It’s true. That je ne sais quoi is real when it comes to French fashion. I thought I was prepared for the chic, effortless style here, but I was wrong. The more I try with my outfits, the harder I fall. Even the most effortless looks give off an air of chicness.
There have been a few trending items I have noticed since I have arrived for my study abroad in France, as seen on the streets and my favorite French influencers. Read below to find out how you can attempt to achieve that je ne sais quoi.
Table of Contents
Chambray Dresses
Dresses from left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4
Almost every day, I can guarantee that I will see at least one chambray dress. in fact, I have seen a particular chambray dress from Zara on at least 5 different girls (not pictured because it is sold out!!).
This trend is absolutely perfect for the warmer weather here in the South of France. It’s casual, yet cute and can totally be dressed up for a daytime event or a dinner out.
Rompers
Rompers from left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4
Another easy outfit for the end-of-summer heat is a romper.
Again, I see these on the daily – from solid ones, to off the shoulder, to floral. They work perfectly with sandals or the very common Adidas sneaker (pictured below). I also see people wearing them out at night since they are easy to dress up and wear on a warm evening.
Adidas
Top row: 1, 2, 3 Bottom row: 4, 5, 6
By far the most popular shoe I have seen here in France is the Adidas sneaker. Even more common are the white Stan Smiths with the green heel.
These shoes look so effortless paired with boyfriend jeans and a crop top. (Trust me, I’ve witnessed it.) Overall they’re pretty versatile shoes and are great if you walk a lot like me.
Off the Shoulder Tops
Tops left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4
Lastly, we have the off-the-shoulder top. Again, I see these everywhere. I had to give in and buy one!
I wore it during the day with shorts and then just switched my shorts for pants when night came. This top goes from casual to dressy in a flash and is incredibly versatile and beautiful.
Thoughts?
What are the trends where you live? Which piece is your favorite? Let’s discuss in the comments!
A casual outfit I see all the time is a jeggings/sneakers mix for the 25 and under crowd. The jeggings are always ankle length, usually denim colored, and cuffed so you see the ankle and the sneakers are sporty chic like the Adidas ones you wrote about — never gym sneakers or anything like that.
I’ve never been to the US, but went to a french school in Hungary, where a good portion of the students were actually french. I never really found anything special in their or their parents’ looks compared to hungarians or other international students (yes, americans too).
The one thing I found out since then, is that americans tend to overly-romanticise everything about Europe in general. It seems like people from the States are raised to think that the french are exceptionally chic and effortless, and they’re even somewhat mystified in their eyes as something unattainable. Maybe it’s because their/our culture seems so far away and different, even though we actually dress from the same stores and follow the same trends as what I see on american fashion bloggers everyday.
Your post also comes off like you basically just rounded up what is universally on trend right now (off the shoulder anything, that ruffled denim dress, Adidas sneakers), regardless of culture and nationality, and I see literally the same pieces on american bloggers and celebrities at the moment. Don’t tell me that people in the US don’t shop at Zara.
My opinion is that the so called “je ne sais quoi” that you put as something americans are lacking, is simply created by the illusion that french people are somehow innately chicer, which is just that, an illusion.