Louvre over missy! You’re not coming in here wearing that. Not now not ever!
Not my words of course, but those (probably) of the guard who allegedly rejected a blogger from entering the famous French museum thanks to her ‘revealing’ dress.
That’s right, Newsha Syeh, from Australia, had her trip to Paris tarnished by the long arm of the ze law while trying to attend the Louvre, which famously houses the Mona Lisa. The painting, not just some random woman called Mona Lisa.
First off: I too experienced rejection at the hands of France’s seemingly strict security system.
It was 2016, around the time of the Euros. On one scorching morning I felt like taking a breather from all the booze and chaos. Figuring I’d already been ten years previously with my family, I thought I’d have no problem navigating the Louvre on my ones.
But as I approached the entrance, a guard drew me to a halt, wagged his finger at me and said ‘No, no. This isn’t appropriate for inside.’
Now truth be told, my bits were out, but the pang of dismissal on what had been up until that point, on a faultless June morning, still stung. I’ve never been back since.
Tbh, I didn’t even go in 2016.
Still, this blogger’s tale of injustice really struck a nerve with me and likely of many others.
The 25-year-old wrote of the alleged encounter:
Yesterday at the Louvre, I was stopped at the entrance by a guard for my outfit.
There is no set dress code listed on the museum’s website, but its visitor regulations state that it is forbidden to ‘wear swimsuits or be naked, barefoot or bare-chested.’
According to Syeh, the guard then made ‘the most disgusted and horrible gestures and facial expressions’ and barked at her to cover up with ‘hate-filled eyes.’
Horrible if true.
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