Some random examples of women I think looked great here in the deepest depths of the south of France. I don’t look for fancy brands nor for naturally beautiful humans, especially those who are young and thin and who would look great no matter what they wore. I like normal folks who have some flair, even when their choices are extremely simple.
Dresses are on trend. I have seen so many women wearing dresses like the one above, especially when it was really hot in summer. This dress has it all–sleeves for sun protection, loose fit that isn’t too hot….I’ve seen variations on it in all white but also in blue and white stripes.
Colors, too. I love how this woman has a matching shopping caddy. And red toenails!
And the women below chose green…notice that the green skirt matches not just the espadrilles but also the green of the straps of her shopping bag. Coincidence? I doubt it.
The woman above was far from young but her hair was just a perfect shade of red, and of course she looked great in green. It was a hot evening, and her dress also is nice and loose without being a bag.
Another really cute dress. More stripes below. She isn’t young but is put together and classy.
The one below IS young, but she stood out as being even more chic than the others at a brocante. And appropriately dressed for lots of walking.
A pair of friends with extreme lengths and very different proportions–one with a long, billowy top over billowy pants and the other with a cropped jacket and slim jeans. 
A gutsy haircut. Part shaved and part purple. WHY NOT!!!! You go, girl!
And a closeup of the shirt at the top. Did you notice the zebras?
Do you dress up to go out?
Taste of France 
That’s a great zebra shirt. I even like the way it has red stitching at the button holes.
To me, getting dressed each day is part of what makes life fun.
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And you are great at it. I always looked up to your fashion sense!
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I love the zebra shirt!
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Me too!
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I’m new to your site, and LOVE this post – REAL women stylin’ it in real situations! I also adore the zebra shirt…
Glad to have found you!
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Yes, real people are more interesting.
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OMG…I want the zebra shirt!!! I didn’t notice that the pattern on the shirt in the first photo was of zebras…until you mentioned it at the end of the article. Love love love it!!!!
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Subtle details are so French.
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I am terrible about my appearance, especially in the summer. Tennis skirts aren’t clothes, really. Your photo are inspiring, thank you.
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If you’re playing tennis, you’re excused! 🙂
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No. I do not dress up to go out… but judging by your photos, well, maybe I should! And yes, I did see the zebras. After staring at the fabric for a few seconds they just sort of popped out. Fun post!
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What’s great about these women is that most are just wearing a simple, loose dress–comfortable yet classy.
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Of these, the haircut shot is my favourite.
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It’s striking. Not for the faint-hearted. I bet she’s interesting.
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Yes, I usually try to look pulled together when I go out, even just to run an errand or pop in to pick up a few groceries. It’s so ingrained that I don’t really think about it…just my style. My style is really simple, but everything goes together. Add a scarf and my multiple bracelets and earring, and Good to go…
Ali
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Simple but thoughtful works. You always look great!
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I did not realise they were zebras before the close up …. it’s wonderful. My grandmother always said ‘fashion is what suits you’ … your ladies all know what suits them and rest her case. 😊
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That’s true. What I like is that each case is pretty uncomplicated.
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Love the Zebra shirt. Do you know the brand? Yes I try to dress up when I go out.
I live in North Carolina, so the summers are really hot. I still try to get dressed up when I go
out to do errands or shop for clothes. I just wish more women would look in the mirror
before exiting the front door. It is so discouraging to see the way people dress.
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I don’t know the brand. I could ask the shop.
I don’t know whether the folks who don’t make an effort are depressed or they just don’t see a difference. But these examples are all so minimalist–it takes so little to look nice.
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When I was young it was always stilettos with any outfit, now it’s flats or boots or sandals. The French women have always had a sense of style and self, regardless of body size.
I, like the French, am comfortable in my own skin (it only took 52 years to get here!) but I dress for me, where I feel comfortable and do not follow current and ever changing fashion trends. The answer is classic elegance.
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You sound like you’ve figured it out. I really admire the women who aren’t natural beauties but who look great through style and personality.
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Growing up we were always told one had to be “put together” to be seen in public. Haven’t been able to shake that, but have more of my own style. Comfortable clothes, shoes, along with scarves, a bracelet or two and always my earrings–never leave home without them…lol…Simple is always so much more elegant.
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Comfort is important–nobody looks elegant when they are tugging at clothes that are too tight/short or teetering on too-high heels. But there’s comfort and there’s pajamas, and one of them should be just for sleep.
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I do try when I go out to look presentable. But I have been known to spend the day in work out clothes when not! Great post!!
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Workout clothes are practical. I grew up in the Flashdance era, when the worse your clothes were, the more serious you were as an athlete. But French women usually look nice for working out, too.
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I don’t dress “up” to go to the home improvement store here in provence, but I wear decent clothes, usually not the stained pants and paint spattered top that I was wearing when I noticed I was out of an essential product for my current project. I’ve been enjoying sewing recently, and also reworking my wardrobe, including turning antique and vintage French nightgowns, bloomers, smocks, etc. into dresses and tunics. Its quite hot here in the summer, and you need loose fitting clothes that breathe if you want to be comfortable. Its great fun to see what you can do by restyling second hand clothing …..
bonnie in provence
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I have thought about turning some of those nice cotton vintage nightgowns into cool summer dresses. I’d love to see yours!
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I will surely get around to posting some on my sewing blog, which has taken a hit because of all of my outside work lately and redoing a couple of rooms in my house. Dye, bit of added lace, hitch up the skirt, etc. Very comfortable ….
bonnie in provence
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Oooh! I just discovered dyeing. Great idea!
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Dress up to go out? I think I have one “dress up” outfit in my closet. But I do try to be appropriate, tidy and presentable. Other than that, I don’t really know that I dress up. Comfort is key, and part of comfort for me is being appropriate for the occasion. Love the zebra shirt. I think I have seen it before, but for the life of me I cannot remember where.
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Being thoughtful, tidy and appropriate are what matters. The women here aren’t exactly dressed up, but they aren’t in sweats or in T-shirts and shorts. It’s really easy to throw on a simple dress (and most of the ones here are loose) and immediately look a little classier.
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There are some very stylish people in these photos. I like the age range you covered! The white and green dresses are particularly lovely. I hadn’t noticed the zebras but I love the shirt. I like a bit of quirkiness!
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Yes, it’s that subtle twist–the simple black-and-white palette and the geometric pattern are almost staid, then you see it isn’t paisley but zebras.
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THAT is an amazing shirt. I love the shape of it and, of course, the pattern is terrific. Unfortunately, I’m probably appearing on someone’s “Don’t” fashion post since nothing I wear seems to look how I imagine it should look. I think it’s time for a fashion makeover after seeing these ladies!
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I hope they demonstrate that it doesn’t take anything complicated to look nice.
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Sometimes I think you could put the nicest, most finely tailored clothes on me and I’d somehow make it look frumpy. Talent!
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If they look frumpy, they aren’t finely tailored. It’s the clothes’ fault, not yours.
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Bonjour ! Thank you for another great post about French life! I shared it today with the French Girl in Seattle Facebook community. I pointed out that as someone who knows her adoptive culture well, you are aware of French privacy laws and took great care to “protect” your subjects. Hope it inspires a few visitors out there 😉
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Thank you so much! You’re so generous. I always enjoy reading French Girl in Seattle.
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Fun post! I only dress up if I’m visiting the city. Mostly black and simple. For trips around our small town, it’s linen shift dresses, chambray everything, boyfriend jeans, Converse, and Tomboy chic. Out to dinner with friends I’ll wear skinny jeans, heels, and a silk sexy top.
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Well, all that sounds pretty dressed up! The standards of “dressing up” have shifted so much–it used to be suits, or, for social events, formal dresses. Sometimes that still applies, but in more and more situations, it’s enough not to be a slob, and even then most people fail.
Congratulations on keeping the bar high!
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It was fun to see how French women have been dressing recently. And I so agree with you that it takes very little effort to look nice. Therefore the question becomes… Why don’t More American women take pride in how the look? If it’s a reflection of how they feel about themselves then we’be been a nation in crisis for a decade now. I’ve never seen it this bad.
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And ironically, the decline in standards has coincided with the rise of fast fashion and people buying new clothes like crazy.
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Lest everyone think that *all* French women dress tastefully, let me just say that I have seen absolutely stunningly awful dressers out there. Bad clothes, several sizes too small, wrong style, etc etc. Perhaps that could be another post? No probably not, too mean.
bonnie in provence
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You’re right–there are some bad examples out there, especially at the supermarket. Some are cases of trying to look nice but failing (by wearing clothes that are too skimpy), versus just being slovenly.
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Terrific and chic looks, Maria. I love, love the purple + buzzed haircut! xox
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
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It’s daring.
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I love the zebra shirt, to be honest I did not notice it in the first photo, the zebras that is. I love the look of all of these beautiful ladies, each looks fabulous.
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They make small efforts/choices with big payoffs, don’t you think?
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Lovely post 💝Thanks dear
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Thanks for coming by!
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Wow, this article was so interesting! awesome!
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I totally adore the zebra prints. They are my favourite. Wish to wear them….Great post😄
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Zebra is the new leopard.
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true😄
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