8 Elegant Outfits French It Girls Are Wearing With Ballet Flats Instead of Heels or Sandals

Shop them all, piece by piece.

Allyson Payer's avatar
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Published In Features
Collage of French women wearing summer outfits with ballet flats
(Image credit: @annelauremais; @tamaramory)
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Anyone who thinks that French girls wearing ballet flats is cliché clearly hasn’t seen my Instagram feed. Stylish French women love ballet flats—more than heels, sandals, loafers, sneakers—you name it. Compared to other flat shoe styles, ballet flats are quite refined, so it makes sense that they’d be the first choice of Parisians when they want to look elegant but also wear flat shoes.

The outfits highlighted below would certainly look perfectly lovely with sandals or heels, but when paired with ballerinas, the elegance is undoubtedly upped. Ballet flats are classic and subtle, never distracting from an outfit but always complementing it. They go with everything and can dress an outfit up or down, depending on the outfit.

The eight examples below are sure to come in handy if you're seeking summer outfit ideas to close out the season that are chic and require minimal effort, and yes, that are very Parisian. Scroll on to shop the key pieces needed to recreate the elegant French-girl-approved looks to wear with ballet flats.

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White Jeans Outfit

Button-Down + White Jeans + Animal-Print Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a yellow button-down, white jeans, and a pink Chanel bag with animal-print ballet flats

(Image credit: @juliesfi)

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Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan + Lace-Trimmed Miniskirt + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a light blue cardigan and lace-trimmed cream miniskirt with ballet flats

(Image credit: @tamaramory)

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Slip Skirt Outfit

Tank Top + Slip Skirt + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a white tank, check slip skirt, and Bottega Veneta woven bag with ballet flats

(Image credit: @annelauremais)

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Animal-Print Midi Skirt Outfit

White Tee + Snakeskin-Print Midi Skirt + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing TK with ballet flats

(Image credit: @vikilefevre)

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Capri-Pants Outfit

White Tank + Black Capri Pants + Raffia Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a white tank and black capri pants with raffia ballet flats

(Image credit: @juliesfi)

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Basque-Waist Dress Outfit

Basque-Waist Dress + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a long pink striped drop-waist dress with cap-toe ballet flats

(Image credit: @tamaramory)

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Pretty White Top Outfit

Pretty White Top + Jeans + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a pretty white top and jeans with ballet flats

(Image credit: @salome.mory)

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Long White Skirt Outfit

Black Long-Sleeve Top + Long White Skirt + Ballet Flats

French influencer wearing a black turtleneck and long white skirt with ballet flats

(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

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Allyson Payer
Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.