Brian,
There may be a need to limit deliberately offensive dress, but it is not a criminal offence to dress in a Nazi uniform (a simple apology from the prince is enough) and there is a time and place for partial nudity - go to any beach on the South Coast in the summer and you may well see topless ladies.
There are also occasions when it is not possible to see people's faces in public, particularly if they are wearing a crash helmet, hooded tops, or bushy beards, as far as I am aware these are not banned by the French laws, despite hiding the wearer's face.

The law follows a range of intolerant laws, banning the wearing of turbans, skull caps, and head scarves in French state schools. What will be next?

This pattern leads me to believe that this is not about creating a more integrated society but pandering to the 15% of the French electorate who voted for the racist Front National. If the choice is pandering to French racists and being labelled as 'the PC brigade', I will happily accept the compliment.