What French Girls Wear on Their Days Off
When we find ourselves in a style rut, we can always rely on French women to help us out of it. With an effortless approach to styling and the ability to make even the most basic of pieces look premium, we're constantly inspired by their wares. Which got us thinking, how do French women dress for their days off?
We mainly see them elegantly sipping coffee under striped awnings or strolling serenely along the Seine, but what do they wear when they're rambling around the house or catching up on chores? As expected, they still look effortlessly elegant when they're off the clock.
From failsafe jeans and cardigan combinations to billowing dresses and tennis skirts, keep scrolling to see seven flawless casual French-girl outfits, then proceed to shop the pieces you need to re-create them.
JEANNE DAMAS
Style Notes: French girls absolutely love cardigans, and Jeanne Damas is no exception. She often favours cropped, short-sleeve styles, which she pairs with simple vest tops and classic denim.
SLIP INTO STYLE'S ELLIE
Style Notes: It's a common misconception that French women don't wear bright colours. Ellie takes standout colours in her stride, even in the form of joggers when she's off the clock.
SABINA SOCOL
Style Notes: "Casual" doesn't necessarily mean jeans—many French girls waft around the house in billowing, non-constricting dresses. Cue Sabina Socol's gorgeous Sleeper dress.
AUDE JULIE
Style Notes: Thanks to their effortless ease, jumpsuits are a firm fixture in every French girl's wardrobe. We love how Aude Julie gives hers a high/low balance with the addition of sneaks and a ladylike handbag.
ANNE-LAURE MAIS
Style Notes: See? We told you French girls adore cardigans. Anne wears this cable-knit style regularly—almost always with flared jeans and white shoes.
CLAIRE MOST
Style Notes: Like Sabina, Claire opts for satin textures to help elevate her relaxed vest-top–and-jeans look.
CAMILLE CHARRIERE
Style Notes: Athleisure isn't a trend we'd usually associate with the French, but by the way of a tennis skirt, chunky trainers and a zip-knit, Camille strikes a sporty-chic balance.
Next, French girls swear by these eight brands for amazing skin.
Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.
Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.
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