You Can Get the Ultimate French Woman Look

This post features how to get the Ultimate French women look and provides easy-to-create outfit inspirations for the French Chic style.

Contents

What Are Key Pieces of a French Chic Look
- The Sailor’s Sweater
- The Right Lived-in Forever Jeans
- How to Wear a Trench Coat the French way
French Chic Outfit Ideas
Get the French “Je ne sais pas” Beauty Look
- The Parisienne Hair
- How to Get the French Smoky Eye
- How to Get the French Lips
Summary of French Woman Look

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Updated: 11/16/2021

What are key pieces of a French look

To create the French look you need a trench coat, a striped sweater, classic flats with no more than an inch (2.54 cm) sturdy heel, a statement belt, pearl necklace, bangle, large watch, and a shoulder bag.

The sailor’s sweater

The sailor’s sweater is a Gamine Style classic. Best are red and white stripes between 0.4 to 0.6 inch (1 to 1.5 cm) wide. The red should have a blue undertone. The red stripes should be slightly wider than the white stripes so the shirt has an overall red vibe.

A boat neck is best. The fabric should be a tight knit thicker than a cotton T-shirt, but thinner than a sweater. It is more like a sweatshirt fabric. However, in contrast to a sweatshirt, the sailor’s sweater is loosely fitted.

stylist demonstrating an outfit in a French look — Side view of outfit described below

over 50 years old woman in a French inspired look with sailor's sweater and trench coat — Outfit details: Burberry Brit trench coat, Brooks Brothers sailor’s sweater, Oliveo jeans, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, statement belt, Hermes collier de chien bangle, saltwater pearl necklace (all own), and wood watch c/o Jord

French woman look inspired OOTD — Back view of the look described below

office outfit in a French women look — Burberry trench coat with Loft striped top, G-III suede skirt, statement necklace, Salvatore Ferragamo Vara pumps, pendant necklace, Chanel bag and JORD wooden watch.

The Right Lived-in Forever Jeans

The jeans should have an Italian weave, i.e. not the typical American denim weave, but a normal fabric weave. The raise is a bit higher than a mid-raise, but distinctly lower than a mommy-jeans waist. The French woman buys her jeans in dark and the fabric fades over time. For best French Chic style, the jeans should fit as if the pair was cut for you. The jeans should be a loose fit with just an idea of flare. In plain American English, it should be barely a boot-cut, but not a straight cut either.

How to wear a trench coat the French way

French women wear a trench coat not only as a raincoat. On the contrary, it’s their goto in dry weather and sunshine in spring and fall as well as on rainy days in summer. It’s a big fashion faux-pas to buckle a trench coat. The French woman only close the buttons and knot the belt when it rains. Otherwise, they wear the coat open like a long cardigan, or just thrown over the shoulders for style like in the photos of the OOTD in this post.

Never buckle a trench coat. #styletip Click To Tweet

You can read more about what to look for in a trench coat at this link.

Borrowed from the Men Pieces

To stay with the French Chic idea add a uni-sex watch for style. In Winter, a chic, trendy French beret is the go-to hat.

zoom on wooden watch — Zoom-in on sports wooden watch c/o Jord

French Woman Look Outfit Ideas

Some stylists say that the French woman look or French Chic Style is the grown-up, sophisticated version of gamine style. In deed, both styles share similar key elements.

The next outfit inspiration is a summer in the Provence inspired French Chic.

over 50 years old woman in French chic inspired floral dress with belt, matching pumps, pantyhose, black leather jacket — Side view of summer-in-the-Provence inspiration

fashion blogger Nicole in pleated skirt dress with motorcycle jacket, pantyhose, patent leather heels — Other side view of the look above look and outfit described below

fashion book author in French Chic summer in the Provence inspired dress — Front view of above look

See another on the roads Summer-in-the-Provence inspired outfit at the link.

fashion blogger wearing Paris streetstyle with pea coat, beret — LeatherCoatsEtc red pea coat with winter white LeatherCoatsEtc beret, brown YSL bag, GNW tights and Clark booties for a Parisienne winter look

Get the French “Je ne sais pas” Beauty Look

The Parisienne Hair

Wash it, put in conditioner, wash the conditioner out while detangling the hair with your fingers, press dry with a towel. Then let the hair air dry. Don’t brush or comb! Once it is dry, add a spritz of hairspray. To get it right, hold your arm vertically stretched up with the can in your hand. Press shortly and spray in the air over your head, not on the hair. The drops settle onto your hair by gravity. You may want to have a towel or a protective cape on while doing this when you are afraid of harming your clothes.

Do I have to mention they wash their hair only 2 to 3 times per week? 😉

The trick to French Chic hair is dirty hair. #beauty #hair Click To Tweet

accessories belt buckle details — Zoom-in on details

How to get the French smoky eye

The French smoky eye actually is not a smoky eye as we know it. Get a black or espresso eyeliner. Draw a thin line along the lower lids from the outside towards your nose. The end of the inside of your iris is where you stop. Then draw a wider line along the upper lashes from the outside to the inside. Once you are done you smudge the liner’s color all over your lid, but stop before reaching the crease. It works best when you had spread some moisturizing cream on your lids before. You want to achieve a transparent black shadow that is barely there.

The French smoky eye is just eyeliner applied and smudged the right way. #beauty #makeup Click To Tweet

You can find more about a natural makeup look over 50 at the link.

style book author in trench coat with jeans — Back view of casual Paris inspired outfit with Burberry Brit trench coat, Oliveo jeans, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes (all own)

How to get the French lips

To get the “I just kissed someone” lip style start out with red stain. Then top it with a very moisturizing lipstick. Take a Kleenex and kiss it when your significant other is not around. Otherwise, kiss your significant other. 😉

Most importantly, kiss off the lip liner!

Summary of the French Woman Look

The most important thing of the French woman look is getting the “je ne sais pas” vibe. It’s a balance between the right pieces and attitude. It has to look like random, but it actually is well done. It’s the European way of effortlessly stylish.