One of the big clothing differences between Canada and France is how we dress relative to the seasons and the weather. In Canada, fall and winter temperatures demand heavier clothing, winter jackets and even fur. Fur can be considered a necessity in minus twenty temperatures. Here in France, fall and winter fashions dictate the heavier clothing, more so I believe than the weather. Mais oui, the temperatures are cooler and when the rain and fog settles in during the winter here in the south-west of France, there is a humid cold that will chill you to the bones. I may have to update this post in January. However, with November day temperatures reaching 12 to 16 degrees celsius, seeing fur trimmed jackets and capes seems a tad premature - overkill even, by Canadian standards. In Canada many would be pulling out their flip flops on a sunny 16 degree fall day. Unfortunately, as I write, there is snow on the ground on the Canadian prairies.
Although, I must say, the fur jackets I have seen here seem flimsier, much more "fashionable" than "functional". Canadian outerwear, in general, is definitely heavier, and relative to the weather, more appropriate. It is the same with gloves or mittens and scarves. When I inspect the fibres or the workmanship in what is available here in France, I use the Canadian winter standard to judge them. And reasonably, for the most part, none would stand up to the minus 20 temperatures to which Canadians are accustomed. Simply, they don't have to.
Fashion, not only in clothing but in decoration, is curious because here too we see snowmen decorating city streets when in fact snow is seldom seen. Snowflakes and artificial snow even decorate Christmas inspired windows in places where snow never falls. (November 24th update: While in Arcachon today, I watched the city crews decorating the traffic roundabouts/circles with . . . evergreens bearing "snowy" branches.)
Conclusion - winter and Christmas beg for snow, no matter where in the world you are.
