12 Summer Wardrobe Staples French Women Never Forget to Buy

French women: They like what they like. To clarify, they don't dedicate their wardrobes to new trends each season. I've found that particularly applies to their summer wardrobes. Whenever the weather warms up, stylish French women all seem to pull out a set of summer wardrobe staples that will never go out of style and can all be worn together. These supremely versatile items epitomize that effortless French-girl thing we all try our best to re-create. 

Whether in Paris, the South of France, or some other warm location in the world, many French women have made this combination of 12 fashion items their summer capsule wardrobe, and you can too. But how? you ask. By scrolling down and seeing the 12 pieces in action and shopping my pick for each. À bientôt!

Little White Tops

A little white top is the prettiest thing you can pair with jeans (and literally everything else) in the summer.

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(Image credit: @claire_most)

Denim Skirts

A denim miniskirt is an ideal alternative when it's just too hot for jeans, and it looks great with the little white tops we discussed earlier.

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

High-Waisted Bikinis

This swimsuit style looks glamorous enough for the French Riviera. 

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(Image credit: @sabinasocol)

Wrap Dresses

While not the only summer dress style French girls favor, wrap dresses of every length are certainly all over Instagram this time of year.

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(Image credit: @aude_julie)

Espadrilles

Espadrilles may seem like a bit of a French-girl cliché at this point, but they really do wear them constantly (especially with the aforementioned wrap dresses).

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(Image credit: @jeannedamas)

Gold Jewelry

French women layer on minimal gold jewelry pieces year-round, but it's far more noticeable with a skin-baring summer wardrobe.

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(Image credit: @diane.kari)

White Jeans

We agree that it's hard to say goodbye to jeans until fall, but a pair of wide-leg white jeans is a French-girl summer staple that you don't need to put on hiatus.

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(Image credit: @tamaramory)

Ballet Flats

Ballet flats are another French-girl cliché, but there's a reason for that. There's simply no other flat style that's more delicate, subtler, or prettier.

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

Beige Blazer

When French girls want a little extra polish in the summer, they reach for a beige blazer (for obvious reasons).

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(Image credit: @basicstouch)

Slip Skirts

The beauty of a slip skirt is that you can wear it on vacation or to work, with sneakers or heels, with a T-shirt or a blouse—you get the idea. 

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(Image credit: @jeannedamas)

Classic White Sneakers

I have a hunch French girls won't mess with dad sneakers this summer. They tend to favor classic, timeless white sneakers that look good with everything.

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(Image credit: @aude_julie)

Basket Bags

A little straw bag is the perfect complement to everything else French girls wear in the summer.

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(Image credit: @lenafarl)

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has been recently updated.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.