10 Items French Girls Prioritize Over Everything Else

You may think you know all the fashion essentials a French girl's wardrobe relies on, but there's an outside chance you don't. Why? It can be all too easy to pigeonhole a nation's "uniform" when it's commonly referenced, so we wanted to go back to basics and revisit the concept. What is the actual concise list of items that the world's chicest women follow?

Maje's creative director, Judith Milgrom, was on board to enlighten us on the mystical ways of a French girl's edit. Her brand has just launched a denim capsule collection (and it has all the patchworked pieces you'll want right now), but what are the staple jeans Parisians wear on repeat? And what do they wear them with? Questions, questions. Judith has the answers. Keep reading to find out about the 10 French fashion essentials everyone should consider.

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1. A DARK BLUE OR BLACK BLAZER
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Of course, we're not talking about any ordinary blazer here. Milgrom explains: "This can be from a menswear brand to wear to work with a man's shirt and high-waisted fitted dark jeans. French girls have many dark blue or black versions. I'm currently styling my jacket with a Gucci belt."

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2. FLAT SANDALS
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"If you need to walk, flat sandals are so practical. They can also update an evening look, such as a long dress so that it is both sophisticated and cool," says Milgrom.

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3. TAILORED JEANS
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While French girls have jeans in a host of different washes, more than anything right now, it's about the silhouette rather than the finish. She's prioritizing a tailored cut: "They go with everything. You can go to work and then just change your top (a lingerie-inspired Caraco or a sequinned top) add high-heeled sandals, and you're ready to party," Milgrom tells us.

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4. LARGE CASHMERE SWEATER
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We've often noticed French girls belting supersized sweaters over everything from skinny jeans to floral skirts, but now we know where they buy them. Milgrom recommends Uniqlo or Pringle of Scotland, and she'll employ one "to stay cozy on a weekend, paired with flared jeans or cashmere jogging pants. I have a collection of different colors, and I usually wear light or bright colors rather than black."

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5. A COCKTAIL DRESS WITH A DEFINED WAIST
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"It can be monochrome or a print, and I have many sleeveless versions that I love to style them with a belt, large or very thin high heels and my leopard coat," says Milgrom.

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6. A LEATHER JACKET
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French girls are keen on their classic leather jackets, Milgrom confirms: "The biker is a classic piece. I pair it with a long dress to give it a more urban and modern look. And also to go to work with a pair of jeans and a light cashmere sweater."

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7. BLACK STILETTOS
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The rule here? There are no rules, aside from the fact that the shoes need to be black and have stiletto heels. "You can go from classic ones to more daring styles such as conical heels," suggests Milgrom.

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8. OVERSIZE BLUE OR WHITE SHIRT
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Trust a French girl to know the best place to buy tailored shirts that fit perfectly. Milgrom highlighted the brand Charvet: "Parisian girls are effortless and love to dress in their boyfriend's essentials, such as a shirt or a sweater worn a bit oversize."

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9. LEOPARD COAT
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Now here's the item that really surprised us. We always imagined leopard-print cover-ups to be more of a British signature. Milgrom set the record straight: "It's a classic piece in every Parisian girl's wardrobe. We wear it as a part of a totally black look; it's so easy. A black sweater, black pants or black jeans and flat shoes to go to work with or a little black dress and high heels to go out in the evening. Usually, when I'm wearing my leopard coat, I'm not wearing makeup. This is my advice: Stay natural or just put on some red lipstick, and that's it."

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10. TRENCH COAT
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So it's plain to see that French girls rely heavily upon outerwear. We probably all have a trench coat somewhere, but Milgrom explains the specifics for her nation's chicest ladies: "It can be black or beige, always belted, collar up," she says. "It's effortless and convenient to cycle to work when you're wearing trousers. It's a great transitional piece. You can wear it with a warm sweater and a big, knitted scarf for winter, or with just a shift underneath when the weather starts to get warmer."

Next, check out what every French woman owns over 40.

This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK and was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.