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French street fashion -- in the literal sense of the phrase -- just refers to what residents in France wear when they're out and about. In a figurative sense, it's not so easy to explain. In fact, books abound in which authors try to explain to American gals just what French -- or Parisian -- fashion is so that they can try to emulate it. Lucky for you there are a few resources you can go to that will help you find your own French-chic style.
Street Style Blogs
Like any town or country, a person's sense of style varies -- a lot. And so what you see on the streets is going to vary a lot too. But that doesn't mean there isn't a common thread between all of these different looks. French women are known in the fashion world to have some of the most chic -- or classic -- style around and some of that style is caught by street style bloggers. These are photographers who travel to France and take pictures of the women on the street whom they think are the most interestingly or stylishly dressed. Then they upload the "oh la la" pics to their blog. It's all subjective. There's no wrong or right photo to take. But it adds up to a whole lot of style inspiration for you based on French fashion looks from the streets. Try out these two street-style blogs: The Sartorialist (thesartorialist.com) and Jak and Jil (jakandjil.com). Not every picture is from France, but the ones that are will be labeled.
French Bloggers
One of the best ways to get the inside scoop on a French woman's street style is to read about it right from the source. Besides photographers shooting photos on the streets, there are some French women with their own blogs devoted to their love of fashion and personal style. They take photos of themselves in outfits they create or take pictures of their favorite pieces. It's almost as good as sitting down for a coffee with them and being able to pick their brains yourself. Two blogs to look at are Garance Dore (garancedore.fr/en) and Le Blog De Betty (leblogdebetty.com).
French Style Books
French women tend to have a very cool, blase, attitude going about their daily business that only adds to the mystique of their fashion. Some authors have dared to delve into that mystique to deliver a guide on how to dress and live like a French woman. If you're looking for that certain je ne sais quoi to add to your wardrobe, pick one of these books and put it on your reading list. Two titles are "French Style: How to Think, Shop, and Dress Like a French Woman" and "Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange."
Your Next Vacation
It may sound extravagant, but go ahead and put your extra change jar to good use by saving up for a trip to France. Pare down your expenses by staying in youth hostels. You never know, you might just end up with fierce French style of your own and a blog to go with it. There's plenty of looks to choose from, whether it's a petite-gamine boyfriend style, a tough-girl edge or the most pared down pencil skirts and fitted jackets.
