Kitten heels on cobblestone streets? Yes. Gym clothes on the way to the gym, no.
That bit about the gym clothes may not be true anymore, but I think it was true 10 years ago, when this play was set. I distinctly recall hearing that and seeing it in action 20 and 30 years ago. Hm…I wonder what you would wear if you went for a jog? Would you have to jog at 5am, like we are to assume Marcelle has done in scene two of A Prayer for the French Republic? If you are going to wear leggings and chunky sneakers, you would want as few witnesses as possible. Motivation to run fast - so you appear blurry to any onlookers.



A mom moving around an apartment with purpose in a tidy workout outfit is a great contrast to her depressed 28 year old daughter still in her pajamas. I bet there is some work-around for the workout-clothing-in-public-problem that French women all tend to do. In NYC a decade ago, when those ballet/barré classes were so popular, you could see elegant women shopping with basket in ha…
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