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There’s something about "French-girl style" that is endlessly intriguing to anyone who is not from France. Many Americans, in particular, seem to fawn over the wardrobe choices of stylish French women like Marion Cotillard, Clémence Poésy, and Carine Roitfeld. There are countless magazine articles and books on how to "dress like a French girl" and nail that seemingly effortless look even while living in the US.
When it comes down to it, of course, French women are like anyone else — they each have their own unique sense of style. That said, there are certain things that many French women seem to do when getting dressed that are seemingly unique. If you want to put a French spin on your own outfits, you can do that by avoiding some of the fashion "mistakes" Americans often make.
Of course, at the end of the day, you should be wearing what feels good on you and what makes you happy. These mistakes could work for some people, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Still, if you want to infuse some Parisian chicness into your own wardrobe, you may want to avoid the following mistakes.
Americans wear super flashy logos.
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One of the things that makes French style stand out is how it is more of a quiet luxury than a "Hey, look how expensive my shirt was!" type of luxury.
Blogger Tokyobanhbao of The World of Tokyobanhbao told Who What Wear: "I would avoid wearing clothes or accessories with the name of the brand shown very distinctly. I think luxury is the way you wear your clothes, not by showing the name of the brand."
French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld echoed the same sentiment when speaking to Acne Paper.
"[French style is] more the way you mix the clothes and how you move, how you open your bag, how you cross your legs — just little things that make a difference," she said. "With French women, you first see the woman and then you see the clothes. In France, you cannot see what labels we are wearing. It is very snobby."
Americans look too "perfect" and put-together.
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In America, many women put a lot of effort into looking extremely put-together and done-up. French style is less about appearing perfect and more about appearing effortless.
French actress Léa Seydoux told Into The Gloss: "It’s true that the French are not very sophisticated in the sense that they don’t dress up for dinners. They are not like Americans where they are always perfect — the girls are not very sporty; they don’t take care of themselves as much as Americans, who always have very white teeth, and are so fit. The French are a little more chic, very classic. I think it can be boring too, because they don’t take any risks. They don’t wear too many colors."
Americans wear super trendy items.
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Many Americans enjoy following trends, which is why fast fashion is so big. French women are often more into classic pieces. French model Julia Roitfeld told Vogue: "Please don't ask me about trends. I’m into buying clothes that make me feel pretty, that flatter me, but I have never cared about having the latest thing."
French style star Anélle Coetzee told The Local something similar: "French women are not fashion slaves but rather style followers. They will carefully review the new season’s trends and select one or two items to update their look, giving solid basics a new twist." It seems to be more about a basic wardrobe than a wardrobe full of flashy items.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider