“French girl style” is one of fashion’s most powerful fantasies: the idea that Parisian women look effortlessly chic without trying. The uniform is famous: a striped Breton top, high-waisted straight jeans, a beige trench coat, ballet flats or loafers, a red lip and slightly messy hair with a fringe. Books, brands and countless YouTube videos promise to teach it. It is also, as many French women will tell you, partly a myth. Here is where it came from and what it really means.
What is French girl style?
French girl style is a minimal, classic and slightly undone way of dressing associated with Paris. It favours a small wardrobe of good-quality basics in neutral colours, worn with confidence and a touch of nonchalance. Make-up is light except, perhaps, for a strong lip. Hair is natural. The look should seem unstudied, even when it is carefully planned. The French phrase often used is je ne sais quoi, an indefinable something.
Where it came from
Paris has been the capital of fashion since the eighteenth century, and the image of the elegant Parisienne goes back at least as far. But the modern “French girl” was shaped in the 1950s and 1960s by actresses and singers. Brigitte Bardot made ballet flats, gingham and messy hair iconic; she famously asked the dancewear maker Repetto for a pair of ballet shoes she could wear in the film And God Created Woman (1956). Jean Seberg in Breathless (1960), with her pixie cut and striped top, defined the Left Bank look. Françoise Hardy, Catherine Deneuve and Anna Karina added their own variations.
Ironically, one of the most famous “French girls” was English. Jane Birkin moved to Paris in the late 1960s, and her uniform of jeans, white shirts, a basket bag and fringe became the template; the Hermès Birkin bag was named after her in 1984. Her daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon carried on the legend.
The Breton striped shirt, or marinière, began as part of the French navy uniform in the nineteenth century. Coco Chanel was among the first to wear it as fashion in the early twentieth century, and later Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier made it a symbol of France.
In the 2010s, the idea became a global industry. Model Inès de la Fressange’s book Parisian Chic (2010) and How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (2014), by Caroline de Maigret and three co-authors, became bestsellers. Instagram made Parisian influencers like Jeanne Damas, who founded the brand Rouje in 2016, internationally famous, and brands such as Sézane, A.P.C. and Isabel Marant turned the look into shoppable collections. Netflix’s Emily in Paris (2020) then turned it into a joke that everyone watched anyway.
The codes
- Clothes: Breton striped top, white T-shirt, men’s shirt, fine knit jumper, little black dress, floral midi dress, high-waisted straight jeans, tailored trousers.
- Outerwear: a beige trench coat, a navy blazer, a leather jacket.
- Shoes: ballet flats, loafers, ankle boots, simple trainers.
- Accessories: a basket bag, a silk scarf, small gold jewellery, a vintage leather bag.
- Beauty: natural skin, a red lip, slightly messy hair, often with a fringe.
- Colours: navy, white, black, beige, and red.
See the mood
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The references
People: Brigitte Bardot, Jean Seberg, Françoise Hardy, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Inès de la Fressange, Caroline de Maigret, Jeanne Damas.
Film and TV: Breathless (1960), Jules et Jim (1962), Amélie (2001), Before Sunset (2004), and, for the parody, Emily in Paris.
Brands: Saint James and Armor Lux (Breton tops), Repetto, A.P.C., Sézane, Rouje, Isabel Marant, Jacquemus, and Chanel for the luxury end.
The key pieces, explained
The marinière. The navy-and-white striped Breton top was made part of the French navy’s uniform in 1858; it is often said that its 21 stripes honour Napoleon’s victories, though historians treat this as a legend. Coco Chanel, Jean Seberg, Brigitte Bardot and later Jean Paul Gaultier, who made it his signature, turned it into the most recognisable French garment in the world.
The ballet flat. Rose Repetto began making ballet shoes in Paris in 1947. In 1956, Brigitte Bardot asked the company for a street version of a dancer’s shoe for the film And God Created Woman, and the red “Cendrillon” flat became an icon. The ballet flat is still the French girl’s alternative to heels.
The trench coat and the blazer. Both borrowed from menswear and the military, both worn slightly too big and thrown on rather than buttoned up. Yves Saint Laurent’s 1966 tuxedo for women, “Le Smoking”, showed how masculine tailoring could become the height of Parisian chic.
Jeans and the white shirt. Straight, high-waisted jeans, often cropped at the ankle, and a crisp white or pale blue shirt, worn open at the collar with the sleeves pushed up. Simple, but chosen for fit.
The basket and the small bag. A wicker basket in summer, in the style Jane Birkin carried everywhere, or a small, well-worn leather bag the rest of the year. Logos are kept to a minimum.
The beauty: deliberately undone
French girl beauty is built around the idea of not trying too hard: tousled, air-dried hair, often with a long fringe; skin that looks like skin; minimal eye make-up; and a red or berry lip as the one strong statement. Fragrance matters, and the “French girl” is supposed to have a signature scent she has worn for years. In reality, of course, looking this effortless often takes a good haircut and a lot of skincare, which is part of the fantasy.
Why it caught on
French girl style is easy to understand and easy to buy into. It promises that a few timeless pieces can make anyone look elegant, which is appealing in an age of fast trends. It also sells a lifestyle: long lunches, books, bicycles and an attitude of not caring too much. For people tired of constantly chasing what is new, it offers a calm, classic alternative.
The debate
Many French women, and many writers, have criticised the “French girl” as a stereotype. It usually describes a thin, white, wealthy Parisian woman, ignoring the diversity of France and of Paris itself, where many women of African, Arab and Asian heritage have their own, equally stylish, ways of dressing. Critics also note that “effortless” style often requires a lot of money and effort, and that the myth is mainly a marketing tool for brands and books. Others see it more simply: a shorthand for a pleasant, classic way of dressing that anyone can borrow.
How to wear it now
Invest in a few classics that fit perfectly: straight jeans, a striped top, a white shirt, a trench or blazer, and simple flat shoes. Keep colours limited and jewellery small. Let one thing be a little imperfect: unbrushed hair, rolled-up sleeves, a scuffed bag. In a warm Indian climate, swap the trench for a linen shirt-jacket and the jumper for a cotton Breton tee.
Where it is now
French girl style has become a permanent “classic” in the aesthetic universe, sitting close to quiet luxury and old money. Its newest version is more inclusive and more playful, with Paris-based creators of many backgrounds sharing their own takes, and with brands moving beyond the single stereotype.
Related aesthetics
Quiet Luxury · Old Money · Downtown Girl · Mod · Preppy
Learn more: hear from more voices
Why so many people go through a “French girl phase”, and a fashion historian’s look at 1960s Parisian style.
Read more
- On Jane Birkin, the originator of French girl chic — Dazed. A tribute to the Englishwoman who defined the Parisian look.
- On what’s behind the mythical French girl look — South China Morning Post. The attitude, the clothes and the marketing.
- On the end of the French girl style myth — Refinery29. Why many French women reject the stereotype.
- Debunking the Myth of French Girl Fashion — Grazia. What Parisian women actually wear.
Sources: fashion histories of French cinema style and the Breton shirt; Inès de la Fressange, Parisian Chic (2010); Caroline de Maigret et al., How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (2014). Instagram post embedded from @sezane. Videos are embedded from YouTube and remain the work of their creators. Linked articles belong to their publishers.
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