Celebrate Valentine’s Day like the French

This article is meant to both men and women. In France, Valentine’s Day is definitely THE lovers’ day and no couple would miss it.

Traditionally, the man had to offer gift(s), plan the evening to impress and seduce his better half. But nowadays, roles are shared and the couple tries to surprise and impress each other.  Mentalities and practices have changed a little but the romance is still the main “theme”, which explains why ladies also try to surprise their partner and make gifts too.

Where is it celebrated?

Alike in the U.S., Valentine’s Day isn’t a day off in France, so it’s mainly an evening and night event. French couples usually go to a restaurant to spend this special day together. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive and reputed restaurant in town but it MUST be a romantic place. Some people also make diner at home with candles and a good homemade meal.

What kinds of gifts are offered?

Like in almost every country celebrating this event, French people offer fine chocolates, bouquets of red roses and jewelry.

What do the French wear on Valentine’s Day?

Everyone wears one’s Sunday best. Wherever they are planning to go, people are eager to please their partner and be attractive. Also men’s hair is well groomed, perfumed and women usually visit their favorite hairdresser before the event in order to show up with an outstanding hairstyle. Make up

Basically the French “Saint Valentin” is the same than in the US except that people to play the blow completely and accord importance to every little detail to make this special day perfect.

If you want to really seduce your partner here are a few French word for the occasion:

Je t’aime = I love you

Chéri = Honey (man)

Chérie = Honey (woman)

Mari = Husband

Femme = Wife

Joyeuse Saint Valentin = Happy Valentine’s Day

Men's hairstyles over the decades.

The 60’s

This period has seen the last year of the very conventional hairstyle trend, short hair plated on the head with the ancestor of the hair gel. But this decade also faced the birth of the rebellious capillary age, mainly inspired by artists such as Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix.

The 70's

Ensues a period marked by the hippie wave. During the 70’s, the trend was precisely to avoid any trend. The goal was to get rid of the stranglehold of the model man, well-dressed, well combed with a perfect straight life.

The 80’s. 

This is a difficult period to assume regarding both fashion and hair. Indeed, the mullet cut and big hair were omnipresent and widespread, especially in the U.S.

The 90's.

During the 90’s we could notice that blond colored spikes were the main trend. It has been a radical change compared to the two previous decades. Short hair with a lot of gel, not natural at all, were contradiction with the libertarian spirit of previous years.

The 2000's.

For the new century, men were divided in two types:

- Short haircuts wore spiky with a comb form.

- Long-medium hair with a long fringe on a side

The present decade.

Finally, the present decade’s trend is inspired by the past, revisited and updated. Even if this decade isn't over yet, we can already notice a slight trend, which are short and thin hair on the sides and longer on top of the head. we can say inspired by the past because we can see the rebirth of the mythic quiff but revisited and more airy. 

But the main novelty of the past few years is the increasing grooming aspect for men. Indeed, men take more and more care of themselves, they use more cosmetics and pay more attention to their look. The purpose of today’s men is to look natural without being natural, we could call that trend the “relaxed handsomeness”. 

The perfect illustration of it is the beard. A few years ago, wearing a beard was a sign of negligence but now, it’s more a proof of care and can be considered trendy. As with everything, "the hardest part is to make believe that it comes naturally and is easy to realize".

Olivier Crespel Hair Design
5353 West Alabama suite 101
Houston, Texas, 77056
United States

Map

Phone: (713) 960-0210

www.olivierhairdesign.com