This is how you become stylish too
6 fashion hacks we learned from the French
© Imaxtree
Our French neighbors are real fashion role models – we’ve known that since Coco Chanel. We’ll tell you how you can bring a touch of nonchalance into your style.
Macarons, wine, Palace of Versailles and kisses left, kisses right – there is so much we love France for. At the forefront, however, is our neighbors’ unerring sense of style. Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent did it and a whole nation has been doing it ever since. Even the littlest ones acquire a sense of fashion from mother’s milk and later easily manage to look très chic, très stylish and at the same time très casual. Do you want that too? We took a closer look at the style of the French girls and uncovered their secret.
1. Timeless classics
French women know exactly what’s hot right now and can’t resist one or the other trend piece. But they don’t spend huge sums of their hard-earned money on it. Things are different with timeless classics. A high-quality cashmere sweater or comfortable leather ballerinas are part of the standard wardrobe of every stylish French woman and are therefore welcome to cost more. Because classics à la francaise are one thing above all: super practical and perfect for every occasion. Her motto: only those who can combine high fashion and bargains well create an individual look.
2. No perfection
If there’s one thing French women don’t want, it’s style perfection. Her look is never too intentional and impresses with an incomparable nonchalance that appears super natural without ever looking sloppy. Boring? None! French women would never replicate a runway look one-to-one, nor would they spend hours experimenting with colours, cuts and materials just because other fashion girls are doing it. Feel good and stay yourself is her motto. They prefer to use the time to sip a café au lait in their favorite restaurant.
3. The game with the accessories
French fashionistas love accessories, but don’t get too attached to them. Elaborate looks with lots of chi-chi are not her style. Instead, they cleverly rely on key pieces that immediately take their look to the next style level and stand for themselves. Similar to the clothing basics, these are primarily luxurious classics that last a lifetime without ever looking old-fashioned. The iconic Chanel flap bag is one of her must-haves, as is the Cartier Tank watch or delicate jewelery made of real gold. French women have an unerring instinct for long-term investments.
4. Don’t suffer for fashion
We all know the saying “If you want to be beautiful, you have to suffer”. However, the fact that this motto is long a thing of the past is proven to us day by day by the looks of French women. Dizzyingly high heels are almost never worn, as are skirts that are too short and you have to constantly tug at them, or slouchy jeans that leave unsightly pressure points. Style icon Inès de la Fressange admitted: “I don’t feel like that. I never wear heels.” After all, fashion should do one thing above all: be fun!
5. Less is more
Not only in fashion do French women concentrate on the essentials, the rest of the styling also follows this unspoken rule. The make-up is always natural and skilfully emphasizes the individual beauty. Spatulas of foundation don’t smack any of them in the face. Instead, accents are set with a red lipstick or a perfectly drawn eyeliner. The same applies to the hairstyle. Instead of coloring the mane completely, French women swear by delicate baby lights that make their natural hair color shine. Then the mane is blow-dried loosely or even air-dried for a perfectly imperfect undone look. Now a little splash of your favorite perfume – et volià!
6. Love yourself
It sounds so simple and yet so many find it difficult: be self-confident! French women, on the other hand, have perfected it. They feel comfortable in their own skin and find themselves attractive. As simple as her look may sometimes be, her charisma is extraordinary. “Savoire vivre” (in English: “Understanding to live”) is her motto. They never take themselves and their style too seriously and prefer to enjoy their lives instead of worrying too much about clothes or make-up. In this respect, point number six is probably the one that we should pay particular attention to.