“What would a French woman wear?” is a question I always ask myself when I need to stock up on an outfit, or in this case, multiple outfits. Many French people have a relaxed, yet sophisticated sense of style that I have tried to emulate almost my entire adult life. While many French dressers embrace trends, they also favor classic staples over everyone else. This is another reason why I always try to emulate their indescribable charm, as I believe French style is timeless. With only a few days until summer vacation, I thought it would be interesting to see what French women pack for their holidays and how they plan to dress like a French woman.
I scoured the feeds of over 20 French women to find out which items they chose to pack when assembling their holiday capsule wardrobes. It took me about three hours, but the French-inspired holiday packing list below is incredibly versatile and stylish, won’t require you to pay for additional baggage allowance, and there are only eight items you need to worry about.
It’s very versatile, so all you need is some basic tops and some lingerie. Other than that, below I’ve put together the perfect French woman holiday capsule wardrobe for you to use in your packing plans. Happy travels!
The Ultimate 8-Piece French Girl Holiday Capsule Wardrobe
1. Relaxed shirt
Style Notes: When it comes to versatility, it’s hard to beat a relaxed-fit shirt: Wear it as a beach throw or pair it with wide-leg trousers and kitten heels for an evening look. I love linen for its breathable fabric.
Shop the look:
H&M
Oversized linen shirt
M&S Collection
Pure linen collar relaxed shirt
Nothing below
Linen lemon yellow boyfriend shirt
2. Romantic Dress
Style Notes: There are white dresses, black dresses and romantic dresses. Keep scrolling to see more French women wearing super cute floral dresses in shades of pink and red. If you can’t dress up for the holidays, when can you?
Shop the look:
De la Vallie
Pavlova floral-print silk-blend maxi dress
reform
Elise Knit Dress
3. Black bikini
Style Notes: The most common style of swimwear seen on French women’s feeds was undoubtedly the classic black bikini – look for simple, uncomplicated styles that will never go out of style.
Shop the look:
Eres
Java Energy convertible bikini top
Forming and folding
Tri Black Top
4. Satin pants
Style Notes: Linen trousers are a holiday classic, but another style favoured by French women is satin trousers. Pair them with a vest for a demure evening look, or with a strapless top and heeled sandals for a fancier look.
Shop the look:
Abercrombie & Fitch
Satin crinkle pull-on pants
Cult Gaia
Stacey pleated satin straight-leg trousers
reform
Olina Silk Pants
5. Basket Tote
Style Notes: French women always travel with a roomy basket tote bag because it’s convenient for carrying plane and beach essentials. Raffia goes with everything, so consider this the only day bag you’ll need while traveling.
Shop the look:
Celine
Classic Panier Medium Braided Triomphe in Raffia and Calfskin
Demelie
Santorini leather and raffia basket bag
M&S Collection
Jute Shopper
6. Skirt Coordination
Style Notes: Coordinating skirts is a great no-think outfit solution, but another reason why French women pack skirts all the time is the fact that you can easily split up your items. Pair your top with satin trousers or pair your skirt with a loose shirt for a different look. Choose a shade of white and it will match with all the other items you pack.
Shop the look:
reform
Barrette Two Piece
Zara
Collection Crochet Top
reform
Savannah Linen Two Piece
7. Simple sandals
Style Note: If you’re short on suitcase space, do as the French do and pack the simplest sandals possible, so you can pair them with any outfit. Luxurious leather flip-flops are king this summer, and they’re perfect for that.
Shop the look:
Free People
Beach sandals you can wear around town
totem
Crocodile-look leather flip-flops
M&S Collection
Flat toe thong sandals
8. Pull-on shorts
Style Notes: Comfort is paramount when on vacation. Of all the different short styles, my go-to is a boxer-style pair of shorts with elastic or drawstrings. After hours of research, I discovered that French women often wear this style too.
Shop the look:
H&M
Linen Blend Pull-On Shorts
Nothing below
Boxers: seersucker, pink stripes
