Kristin Scott Thomas is arguably one of England’s finest actresses. Too bad she’s spent much of the past thirty years living in France and mostly making French films. Kristin is 55 years old now and she has strong opinions about aging in front of cameras, and how women over 40 are treated not just in Hollywood, but in the world at large. She gave an interview to a French magazine which got translated by the Daily Mail, and she seems to be saying that if she was still living in England, she would probably not be working that much. Because in England, the new face of beauty is orange and wearing a miniskirt in November. Her words!

She is one of our most feted actresses and was awarded a damehood for services to drama in 2015 by the Queen. Sadly, however, Kristin Scott Thomas does not appear to have much affection for her fellow Englishwomen. The Cornwall-born star of The English Patient and Four Weddings And A Funeral, who moved to France when she was 19, has launched a withering attack on her compatriots’ lack of style.

‘French women make getting dressed seem simple . . . and they can be attractive without abusing their sexy side,’ says Kristin. ‘There is no vulgarity, it’s all about subtlety. The English are terrible and very much the opposite, like they wear mini skirts when they don’t have the legs for it. In France, that would obviously be in bad taste. French women would never get drunk on a Saturday in a mini skirt in November.’

Her cutting remarks follow previous criticism of Britain’s treatment of older women: ‘I’m still asked to do leading roles in France; never in the UK. People will ask me why, and I don’t really know, apart from this idea that in France, people are less afraid of older women or of getting old.’

In her latest interview, which she conducted in French, Kristin adds: ‘I think the French are more natural. They’re more interested in taking care of themselves. The English are much more concerned with what is fashionable. They follow all the latest trends, even though they all look the same. Right now, for example, English girls are all wearing buns on their heads! And they love tanning, especially fake tan, which means, by summer, everyone is orange.’

[From The Daily Mail]

For fashion, I think British “style” is to be more cutting edge, more avant-garde and less “pretty.” But I don’t think KST is talking about the legacy of Alexander McQueen, I think she’s making a reference to British street-style, which… yes, has taken a hit in recent years. British street style is more associated with Pippa Middleton rather than Kate Moss these days. And Pippa was whom I thought of when Kristin went in on British girls being orange. So, is KST just being bitter and judgy or does she have a point?

Photos courtesy of WENN.