The style formulas French Instagrammers swear by
You're probably bored of hearing how chic French - and particularly Parisian women - are, but you can't deny there's something fascinating about their sartorial insouciance. You see, they don't really care about trends, so much as investing in timeless pieces they know looks great on them.
That said, there are a few winning style formulas I've noticed some of my favourite French influencers wearing on the regular, which are pretty easy to recreate when it comes down to it. Scroll down to shop them below.
The paired-back summer dress + basket bag
As seen on influencer Adeline Rapon, this is a classic French summer style combo that dates back all the way to Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot. You simply can't go wrong with a white dress (preferably with broderie Anglaise details) and a basket bag.
Shop now: SALONI Fara broderie-anglaise cotton midi dress for £402 from MatchesFashion.com
Shop now: Mango mini picnic basket bag in natural for £27.50 from ASOS
The slip skirt + men's shirt
AnneLaure Mais Moreau, founder of French online shop Musier, knows a thing or two about balance. It's all about dressing down a fancy item to make it more wearable, the key to looking French is never trying too hard after all. Case in point: the sexy slip skirt, teamed with an oversized shirt.
Shop now: Bow satin skirt for £35.99 from Mango
Shop now: Cotton shirt for £12.99 from H&M
The flares + slogan tee
Jeanne Damas is one of those people whose style is so inherently cool that she would be just as on trend 30 years ago as she is now. Flares may be very of-the-moment, but she's been wearing them forever, adding a dose of cool with a slogan tee or Breton top.
Shop now: Indigo Flared Jamie Jeans for £40 from Topshop
Shop now: Ma Cherie Amour Logo Tshirt for £49 from Whistles
The classic suit
A la French, le classique suit (sorry) is worn oversized, in a neutral shade such as navy, and preferably with nothing underneath, as demonstrated by Marta of Life of Bohème. The blazer can also be style with a men's shirt and straight leg jeans for another staple look.
Shop now: SHAWL LAPEL BLAZER for £89.99 from ZARA
Shop now: FLARED TROUSERS for £39.99 from ZARA
The vintage-style tea dress
Whether it's Camille Charrière, Jeanne Damas or pretty much any other French influencer, the one staple everyone owns is a pretty floral dress for summer, which can be teamed with biker boots, sneakers or sandals.
Shop now: RIXO LONDON Abigail floral-print silk-crepe wrap dress for £255 from Net-A-Porter
The biker jacket + feminine skirt
As mentioned before, the key to Parisian style is all about balance. Here, Margaux SLV proves that a tough black leather jacket can be softened a tad with a retro skirt and a t-shirt.
Shop now: Balfern biker for £318 from ALLSAINTS
Shop now: GANNI Pineberry floral-print stretch-jersey pareo for £170 from Net-A-Porter
Without going to far into stereotypes, striped t-shirts and denim dungarees will always have room in a wardrobe, but in reality French style is so much more creative and unexpected that that, all the while staying classic.
