French men seem as keen about fashion as French women are. Here’s a look at a few trends I spotted.
French men wear scarves. Granted, not so much in July and August, although I have seen some guys with crinkled cotton knotted loosely about their necks. In cooler seasons, the gigantic cashmere scarf wrapped multiple times is as common on men as it is on women.
The biggest trend is with the pants. The young ones are going for a very lean silhouette with what’s called “carrot” pants that are a little big on top and that taper to a tight ankle. And then they either crop them or wear them rolled up. With white socks.
Color is another trend. BRIGHT color. Be bold! Be not afraid to mix! Dare to match your shoes and pants!
They manage to look good even while biking.
A jacket even in hot weather. I thought this guy was so dignified, and his assistant was so attentive.
Do you see the same trends where you are? What of these rolled-up carrot pants? And the wild colors?
Taste of France 
As a 48 year old man I liked the different colored jeans. But some were rolled up so high with no socks it reminded me of capris that women wear therefore looks way too feminine for me.
I liked that so many took pride in how they look. I think so many people dress “comfortable” nowadays and that look seems sloppy to me.
Thanks for the window on men’s fashion. Very interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the young guys, in their 20s, who are rolling their pants up. I have seen cropped pants, especially cargo-style, on guys. Longer than shorts, they hit below the knee down to mid-calf and are more popular among middle-age guys. But in general, both men and women dress up a bit when they go out, even to the store.
LikeLike
love the insight you give with the pictures…Have not seen bright colors very much on the men side with the matching shoes. However most of the fashions are worn in the bigger cities or resort type areas on the west coast and along some other areas of USA. Still though I find most will step out briefly for a quick run of coffee or needed items at a grocery store.
Thx once again, love your site!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s another point–this isn’t fashionable Paris or the Côte d’Azur. This is the sticks, a small city in the middle of nowhere (which is part of its charm….authenticity). Yet people maintain a certain pride in how they look.
LikeLike
I love the red pants and shoes. My husband bought a pair of reddish coloured shoes a few years ago while in France. Last year he bought blue ones. They have sparked some interesting comments.
Most French men seem to care how they look, fashion wise. They seem to be born with a sense of fashion.
Ali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now he just needs to get matching pants!
I think the French carefully cultivate their sense of style, and it shows that it’s accessible to anybody. It isn’t about fancy brands or being thin; it’s about little twists, like the rolled cuffs that the young guys have adopted, and the scarves for all.
LikeLike
Good afternoon! I love this fashion post! I have seen the carrot pants here but not rolled up and mainly on young men. As for the bold colors, I personally love them, I am not sure that I could get my husband to wear red pants.
Beautiful and distinguished looking men, all of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve seen blue and green….
LikeLike
I can’t say we see quite the colourful level of fashion exhuberance here in the Haute Savoie…. but I have seen the skinny pants qnd exposed ankles. A great slice of French life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe the colors come out with the sun?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haven’t noticed carrot pants, but now I’ll look for them. Love the beret-and-scarf look. And the DJ’s plaid pants. And the casual insouciance of the man in your first picture, very Cary Grant-ish. Or perhaps Maurice Chevalier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The first guy was really rocking it!
LikeLike
To be honest, usually, white socks that are higher from the shoe and shows from the trousers are a big no-no and it is seen as something we would call as “ringard”, out of trend and not elegant at all. Men, and women, wear no-show socks normally: only old people or not trendy people do wear them … or tourists! This is an epic fail. Even in the “cités” or bad areas where mixed and poor people live, they try to have the no show socks.
Except of course if the trousers are longer and do not show the socks when on walks but even then.
Same for the “carrot” pants which are mostly sportswear and are a no no as well: again, most worn in the “bad areas” so not really well received!
But well I am not the youngest any more so maybe I am wrong.
Apart from that, this is true that colours are welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s just that sort of turning the rules upside down that the cool kids do. Adults should not wear visible white socks. Or visible socks.
LikeLike
I haven’t seen fashion like that before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every place has its own style.
LikeLike
The white socks take me right back to the 1980s…
LikeLiked by 1 person
The ‘80s are having a comeback.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have always thought that French men have a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ when it comes to fashion and style. It’s those little touches you mention – scarves etc that I find rather attractive!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, and anybody can do them.
LikeLike
skinny skinny pants! ankles showing. yes!! we have them here in the USA. mostly young and mostly the uber fashionable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nothing says cool like violating all the old rules.
LikeLike
White socks are a big no no in France, I agree with other commentators. Unless you’re doing sport, and indeed the socks you show are cheap sport socks. I would say the chic laid-back french summer shoe is espadrille !
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have to be under 30 to do the white-sock thing, otherwise it’s very ringard. It is ubiquitous here among teens and 20-somethings. Kind of like the resurgence of fanny packs–also ringard–but worn like bandoliers.
LikeLike
We were just in Scandinavia for 2 weeks and saw lots of skinny leg pants on young men, it looks great on them and also on thinner, fashionable older men. My husband doesn’t like the feeling of fabric so close to his legs, so it’s not for him! We were in France 2 years ago and he enthusiastically adopted wearing a scarf and I think it looks great. He can only wear them here in the cooler months, as Arizona is sweltering in the summer and early fall.
Unfortunately he has to wear sneakers with orthotics for prolonged walking due to agent orange exposure in Vietnam, but has made peace with it because we walk everywhere when traveling and plan to do so for as long as possible. We surely look like tourists, but heck, we are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everybody–men, women, children–wears sneakers now. All the better. And nobody but your husband knows about the orthotics.
Scarves are one-size-fits-all, but skinny pants are best left for the young and lean.
LikeLike