These Are the Five Rules of Good Taste Every French Woman Knows

There is a certain mythology attached to French women. You know… the undone hair, the perfectly cut blazer, or the ability to look composed at 9 a.m. on métro line 9 and magnetic at midnight in Saint-Germain. After years of covering shows, interviewing designers and observing women on the streets of Paris during fashion week and on ordinary Tuesdays alike, I can tell you this: what the world calls “French style” has very little to do with fantasy and a great deal to do with discipline.

This image did not appear out of nowhere. Cinema and fashion built it carefully. The sensual ease of Brigitte Bardot, the controlled elegance of Catherine Deneuve, the razor-sharp silhouettes of Betty Catroux, and the studied nonchalance of Jane Birkin, together shaped a global archetype. International media amplified it until “the French woman” became almost fictional.

Reality is more complex. Not every French woman lives in neutral tailoring with a basket bag on her arm. France is diverse, regional, and generational. Some embrace maximalism, others streetwear, and others do not care about fashion at all. Yes, they really exist! And yet, beneath the variety, a shared foundation often emerges. A sense of proportion. A tendency to edit and make the outfit more sophisticated with small touches. A preference for clothes that feel aligned with the wearer. What one calls good taste, another may call boring. Taste is subjective.