Embedded Player French women are getting taller, but they are gaining more girth than height. The average French woman has gained a dress size since l970, and today, la belle is just over 5'3" and weighs 138 pounds. The French clothing industry commissioned 3-D imaging of 12,000 people to get a fresh look at the shape of their clientele. But even though they are bigger, French women are still smaller than the average American woman.