A French Woman Walks Into Zara—These 16 Anti-Trend Pieces Will Catch Her Eye
I've spent a large part of my adult life essentially cosplaying a French woman. I've fully subscribed to what I admit is the cliché idea that they all dress classically, swerving trends in favour of pieces that feel more timeless and, to my delight, Parisian. Think cotton blouses with delicate embroidery, basket bags that give good Gallic girl, and jeans without rips or tears or embellishments—just jeans that look as if they were vintage and passed down by an equally stylish maman to her fille. Having written about all things French style for over a decade now, I'm pretty confident that I can pick out the sort of thing all the stylish French women I follow would wear before they even do so. When I went into Zara this week, I couldn't help but feel like things in-store were looking very French indeed.
Between fluid tailoring and throw-on dresses, in a spectrum of neutral linen and cotton, Zara's spring edit doubles up as the perfect French-inspired capsule. I see woven leather bags that are akin to those I've seen at flea markets filled with such bags, leather-bound books and mismatched glassware. Okay, before nostalgia swallows me whole, let's get back to the task at hand; what I think a stylish French woman would walk into Zara and contemplate buying, i.e., the perfect manifestation of my current shopping mood. Scroll below to see my edit of French-inspired Zara items, all of which are anti-trend and easy to wear. Parfait!
Shop My Anti-Trend, French-Inspired Zara Edit
A trench is a timeless staple in any French woman's wardrobe.
If a French woman is heading on a night out, this is the exact dress she'd wear.
You'd be hard pressed to find a Parisian who doesn't rely on great blue denim.
Suede totes are everywhere, but this chocolate brown style might just be my favourite on the high street.
I have it on good authority that French women are particularly fond of slingbacks. And burgundy for that matter.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over twelve years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories, and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, works closely with influencer talent on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media. Previously, Maxine appeared on TV in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship, she was offered a position on the Look magazine fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. She went on to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others. Maxine works remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh.
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