French Girls + This Shoe Trend = Summer 2017

We're slowly but surely uncovering the mysteries of French fashion one story at a time: Although only a hop, skip and a jump away on the Eurostar, there are still many differences between our respective strands of style DNA, but being un petit peu Parisian now and then is possible, thanks to a few pointers we've learnt over the years. For starters, there are the go-to Gallic brands you can shop from, Instagram's Parisian power-dressers to peruse or a simple list of Riviera summer staples that instantly exclaim bonjour! from a mile off.

Compiling the aforementioned stories (and many, many more) means that our team's eyes are always on the French fashion set, and so we start to notice—hawk-like—when microtrends present themselves. Recently our attentions have been focused in the footwear department, picking up on a conscious shoe choice our favourite girls have been making this summer: They aren't wearing sandals. It's really rare that you'll spot a chic French girl on a hot day wearing open-toed shoes.

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(Image credit: Rex Features)

Like all true French wardrobe foundations, one could chart this back to the leader of the pack: Jane Birkin. Unless barefoot and resplendent in denim, throughout the '60s, she was most commonly spotted in ballet pumps and closed-toe Mary Janes, even when summering in Cannes. Both of these styles have (as well as slingbacks) been making strong bids for summer 2017.

How do French girls not feel the heat and the subsequent urge to bare their feet? That we cannot answer. But what we can tell you is that there's something intrinsically imbued in the process of styling up your summer outfits this way—perhaps that's why the classic Chanel pump has long been a retail smash. Keep reading to see the French girls who are eschewing sandals for summer—and see what they're wearing instead.

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Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief ofBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK. Hannah has been part of the theBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.