The secret to Parisian style?
We’re all a bit obsessed with how French women dress, from the style rules they swear by to the online shops they go to.
So any insight we can get into Parisian closets is always a plus, which is why we welcomed this research by Vestiairecollective.com, a site for the resale of designer and premium fashion.
It highlighted that French women are most interested in simple, timeless items (no surprise there) and that there are a few specific fashion items they always buy.
Number one on their shopping list is the Hermès Carre silk scarf, closely followed by the Chanel Timeless bag.
However this isn’t to say that French women aren’t willing to embrace new trends either.
The study found they were ditching the trusted skinny jeans for more vintage-style straight leg and flare styles, with a 300% increase in search for vintage Levi’s.
Basket bags are also a popular choice at the moment, with a 350% increase in search on Vestiaire this year.
Marie Blanchet, Head of Vintage says, ‘The basket, like the idea behind the Balenciaga Bazaar is the ultimate anti bag. French girls don’t obsesss over IT-bags too much. I’m not surprised this has caught on as a global summer trend. Taking inspiration from Jane Birkin’s iconic 70s look, a French girl will run around the city with a basket, take it to the beach or juxtapose an evening look like a silk YSL jumpsuit for example.’
You’ll also be shocked to hear that the Breton top isn’t a firm favourite anymore, having been usurped by the slogan tee.
Colour is another big trend, with red items being searched for 120% more this year. Bye bye monochrome.
Elvira Mason, Editor in Chief at Vestiaire Collective says, ‘I would say French style has become less serious, there’s a form of carelessness with intention, tailoring has become more relaxed and oversized, influenced by brands such as Balenciaga. The masculine element is filtering into smaller trends, the fact that now all Parisian girls are wearing Church’s derbies or Weston loafers apposed to pretty flats.’
