It's True: French Women Are Swapping Their Red Cardigans for This Trending, Staple Knit

We don't want to brag, but when it comes to decoding French style, Who What Wear UK has it down. Years of obsessive street-style scrolling, Paris Fashion Week people-watching, and a borderline unhealthy fixation on how French women make the basics look intentional, have trained our eyes well. We know the formulas they rely on, we know their version of effortlessness is anything but accidental, and we definitely know their cardigan habits. For a long time, that meant the red cardigan. Worn buttoned-up with jeans, slung over shoulders, or layered under a coat like it had always been there. But lately, our feeds have been nudging us in a new direction. The familiar pop of red has quietly stepped aside, making room for something a little more low-key.

Over the past few months, I've noticed Parisian women leaning into a softer, quieter knit instead—grey. In different shades, different textures, worn in that unmistakably unfussy way. It's not that colour has disappeared altogether, but there's a clear shift towards pieces that feel easier to live in day after day. Grey just happens to tick every box. It works with denim, tailoring and trainers without changing the mood of an outfit, and it never feels like the point of the look. If anything, it's the piece that lets everything else shine, which is probably why it's suddenly everywhere.

It's also worth noting that there's no single grey cardigan style dominating right now. I'm seeing oversized knits worn like outerwear, neat buttoned-up styles styled as tops, cropped versions with high-waisted jeans, and classic V-necks layered under coats. Below are the 13 grey cardigans I've already saved, screenshotted, or sent to the group chat—the ones that feel especially right if you're channelling that French approach to getting dressed.

Shop Grey Cardigans: