6 H&M Items I'm Buying to Look Like a French Girl

last updated 16 March 2021

Some may say the French-girl obsession has gone too far, but if you ask me, it hasn't gone far enough. Thanks to their effortless sense of style and unique outfit configurations, the obsession with them is one we aren't quite ready to quit. To no one's surprise, the French have mastered summer style before it's even started. Wearing everything from those milkmaid tops the fashion community can't stop talking about to easy-to-wear printed dresses, I decided it was time to do something about my wardrobe envy, stat!

While I would love to be able to afford the exact items some of my favourite Parisian It girls have been flaunting, I need to be practical with my purchases whether I like it or not. When I'm not shopping at Zara, I love a good H&M haul, and it just so happens the retailer has every key summer item I need to copy the French girls I so admire. Ahead, shop the items I'm stocking up on from H&M to achieve that je ne sais quoi.

Milkmaid Tops

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This is the top trend I plan on wearing with all my jeans this summer. Good luck getting me to wear anything else.

H&M

Eyelet Embroidery-Detail Top

H&M

Puff-Sleeved Blouse

Printed Dresses

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To some, printed dresses might be a summertime staple, but to me, they are a French-girl staple and I'm stocking up on the frocks before all the good ones sell out.

H&M

Short Viscose Dress

H&M

Patterned Dress

Woven Bags

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You'll rarely see a French girl without a breezy bag on her arm, summer or not, and H&M has a selection of woven bags strong enough to tickle any French girl's fancy.

H&M

Round Straw Shopper

H&M

Straw Bag

H&M

Paper Straw Shopper

Leopard Swimsuits

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Take a swimsuit, make it in leopard print and call it French. That's the bathing suit trick I'll be using this summer.

H&M

Bikini Top

H&M

Shaping Swimsuit With Ties

H&M

Padded Bikini Top

Heeled Espadrilles

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To the French, espadrilles might as well be a pair of sneakers, meaning they wear them a lot. If they can incorporate the summer-approved style into their wardrobes that often, so can I.

H&M

Wedge-Heeled Sandals

H&M

Suede Wedge-Heel Sandals

Anything Gingham

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Give me gingham—all the gingham! I love this print so much come the warmer weather, and no one wears it as well as the French if you ask me. Whatever gingham is available at H&M this season, I'll be buying it.

H&M

Flounce-Trimmed Dress

H&M

Short Frill-Trimmed Top

Next up, the biggest spring/summer 2020 fashion trends you need to know.

This piece originally appeared on Who What Wear U.S.

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Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Wear and has worked at the company for over eight years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Kaia Gerber, Normani, and Kristen Stewart.

She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, Milan, and Paris, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Elle. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.