5 All-Season French Classics from Affordable American Brands
We moved to Paris in August, which is the hottest time of year. Fall doesn’t get in full swing until late September, when the tourists leave, the office workers return, and the leaves in the Tuileries begin to change. When we lived in Paris, I loved wandering through the boutiques on Rue de Courcelles and browsing the street stalls in different neighborhoods. Although I did visit Galleries Lafayette a few times during the soldes, I found it too big, too crowded, too mall-like (it is, after all, a giant mall). But you don’t have to go to Paris to dress French for fall. Even before we moved to Paris, I was a fan of several American brands that offer elegant basics at an affordable price. While living in Paris, I realized these brands really do understand the secrets of French style.
If you want to know how to dress French for fall, think of these three words: comfortable, classic, simple. French style is about taste. It’s about not going overboard. It’s about dressing to flatter your body and to look your best, not to stand out in all the wrong ways.
A truly French outfit can easily transition from office to evening with a simple pair of shoes or the addition (or subtraction) of a layer.
Here are five affordable classics from American brands that would make you look like a local in Paris, and will make you feel good and put-together wherever you are.
French style classic 1 for fall: J Crew striped boatneck shirt
It doesn’t get any more French than a striped boatneck shirt. Wear this lightweight striped Breton with jeans or any kind of skirt–maxi, pencil, or mini–and you’ll look like you just stepped out of your Paris flat. It just works.
I have J.Crew striped shirts in black and white, navy and white, and multicolor stripe. I prefer the J Crew version to other Bretons (even more than the original Breton I bought in Dinan, Brittany!) because they’re super soft and lightweight enough to be worn alone in the spring and summer. They also look great with a blazer in the fall, or under a cocoon coat in the winter. It’s a true all-season staple for dressing like a French girl, or a French woman of any age. Whatever you do, don’t wear your Breton with a beret! Just because Emily in Paris would do it doesn’t make it right. Style it with jeans, a blazer, and booties or loafers. Or you could wear it with a skirt and Vejas, the ultimate French sneaker (scroll down for more about Vejas).
Everlane also makes a very high quality modern Breton. The Everlane striped shirt is of a thicker cotton. It doesn’t have the same drape as the J.Crew version, but it’s super warm and cozy and pretty much lasts forever. (I’m still wearing a Breton I bought from Everlane in 2015!). I wear my J.Crew bretons for about three years. Because the fabric is a bit thin, they do eventually develop small holes if you wear them constantly, like I do. An Everlane Breton, on the other hand, never has to be replaced, but what makes it so sturdy–the thick, indestructible fabric–also makes it less drapey.
French style classic 2: Everlane Relaxed Silk Shirt
A silk button-down is a French style staple that elevates any pair of jeans. Of course, it can also be worn with a skirt in any season.
The Everlane version is soft, luxurious, washable, and available in several colors. It’s also relaxed, understated, and high-quality. Very French! I have the Everlane silk shirts in blue, black, and tan. They feel buttery soft on the skin.
Silk button-downs are great for travel. They take up so little space in your luggage, weigh almost nothing, and can be hand-washed and dried overnight. I never travel without a silk shirt. I’ve worn them under a crewneck sweater in the dead of winter in Oslo and layered over a sundress during spring in Sicily.
You can get the Everlane silk shirt with pockets or without.
French style classic 3 for fall: Levi’s Straight Ankle Jeans
Dressing French is as simple as putting on a good, well-fitting pair of jeans. In France, Levi’s are very expensive and are considered far more of a designer item than they are in the US. So if you’re traveling to Paris in any season, pack your favorite Levi’s. I like the Levi’s straight ankle jeans, because they look cool with Vejas, sandals, or ankle boots. Pair them with a white T-shirt, striped Breton, silk shirt, or white button-down, and you’re good to go.
I remember backpacking through Europe in the late nineties and noticing young women wearing cropped jeans with ankle boots. Nearly three decades later, the same style is still ubiquitous in Europe, and it still works!
But any type of jeans that look good on you will do. If this year’s trend doesn’t fit your body, don’t wear it! Just because the fashion magazines are touting wide-leg jeans or boyfriend jeans doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Choosing the best clothes for your body is a cornerstone of French style.
French style classic 4: J Crew White Button-Down Shirt
Yes, you need a white button-down! J.Crew has been making them for ages. Like a Breton or silk shirt, you can wear a white button-down in any season, alone or with a blazer, with jeans or skirts, and you’ll look right at home in Paris.
Yes, a white button-down will make you look polished, with a scarf or without. Despite having lived in Paris, I really don’t enjoy wearing scarves. My favorite accessory is a gold chain necklace with a small pendant. I have several, most of them gifts from my husband over the years. I’ll do another post on jewelry, by the way, but the secret to French style when it comes to jewelry is the same as French style in general: keep it simple, and don’t overdo it. Leave the bulky necklaces and costume jewelry at home.
French style classic 5: The perfect (and very sexy) red dress from Boden
This flowy, long-sleeved red dress from Boden ($140) manages to be sexy and totally classy at the same time. In other words, it’s incredibly French. The secret is in the flowing fabric and the cut: a V-neck, cinched v-waist, long sleeves, and slightly flared skirt. This dress easily transitions from fall to winter.
This cut, with the wide, defines waistband, is available year-round in the boutiques along Rue de Courcelles but difficult to find in American stores. For fall, wear it with sneakers or booties, and for winter, just throw on a trench coat and tights. I live in trench coats all winter, and I haven’t bought a new once since 2005 because my trench coats from Banana Republic (one black, one tan) are still wonderful! For a true style staple and capsule wardrobe item, the dress is also available in black and in two floral prints.
A note on color: Parisian women may have black coats and black shoes, but they have color in their closets too! Paris isn’t New York City. All black all the time gets boring.
The dress is siren red, so the statement is in the color. When looking for dresses, remember to go with a cut that’s not too tight. Low necks and high hems are fine, but if you want to dress like the French, don’t wear both at the same time. Showing skin at the decollate and the legs at the same time is very not French.
Goes well with…
So if you want a capsule wardrobe that would make you look like a local in Paris, just start with these five classic French styles. Add a pair of Veja sneakers or Stan Smiths to any one of these outfits, and you’ll look like you just stepped out of a Parisian bookshop. Add a small black crossbody bag to carry your pen, tiny wallet, and a single lipstick, and you’ll have nailed easy, elegant French style. If it’s cold, of course, throw on a trench coat.
In the photo, I’m wearing my black trench coat from Banana Republic in 2011, when I visited with my small son. In the photo, I’m trying to corral him outside Notre Dame. I packed the same trench coat when we moved to Paris in 2018.
If you enjoyed this post on how to dress French for fall, you might enjoy 7 French Beauty Products I Use Every Day.
About this blog: The Reluctant Parisian is the Paris expat blog of New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond, whose most recent novels are The Marriage Pact (available in French and 29 other languages) and The Wonder Test. Subscribe for free to The Wandering Writer to receive her posts on travel and writing.