Comment: Why hairdressers rule French villages

I am getting a bit sick of books about French women being so marvellous, to be honest. 

You know, those books claiming that all French women stay effortlessly slim, dress with elegant style, are always carefully made-up to look naturally flawless, and have glamorous lovers, as well as beautifully behaved children.

Seriously? Perhaps a few rich women in Paris do all that, but in the rest of France? 

Give it a break. Women in France are just the same as any other women; juggling work with kids, domestic chores with hobbies, personal lives with social events. They scrub up fine once in a while, but spend most of their lives in jeans, sweatshirts and trainers.

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Hairdressers needed

Which makes it kind of surprising that here in a tiny village lost in the middle of Haute-Vienne, we have a hairdressing salon. 

Since we moved in, both the boulangerie and the boucherie have closed, and this trend is nothing new. The village square used to be fringed with shops and cafés which closed so long ago that most of the shop windows have been reduced to normal sizes. You can see the building scars.

It is completely understandable. I have to admit I seldom shopped in either the butcher's or the baker's. The choice and prices in the supermarket 10 minutes away by car were so much better and the opening hours longer. 

The coiffeuse is still going strong, however. And all things being equal, I would have thought the bakery and the butchery would outlast the hairdressers.

Loitering about the village, in between talking to a small terrier and picking some sprigs of rosemary, I wandered past the salon for a snoop and a casual chat. 

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Short hair everywhere

Apparently there is not much call for fashionable hairdos, outlandish colours and perms. She mainly cuts and makes stray greys disappear. Fair enough. 

Buying a stamp in the mairie, I checked out everyone's hair. Secretary, short; the lady mayoress, short; the nice brunette woman, short. In fact, most women in our village wear their hair short. Easier to take care of I guess, but requiring regular trims.

So that is why we still have a salon in our village. Nothing to do with being skinny, elegant or fashionable, and everything to do with keeping life simple. I asked my neighbour about it and she agreed. 

But also, she said, it was a great place to spend an hour sitting down. She would feel guilty going to the café and just sipping coffee for an hour, but the hairdresser can only work if you sit down. 

She also likes to time her visits so she is there at the same time as her friends. That way, she catches up on the local gossip as well as getting her hair done. And, once it is trimmed, she does not have to think about it again for at least a month. 

French women are nothing if not practical.

Is there a local hairdresser where you live in France? What is your experience of their service? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com