the culture of so many other cities/countries… well dressed or not… eg in copenhagen people are immaculate, so beautiuful and amazingly dressed, AND no attitude to boot
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Ooh, love it! Wish I had nice little boozies to wear those beautiful dresses! I still think I may have added some nipple tape, though…
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Can I just say that I lived in France for 8 months and saw not one wearable thing? Strange, asymmetrical clothes that cost a fortune were everywhere. Yuck, yuck.
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The funniest thing is if you search “Carla Bruni news” on french Google, all the articles are about how the englsh press is so prudish to be making a fuss about it. They all pretty much say that they’re proud of how she dressed and the english can’t bear the thought of a nipple (of course, in France every second billboard features naked breasts and it’s normal to go topless at the beach so it’s really not a big deal). What happened to cultural tolerance and respect? Just because France and England (and Australia, the US, etc) are all Western nations doesn’t mean they’ll have the same values about everything. Live and let live, news media of the world!
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God I love Carla Bruni – I always thought she was one of the most stunning supermodels – and Karen Mulder. If I had beautiful little boobies that behaved like that, I’d go sans bra too. Unfortunately no bra for me is a national disaster.
Liz Hurley is on my husband’s celeb free pass list but I’m not sure if she’s on his “I’ve seen her boobies” list…he’ll be able to add her now if she’s not so thanks for being servicey Mia!
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just sent the pic to my husband saying “what is wrong with no bra”
not sure he will buy it when it comes to me though.
she looks amazing, I love no bra with tight fitting tops, as long as the boobies don’t hang below the ribcage….
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I usually hate the “no bra” look, but this outfit is clearly not only tight-fitting, it is fairly thick material and not too obviously exposing — kudos to her.
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Poor Liz – I think she looked stunning, she is by far one of the most beautiful women in the world IMO – this is just another case of the camera flashes making fabric become transparent!
I wonder if this is avoidable ? how would you know until you have all thos pap flashes going off ?
As for Carla Bruni – she’s stunning & incredibly stylish – call me old fashioned, but I would have like to see her wearing a bra to an official function.
Fashion faux pas ? me ? HEAPS !!
Two years ago I went out with a mauve, black, grey and red pucci print mini dress & grey suede ankle boots – at the time I thought I was all that and now I just cringe! hahaha
Oh, and once I went out with a cardboard swing tag from a shop dangling under my arm …
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I wonder about that too, TRS — it must be tough when you look at yourself in the mirror and finally give yourself a tick (“yep, I look fine, can face the cameras”) and then the bulbs go off and, horror! Your dress is see-through.
I would never leave the house without a bra — gravity works — and cannot imagine what it would be like, but I second the call on official function = bra. Of course, if my boobs sat up nicely like that, and most people had already seen them in some way, I might think differently!!
Had to laugh at your cardboard tag experience
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Liz is wearing a traditional sari and it is meant to be worn with a small shot sleeve top under it of a matching colour
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Two weeks ago I went out with a long sticker on my new T-shirt with the size of the garment stuck from under booby area to hip. Really attractive – Not!
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Wow, my boobs are EXACTLY like hers! Too bad the rest of me isn’t so small but perfectly formed…
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It should be Vive la petite boobies, not Viva la petite boobies. From the French verb vivre = to live.
Just saying…
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I just came here to say that!
Actually, since boobies is a plural word, it should be vivent les petite boobies.
/end of pedantic rant
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If we’re going to get pedantic… “petites” (feminine and plural)
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*bangs head repeatedly on desk*
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I thought the same thng as Scarlet & Picardie.girl. I miss studying French
http://www.princesseemma.com/
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Well ladies if you’re going down that path, les seins (boobs) are actually masculine (grammatically speaking only, though some men have the mancans I know) and plural in this case … so it should be “Vive les petits seins (or boobies if you prefer).” Take it from an ex French teacher and full-time translator!
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Do you know that French children are extremely intelligent – they can speak French almost from birth.
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I blame my lack of chic on the weather. For the past week in Brisbane it has been raining hard and a lot. Tricky to look stylish (I tell myself) when you are ankle deep in water, fizzzy hair that no amount of ghd styling or product can tame, and you are stomping around in biker boots and dresses as you hate getting your feet wet. The week before was equally as bad 35+ degree days and 70% humidity – impossible to keep the makeup to stay on and the only thing you want to wear is anything that is cotton. Although on those days I am happy to do a Carla and head out sans bra – much cooler!
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She looks fabulous, why is it that European women can wear something we would look terrible in and make it look fantastic? I spent time in Italy and found it the same as you have described France Mia. BTW, Do you think Carla has some FSU’s on?
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I love her look, it doesn’t look cheap at all (unlike Liz Hurley’s no-bra dress).
Bruni looks really elegant, and she can pull it off! If I could – I would too….
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Liz Hurley looks like trash
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Ha ha ha..you are hilarious Mia..the homeless were dressed better than you..funniest thing I’ve heard all day…x
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When I was in Venice, the dogs were dressed better than me.
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i love her look!
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She’s gorgeous and obviously doesn’t care who sees her boobies! Wonder whether she’s also commando…
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I wonder at such an official event who else was thinking the same thing (hee hee). she looks effortlessly fabulous and oh so chic.
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If i could, I would. I wish I used pre-breastfeeding days to take advantage.
(Perkiness: You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone).
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Mine have never been “perky”; not only would I fail the pencil test, but I could fit a whole set of Derwents under there no probs!
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Do you think Carla ever breastfed? I don’t think so, the majority of French women don’t much … at least no much more than the obligatory six weeks …
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She looks gorgeous!
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Carla looks so beautiful, and classy. Who cares if a bit of nipple structure is visible?
Many a fashion faux pas to be had…this morning i’ve been walking around the office with my fly undone. and since i’m the only lady in the office at the moment, none of the men felt it appropriate to tell me (yeah, what the??)
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I know!!! Like it’s so much better to realise later on that you’ve been walking around with your fly undone for who knows how long and nobody told you!
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