If a French Girl Wears a "Basic" Outfit, It Includes These 5 Staples

I probably don’t need sit here and go over why French girls inspire many of our daily looks. After all, I cover this set’s covetable effortless style on the regular. While I recently wrote about the "ugly” trends and Zara items Parisian women love at the moment, I thought I’d focus next on the actual staples that give those classic French outfits that je ne sais quoi.

To dive into the particulars, I tapped a French girl I follow for her chic, basic outfit ideas. Aïda Sané, the mastermind behind @basicstouch, filled me in on the items she consistently turns to when she’s building a simple yet elevated look. Her overall take on basics: "I always want to look chic, but I don’t want to throw my money toward every trend I wouldn’t wear a few months later, so I rely on five specific basics to create easy outfits.”

So with that all in mind, scrolling to uncover those staple items she relies on for her basic French outfits, and shop the essentials in question as well.

"Having a modern blazer in your wardrobe is a must if you have a meeting, an interview, or just a dinner with your friends. The basic goes with everything, but I often wear mine with my favorite pair of jeans, a basic tee, and a pair of square-toe heels.”

Shop blazers:

"I’m not a huge fan of prints, so I rely on black-and-white tees because they’re easy. I can wear my basic tees with everything from skirts to jeans to tailor pants—but I’m loving the monochromatic looks right now with all white or camel in particular.”

Shop tees:

"A trench is definitely a must in my wardrobe. While they’re great when it’s raining, I actually wear mine as an everyday coat—especially with this midseason when you don’t really know what to wear as a coat.”

Shop trench coats:

"I’m into high-waisted jeans, as they compliment my silhouette and I feel comfortable in them. Straight jeans, in particular, are the ‘skinny’ for me, as I like that they look more mature and elevated than skinny jeans—which I used to wear a lot. I wear my favorite pair from Topshop often with a basic tee, sneakers, and—depending on my mood or the weather—a blazer or trench coat.”

Shop jeans:

"I know that not everyone is a turtleneck lover as much as I am, but I’m quite sensitive to cold, so personally, I’m obsessed with them. Like the basic tee, they go with everything in my wardrobe. You look instantly chic and put together pairing one with an oversize coat and jeans, or with simple tailored pants. Again, quick and easy.”

Shop turtlenecks:

Next, check the trends French girls are skipping this season.