Forget Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot for a Moment: These 6 Parisians Are Redefining the Term French Girl Style
Photographed by Dan Roberts1/6Didi-Stone Olomidé, Instagram influencer
“There just isn’t one kind of French girl. We have different faces and we all come from different parts of the world, so cool French style is in large part thanks to that. My parents are from Africa and when I go back there every summer I get inspired and bring new ideas back with me. I experiment with different hairstyles. I try bolder colors.”
Photographed by Dan Roberts2/6Charlotte Chesnais, jewelry designer
“The expression French girl style is often used to describe beautiful girls with bad hair days who are always dressed in worn-in pairs of jeans. The truth is that she doesn’t really pay attention to her style even if she looks like she does—it’s about instinct and spontaneity. It has nothing to do with your wardrobe budget but everything to do with your attitude. It’s about not being too amiable and if possible, being a little bit grumpy at times. I personally think the nicest part of the expression is that it has nothing to do with your place of birth. The coolest Parisians are often born in the countryside or abroad.”
Photographed by Dan Roberts3/6Anaïs Lafarge, co-owner of The Broken Arm
“French girl style refers to someone that pays attention to the first impression she gives because she knows that that is the image people will keep. She is noticed and leaves a distinct memory. Because fashion has such a strong background in French history and is part of its patrimony, I think style has been built into the foundation of our society. Generations of French women have been taught how to dress and have inherited our country’s ideas of chic and elegance. It’s all part of the education you receive from your family, so it becomes totally natural.”
Photographed by Dan Roberts4/6Joanne Palmaro, actress
“I like to imagine that the ghost of a costume designer for a Truffaut, Rohmer, or Godard movie is floating above me while I get dressed in the morning. In my opinion, French girl style is about not showing off. Black and somber shades are ideal because they don’t distract you from the person’s interior beauty.”
Photographed by Dan Roberts5/6Kendra Parango, singer and DJ
“As a French woman born in Paris, I think that dressing in French feminine style means preciousness. I was always taught that if I put a miniskirt on with a pair of high heels, I should cover my arms and my cleavage. It’s about hiding certain parts of my body to emphasize the others and of course, never being too showy. This notion is the same when talking about mixing colors, which is very French. Our outfits are simple and we focus on the cuts and quality of every piece.”
Photographed by Dan Roberts6/6Pandora Graessl, artist and producer
“I am quite different from the typical Parisian who smoke cigarettes and drink wine at a café wearing casual jeans, Converse All Stars, and trenchcoats. To me, French Parisian style is classic. I would say that my French touch comes from my love of dressing up and being coquettish. I grew up in a very eccentric environment and I’ve always been an explorer of different places around the world. I am fantasy—an ethnic disco bird in this gray city.”
