French women and their enigmatic fashion rules have long been a source of fascination for anyone interested in fashion. At any age, they always appear to have an air of sophistication without seeming like they’re trying that hard…or at all, for that matter. Indeed, French fashion is about finding pieces that look polished and chic but also comfortable, from plush sweaters they can’t stop wearing to—yes, even—the denim on denim micro trend that dominated during Paris fashion week. Heck, even the French Birkin bangs haircut sounds much more modish next to the American bottleneck bangs trend that I tried. Rather than stock up on kitschy pieces French women would never wear, like berets and Breton-stripe tops, I talked to a few French style experts to find out which French wardrobe staples our amis invest in. Ahead, nine items every French woman has in her closet that are wonderfully easy to incorporate into just about any capsule wardrobe.
Want to know which buzzy products are *really* worth buying? Sign up for our shopping newsletter to uncover our favorite finds.