Whether you’re 17 or 79, never say NO to fashion! You belong to whatever age group; fashion is for everyone.
Ralph Lauren said, “It’s not about age. It’s about taste, and it’s about lifestyle. I believe women of all ages can wear anything.”
Women all over the world are obsessed with following the latest trends and fashion styles. There are so many different and unique fashion styles available today, but there is something so attractive and captivating about French fashion and French style for women.
France is a well-known country for its love, food, elegance, and more specifically, FASHION! The way French women dress is so attractive that designers and brands have been taking inspiration from them for many years. These stylish women instinctively know how to look chic and stylish in a decent way. And the more they age, their fashion style becomes more stylish! Yes, I know it is surprising to hear at first, but that’s completely true.
How Do French Women Dress So Elegantly? So What’s Their Secret?
The key element of French style for women is to have a minimal and functional wardrobe. Most of the French girls have few but high-quality chic clothing and accessories.
Today in this blog, we’re going to tell you about how to dress like a French woman if you’re over 50. From classic French-style fashions for women over 60 to French-style wardrobe essentials and outfit inspirations, we’ve covered everything that you need to know to dress like a French woman.
French style for women is so simple yet so eye-catching that nobody can ignore this. So, Parisian women are truly inspirations when it comes to French fashion.
How to Dress Like a French Woman
Whenever we talk about French style and lifestyle, words like ‘effortless,’ ‘messy,’ ‘casual,’ and ‘chic’ come to our minds, right? That’s the overall theme of French styling. This theme applies to every age group, including girls and women over 50.
So keep in mind this thing while you’re looking for a French style for older women. Always go for elegant and minimum clothing and accessories. Never wear too tight and revealing clothes. Go with comfortable clothes that also look put together. For example, you can wear a pair of jeans with a plain tee and a jacket (according to the weather conditions).
Clothing is a vital part of the French fashion industry. So, if you want to look like a real Parisian lady, you should keep the above things in mind.
Fashion Styling Tips For Women Over 50
Are you looking for some French fashion tips for women over 40? The most important thing is to keep your dress classy, streamlined, and feminine. Instead of bold and high-end branded clothes, go with elegant essentials.
Yes, Parisian style is all about having clothes and accessories with elegant lines and charming details. Find the right fitted clothes for your body type in flattering neutral colors. For example, you can pair a tailored double-breasted dark blue jacket with ankle pants and finally style with black leather ankle boots.
French style for women is about having an effortless, minimalist, and practical look that creates harmony and flare.
So What are the five golden rules of Parisian style? Here are Top 5 tips of French style for women over 40:
1. Go with Minimal Classics
What makes the French style so unique is its simplicity! Chic and minimal are the two main keywords of this fashion style. No matter what trend is going on, Parisian women always prefer this type of styling.
So if you want to dress like a French woman, keep your look simple and clean. Just remember Less is More! Invest in basic but high-quality pieces and accessorize with a one-statement piece. This will add a sleek touch with some modern vibes. Try a classic blazer, white button-up shirt, and tapered pants for a classic French women’s style.
2. Wear Neutral Colors
When it comes to colors, the French style for women over 60 mostly consists of basic and neutral shades. It would be best if you stuck with navy, gray, black, white, and beige colors. Use them in your staple pieces of clothing. You can also use them in your accessories for a pop of color.
Also, don’t include multicolor pieces or too many colors in your outfit. This is because it makes the outfit look too distracting. You can try a classic striped boatneck tee in navy and white and pair it with cropped white pants. For a pop of color, you can add tan wedges and a silk scarf.
3. Quality Over Quantity
French style is highly focused on three things: the quality of the fabric, the cut, and the seaming. There is no place for fast fashion in this style.
So, shop less but shop better!
Instead of filling your wardrobe with expensive designer clothes, buy a few good quality clothes. Don’t go with the trend, instead invest in everyday-wear pieces and comfortable clothes that will last long. You can pick fabrics like cotton, silk, and wool.
4. Pick a Statement Piece
A popular quote of Coco Chanel is, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
This is great advice when it comes to accessories! Make sure that you don’t over-accessorize instead, only pick one statement piece. You can easily create many different outfit looks when you have a French wardrobe with basic and statement staple items.
For one outfit, pick one statement piece; this will add some personality to the overall look without making it too distracting. A statement piece could be A delicate bracelet or a striking necklace, a tweed jacket, a colorful handbag, or a nice pair of shoes. Basically, anything that “stands out” in your outfit is considered a statement piece.
5. Combine Style with Comfort
After looking at the stylish clothes, you might be thinking that Parisians wear high heels all the time. However, that’s not the reality. Most French women prefer to wear flats or low heel sandals. So if you want to pull off a French style, go with footwear such as sandals, ballet flats, loafers, sneakers, or espadrilles. You can wear kitten heels, pumps, or even stilettoes for evening functions and parties.
Similarly, your clothes should be comfortable and reflect the style. Whatever you decide to wear, it should be tailored to your body type and fit just right. You can wear a chic blouse and skirt, dress, or even a jumpsuit in breathable fabrics.
Key Essentials For French Women Over 50
As we already told you the French style is all about having staple pieces in high-quality fabrics. These key pieces can be paired together in so many ways that you can create so many different outfits. Below we’ve mentioned some tips about fashion for a 50 year old woman for the year.
Here are the top 7 clothing items that every Parisian woman has in her closet:
1. Tailored Blazer
A blazer is one of the most important clothing pieces in a French wardrobe. This versatile piece can uplift the overall look of the outfit in minutes. You can either buy one or get it made by a professional tailor. Go with the slightly oversized fit with sharp tailoring, and you’re ready to achieve the French style for women.
2. Trench Coats
Fall, spring, or winter, whatever season it is, one thing that never goes out of fashion is Trench coats! These versatile clothing items are an easy staple to make any outfit look polished and streamlined. You can also style them with French-style hats for women.
3. Ankle Boots
For footwear, if you’re in a dilemma, go with boots. Investment in boots, especially ankle boots, is definitely worth the cost per wear. You can pair them with trousers and jeans for a casual day look or dresses for an evening and outing look.
4. Tweed
One fabric that many French women commonly wear is tweed. It is a luxe fabric with a feeling of softness and comfort. However, sometimes it looks too stiff. So to overcome this, you can pair a tweed jacket with leggings or leather pants. This will balance the outfit, and you’ll look both sophisticated and cool.
5. High Waisted Trousers
Talking about bottom wear, invest in high-waisted trousers. They can make your outfit look more polished and clean. You can never go wrong with a great pair of high-waisted trousers. Go with colors like brown, grey, black, and beige. You can easily pair them with a button-down top or a leather jacket.
What To Wear: French Capsule Wardrobe Over 50
According to the weather, you can create your own French capsule wardrobe. All of these pieces are essential and can be worn in several different ways.
Here are the top 10 key pieces of French style for women over 40:
Bottomwear:
Pencil skirt
Black, Blue, and White jeans
Black pants, often velvet or leather
Topwear:
White button-down
Striped button-down
Dresses:
Simple Black Dress (LBD)
Winter Wear:
Black, beige, and oversized cream sweaters,
Turtle and round necks
Black leather jacket
Black or white blazer
Tuxedo jacket
Footwear:
Loafers
Ballet flats
Black strappy heels or low heels
Combat boots
Ankle boots or booties.
NOTE: Parisian women don’t wear high heels as they walk a lot. (that’s one of the secrets of their great body shape)
Accessories:
A Ladylike handbag or a saddlebag.
Classic, simple jewelry.
Statement sunglasses
What Not to Wear: 10 Things Parisian Women Avoid
Here are things that you should avoid as they mean too distracting and tacky in French style for women over 50:
Super flashy logos
Clothes that don’t fit right
Flip-flop and UGG boots
A lot of bright colors together
All types of legging pants
Low rise pants
Bright and bold color combinations
Too many patterns & animal prints
Visible bra straps
Sheer tights
Key Essentials For French Women Over 50
When it comes to styling and putting together clothes in the right way to achieve the classic French style, there are many ways. You can also take inspiration from famous celebs and stars and copy their style.
Here are some of the top French female celebrities with great style and personality:
Carine Roitfeld (67)
Catherine Deneuve (78)
Francoise Hardy (77)
Caroline Paulus (62)
Emmanuelle Alt (54)
Carla Bruni (53)
Isabelle Huppert (68)
Juliette Binoche (57)
Ines de la Fressange (64)
Now let’s see how you can achieve this. Here are the top 7 French style for women outfit inspirations and ideas:
1. The Statement Coat
2. The Suit Approach
4. The Red Touch
5. Shades of Camel
6. A Classic White Shirt
7. Add a Scarf
Here are some more styling outfit ideas of French style for women over 50:
Create a Signature French Look
In France, there is a saying, “life begins at 50.”
Minimalism and elegance are the two things that are most important in Parisian style. As French women age, they always spend their money on timeless and classy clothes and accessories to create their own unique personal style. Whether you’re 30, 40, or 50, it’s always best to invest in a French wardrobe that can last a long time and still appear contemporary. So dress like a French woman while adding some personal touches.
So, this is all about French Style for women over 50. Now you know what to wear, how to wear, and what accessories to add to look like a Parisian woman. So follow and remember these powerful fashion rules and styling tips that we’ve mentioned in this blog.
I hope this French style for women guide has helped you to know what French style is and how to dress like a French woman over 50. You can easily create your own stylish and classy French wardrobe by following all the rules, tips, and styling ideas. Also, if you find this blog on French style for women over 40 interesting and inspiring, share it with your friends and family members and help them dress elegantly.
