5 Trés Chic Ways to Dress Like a French Girl

If you want to pull off the quintessential French look, take notes from the fashion icons who invented it. Exhibit A: Brigitte Bardot's sweater/chinos/ballet flats combo with a scarf tied nonchalantly around the neck.

Shop the look: J. Crew sweater, $228; net-a-porter.com. Uniqlo x Carine Roitfeld scarf, $25; uniqlo.com.  H&M pants, $25; hm.com. M.Gemi flat, $178; mgemi.com. 

Longtime Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux (above right, next to designer) always managed to heat up her streamlined, menswear-inspired wardobe with infinite loads of sex appeal. Example: The way she turned a lace-up safari top into a sassy mini-dress and geniously accessorized with layered chokers, a low-slung grommeted belt—with a silk scarf casually tucked into it—and thigh-high boots that are so right now. Timeless, and eternally smoking hot, just like Catroux.

Shop the look: Free People choker, $38; freepeople.com. Uniqlo x Ines de la Fressange dress, $60; uniqlo.com. Halogen scarf, $68; nordstrom.com. Uniqlo x Carine Roitfeld belt, $30; uniqlo.com. Elizabeth and James bag, $345; shopbop.com. Stuart Weitzman boots, $875; shopbop.com. 

A scroll through two decades-worth of red carpet shots proves that the ageless Vanessa Paradis has stayed loyal to her own inventive twist on '20s-inspired style. Like that time the Chanel model counterbalanced a white pleated and rosette-adorned dress by layering on a boxy tuxedo blazer. Her cap-toe pumps and Lady Mary-esque headband added a flapper-vibe to the outfit and you'd never know this picture was taken over 10 years ago. (Well, maybe since Johnny Depp is in the photo.)

Shop the look: Jane Tran headband, $55; saksfifthavenue.com. Mango blazer, $80; mango.com. Opening Ceremony dress, $395; otteny.com. Valentino rose pin, $165; theoutnet.com. The Row clutch, $1,850; matchesfashion.com. Givenchy shoes, $1,295; lanecrawford.com. 

Julia Restoin Roitfeld obviously has fashion in her genes (her mom is fashion icon Carine Roitfeld, after all). But Restoin Roitfeld is a style mogul in her own right and rocks her own signature aesthetic, which can be best described as seductive, mysterious infused with an irreverrent, downtown (or Left Bank?) edge. Proof: opting for a soft pink color palette, fluffy faux fur texture and a preppy cardigan, but smoking it up with a sexy cami top and stiletto heels.

Shop the look: Only Love choker, $24; urbanoutfitters.com. Cos cardigan, $89; cosstores.com. Raey cami, $143; matchesfashion.com. Stella McCartney faux fur coat, $2,400; mytheresa.com. Clare V. clutch, $209; needsupply.com. Topshop jeans, $65; topshop.com. 

The actress, Chloe model, and everyone's fashion crush is like the cross-Channel Alexa Chung when it comes to understated style (and that perfecty mussed hair we all desperately want to emulate). So no surprise that she took a classic, oft-worn ensemble—a nautical striped top, a khaki trench, and flares—and made it look so fresh and oh-so-copy-able all over again. Her two simple tricks: rolling up the cuffs of her Breton top with the coat and scrunching it all up at the elbows for a relaxed effect. A leopard print clutch (versus an expected, structured ladylike bag) adds a fierce finishing touch.

Shop the look: Burberry coat, $1,895; net-a-porter.com. H&M top, $18; hm.com. Mother jeans, $248; otteny.com. Topshop clutch, $60; nordstrom.com. Dear Frances boot, $660; dearfrances.com.