I've Just Been to Paris—6 Summer Dress Trends I Saw French Women Already Wearing

It’s natural that whilst we await the warmer months, our minds and wardrobes shift but dresses are a year-round staple in the wardrobes of many French women. Come April, knitted dresses are swapped for their summer equivalent and French women slip into frocks with tights and trench coats thrown atop. I often find myself daydreaming about the dresses I’ll wear, be it for weddings or to elevate my daily wares, especially come summer.

Whenever I fancy treating myself to something new or require a fresh dose of fashion inspiration, there is a selection of women I turn to, and the fact they’re all French or reside in France is no coincidence. If you’re familiar with my byline (for better or worse, my name is pretty easy to remember), you’ll know that I am an avid fan of the French aesthetic. I was eager to find out which dress trends French women actually wear come summer to inform my own frock selection.

After hours of research, I can confidently say six dress trends get the overall French-girl stamp of approval. From the print that Gallic girls always come back to, to the shapes and silhouettes they prefer, scroll on to see the dress trends French women subscribe to each summer.

1. BLACK DRESS WITH A TWIST

Style Notes: A black dress feels at home on the streets of Paris, with its fashionable residents leaning into the pared-back aesthetic of the piece. Come summer, they're worn with anything from denim jackets to trench coats.

Shop the Look:

2. LONG-SLEEVE MINIS

Style Notes: Although I don’t subscribe to the outdated rule that you should only show one bare body part at a time (this is 2024, after all), there is something very chic about minidresses with long sleeves—something French women are familiar with, as they wear them a lot.

Shop the Look:

3. Denim

Style Notes: French women wear denim year round and they turn to denim frocks with ankle boots, ballet flats or mules in summer. There’s something so charming about the style that I find impossible to resist.

Shop the Look:

4. SIMPLE SLIPS

Style Notes: When French women get dressed up, they often opt for "less is more” pieces. And the slip dress definitely falls into that category.

Shop the Look:

5. KNITTED

Style Notes: Knitted dresses are considered to be a transitional style staple and there are many styles French women wear — from ribbed styles to asymmetric styles.

Shop the Look:

6. Florals

Style Notes: floral dresses are a piece that French women always have in their outfit rotations. Worn with ballet flats in the spring and summer, this is perhaps the chicest and most versatile dress style you can own.

Shop the Look: