In this post, find top fashion advise from Parisian women on how to dress like a French woman. The best French style tips, given by top Parisian fashion designers and bloggers. From what French women wear, what colors and styles (even what is the right attitude), to the ultimate fashion accessories that all Parisian women never leave the house without (hint: it’s not a beret).
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Want to Learn The Secrets to Dress Like a French Woman?
French women are a global reference to style and fashion, and for excellent reason. From how they manage to always look relaxed yet elegant, to how they stylishly wear their cardigans, even in summer time.
Find below actual fashion statements and advice from French women who are gurus of French fashion and learn how to dress like a French woman. These Parisian fashion tips will be sure to revolutionize how you see trends and how to dress up for yourself, as opposed as to what brands impose over you.
How to Dress Like a French Woman Over 30 | What Do The Experts say?
Garance Doré
“[French style] is all about her attitude! If you look at her style she mostly wears jeans, doesn’t change much with the seasons, she’s the anti ‘it girl.’ She doesn’t look like she’s trying.” – to The Guardian
Inès de la Fressange
“10 lessons to master the offbeat look à la Parisienne. Among them: wearing jeans with gem-encrusted sandals, not sneakers; a pencil skirt with ballet flats, not heels; an evening dress with a straw handbag, not a gold clutch; a chiffon print dress with battered biker boots, not brand-new ballet flats; a sequined sweater with men’s trousers, not a skirt; a tuxedo jacket with sneakers, not femme fatale stilettos.
The perfect Parisienne never uses soap on her face or wears pink on her lips or goes out without makeup, even on weekends. She never buys long-stemmed flowers (too difficult to find a suitable vase), but likes to eat (“Rest assured, I do know a few size 4s.”). She washes her hair every morning.” – adapted from De La Fressange’s book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide in The New York Times
FIND THE BOOK ‘PARISIAN CHIC, A STYLE GUIDE” ON AMAZON
Julia Sarr-Jamois
“I think French women are quite effortless — they know what they like and what they don’t! I think once they have found their style they tend to stick to it.” – to Refinery 29
Lou Doillon
“French style has got to do with a certain form of arrogance, which I love. French girls have a tremendous respect for themselves in a way, and so they have what they want to wear, and what they won’t wear — even if every magazine cover is saying, ‘This is what you should be wearing.’ French girls are funny like that. They have their own thing going.” To Vogue
Clémence Poésy
“I kind of wear the same thing over and over again. Jeans, these jeans [dark gray skinny jeans]. They’re Acne and they last forever. That and usually flat shoes, boots. Sometimes an oversized men’s sweater or T-shirt if it’s summer, and that’s about it—it’s pretty basic. [I always wear]—these big things [points to her oversize sweater]. Maybe that’s a French girl secret?!? But maybe American women are comfortable wearing more complicated things? Maybe we all just do what makes us feel comfortable? I don’t know.” – to ELLE.com
Charlotte Gainsbourg
“Style for me is a casual way of putting something on. It’s not thought out but needs to suit your way of life. Now I like wearing the same sweater over and over again, then taking it off when it’s smelly.” – to WSJ
Carine Roitfeld
“[French style is] more the way you mix the clothes and how you move, how you open your bag, how you cross your legs — just little things that make a difference. With French women you first see the woman and then you see the clothes. In France you cannot see what labels we are wearing. It is very snobby.” – to Acne Paper
Julia Restoin Roitfeld
“Even on the red carpet, French celebrities keep it minimal. Think of Charlotte Gainsbourg – the look can be quite undone. Keep your palette simple: French women are into neutrals – a lot of beige, grey, navy, black and white. If a French woman wears jeans, it’s never with flats always heels.The French like to play the intellectual card; they don’t like to be over-sexy. The sexiness comes from the way they walk and hold themselves.” – to Matches Fashion‘s The Style Report
Anélle Coetzee
“French women are not fashion slaves but rather style followers. They will carefully review the new season’s trends and select one or two items to update their look, giving solid basics a new twist.”
Sophie Marceau
“The French woman is an elegant woman, she is fashion and sophistication! Her existence is due to extraordinary designers, talented producers and authors in love. These are the artists who made the French woman into a standard of beauty and elegance. There was Dior, obviously, as well as Saint-Laurent. We owe so much to Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot.” – to Atout France
Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele
“[French style is] attitude and arrogance.” – to Refinery 29
Léa Seydoux
“It’s true that French are not very sophisticated in the sense that they don’t dress up for dinners. They are not like Americans where they are always perfect—the girls are not very sporty; they don’t take care of themselves as much as Americans, who always have very white teeth, and are so fit. The French are a little more chic, very classic. I think it can be boring too, because they don’t take any risks. They don’t wear too many colors. Like when you walk the streets in Paris you don’t see too many colors.” – to Into the Gloss
Joséphine de la Baume
“French girls don’t wash their hair as much as you girls do here [in the UK] and they don’t wear much make-up. Everything is very discreet, except for nonchalant touches–say a bag or a pair of shoes. – to Glamour UK
Lou Doillon
“French style has got to do with a certain form of arrogance, which I love. French girls have a tremendous respect for themselves in a way, and so they have what they want to wear, and what they won’t wear—even if every magazine cover is saying, ‘This is what you should be wearing,’ French girls are funny like that. They have their own thing going. The French girls all dressed in black, with that ‘yeah I’m sexy but with a brain. It’s knowing about when to stop.” – to Vogue
Juliette Binoche
“The French style has wonderful creators that bring this love of shape to their clothes. A high hairstyle or high-end clothes style is a handsome layering of art. You can ‘have’ elegance but I think, most importantly, French women don’t overdress.” – to news.com.au
Carine Roitfeld
”With French women you first see the woman and then you see the clothes. In France you cannot see what labels we are wearing. It is very snobby.” – to Acne Paper
Isabel Marant
“When people ask me what the difference is between French girls and American girls, it’s mainly that French girls pass a lot of time pretending like they’re not paying attention, while they’re doing just that. It’s more a question of attitude. Always keep them surprised. If they think you’ll wear heels, wear flats. If they expect flats, wear heels.” – to Glamour
Julia Roitfeld
“Please don’t ask me about trends. I’m into buying clothes that make me feel pretty, that flatter me, but I have never cared about having the latest thing.” To Vogue
These are the top advises from elegant French women on how to dress like a French woman over 30. As a new 30 year old, every day I value elegance more and more. I hope that these statements from fashionistas help you in your quest for a French style.
What is it about the French fashion that you like the most? I love the ruffles and how French people somehow manage to make everything romantic, even with clothes.
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