Not Jeans, Not Ballet Flats—This Is the Chic Wardrobe Basic That Literally Every French Woman Owns

As someone who recently returned from a swift jaunt to Paris, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t the abundance of glamorous brasseries or bespoke vintage stores that had me besotted.

Instead, it was the countless French lingerie stores I passed in my travels that drew me in, much like a moth to a very chic flame. Whether it was in the streets of Le Marais, peppered with wine bars, or the more bourgeois avenues like Boulevard Saint-Germain, each arrondissement I visited had a menagerie of boutiques showcasing lacy balconette bras and satin chemises so beautifully made that it hardly feels right to keep them hidden under clothing.

You see, when it comes to what's going on beneath our outfits, the French truly do it best. From the clubs of Montmartre, a setting made famous by the slinky costuming of the 2001 movie-musical Moulin Rouge!, to the racy boudoirs depicted in New Wave films starring the likes of Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, lingerie has always played a crucial role in the daily habit of dressing.

Tantamount to a pair of classic straight-leg jeans or the perfect pair of Repetto ballet flats, a well-crafted and attractive thong is considered with the same amount of attention and detail given to all the other elements that make up the effortlessly elegant ensembles of French women.

Of course, for a culture so imbued with sensuality, much can be gleaned from the way the best French lingerie brands approach the category. There’s no shame or self-consciousness levelled at discussing or selecting the set one might be wearing, and the only trace of secrecy that arises is ensuring that there’s still a veil of mystery kept for any potential paramour to uncover.

This seductive ethos is miles apart from the more conservative way British women approach underwear. (Bridget Jones choosing her tightening and smoothing "absolutely enormous knickers" for an impromptu first date with Daniel Cleaver calls to mind.)

That’s not to say that every woman from the Côte d'Azur to Biarritz is walking around in sheer bustiers or bikini briefs adorned with delicate embroidery. Rather, just that French lingerie styles encourage a little more thoughtfulness and elegance from the first garments we put on every day. This sense of finding romance in the mundane is a lesson I think we can all embrace. There’s really no act of self-love like trading in the three-pack of beige knickers you might’ve picked up for a fiver for something designed with a little more care.

That’s at least what I learned during my stay in the City of Lights. After perusing these brands in person and picking up a few pieces from labels like Simone Pérèle and emerging names such as Eres, I’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the best French lingerie brands that will have you feeling more confident, cosmopolitan and chic from the moment you slip into them. As they say, profitez-en bien!

The 7 Best French Lingerie Brands

1. Simone Pérèle

Style Notes: The late 1940s were a transformative time for French fashion. It was a period that saw Christian Dior present his magnum opus New Look collection, which revolutionised the way women dressed post-war through the introduction of the undulating Bar Jacket, which nipped at the waist and protruded around the hips. And whilst the Monsieur couturier had the silhouette covered with this revolutionary curvature, elsewhere across Paris, another metamorphosis was happening with the launch of Simone Pérèle.

Having trained as a corset maker, the eponymous designer unveiled her self-titled lingerie atelier and ushered in an era of liberating and decorative garments. Today, the brand is helmed by Pérèle’s grandchildren and has since expanded into sleepwear, shapewear, sportswear and even swimwear. Yet, all are still crafted through the brand’s trademark delicate lens.

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2. Chantelle

Style Notes: It often feels that French lingerie brands are imbued with an old-world sensibility, as if the elegance and gauzy nature of the pieces insist they date back to a time far more nostalgic and decadent than ours. (Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, anyone?). For Chantelle, this sentiment rings truer than ever, with the brand founded over 149 years ago in 1876.

The Paris of this era was one of great change, and this label pioneered the way women approached undergarments, shifting away from rigorous and stiff corsetry that clung to the ribcage and towards malleable fabrics that supported and softened appearances. In 1949, Chantelle famously introduced a revolutionary version of the girdle, with a memorable slogan that promised it would never creep up the legs thanks to a new elastic fabric known as Kretz tulle. It's this kind of innovation and focus on tactility that keeps it a favourite today.

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3. Eres

Style Notes: The sparkling turquoise beaches of Saint-Tropez in the 1970s might be synonymous with a kind of hedonism and debauchery that would make one think lingerie would be obsolete, but the contrary is actually true. This is what Eres proves with its refined swimwear and iconic underwear styles. Evoking the essence of this blissful paradise, the brand’s cuts are inspired by vintage shapes and made with an ambient colour palette that’s balmy to its core.

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4. Ysé Paris

Style Notes: Given that the skin is the body’s largest organ, it’s best that the pieces in the closet contact with it be made with both comfort (and on a separate but important note, the planet) in mind. Enter Ysé Paris. With a business model that focuses on exclusive drops and prioritises circularity and transparency through production, the sustainable lingerie label has garnered a cult following for its evocative capsule drops.

Each launch tells a story, from the gamine essence of The Daily Promise, which follows a cosy and languid houseguest, to The Precious Lingerie, a tale of summery repose. As the brand says, "Choosing your lingerie is about being free, free to be sexy one day, comfy the next… free to embrace your desires, whether they be fleeting or lifelong."

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5. Carine Gilson

Style Notes: Savoir-faire is inherent to French lingerie, and no brand showcases its know-how better than Carine Gilson. Named after the designer herself, the label fuses everyday dressing requirements with haute couture, crafting pieces that are as precisely made as they are heavenly to look at. Enchanting and exceptional, styles range from lustrous silk-satin robes featuring painstakingly sheer lace appliqué and metallic-esque nightdresses that move as spectacularly as the beaches of the Côte Sauvage. (Very Phantom Thread-coded!)

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6. Yasmine Eslami

Style Notes: You can tell a lot about a person based on their underwear, and if the customers of French lingerie brand Yasmine Eslami had to be summed up, I would use the following description: lighthearted, Pét-nat-sipping cool girls who shop at Nuovo and never shy away from a statement lip.

The designer, who cut her teeth working at Eres and Vivienne Westwood, and even held a post as a stylist at Purple Magazine, has garnered a legion of acolytes with her candy-coloured and transparent styles. Whilst seduction certainly is a byproduct of her designs, it’s not the starting point. Instead, the pieces are rooted in movement, flair and ease in a true commitment to joie de vivre.

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7. Maison Lejaby

Style Notes: As one of the oldest French lingerie brands, Maison Lejaby creates an underwear wardrobe that has truly served every iteration of the modern woman. Born in 1930, the brand originally drew inspiration from the femme fatales who were dramatically shaking up what could be considered acceptable definitions of womanhood.

Taking to these vampy silver-screen starlets, the brand made a name for itself with a range of voluptuous negligees, suspender belts and briefs. Now, you can still find these staple pieces sitting alongside more contemporary shapes, like tulle briefs with a leavers-lace band and a floral-print non-wired triangle bra.

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How Is French Lingerie Different to Other Lingerie?

If you’ve ever tried on a pair of Celine jeans or a Sézane trench coat, you’ll notice that these French fashion brands are unique in the way they fit like a glove and don’t try too hard with countless design elements. French lingerie is much the same. Designed to adhere to your body’s contours, these are styles that are as easy to wear and flattering to the form as they are effortless to style. In turn, these expertly finished and precisely manufactured pieces are intended to make you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all because of how comfortable and fitted they are to your body. For example, expect seams that glide along the surface of your skin, never poking or prodding.

French lingerie also operates under an ethos of "veiled seduction"—or séduction voilée—which is the act of toying between modesty and provocation through something like a trim or strap that’s left intentionally exposed. This is something that has emerged more prominently with the likes of Miu Miu’s bullet bra or the reprisal of peekaboo panties, so a simple exposed hem or accent is a way to embrace the codes of French lingerie without actually investing in it yourself.

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