The first thing a French bebe gets to hold after his/her maman's tata is a Doudou. In the USA we call it a 'blankie' or 'Teddy'
This pensive post was inspired by a Metro poster of a French kid clutching her Doudou.
I kept seeing clutched doudous like on rue de Rivoli and the wheels started turning. *Note French adult on the right clutching his iPod (a doudou in disguise)
A chic or tres classe doudou in mariniere stripes matching the kid's shirt, seen in a high-end shop on rue Tronchet - being well co-ordinated in Paris starts early.
A giant doudou at ART-PARIS 
Ecole Ritz Escoffier has plenty of adorable doudous (presumably for adults) if you want to shell out 39-69 euros...
Can you take your doudou to Angelina? Oui, as long as he puts his purse on a chair and NOT the floor.
Reading a table is allowed.
The doudou as fashion accessory - I first spotted Bear at Sonia Rykiel Saint-Germain it was a coup de foudre/instant love.
Once I owned another Sonia doudou. In the '80's SR made fab faux furs. Matching jaguar doudous were slung round the neck. I bought a black one and used to perch it on my suitcase at customs - I would sail through with ease. French doudous are part of my history.
Can a doudou have his own doudou? This question keeps me up at night...
Mon doudou...Alice...red riding Hood...MACARONS!
ReplyDeleteLove Paris obsessions
Do you think you're reading too much into these things?
ReplyDeleteHmmm
What a funny and observant post! I'm relearning French and my instructor recently mentioned des doudou, so I found your post particularly pertinent. Who knew there were so many doudous around Paris?!
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I have tortured a "nounours" during several years, with many surgical internventions, my mother fixed it each time. It was the only kind of toy we got. It has been lost.... too bad !
ReplyDeleteI got dolls but I never play with it because I prefered play with plomber-made soldiers and cars with my brother...
But my mother has kept all my dolls and doll'clothes because she made them herself.... all in her furniture again !
A few weeks ago a friend told me about your blog. It's the first thing I do every morning when I get to work....makes coming to work a little easier.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT!!!!
Dou Dou Dou what you've done done done before, Baby! You continue to inform, inspire and entertain!
ReplyDeleteSweet! My sister Claudia had a favorite stuffed Panda bear as a kid, and she held that thing wherever she went. She'd "scratch" the fur with her hand, in a sort of trance, and eventually, my mom had to mend the fur over and over again, because she would scratch right through it every time. I still remember her doing that. I never had a blankie, but I did have a doll I loved. Nice to know French kids have their "doudous!!"
ReplyDeleteThe doudou! Oh how I remember my youngest son lining up for maternelle and seeing all those well loved doudous! The teacher asked me where his was, and I told her I was his doudou. I was all he ever wanted. (It was a little exhausting. :))
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Some of those doudous are really chic...I wanna spoil my future kids with them :-)
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a great week so far my dear Carol.
Cheers: Evi
Mon doudou!
ReplyDeleteMERCI!!!
I don't remember my doudou, but I'm making up for it overtime with M.BEAR dragging him hither and yon
:)
Oh I miss my blankie & my panda bear. Wah.
ReplyDeleteA little French one was here on Monday with his doudou...& whenever he sees GG the cat drag her little organic cotton mouse around in her mouth, he exclaims... Julie, jolie Julie! Est ce ton doudou ? Ah, Tu est mignon.
He does the 'jolie Julie' in a sing song all the time it is so damn cute...I'll get him another doudou.
This was mignon, C.
Very glad to hear your cats' doudou is ORGANIC!
ReplyDeletemon dieu!
Frankly I don't think one should rush around replacing doudous, not if the cat is content with the organic thing...
Just mon opinion...
J'ai encore dormir avec mon doudou chiot. Il l'aimait. J'ai perdu il ya un an (encore sooo douloureux) and I have my own too now. I can't recall any when I was a kid. They're somehow comforting, not demanding at all, never soil themselves, don't get sick and they're just there for you.
ReplyDeleteAwwww....Very cute, Carol!
ReplyDeleteWhich is the little crab - chic or de classe? One can't have it both ways, you know. I favor the latter, I must confess. The seal is more charming.
ReplyDeleteCUTE. I loved your post from yesterday. My friend Mona wears Guerlain l'Heure Bleue, and always smells wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was last in Paris I spent a blissful hour of sensory overload at Fragonard perfumerie. Why I didn't buy a bottle of their Emilie parfum I don't know. Fragonard will be one of my first stops (after Notre Dame and The Cluny Museum) when I'm in Paris in September!
Whatever the age, everyone needs a doudou! And, you have a fabulous one!!!!!
ReplyDeleteadult with the ipod is too funny!
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your BOLG!!!!!
I BELIEVE IN DREAMS TO!!!!
From today I am your follower!!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE <3
Daniela "DREAM SHABBY CHIC" Milano
I still have my little 'nounours' from when I was a bébé!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful and cute post. :)
Oh, those security blankets, mislaid or lost ones, the bane (or shall I say "pain"?) of all parents! One of my daughters left her sock-sized bear-lookalike on the pillow of her unmade bed at the Novotel in Manhattan. It was gone when we returned at night! What catastrophe! The whole family is still cross with that hotel chain! ;-)
ReplyDelete"I was all he ever wanted."
ReplyDelete(Rebecca Ramsey)
May I nominate this sentence for a "Reader's Award"?
I totally warmed my heart.
Reading your readers' comments is a treat, just like your blog per se! I even love the "dissenting" voices ("Do you think you're reading too much into these things?" - AnonyMouse).
I think I need one....xv
ReplyDeleteOriginal and observant. As always.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I have had a wonderful trip to Paris through your eyes. Lovely blog, wonderful photography. Cheers, Susan :)
ReplyDeleteFunny - but the French doudous look ever so much nicer than the ragged "blankies" of American kids.
ReplyDeletehaha i always laugh when my french boyfriend tells stories about his childhood "doudou" thanks for this made me giggle :-D
ReplyDeleteIs that pronounced "doo-doo"? Ahem.
ReplyDelete