TresSugar

Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy Welcome a Daughter! See Their Très Chic Couple Moments

Annie Scudder — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:45:31 PDT

Carla Bruni gave birth to a baby girl in Paris today. It's the first child the first couple of France has had together, although they both have children from previous relationships and Nicolas Sarkozy is also a grandfather. Nicolas married Carla, a singer and former Italian top model, in 2008 at the Élysée Palace. He was already president, and recently divorced, when they began dating, and their brief courtship grabbed headlines. Even so, they don't plan on being public with their new addition. Carla has said they won't release a picture of their daughter, something she doesn't believe the French public is interested in anyway. Despite their preference for some privacy, we have seen the two enjoying their newlywed glow and official engagements together. Let's check out some of their chicest and sweetest moments now.

DSK Admits Hotel Incident Was a Mistake, Calls Maid a Liar

Annie Scudder — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:11 PDT

In Dominique Strauss-Kahn's first interview on French TV since escaping sexual assault charges in New York City, the French politician accused hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo of lying repeatedly. As the news report above explains, DSK conceded that his behavior was inappropriate, but he then attacked the maid's credibility, maintaining that he did not use force. The former IMF chief went on TV to make amends with the French public, hoping to revive his political career. While he ruled out a presidential run, it's clear DSK wants to return to public life.

Women protested outside of the TV station, outraged that DSK is being welcomed back by the establishment while he is still being sued in the US and France. French journalist Tristane Banon, a friend of DSK's daughter, has accused him of trying to rape her when she showed up to interview him and said she had to kick him off of her. In the interview, DSK addressed those accusations, calling them "imaginary and defamatory" and said he simply tried to kiss her. According to him, everything is just one big misunderstanding, whether he's trying to "seduce" an impoverished hotel worker in Manhattan or a professional journalist in France.

France Shows Its True Colors on Bastille Day

Tara Sharp — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:38:00 PDT

With blue, white, and red filling the skies and the streets of France, the country celebrates its revolution on Bastille Day or La Fête Nationale today. On the July 14 holiday, Frenchmen and Frenchwomen attend parades, watch fireworks, and enjoy air shows to remember the storming of the Bastille in 1789. See more pictures from the festivities, including gorgeous fireworks over the Eiffel Tower, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy attending the Champs-Elysees parade, and a flag performance by some scantily clad Parisian firemen not afraid to show their colors along with a little skin for the celebrations.

The Origin of the French Kiss

TresSugar — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:15:10 PDT

Happy Bastille Day! We have lots of things to thank France for - crepes, lingerie, our inferiority complex - but the French kiss is not one of them.

What we call French kissing, the French call baiser avec la langue (kiss with tongue) or for slang patin (ice-skating shoe). Like a figure eight, I guess?

It's unclear who coined the phrase, but France has been the unofficial romance capital of the world for centuries. If France equals romance, and a romantic kiss involves tongue, then it must be a French kiss? It's kind of a euphemism, really. Less gross than "tongue kiss," catchier than "open-mouth kiss," and not affiliated with ice skating in any way.

While it began appearing in conversation during the 19th century (seems very Victorian?), it took off in the early 20th century when it first appeared in the World War I book Private Lindner’s Letters: Censored and Uncensored of 1918. "I have decided to become a linguist," he wrote. "Being able to read French fluently and speak it wretchedly, and to speak German connectively but not to read it at all, I am taking up Luxembourg, which is a wonderful blend of the two, a sort of liaison between tongues. (Not to be confused with French kissing.)"

In fact if we're going to credit anyone then it probably should be the British and American soldiers of World War I. Upon returning home from continental Europe, they showed their wives and girlfriends what they learned and called it a French kiss.

Famous Frenchmen - Le Hottie or Le Nottie?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:09:41 PDT

With their romantic accents, cultivated style, and sultry stares, Frenchmen have an extra je ne sais quoi. In honor of Bastille Day, I rounded up some of my favorite famous Frenchies so we can debate, just like the French love to do. Check them out and vote: le hottie or le nottie?

Picture It: Nothing to Hide

Annie Scudder — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:45:21 PDT

France's first couple, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, smile as they welcome South Korea's president and first lady to Paris today. Carla made her big-screen debut Wednesday at the Cannes premiere of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. But she decided not to make the trip down south for the festival, citing "personal and professional reasons" and fueling rumors that she's expecting. See more photos of the chic power couples now.

France's Burqa Ban Starts Today

Annie Scudder — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:45:20 PDT

Starting today, any woman in France wearing the burqa or niqab Muslim veil in public will face a fine of over $200 and take a course in French citizenship. And anyone found forcing a woman to wear a veil will be subject to a $40,000 fine.

The all-covering veils have been a hot topic in France for years with different interests taking various positions. Nicolas Sarkozy's government says the veil is a symbol of male oppression and goes against France's secular values. Some Muslim religious leaders say they don't oppose or support the burqa, because wearing one is a cultural not a religious decision. Meanwhile, Muslim and human rights groups have called the ban an attempt to stir up racial sentiments.

It's certainly problematic: the ban could further alienate a marginalized group of conservative women, preventing them from integrating while it ironically controls women's clothing choices. If France wants to protect women's autonomy, decreeing what they can and cannot wear seems like a strange way to do it.

France's Muslim minority is five million strong, but only 2,000 women wear all-covering veils. The fiery debate over the new law reminds me of the Arizona law banning race- and sex-selective abortions, a problem that doesn't actually exist. It's emotional, ideological, and distracting from more serious problems.

10 Reasons to Read Summers in France

Julia Walsh — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:00:38 PDT

Interior and textile designer Kathryn Ireland's new book, Summers in France ($22), hit bookshelves on Friday, and it is one of my must haves this April. With entertaining tips, home decorating rules for vacation spots, and summertime recipes all culled from years spent at her house in the South of France, the book is as much a lifestyle guide as it is a lesson in Ireland's distinct decorating style. But moreover, it's a memoir about a wonderful woman's elegantly understated life, chock-full of inspiring, picture-perfect images. I've taken the liberty of giving you a little sneak peek of this book. Here are 10 reasons to read Summers in France!

Speed Read - French Ambassador's Abs Cause International Incident

TresSugar — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:52:04 PST

Hot French ambassador to Tunisia triggers international incident with swimsuit shot - Daily Beast
Women in their 30s contribute most to social media - GeekSugar
Rush Limbaugh attacks Michelle Obama's weight - Media Matters
Androgynous model Andrej Pejic wants to do Playboy - Huffington Post
Arizona's ban on race- and sex-selective abortions is problematic - Jezebel
A look back at iconic Oscar moments - PopSugar
Do you live in one of the world's most livable cities? - Flavorwire
Natalie Portman stars in Dior ad directed by Sophia Coppola - Nerve

Expect More Men to Hold the Door For You Today

Colleen Barrett — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:38 PST

Whether you're partnered, solo, or something in-between, this Valentine's Day expect men to be a little more chivalrous than every other day of the year. At least French men!

Scientists at a French university hypothesized that words can unconsciously affect behavior, so they set up a test with the word "valentine" in the French city of Vannes. A 19-year-old asked 120 men, between 30 and 50, where nonexistent streets were: half the time she asked where Valentine St. was, and the rest of the time she asked where Martin St. was.

Just 100 feet away (that would make me suspicious), another 19-year-old woman asked for help, saying her phone was stolen by a group of four 20-year-olds. The men who were asked where "Valentine St." was were almost twice as likely to help than those who were asked where Martin St. was.

"After they heard the word 'valentine,' male passersbys may have had in mind, without being conscious of it, the idea of love," said Lubomir Lamy, a social psychologist at the University of Paris-Sud in France, " which in turn may activate the passerby's willingness to give help, which is an aspect of love."

Whether it's n'importe quoi or actual science, I say enjoy today. Maybe you'll be the beneficiary of a modern-day gentleman's word association!