A few musings.

Hello chaps,

A post I drafted in my head and never actually published was about the Russian 'Devushka' concept, so I think I'll make a short comment on it now and compare it with the French 'mademoiselle'. Look at that folks, more bang for your buck! (My excuse for laziness)

So the Russian devushka is the antithesis to the babushka. A devushka is a young lady, being a diminutive of the word 'devitsa', meaning girl, or maiden. (Tchaikovsky's Evgenii Onegin - or as the English so nauseatingly call it, Eugene - is very good for learning the origins of Russian words!).

The devushka - if we are to take it from my perspective, is a stereotype, but a common one. The devushka wears heels, and can walk in them, everywhere. Even in temperatures of -20. And when I mean heels, I mean *heels*. She is tall and very thin, a size 10 is considered unacceptably fat. She is heavily made up, even during the day, and takes good care of her skin, attending the banya regularly. They could all be models. The devushka has high cheekbones, willowy limbs and a slavic, sincere demeanour - yet a high pitched laugh and a rather musical intonation of the saying "Nu, da!" (well, yes!). 

I have heard many theories as to why there are so many thin people in Russia, girls in particular.

Firstly, their culture of exercise. Frankly, we don't like it in the West (in general terms). 

Secondly, a pursuit of perfection that is stronger than what we have in the West - just look at the training they do in sports, Ballet and in life in general. They have much more of this, and I rather respect it.

Thirdly, the gender imbalance means that there is more competition from other women, meaning that it is harder to get a boyfriend (just what I've been told).

Fourthly, their national diet - salads, soups and not snacking. This is also due to the fact that food is actually pretty expensive in Russia, with little fresh produce (compared to the West) so it is seen as a necessity and not a frivolity.

Fifthly, the fact that they are constantly surrounded by older women who have often (in the kindest way possible) 'let themselves go a bit' after getting married and having a family, so the younger generation are constantly supplied with what the kids are calling these days - 'thinspiration'.

I want to draw a parallel here with the concept of the French mademoiselle - I consider the two to be remarkably similar. It is a British and American cliche that "French women don't get fat" - and indeed, there are far fewer women here who could be considered, if not fat, 'curvaceous'. Sure we all know the mademoiselle from courtisan times - where the ladies held philosophical, political and economic discussions in their salons, while the men held the same discussions under the guise of 'doing business' in their bureaux. We must note, however, the lack of mention of such discussions in my Russian 'devushka' analysis, which I will be honest, is due to a lack of knowledge. I can make a somewhat educated guess therefore that these were far less widespread and possibly only took place in the cultural centres - though don't quote me on that.

Who, then can we consider the ultimate mademoiselle? I am going to use clichés and say that it is any one of Marie Antoinette, Coco Chanel and possibly Audrey Tautou - all regarded by society as prime cultural figures of their time. Each is a manifestation of French society in its different stages of contemporary evolution. I beg you to consider my point, before you sue me for slander, that I am in no way drawing parallels between any of the three figures I have just mentioned! The French mademoiselle is also the woman on the street - whether physically at that time, or who once was. They are the bearers and contributors to the French culture as we consider it in the West, that is to say, the romanticised version we see in Hollywood films about France and other such media. 

I will openly admit to my desire to be as stylish as the French! (give me some time!)