French women are famously stylish, but what seems especially unfair is how easy they make it look. Their hair is always done but not too done, their no-makeup makeup makes them glow, and apparently they’ve figured out the portion control thing. Luckily, if you don’t live in the City of Lights you can at least pretend with a French-inspired wardrobe of your own. Here are the 10 things every French woman has in their closet, and you can now too.
1. Stripe tee
There’s nothing more French than a striped bateau t-shirt. Breton’s navy and white pairing is classic, cool, and most importantly? Easy to style. Madewell’s striped t-shirt is a staple.
2. Cat eye sunglasses
The frame favored by famous faces of years past is the perfect way to look like equal parts vintage and modern. Talk about old school/new school. This pair from Adam Selman x Le Specs is the coolest pair of glasses on the market, and it’s easy on the wallet.
3. Straight leg denim
Great denim is like math: it’s universal. French women have recognized this and put their own spin on the great American tradition. Start breaking in your own pair of Levi’s to get that perfectly worn-in, vintage look.
4. White shirt
A crisp white button down looks great with everything from shorts to midi-skirts. If only French women would tell us how they keep them so crisp and fresh. No wilted collars for la femmes a Paris. French brand Equipment has a slightly dressier linen version that we’ll be wearing all summer.
5. Summer dress
A long, feminine dress in a print makes dressing easier than ever. Switch out your white sneakers for small block heel and add a red lip to go full Francophile. Bonus points for being easy to switch from day to night. This beautiful red floral dress from Anthropologie is a favorite of ours.
6. Basket bag
Because Jane Birkin is never wrong, make sure you grab one of her signature purses. No, not the Hermes one. The woven straw baskets she wore are more affordable, but still pack a heavy style punch. We love this one from A.P.C., which looks exactly like the ones Birkin wore in the 60s and 70s.
7. Stacked heel
Of Coco Chanel’s many gifts to the world, we’re particularly thankful that she made a comfortable heel so chic. A classic Chanel slingback in beige and black are worth the hefty price tag.
8. Ballet flat
Because stacked heels are only comfortable for so long, slip into a pair of ballet flats for a more elegant option than sneakers.
9. Lingerie maillot
Bathing suits don’t have to be scary. A lingerie maillot provides enough coverage to feel comfortable, and shows just enough skin to feel sexy. Wear it at the pool with cat-eye sunglasses (#2 on the list!). Leave it to Cynthia Rowley to create the perfect one here.
10. Tan sandals
Even elegant French women need to let their toes breathe in the summer heat. Keep it as polished as possible in a minimalist pair of tan leather sandals like these.
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.