French Lessons: Lèche Vitrine
If there is one thing the French have made me that I was not before, it’s a window shopper. With their adorable displays, items and prices listed (required by law, yet oh so practical, so I know if I should even bother going inside) and their signs that say “vitrine en cours” [window in progress] when either element is not yet up to par, there is a certain attention to detail and je ne sais quoi that pulls me in. But in France one doesn’t just window shop, you lick the windows – lèche vitrine – when you’re eyeing something new. French friends, correct me if I’m wrong, but to say you’re going window shopping you can say, Je vais faire du lèche-vitrine. A good time to go lèche vitrine would be for three weeks in January, and three in July during les soldes [the sales] when everything in the city goes massively on sale to make room for the new season stock. Then you can actually afford to acheter [to buy] something!
French Lessons is an ongoing series where I teach you French words and cultural lessons while beefing up my Illustrator skills.
parisianantipodean.com
June 20, 2012 at 11:22 am //
This is great, luckily I will be there next week so I can jump right into the sales!
Robín
June 20, 2012 at 12:46 pm //
There is also lèche-c.l which describes the way so many people reached success so fast and taking all the room.
Ms. EleFancyGance
June 21, 2012 at 6:58 pm //
Oh, haha, nice to know! Thanks. //study french
Melusine no Arashi
June 22, 2012 at 7:21 pm //
Yes we do say “faire du lèche-vitrine” when we go windows shopping.
Also we tend to do the windows shopping before the “Soldes” (Sales) to spot which shop we should go to when the time is right.
Marisa Williams
June 24, 2012 at 3:10 am //
I love lèche-ing vitrines in Paris! Almost better than buying. Almost ;)
Femme Francophile
June 29, 2012 at 7:15 am //
I for some reason thought the sales were for 5 weeks.
Parisbreakfasts
June 29, 2012 at 8:13 am //
I’ve never seen anywhere, never in New York, people merging with a window the way they do in Paris. The windows are well worth it certainly, but there is almost a physical state as well as a trance-like mind set that’s unique to Paris I think…
I love catching these on camera.
irene halibaut
February 1, 2017 at 12:50 am //
Exercise and shopping all rolled into one..what could be better.