7 Chic Ways French Women Wear a Basic T-Shirt

If you think about it, the pillars of the average French woman's wardrobe are basics. You've got jeans, blazers, ankle boots, cardigans, midi dresses, miniskirts, and of course, T-shirts. French women are not sloppy dressers by nature, so you won't see most of them throwing on a baggy T-shirt, leggings, and flip-flops and calling it a day. Their T-shirt outfits are simple, but you can tell some thought went into them.

I don't know about you, but pretty much all I want to wear lately are T-shirts, and I'm in need of some fresh inspiration. So I scrolled through Instagram for a good 75 minutes (yep) and found seven T-shirt outfits that I've spotted on repeat on French women. Keep scrolling to shop the easy pieces needed to recreate them for yourself.

Graphic Tee + Pleated Miniskirt + Sneakers

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(Image credit: @aude_julie)

Aside from the fact that pleated skirts are back, in general, this outfit is something fun and different to add into your T-shirt outfit rotation.

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Blazer + T-Shirt + Long Shorts + Sporty Sandals

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(Image credit: @louloudesaison)

This outfit is filled with so many trends (oversize blazer, long shorts, sporty sandals, chain necklace) yet it still looks so classic.

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Ribbed T-Shirt + Wide-Leg Pants + Sneakers

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(Image credit: @claire_most)

If you need a break from wearing jeans, wide-leg pants are a great, summer-friendly alternative. Any shoe style will work here, but sneakers are great for obvious comfort-related reasons.

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White T-Shirt + Denim Cutoffs + Ballet Flats

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

All of these outfits are great, but this is probably the one I'll wear the most this summer. The shorts are the perfect length, the T-shirt is the perfect amount of slouchy, and the accessories are the perfect amount of elevated.

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Graphic Tee + Black Skinny Jeans + Animal-Print Boots

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(Image credit: @tamaramory)

This outfit may not be groundbreaking but French girls love it and it works every time.

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Trench Coat + T-Shirt + Loose Jeans + Chunky Boots

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(Image credit: @annelauremais)

This combination of pieces proves that a trenchcoat need not be boring. When paired with the distressed jeans and cool accessories, it's anything but.

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Blazer + Concert Tee + Jeans + Boots

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(Image credit: @lenafarl)

The French love their blazers and jeans. To make it a bit more fun, wear them with a concert tee and statement boots.

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Next up, the eight staples French girls would never toss.

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. 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.