How The 1950s Shaped The History Of Britain

La Chute des Galeries Lafayette : Ce Que Personne N'avait Vu Venir

 

La chute des Galeries Lafayette illustre la crise des grands magasins, fragilisés par le e-commerce et la baisse de fréquentation. En difficulté financière, le groupe a fermé ses deux sites emblématiques de Marseille et retiré son enseigne de plusieurs villes de province (Angers, Metz). Une restructuration a été amorcée pour se recentrer sur le luxe et l'international.

Le déclin du réseau historique s'articule autour de plusieurs moments marquants :

• Fermetures en province : Le réseau affilié (notamment géré par la Société des Grands Magasins) a rompu son partenariat, forçant sept magasins régionaux à abandonner l'enseigne.
• Le cas marseillais : Les deux magasins de Marseille (Centre Bourse et Prado) ont fermé définitivement, entraînant la perte de 145 emplois après des années de pertes récurrentes. Les opérations de liquidation ont attiré des milliers de personnes, provoquant des scènes de cohue impressionnantes.
• Recentrage stratégique : Face à la crise, le groupe a injecté 260 millions d'euros pour moderniser ses adresses touristiques phares (comme le navire amiral du boulevard Haussmann à Paris et celui de Nice) afin de cibler une clientèle très haut de gamme

Les cafés adorés en France qui ont disparu pour toujours

 

Parisian waiters are not rude – they’re just badly misunderstood

 

The hill I will die on: Parisian waiters are not rude – they’re just badly misunderstood

Helen Massy-Beresford

After living here for years, I can see through that old stereotype. My tip: if your server is not full of bonhomie, why not try saying ‘bonjour’?

 

Sat 18 Jul 2026 05.00 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/18/the-hill-i-will-die-on-paris-waiters-misunderstood-stereotype

 

Parisian waiters are professionals, providing an excellent service – they are not rude or unfriendly, just sometimes slightly misunderstood. No, really, hear me out. We’re all familiar with the trope of the rude Parisian waiter, looking down their nose at your inferior wine choice. They have been called “brusque and unwelcoming”, “snooty and rude” by travellers who voted Paris the unfriendliest city in the world. But after living here for many years, I’m struggling to think of an experience that really lives up to the stereotype. Harried and busy, sometimes, yes. But rude? No.

 

So why do Parisian waiters (and let’s face it, Parisians) have a such a bad reputation? Partly, it’s about misunderstandings. Good manners and greetings between strangers in France are quite formal and can (and did, to this Brit, arriving in 2007) seem a little frosty. There are golden rules that many visitors unwittingly break and the big one is “bonjour”. Or rather, a lack of “bonjour”. Going into a shop or a restaurant in Paris (or anywhere in France) and not greeting the staff is incredibly rude. That means many waiters or shop staff in touristy areas are actually, by French rules, being snubbed thousands of times a day. No wonder some of them feel a little grumpy.

 

It is a cultural difference that often catches visitors to France unawares, as acknowledged before the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, when campaigns to better welcome visitors aimed to improve Parisians’ understanding of tourists. Now I’ve been here a long time, however, I’m with the disgruntled waiters – it is rude not to properly acknowledge the person serving your lunch or scanning your groceries. Even if now on UK trips, my cheerful hellos to Sainsbury’s staff do draw some baffled looks.

 

Once you have got past the bonjour barrier, maybe your complaint will be that your server is a little … bossy. Here, the problem is mismatched expectations. In France, being a waiter is not just a stopgap job, it’s a real career, with qualifications and progression – and, in a restaurant, there is a right way and a wrong way for things to be done.

 

The server despairing at your choice of a well-done steak is not being a snob, they just want to stop you from making a terrible mistake that could ruin your lunch. That’s not to say you have to do as you are told. If you really want milk in your post-lunch coffee or red wine with your choucroute (it “should” be white, to match the wine it’s cooked in), then of course you can. Standing your ground and politely but firmly pushing back, as in many other areas of French life, usually results in a warmer, friendlier exchange.

 

If all else fails and you still find Parisian waiters rude, then just bring your children, or borrow someone else’s. I’ve lost count of the number of kind waiters who have brought mine crayons or sweets, or let a desperate one sneak in to use the loo (even in some quite snooty-looking places). My favourite though was the waiter who offered to cut up my croque monsieur for me, or hold my baby while I did it. Now that was service with a smile – and something I have never encountered in London.

 

Helen Massy-Beresford is a British journalist and editor who lives in Paris

VOYAGE AU CŒUR DES LÉGENDES DU CINÉMA FRANÇAIS – CHANSON HOMMAGE 🎬🕊️

London Super Trunk Show 2026 — World Championship of Shoe Shining | Kirby Allison

Netousek Vienna

 

Netousek Vienna

Netousek is a highly regarded, traditional family-owned bespoke tailoring house based in Vienna, Austria, that has been crafting high-end garments since 1935. Currently managed by third-generation tailor Thomas Netousek, the workshop is celebrated for its dedication to classic, old-school Viennese tailoring, premium material selections, and exceptional attention to hand-stitched detailing.

Store Location & Hours

The cozy, wood-paneled workshop is situated outside the immediate tourist center but remains easily accessible: [1, 2]

• Address: Gumpendorfer Straße 17, 1060 Wien, Austria
• Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
• Appointments: While they offer generous opening hours, booking an advance consultation via their Official Website Contact Page is highly recommended for bespoke fittings.

Offerings and House Style

Netousek specializes in a distinct Viennese style, typically characterized by a low-sitting gorge and a lightly padded, comfortable structure. Their main offerings include: [1]

• Bespoke Suits & Jackets: Completely handmade on-site. A standard custom two-piece suit typically requires multiple basted fittings on the client and starts around €3,000.
• Custom Shirts (Hemd nach Maß): Crafted by creating a unique paper pattern and an initial trial shirt. Features include hand-sewn mother-of-pearl buttons and 7 to 8 stitches per centimeter.
• Casual & Regional Wear: In addition to formal suits, they design custom premium denim (Jeans nach Maß), bespoke knitwear (Strick nach Maß), and traditional Austrian Trachten jackets.

The Bespoke Process

Getting a suit crafted at Netousek follows a strict traditional timeline:

1.      Initial Consultation: Discussing cut, style, and choosing from an extensive collection of fine fabrics and linings.

2.      First Fitting (Erste Anprobe): Trying on the provisionally basted fabric pieces to adjust the foundation drape.

3.      Second Fitting (Zweite Anprobe): Refining proportions, marking collar/sleeve alignments, and preparing for final details like hand-cut buttonholes.

4.      Final Inspection: A finished try-on to ensure absolute perfection before taking the garment home