When it comes to dressing like a French girl for the holidays, think chic, polished, and elegant.
Today, I partnered with fellow Francophile, Noelani from La Vie on Grand to share some tips on how to incorporate French style into your holiday wardrobe. For inspiration, we turned to French fashion icons in search of a few affordable and festive pieces that can be paired with classics you already have in your closet.
#1 The Tuxedo │ Le Smoking
For Noelani, the Tuxedo Jacket is the ultimate French girl style for the holidays. A simple yet chic dressed-up jacket with a favorite pin on the lapel is perfect. You can easily wear it with a favorite pair of black pants or skinny black denim that you already have in your closet. Add, a strappy heel or booties and you have a polished and sophisticated evening look.
A black tuxedo has been a staple of French wardrobe dressing since August of 1966 when Yves Saint Laurent launched a tuxedo made for women and Catherine Deneuve wore it so beautifully. Yves Saint Laurent himself said, “For a woman, Le Smoking is an indispensable garment with which she’ll always be in fashion, because it’s all about style, not fashion. Fashions come and go, but style is forever.” He couldn’t have been more correct – a tuxedo jacket is season-less and can easily be incorporated into any woman’s holiday season.
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#2 The Little Black Dress │ La Petite Robe Noire
While Coco Chanel is credited with designing a host of iconic garments, there is one singular style that ended up changing the face of fashion forever. Among her many achievements, Chanel is credited with creating the very first Little Black Dress when it appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in October of 1926. The model wore a long-sleeved crêpe de Chine dress with a relaxed silhouette and dropped waist, accessorized only with a strand of pearls and a simple cloche hat. Ever since Chanel debuted her statement-making style, women in virtually every generation have adopted the idea that no wardrobe is truly complete without the perfect Petite Robe Noire.
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#3 The Mini Dress │ La Robe Miniscule
If Coco Chanel is credited with inventing the little black dress, we think it’s fair to say Brigette Bardot can be credited with making the mini dress a 60s sensation. Bardot perfected the art of adding sex appeal to the simplest separates. In fact, the term “sex kitten” was coined to describe her. She loved to show off her well-toned legs and St. Tropez tan in super short dresses paired with strappy sandals or over the knee boots. This iconic look has been part of special occasion dressing ever since.
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#4 The Beaded Gown │ La Robe à Paillettes
For those very special holiday events, the 1920’s and Josephine Baker’s style are a source of great inspiration. Baker’s opulent dresses both on and off stage epitomized the period, which was marked by less constricted, more body-conscious attire for women. Whether you’re going long or short, think sleeveless, beads, pearls, and metallic heels for a classic, yet over-the-top night on the town.
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#5 The Velvet Blazer │ Le Veste en Velour
Lou Doillon is the epitome of classic, yet modern French style. Doillon easily goes from haute couture to dressed down jeans and a t-shirt – looking equally comfortable and herself no matter what she wears. During an interview with Vogue magazine, she famously suggested French style may have something to do with arrogance. When I think of her style, I think sumptuous velour jackets paired with cigarette pants and tousled hair. Don’t try too hard – you’ve got this!
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