This post was mentioned on Twitter by LostNCheeseland: So honored to have been asked to write for the @illusionists blog! “Paris Gyms: a Spectacle” http://bit.ly/9GNAq1 #bodyimage #paris…

WOW!!! I never realized that, not living in Paris, but I can only “imagine” and be scared to.. in my mind, as I conjure up the pictures you paint about it.. Oh well!
Please, some day, come with me to MY gym… my gym in the “campagne” (hehe) – it’s way south of Paris, but off the RER.. nestled nicely into a cute area called Bures sur Yvette..
If you ever want to join me for a spin class or just to work out.. You’re welcome…
It’s wayyyy down to earth.. and I’ve made a ton of friends/acquaintances from the gym!
People dress in gym clothes… and very normal ones – like those you and I wear!!

You’ve inspired me to do a post on it – maybe on Sunday, I’ll take some pics…
Take care,
Leesa

It’s interesting that in Russia it’s the same kind of obsession with dress. I’m forever amazed by these idiosyncrasies !

“The first time I saw some of these women I thought I was stuck in an 80’s horror flick, convinced that a crazed killer was going to storm through the gym and ravage one of them.”

And, second, thank you for sharing this perspective. I never knew that there could be subtle cultural differences when it came to working out and gyms, but it makes sense. The “style” of Parisan women reminds me of when I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia in high school (and those students traveled to Seattle as part of a reciprocal exchange). The Russian girls were crazy about anything denim when they came here and bought all kinds of “sportswear” AKA jeans, tee-shirts, typical “American” clothes. I didn’t really understand why until I traveled there and saw that the students, even the younger students, wore slacks and nylons and typical “business” dress to school. It only makes sense that that kind of cultural norm would blend into the gym as well.

Thanks for sharing.