Ahh, the South of France: beachside cafes, Mediterranean waters, and a sense of style that seems so effortless it’s almost a crime. If you spend enough time watching French women, or men for that matter, they appear to have just stepped right out of a fashion magazine. The following are a few style essentials that make it easy to create that chic-in-the-South look.
1. The Cardigan
The French love their layers, and the cardigan is a perfect example of how one piece of clothing can help shape several outfits. Warm enough to be placed under coats in the winter and cool enough to be tied around the shoulders in the spring, this light affair is also a perfect travel companion.
Stuff one in your oversized tote and you’ve got an emergency layer when your café hours spill into aperitif time.
2. The Collared-Shirt
It’s easy to be chic in a well-tailored, collared-shirt and that’s probably why you’ll spot plenty of folks wearing them seaside, at cafes, or even out to dinner. They’re easily paired with jeans, khakis, and/or shorts, and also perfect to wear under the ever-popular French cardigan.
3. Leggings
Have leggings, will travel (& in a great deal of comfort). These knee and full-length wonders are made for long, leisurely afternoons in the South. Throw on a pair, add an oversized T-shirt and some Tropezienne sandals, and you’re set for a day at the beach or crawling through your favorite antiques market. Also work well under dresses & skirts during the cooler months.
4. The Scarf / Foulard
Ah, the French scarf. In the cooler months, it takes on a fuller aspect – wrapped snuggly under trench coats or thrown casually around sweaters. In warmer times, the foulard (a lighter, thinner version) is tied artfully around necks or paired with everything from T-shirts to summer dresses.
The famous French scarf is famous for a reason – it’s worn everywhere.
5. Tuniques
Light, stylish, and just the thing to accompany those fab leggings, tuniques are also very simple to accessorize with a pair of oversized earring or a chunky, leather belt. Made of cotton or similar “sheer” fabric, they also make terrific cover-ups for those long days at the beach.
6. Ballet Flats / Sandals
While it can be a wonderful idea to sport a pair of sleek heels when pursuing the boutiques of St. Tropez or cruising the streets of Aix-en-Provence, it’s also perfectly acceptable to pair ballet flat or sandals with your relaxed, southern style.
7. Sunglasses
It goes without saying that the South of France is a sunny place. Even when temperatures dip into single digits, sunglasses are the essential accessory for any season. There are no obvious rules for your choice of shades. Although, sunglasses that are large, chunky, & baring the label of a certain designer named Coco will certainly serve you well. Alternatively, Ray-bans are also a perennial favorite & sure to get you a few extra Southern-style points with the younger crowd
*If you’ve forgotten to stuff any of these essentials in your suitcase, no worries, many affordable versions can be found at local markets or boutiques around the south.
I just love this post – it is so spot on!
Thanks so much Marianne, I had a lot of fun putting this post together. Not to mention that I’ve just switched to the S of France “fall wardrobe”…scarves, scarves, and more scarves :) bon dimanche!
I just subscribed to your blog and loved this post about what to wear. I have a question for you — what do women “of a certain age” wear in April in Provence? We are traveling in April 2013 with a group of Americans celebrating our 60th birthdays and I question whether women of our age wear tunics and leggings…
Hi there and thanks for subscribing! Well, to be honest, you’d be surprised what ladies ‘of a certain age’ wear down here. Actually, the dress is very ‘young’ so I say you can definitely wear what you like! If you are coming in April, it won’t be too hot yet, so I would recommend to bring things you feel comfortable in like cotton trousers and some comfortable sandals for walking. Tennis shoes are okay here too…it’s all very casual in the end! We just returned from Aix en Provence where there were A LOT of tourists…almost everyone had on what they would wear at home, no problems! If you want to look more like the French ladies though, I would opt for the above tips :)
Many thanks P.R.!
Hello there and glad that you found this post helpful. Lucky you to spend a week in Provence in September…. it’s quite the best time of year. Fantastic weather and you’ll beat the tourist crowds. If you have any questions I can help with please let me know & bon voyage! Tuula
Love the dress lesson!!!
Prior to departing for Paris and the South of France, some of my American friends told me to take jewelry to wear–even at the beach. So, I found jewelry for every outfit and lugged it through the airport and metro (ugh…the jewelry was quite heavy.) BIG MISTAKE!
In my four days of Bistro-sitting-sipping-people-watching in Paris, I did not see one woman with jewelry–Not One.
As we moved to the South, I presumed I’d see lots of bling in St. Tropez–Not So. Well, I did see lots of bling, but only in boutiques. None of the French women wore jewelry!
I thought about donating (leaving) my weighted faux bling to my hostess, as I didn’t want to lug it home. Unfortunately, she was not interested in my jewelry as she had no use for it. I brought it all back to the States and now, I have nowhere to wear it!!! Final word of advice: Leave your jewels at home and stock up on Lavendar Honey!!!
Au revoir!!
I am traveling to Paris and the south of France in August. I know it will be very hot during that time. Are walking shorts and sandals appropriate or do I need to dress up more? Are Athleta type athletic dress and shirt acceptable? I know we will be walking a lot so I need to be comfortable but I don’t want to look out of place either.
Hello Robyn,
Yes, walking shorts and sandals are completely okay… you’ll find that everyone is really casual at that time of year because, well, it’s too hot not to be! An athletic dress should be fine too… just remember to think: cotton, cotton, cotton. It does get very hot and you’ll want to be in as light of fabric as possible. Hope that is helpful and bon voyage!