I recently entered a season of life focused on lists of French fashion essentials — and I did not always like what I saw. I have seen more trench coats on these lists than on the streets of Paris. I don’t think that many people are walking around Paris in ballet flats, unless they like being as close to dirt as humanly possible. I once spent hours recording all the shoes I saw worn by the super-stylish women walking down my street — and an hour could pass between high heels.

Here, you’ll find my highly researched list of 12 top French fashion essentials, from the straw market bag to oversized white button-downs and androgynous black blazers. The normal French rules apply: Dressing here is much more conservative than in similarly fashionable cities, and success is often awarded to looks that master a specific style of dressing than in purely out-there looks (like those that might win the day in New York, London, or Tokyo). There’s very little here that’s purely sexy, since the dominant vibe of self-aware androgyny, and really judicious sex appeal, is deeply entrenched. I admire how the French dress, and the pieces below are a good place to start.

I also admire how they shop, which is to say how they spend: maybe more than I’d like, but less often. Buy it once, buy it right — and check resellers, thrift shops, and vintage stores for discounts, especially for  in-demand brands like Sézane. Of course, if you’re in France, don’t miss the vide greniers, where you can score excellent deals on less-trendy pieces — think 5€ Petit Bateau tops, designer coats, etc. etc.

Affiliate links below. Above: Jean Seberg in Breathless, in an appropriately sweatshirtified marinière (for something similar and very cute, see the Go Gently Nation one below.)

1. A Straw Market Bag

A straw market bag is a hallmark of French accessories. It’s nearly as much a cliché of French style as a beret — yet unlike a beret, these bags are, indeed, a style staple, and a common sight at Sunday markets and summer beaches.

The price differential here is tremendous. I’ve yet to meet a straw market bag that’ll last for generations — a few seasons of good wear is probably more realistic — and a perfect, iconic tote can be found in France for under $40. That hasn’t stopped luxury brands from creating their own takes — and charging nearly into the four figures for them. Spending more will get you tighter, more durable weaves, an increasing amount of leather trim, and that all-important designer logo — with that last item definitely not a generally desirable element in France, a culture as branding-averse as I’ve ever visited. This is absolutely a case where cheaper is better, within reason.

Do consider whether you want the handles long enough to slip over a shoulder (yay!), rather than a shorter style meant to be held by hand (boo!).

Love this for the price, with your choice of short or long handles.

The leather edging is almost a little too fancy, but I love the chunky stitching.

An inexpensive, made-in-Morocco option.

2. Cool Sneakers

This is pure research, friends: I sat on a bench for three hours one warm morning in June and counted up the shoes passersby were wearing. Stan Smiths were the clear favorite, followed by Nikes (specifically, the blazers below). Vejas actually might not have made the top five, but I account that to their priciness and the fact that they’ll a little more niche — but of these three, I only Vejas, and I love them.

The ultimate Parisian walking shoe.

The most popular choice for the (seemingly) under-25 crowd.

My choice — though note their level of comfort is up for debate. (Still the most fashionable pick.)

3. The Slouchy Coat

I was having trouble defining the slouchy coat outside of a “you know it when you see it” context until I found this definition on Vogue, which labeled it “the it-piece of the season” (in 2019). I would argue that especially in France, this style is durable and remains as popular deep into the 2020s as it was five years ago. (For the record, Vogue’s description pegged a slouchy coat as one with “rounded shoulders, baggy sleeves and an overall relaxed fit.”)

Yeah, I know this is like a very relaxed trench, but I’m including it here because I love it so much.

This is Aritzia’s hit slouchy coat, the subject of multiple YouTube videos examining its fit.

This option from Zara is nearly a blanket coat. But extremely slouchy!

4. Wide-Legged Pants

I’ve been a skinny jeans devotee for as long as I can remember, even though this is truly an unpopular style in France — even more so than here at home, where it’s at this point synonymous with out-of-date style. I aspire to the sort of wide-legged pants you’ll see below, which range from the quite fashion-y to the somewhat office-y.

Of all my French fashion essentials, this is the one I’m least likely to wear, but I can appreciate the line.

These are super flowy, thanks to the fact that they’re 91% viscose.

A more office-ready fit (for anybody who’s still working in an office). Note the pleats, which you may love (or hate).

This is another part that’s leaning more into American lifestyles than French, but they’re easy to wear and lovely of silhouette.

5. A Very Specific Kind of Jeans

French denim is so its own thing: high-waisted, and straight-legged, rather than truly relaxed or boyfriend-y — it really runs right down that line between sort of desexualized but never sloppy. Also: never embellished, never ripped, never bedazzled — just classic denim, usually in medium to dark rinses, and often more cropped and/or tailored than you’d expect from a pair of American jeans. Anecdotally (though not surprisingly) I’ve found French denim to be stiffer/less jegging-y than US brands, since comfort there is not such a priority.

A very high waist from Everlane, available in organic cotton and with three lengths ranging from 25.5″ to 29.5″.

A lower, below-the-belly-button rise, with a very generous straight leg.

My top pick from Sézane, with a very high waist and slightly cropped (7/8) length.

6. The Mariniere

The classic, inspired by the central garment worn by sailors in the French navy. (Many of them were seafaring men from Brittany, which is why this is also known as a Breton top.) Of all the selections here, this is the one I’ve seen most often at vide greniers and the like — I think every French person has a Petit Bateau top somewhere in their closet. You can decide whether you like the classic shape (quite fitted) and colors (always navy and white) or want to mix it up with slightly outré colors (you know, white and navy) or more relaxed shapes, like the Go Gently Nation sweatshirt below.

An ever-so-slightly-modernized take on the classic Breton top, with a relaxed fit and four-button openings at the side you can leave open or button up.

The definitive marinière.

Obviously this is a sweatshirt rather than a classically shaped marinière, but it feels fun, modern and easy.

7. Androgynous Black Blazer

Wear it with nothing underneath, obviously! A slightly (possibly) less itchy option than the slouchy cardigan below!

Here, I’ve prioritized relaxed but dramatic shapes and full (not overly fitted) cuts.

Somewhere between a jacket and a blazer, best worn with nothing beneath.

A relaxed, lightweight blazer — love it with that cropped tee underneath and some lowish-cut jeans.

This one looks even more relaxed — pair it with skinnier jeans when you decide to leave France.

8. Oversized White Button Down

“Oversized” is a key element in French fashion essentials — proportion and fit are everything, and at least in my experience, they take some practice in perfecting. Of the selects below, the Sézane top (in the middle), with the straight-leg jeans, is the easiest to replicate: voluminous on top, tighter on the bottom. Balance!

A little more outré than the usual picks from Soeur.

An absolute classic, in organic cotton with mother-of-pearl buttons.

A less expensive take on the same shape as the picks above, in poplin cotton.

9. Slouchy, Sexy Cardigan

Your typical grandpa’s cardigan, with something extremely minimal beneath. I like to keep these a little on the long side, so you can choose where you’re showing some skin and where you’re not.

I love that this one is long enough to dip below most jeans, so it’s easy to be judicious about what’s on view and what’s not.

A lovely shape through the chest and just the right length.

A slightly cropped option, with lots of room through the arms.

10. The Vanessa Bruno Cabas Tote

You could argue that the Vanessa Bruno Cabas tote bag has had its day — in the 2010s? the ’90s? the 1890s? the beginning of time? — but it’s still omnipresent. (Fast fact: This design launched in 1998.) It’s the French equivalent of the LL Bean tote bag: perfectly proportioned, and an endurable summer classic (though the Vanessa Bruno tote is notably more expensive than LL Bean). Available in a substantial range of materials (linen, raffia, denim, canvas, leather, etc.) and colors. Made in France.

These aren’t cheap but they’re also widely available on your reseller of choice (including Poshmark).

11. Perfect White V-Neck Tee

My personal favorite French fashion essential of all time is a white linen tee from Soeur, which I absolutely murdered over a single summer and wore to death. There’s nothing better for your summer Euro vacation than a slubby, nubby tee worn into transparency. Just get the right cut: I personally prefer something boxy, so there’s no need to tuck, with a generous v-neck, and relaxed (but not sloppy) short sleeves.

The perfect slubby linen tee.

This is organic cotton, rather than linen, for anyone who wants to avoid the latter.

A generous V-neck with relaxed sleeves and a curved waistline for easy tucking.

12. Flirty Warm-Weather Tops

Just a little camisole, made to wear with wide-legged pants, a tailored denim skirt with patch pockets, and almost literally anything else. The prices below reflect the truism that the more delicate the knit, the more you’ll pay.

A beautiful, delicate knit in wear-everywhere black.

Basically the same as above, in a slightly chunkier knit — this possibly make it less of a French fashion essential than an American one, but I like it for the price.

I’m obsessed with the square shape of this top’s neckline, though I know it can be less flattering than those above.