7 Fashion Clichés French Women Are So Over

It should come as a surprise to no one that we have a few Francophiles in theBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing office. And while there’s nothing wrong with appreciating another culture for all its cool, creative, sometimes game-changing contributions to fashion, we’re also not to assume that all French women possess that same outlook on style. Perhaps you’re familiar with more of a Parisian style stereotype—a person who wears vintage dresses and ballet flats, who carries a perfectly worn-in Chanel bag, and whose beauty routine consists of La Mer and good genes—but in order to begin to celebrate what makes each French woman unique, we first asked them to turn some common myths on their heads.
Looking to some of the French women we love to spot in our Instagram feeds today, we asked seven of them a simple question: What's a French fashion myth you’d like to set straight? Most answers varied but quite a few fell into a similar theme that the effortless French-style cliché—the one that says great personal style is more about geographic location than thoughtful choices, creativity, and expression—has got to go.
Scroll down to see what else these unique style leaders have to say about French fashion clichés, and shop a few pieces that have earned their own stamps of approval.
“That French women don’t worry about their diet or go to the gym. They do, like every other woman on the planet—they simply have better things to talk about!” —@camillecharriere
Shop her look:
“I see a lot of girls wearing berets and explaining that it’s inspired by France, but to be honest, not every French girl wears a beret. I will speak for myself and for a couple of other girls I know: My hair simply doesn’t fit.” — @claire_most
Shop her look:
“I know French women did not come up with the following quote, but they sure as hell did come up with the concept: I woke up like this. Or as the French like to say, je ne sais quoi (insert a sarcastic winky face).
"I think that foreigners appreciate the effortlessness of the French women, and I just want to reassure the readers: Achieving the perfect bangs, glowing skin, and seemingly undone waves is not effortless at all. Et voilà! A French myth." — @sabinasocol
Shop her look:
“I’ve heard that French-women style, when it comes to colors or print, is very conservative. They tend to stick to a color palette that is very safe. However, that is not entirely true, because the French woman is cosmopolitan and sometimes multicultural. She may live in France but maybe has origins in other countries, or she’s traveled extensively. Whether she comes from a faraway exotic island like me or just from the Southern part of France, color is part of her everyday life—in the nature she sees, in the food she eats—that’s bound to translate in the way she dresses.
“So no, not all French women wear only black and white or 50 shades of nude. And not all French women are Parisians.” —@slipintostyle
Shop her look:
“The ‘French woman’ of the 21st century is plural and embodies all representations of beauties. French fashion has been enriched by these differences, which makes it unique.” — @stephaniezwicky
Shop her look:
“It’s said that French women have a natural beauty, but in reality, she will never tell you how long she has spent working on her nude makeup.” — @linaose
"'French girls wear ballerina flats most of the time.' Actually not really, even if we probably all own a pair of them—a Chanel one or Repetto one, for example—we don’t really wear them all time. In my opinion, it's so uncomfortable, it's too flat!" — @adenorah
Shop her look:
Shop French Designer Pieces
Up next, meet our July cover star and actress-to-know, Zoey Deutch.

Who's your style icon?
Taylor Tomasi Hill
Who are your 5 favorite people to follow on Twitter/Instagram?
@tamumcpherson @lisasaysgah @therealgracecoddington @everyoutfitonsatc @notmynonni
What's the fashion essential you can’t live without?
A leather jacket.
What's your desert island album?
Beyoncé "B'Day." Or pretty much anything Beyoncé.
-
6 Fashion Pieces I Regret Letting Go (and What I Learned)
The pieces I should have kept and why they still haunt me.
-
5 Street Style Trends From Milan Fashion Week That Will Be Everywhere This Fall
Take notes.
-
This Is the NYC Way to Wear the Anti-Trend Jeans Color French Women Are Obsessed With
As seen on NYC It girl Irina Shayk.
-
Yes, Ballet Flats Look Good With Skirts, But They Look Even Better as Part of This Parisian-Approved Combo
Very '90s.
-
This Dated Denim Pairing Is Suddenly the Chicest Way to Wear Jeans for Fall 2025
Easy and stylish.
-
No One Wears Jeans Like Chic Parisians Do—7 Effortless Outfits I'm Copying From the French This Fall
Get inspired.
-
I've Worked in Fashion for 15 Years—Here's What I Actually Wear Every Day
Trends come and go, but my everyday wardrobe is made of pieces that feel like me.
-
EverythingBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing Editors Saw, Wore, Did, and Ate During NYFW
Let's dive in, shall we?