How to Dress Like the French for your trip to Paris

Paris is always a good idea.  If you are planning on a Francophile fix this summer, it’s time to start thinking about your travel wardrobe that will have you looking like you just happen to throw these pieces on without a second thought, just as most French women would have you believe.  Look for updated classics that are feminine and laid back.  French women never, ever want to look like they are trying to look good but rather that it is their innate sense of style that gives them this chic sophistication.  The truth of the matter is, they work at it and build their wardrobe around quality, timeless, pieces they will wear for years to come. 

Just like women everywhere, the French love jeans, but it is how they wear them that takes them up a notch.  If you are going into the countryside then wide-leg jeans worn with a fitted t-shirt and sandals is perfect, but a stroll through the Marais is another story.  Pair your jeans with a statement blouse or fitted boy’s blazer, and pair with a chic handbag and booties for the perfect casual but elevated daytime look.

Breton stripes are just about as French as it gets and most French women have multiples in their favorite fits and colors.  Wear a fitted striped shirt under a jacket with jeans, or a looser shirt with a skirt or wide-legged trouser.  Bonus points of you add a delicate piece of jewelry to amp up the femininity of this classic look. 

Sightseeing doesn’t have to mean sneakers and a backpack to be confortable.  Summer is the perfect time to wear dresses and it just feels so right in Paris. Romance is not dead!  Pack a couple of dresses that will take you from the Louvre to the dinner on the Left Bank.  Look for pieces that flow and are comfortable and that can be worn with ballerinas or flats that are actually meant for a walking – your feet will thank you.

While a little cocktail dress is a wardrobe staple, look for something artful to amp up the style factor.  Peekaboo cutouts, fringe, and short hemlines are just the right sort of embellishment for a fun, flirty night on the town in the City of Lights.

A good coat that packs well and is as comfortable as a bathrobe is indispensible for travel to handle inclement weather or chilly A/C, or to just look pulled together.  But be honest: you just love to look like a star in a classic film noire movie.  It’s a good look.  Extra credit if it looks like it belongs to your French amour and you just borrowed it. 

The secret is out and now you have it.  Parisian style is about sophistication, comfort, femininity, and insouciance, with a dash of romance.  Bon voyage!

                                                              XOXO  Shelley

#French girl style #Parisian style #travel style #French girl wardrobe staples #luxury travel #Paris travel #travel packing #facethis.blogspot.com #Shelley Goodstein