DORÉ

One of the only things that is a little sad about moving to the end of the world (well, almost) is that we start to miss our girlfriends! We miss them, their sense of humor, their sense of style, and their … Frenchitude!

Between Laura living in London, Lauren blowing our minds with her La Poudre podcast in Paris, and Elisa adjusting to life with her new daughter Vita, I feel like I’m missing some important moments. So I was thrilled to be able to send Pia to visit them and bring back these photos for us, and to talk about French style in collaboration with Sézane – THE Parisian brand par excellence…

Elisa Nalin

How do you approach dressing and style? What role does it play in your life?
Dressing is as natural as sleeping and eating for me. It’s something I do with pure joy – what I choose to put on in the morning determines the course of my day. I use clothes as a way to express myself, through colors and prints, it’s all part of my personality. I take risks, play with unexpected combinations. My style reflects the way that I am: joyful, playful, colorful, eclectic, and down to earth.

What are the French woman’s wardrobe essentials?
The essentials are pretty basic! I would say a trench coat, a pair of good jeans, black high heels, a little black dress, a striped top, and a lot of “nonchalance” – all of which are not exactly like my personal style!

What is French style to you?
As an Italian living in Paris for many years, I would say French style is mostly an attitude. That je ne sais quoi, the nonchalance, no makeup, messy hair – but all of this worn with a lot of confidence. To me, style is all about being confident and feeling good in what you are wearing. It’s also that garçonne manquée look – the tomboy style that Inès de La Fressange or Caroline de Maigret have – both of whom I like!

Laura Vidrequin

What are the French woman’s wardrobe essentials?
A crisp white men’s shirt, a perfect mid rise blue denim, the ideal sling back shoe, a piece of gold jewelry (preferably a family heirloom), an oversized striped sweater, a good leather jacket, a perfectly fitted little black dress and comfy underwear and socks to wear and feel good even when you don’t have any of the above!

Who do you think best embodies French Style?
I think France is lucky to have really strong style icons that are all different but also similar in their “non-perfection.” I love Jane Birkin’s laid back style and hair. A French girl is not defined by what she wears but how she wears it. It’s not about the pieces, it’s all about the attitude.

How do you approach dressing and style?
I try to always have fun with it, style should never be too serious. I like to mix and match and see if something great comes together, that’s how it should be! The most important thing for me, to be honest, is being able to go from morning to afternoon to night in the same outfit, running around, working, loving, cleaning….all in the same look.

Lauren Bastide

How do you approach dressing and style? What role does it play in your life?
I love to have my uniform, pieces I know suit me perfectly and don’t require me to think too much in front of my closest in the morning. I love to wear my good old 501 Levi’s, a comfy jumper, my Burberry trench, my clogs and a cap, they make me confident and invincible.

What makes French style unique?
Freedom! And a certain sense of comfort.

Who do you think best embodies French style?
We have our icons, like Brigitte Bardot, Françoise Hardy, our great women designers like Sonia Rykiel or Isabel Marant, and muses like Farida Khelfa and Loulou de la Falaise. But some of the women who most strongly embody the French style are not French, like Jane Birkin or Grace Jones.

Today, French icons are on Instagram! I think about my beautiful friend Jeanne Damas, I also love Didi Stone Olomidé, Crystal Murray, one of the members of the cool Parisian it girls crew Gucci Gang, and Sophie Fontanel who is also a very good friend of mine. What all these women have in common is a strong personality, a sense of humor, self-confidence, and a playful approach to trends.