23 French Girl Fall Outfits That Look Effortless

We often see French girl style in fall because of how historically temperate the Parisian and French climate can be. The key to nailing Parisian French girl style is to have quality basics in your closet that can be combined and layered for a chic and effortless look.

There’s always an element of effortlessness, of not trying too hard, with French girl style. French girl style is slightly pared back, which makes it all the more chic.

1. Trench Coat, White Tee, and Straight Leg Jeans

The trench coat is definitely a staple that we will not stop seeing in French girl, and really any European girl, style. It makes the whole outfit. Here she has a simple, clean white tee underneath with straight leg jeans.

The white sneakers match the white tee nicely, and the straight jeans fit well enough to be doing most of the heavy lifting underneath the trench coat.

2. Breton Striped Top, Black Trousers, and Ballet Flats

A Breton striped top is a great pattern to have in your wardrobe at any age. It definitely reads mature in a chic way, rather than any other bright or crowded pattern. This is somewhat casual, but it can definitely be dressed up, as we see here with the more formal black trousers.

I like that she has ballet flats. They feel more feminine than a loafer, but they’re definitely still a light, walkable option for footwear.

3. Camel Wool Coat, Turtleneck, and Ankle Boots

The camel wool coat is similar to the trench in its timelessness. It’s a good color to match with a variety of bases, and here the all black base is a simple one to throw on. It’s important to have basics that feel good and look good.

Here she has a turtleneck that’s maybe a lighter knit than a heavier sweater would be. You could have a silk camisole underneath this for the perfect fall combination. The camel wool coat is warmer than a trench coat and definitely has a little bit more of a winter feel, but if you feel warm, you can take it off and you have a lightweight turtleneck underneath and still a chic all black base.

4. Black Blazer, Silk Cami, and Dark Denim

Here we have more of a pointed ballet flat, which reads a little bit more formal. The dark straight denim is one that we’ve seen multiple times. It can read more formal, but since it’s a jean, I wouldn’t call it workwear, even though she’s wearing a blazer. Denim in general feels more sultry and fitted than workwear could be.

It’s perfect for a dinner situation like this, where you can pair it with a flirty top and a more professional blazer, and it doesn’t feel too casual or too put together.

5. Chunky Knit Sweater, Midi Skirt, and Loafers

Here we have a beautiful burgundy maroon color that’s definitely one we see in French girl style. French style has many of these rich, classic colors, like burgundy, navy, and maybe a sage green, dark rich colors that feel like they go well in fall.

A cream sweater like this is one that we continue to see in fall. It keeps an outfit light and airy looking without darkening it up too much, which I think we have a tendency to do in the colder seasons. Here her sweater is a little bit oversized, which makes the whole outfit feel less formal than if it were a fitted turtleneck or a fitted sweater.

6. Trench, Cashmere Scarf, and White Sneakers

As we said, French girl style is all about a capsule wardrobe. You’re looking for quality basics, because Parisians don’t have a lot of closet space. Here a cashmere scarf is a beautiful material that you can keep for years.

A neutral color like this is definitely pared back, but if you wanted to, you could add color in other areas of your outfit. Here she’s gone with mostly neutrals, but it looks chic without putting in too much effort.

7. Little Black Dress, Tights, and Mary Janes

This is a French girl style version of the little black dress. It’s actually not as little. I think in French style, we often see it looking a little more modest. In this example, the skirt hem hits below the knee, more of a midi length than the mini length we often see in the little black dress.

I think French girl style being chic and timeless means that they’re often not afraid to be a little bit more modest, while still looking for well fitting clothing. That’s not to say this jacket couldn’t be removed, and maybe it’s a sleeveless dress or it has a little bit more of a fitted top. You can still have nice going out clothes that don’t have a short hem. Also, the Mary Janes with the low heel feel conservative but still cute and flirty.

8. Oversized Button-Down, Straight Jeans, and Ballet Flats

We have an oversized button down paired with jeans. We see lots of straight, well fitting jeans in French girl style, not super tight, because you think of French style as a walking culture friendly aesthetic.

The ballet flats are slightly feminine. I could also see a loafer here, or a canvas shoe, maybe a leather sneaker. A leather sneaker would lean a little bit less French girl style, but it’s definitely a great walkable option. The oversized button down is the key here, and oversized is the important part. It’s effortless, while also a little bit edgy because of how undone it is, while she still clearly put in a little bit of effort.

9. Leather Jacket, Striped Tee, and Cropped Trousers

The leather jacket is fitted in this situation. I could also see it being a little bit bigger, maybe a little bit baggier, for more of a modern French girl style. This is a classic, timeless version of the leather jacket, though.

I like the Breton tee underneath. She could even go with another color, maybe a navy. If she were doing a navy, a brown leather jacket could make sense, maybe with brown shoes. I like the way that she’s showing a little bit of ankle with these trousers and the booties. Little ankle booties should either show ankle or nothing at all, so since this is a cropped pant, ankle boots make sense.

10. Beige Trench, Black Turtleneck, and Kitten Heels

The beige trench is working for workwear here. The kitten heels feel very walkable because of the slightly thicker heel. They look somewhat comfortable, like you could be taking the metro and walking to work when it’s slightly damp in the morning. A fall classic outfit.

I like the completely black base that she has. This is definitely going to be chic with the heels when she takes off the trench coat.

11. Wrap Dress, Opaque Tights, and Knee Boots

A wrap dress is feminine because of its construction. Here the dress hits right above the knee, which is a little bit more modest than if it were mid-thigh or a mini length. I think that goes well because of the deep v-neck. It feels feminine and well fitting, but still somewhat conservative, timeless French style.

She’s going for warmth with the long tights underneath. Because of the dark colors, the dark sage wrap dress and the chocolate brown boots, the little bit of black tight underneath makes sense. It doesn’t catch our eye too much. The brown and the camel coat go well together as well.

12. Grey Blazer, White Shirt, and Wide Leg Trousers

The wide leg trousers are another example of the effortlessness that we see in French girl style. This is a good outfit for a shoulder season like fall. You can remove the blazer and have just the button up underneath. Maybe she could put a silk camisole underneath the button up for a slightly feminine feel.

I definitely like the button up tucked into the trouser here because it feels more like workwear. With something as loose as a wide leg trouser, it makes a little bit less sense to untuck the white shirt. Although the undone, untucked look is inherent to French style, here we already have that with the wide leg trouser.

13. Cardigan Buttoned as a Top, High Waist Jeans, and Loafers

The cardigan buttoned up is such an underused piece to wear as a top. I think it’s so feminine, and it feels almost original every time, because we often think of cardigans going over another shirt or blouse, but as a top it’s really cute.

The high-waisted jeans look good. There’s something timeless about a high waist like this that’s not super fitted. It feels like it’s standing outside of trends rather than reading as 2014 high-waisted. The brown loafers look like they’re molded to her feet. They fit her well, and they’re a high quality material. She can walk all day in those.

14. Plaid Blazer, Black Denim, and Chelsea Boots

The top of the Chelsea boots here ends a little bit above the hem of the pant. I love that look where we almost can’t tell if it’s a long boot or a short boot. A short boot under a pant does make sense if you’re walking around the city, especially if the days are still a little warm. You don’t want a huge long boot, so a small ankle boot like this makes sense. The pants are long enough in this situation that she doesn’t have to worry about cuffing them or where they’re hitting the ground.

A plaid blazer like this feels very Ralph Lauren fall. I like it with the simple neutral beige or off-white t-shirt that she has underneath. It feels put together because of the blazer, but also effortless because it’s a t-shirt and jeans at the end of the day.

15. Silk Scarf, Crewneck Sweater, and Tailored Trousers

For all the effortlessness that is French style, we do see them not being afraid to take a little bit of a risk. French people also love to be warm, which makes sense, because it can get really cold in Paris despite it being a generally temperate climate.

Here the silk scarf is a chic material. It’s high quality, but it also adds a little bit of flair to her otherwise basic outfit. The navy is very French coded. Silk is a great material to have close to your skin, and in this situation, it’s serving the purpose of keeping her neck warm.

16. Belted Trench, Roll Neck, and Leather Ankle Boots

Here we have another trench coat in its natural habitat, the slightly wet fall weather. The umbrella is doing most of the work of keeping her dry, but a long trench coat never fails in rainy weather. We have a gray roll neck underneath and a leather ankle boot.

Leather actually holds up surprisingly well in rainy weather, especially when you want to look chic and it’s not appropriate to wear a rain boot, which honestly, in the city, I feel like there are few situations in which a rain boot is appropriate. Leather boots can be treated to be waterproof or water resistant, and especially with a little bit of a heel like this, you’re elevated off the street and not getting as wet as you would in a sneaker, or definitely a flat.

I like the gray roll neck underneath. I can imagine it in a fine merino wool or a cashmere that’s keeping her warm, while still looking very chic when she takes off the trench coat and she’s wearing jeans, boots, and a high quality top.

17. Corduroy Skirt, Fine Knit, and Ballet Flats

A corduroy skirt is a great thick material, one that will last you years if you find a flattering piece. Here a fine knit crew neck sweater is a light option for warmer fall days. The ballet flats are comfortable, and definitely a good option when the weather is still warmer and you’re wearing a thicker midi skirt that’s definitely keeping in some body heat.

I like the midi length. Again, it feels more French coded than a maxi or a mini skirt. The midi length is the perfect length for walking around the city. It feels appropriate if you’re going to hop on a bike or walk up the metro stairs.

18. Navy Peacoat, Striped Top, and Straight Jeans

The peacoat is the alternative to the long wool coat, which is a European staple. The longer wool coat is timeless and warmer than the peacoat, but the peacoat is a very close second. It feels a little bit sportier and a little bit more casual because of the length.

I love the double buttons. The double breasted front is actually a little bit more interesting than the wool coats that we’re used to seeing. The navy color is a good alternative to black. Here we can feel that it’s a colorful outfit, even though it’s really just the brown and the blue that are popping with color.

19. Black Turtleneck, Pleated Midi Skirt, and Boots

This is a flowier option of the midi skirts that we’ve been seeing. When it’s flowy like this, it’s all the more important to have a midi length, rather than a maxi length, which would feel more like summer, or a mini length, which would be hard to walk around in all day. Although with these shoes she may not be walking super far, they do look somewhat comfortable because it’s a boot. A boot heel is easier to walk around in than a kitten heel, which has less support for your foot. That’s the nice thing about fall: you can swap regular heels for a booted heel and go farther.

The plain black tank or black turtleneck is one of our top staples to have in a capsule wardrobe. It’s going nightlife here, but it’s definitely also workwear and casual. You could maybe even have two of these in your wardrobe. That’s how important a plain black turtleneck is.

20. Oversized Wool Coat, Jeans, and White Button-Down

Here we have a white button down. Usually the white button down in French girl style is slightly oversized. That becomes less important when we have an oversized coat like the wool jacket here. This is such a beautiful color, and the color is really doing the work for this outfit. It feels so high quality and chic, almost modern, even though this is definitely a timeless silhouette.

I like that this outfit feels bright even though she has black boots and a black handbag. Having dark leather accessories usually makes the outfit feel a little bit darker, but with this oversized brightness in the jacket, it feels like a very airy outfit.

21. Denim Shirt, Camel Trousers, and Loafers

A denim shirt is often passed off as outdoorsy or casual, maybe workwear. That’s not always the case, and when you pair it with more elevated basics, it can definitely work for more polished situations. Here she has it tucked in, which makes it feel more elevated. She’s paired it with a neutral color, and neutral colors usually feel pretty chic.

I like the leather loafers. They feel timeless, more like workwear. If this were a boot, the outfit would feel a little bit more casual, but the loafer makes us feel like she could wear this to work. A denim shirt can sometimes work better for workwear than denim pants. I think it’s because denim shirts are sometimes lighter than their pant counterparts, and the fabric is sometimes a little bit more refined than if you were wearing denim pants to work.

22. Cropped Cardigan, Slip Skirt, and Ankle Boots

Here we have a slip skirt again, in this burgundy color. Very French girl coded. The charcoal cardigan is worn as a top. I could also see her having a slip dress underneath this, very similar to the slip skirt, and if she wanted to, she could leave the cardigan open.

The accessories are very minimal, which is French girl style coded. High quality, somewhat pared back, but intentional. This is a good boot to have with this length of skirt. I like that she’s showing a little bit of ankle. It feels comfortable enough to be walking around at night, but she still has the added warmth that comes from the cardigan.

This is a beautiful outfit. What would really push it over the top would be to invest in high quality materials. Having a silk slip skirt or slip dress would feel very chic, and then a fine merino knit cardigan over silk would feel so elegant. She already has the leather boots and the leather bag. Those three contrasting but high quality materials together would make a perfect outfit.

23. Belted Trench, Black Jeans, and Pointed Flats

We end where the French basically always do, with a trench, because it is the item that makes any outfit look finished. Over black jeans and a simple knit, a belted trench with pointed flats is the go-anywhere fall uniform you will reach for on autopilot. Wear it for everything: work, coffee, travel, the days you have no plan and want to look like you do. The pointed flats sharpen it just enough to feel considered rather than casual. Tie the belt loosely and let the collar sit however it wants. This is the outfit that quietly never lets you down.

Wardrobe Staples From This Post

The pieces that repeat across these outfits.

• Oversized Boyfriend Blazer. Wear it over a tee and jeans or a slip dress and it does the work.
• Ewedoos Wide Leg Trousers. Tailored through the hip, wide through the leg, and they do not wrinkle on the way to work.
• Genuine Leather Belt with Pin Buckle. Defines the waist on a trench, a blazer, or a shirt dress.