It has been an amazing few weeks with the “How to dress like a French woman” webinar series, and I feel very grateful to have met so many amazing women and to have been able to share some of my style tips and tricks to get effortless French Chic.

If you were unable to attend any of the webinars, here are ten tips and tricks to help you get French chic. 

Ten tips to get effortless French Chic

1 Don’t try too hard (or at least don’t look as though you tried too hard).

✨ French style always looks effortless, but that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any effort involved. The effort is made up front in acquiring a signature style and in having the perfectly curated wardrobe.

French Chic

✨ French women know how to use classics to their advantage and never underestimate the importance of the perfect cut and fabric. But, the key to French Style is to be “perfectly imperfect”. The look is just that little bit ‘imperfect’, for example a jacket draped casually over the shoulders, the shirt cuffs rolled up and if it’s tucked in, it’s just a bit untucked too!

✨ They are also discerning shoppers and the effort is made up front by creating the perfect wardrobe, so getting dressed each morning is effortless.

2 Don’t slavishly follow fashion trends.

✨ French women don’t slavishly follow the latest trend but stick to predominantly basic pieces.

✨ They are very aware of what the trends are, but they will only adopt a new trend if it works for them and they will carefully review the season’s trends and select one or two items to update their look, giving their classic basics a makeover/ new twist.

French chic.

✨ In general, aim for about 80% classics and 20% trends. When your wardrobe is comprised predominantly of timeless classics, getting dressed each day is “effortless”

3 Master the wardrobe essentials and create a capsule wardrobe

✨ Wardrobe essentials should be timeless, versatile and “authentically you”.

white wooden barstool and white round white mirror frame

✨ Having a good range of basic classics enables you to create numerous outfit possiilities.

4 Dress for your body shape

✨ Contrary to the “myth”, French women do NOT all have the perfect body, but they do have “body awareness”. They know what their shape is, they know what suits them and they know where to find it. 

✨ They wear clothes that flatter their bodies, regardless of trends! They also pay careful attention to the way clothes fit, and they will have their clothes altered if they don’t fit correctly rather than just going with it !

5 Adopt the French approach to color

✨ In the same way that the majority of their wardrobe is made up of classic silhouettes, they also wear predominantly neutral colours. Having lots of basics in neutral colours in your wardrobe makes getting dressed each day so much easier, as you you will always be able to coordinate pieces.

French Chic

✨ All you need to do then is to add your own “twist”/ pop of colour, such as a print, a statement bag, shoes, a scarf, jewellery, lipstick or a statement jacket to make the look “your own”.

6 Get to know your signature style

✨ Despite the fact they have a wardrobe full of basics in neutral colours, each French Woman wants to express her singularity (uniqueness).

✨ The difference lies in the details and she loves unearthing a “statement” vintage piece or she will have her unique lip colour/ signature scent, and sometimes, the only difference is the way she wears a piece.

7 Have a little fun with fashion

✨ When you know your body shape, the colors that suit you and your signature style, it’s time to get creative and have a little fun with fashion.

French Chic

✨ A couple of easy ways to sprinkle a little fun into your style “à la française” is to try mixing fabrics (different weights/ different textures) and mixing prints.

8 Learn to use accessories wisely

✨ A French woman never underestimates the importance of the “perfect finishing touch” to her look, but she also knows that “less is more”, and follows the advice of Coco Channel.

‘Before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror, and remove one piece of jewellery’

Coco Chanel

9 Grooming should also be “perfectly imperfect”

✨ A French woman will never have chipped nails, unwashed hair or wrinkled clothes but the principles of “effortless” and “simplicity” also apply to grooming.

French Chic

✨ Just like with accessories, “Less is more” when applied to make-up too and it’s about highlighting just one feature on your face, such as a gorgeous red lip, or a smokey eye, but never both!

10 And don’t forget to be a bit rebellious and break the rules

✨ There’s a reason French women are known as “belles et rebelles”, because they know that rules are made to be broken! But, it’s a lot easier to break the rules when you know what they are!

I hope you enjoyed this post about How to get effortless French Chic. You might also enjoy this post on 5 common style mistakes and how to avoid them or this post about how to look elegant and classy on a budget.