Two years at home has made most of us fall in love with the French uniform all over again. You know the look: slim-cut trousers; a dislike of obvious make-up bar a smudge of eyeliner; an obsession with boots, messy long bobs, thick jumpers and great jackets; a fondness for white shirts, Breton tops and flat shoes.
Perhaps it’s because we miss France; maybe it’s that their effortless, flattering aesthetic chimes with our new post-sofa lives. Possibly it’s because throwaway fashion suddenly feels distasteful, and all of these items can live in your wardrobe for years to come.
The happy-making thing about French style is how ageless it is; 30-year-olds and 60-year-olds often dress remarkably similarly, and mothers and daughters regularly borrow from each other’s wardrobes. The key is being unaffected, whether you’re trying to get a new job or a new lover. If in doubt, think Camille Cottin in Call My Agent, not (mon dieu) the hapless Emily from Emily in Paris.
Here are 10 items to base your wardrobe around this winter.
