Beyond the Breton Stripe: Modern French Clothing Trends Worth Trying

Ask most people to picture French style, and they will describe the same thing. A striped shirt called a Breton stripe, named after sailors from Brittany, paired with skinny jeans and a beret. That look is real, and it has been around for decades. But French clothing, meaning the broader style and fashion tradition that comes out of France, has moved on quite a bit since then.

Today’s French fashion still values simplicity, but it plays with texture, silhouette, and a bit of edge in ways the classic striped shirt never did. Interest in this evolved take on French style keeps climbing too, since fashion searches related to French girl style have grown steadily on platforms like Pinterest and TikTok over the past few years.

Here are seven specific trends driving that shift, each one a distinct look you can actually try.

Trend 1: The Undone Blazer

Structured blazers used to mean stiff shoulders and a boxy fit. The modern French fashion style softens that up. A blazer might have a slightly oversized cut, sleeves pushed up, or a top button left open instead of buttoned all the way.

This deliberately undone look is meant to feel like you threw something on without trying too hard, even though the tailoring underneath is doing real work. It shows up constantly in French style guides now, often paired with something more casual on the bottom, like straight leg jeans.

Trend 2: Leather Beyond the Jacket

Leather used to be reserved for jackets and boots in French fashion. That has expanded significantly. Leather shirts, leather blazers, and even leather trousers now appear regularly in collections that still carry that French sensibility.

The trick is balance. A leather piece gets paired with something soft, like a silk camisole or a knit sweater, so the outfit does not read as too tough or too polished all at once.

Trend 3: The Blazer as a Dress

One of the more interesting shifts is wearing a longer, more fitted blazer on its own, without pants or a skirt underneath in more casual settings, or belted over a simple slip dress for evening. This treats the blazer less like outerwear and more like the main piece of the outfit.

Brands leaning into this modern French clothing style, such as Zadig&Voltaire, have built entire lines around blazers cut specifically to work this way, with tailoring precise enough to stand alone as a statement piece rather than something layered over other clothes.

Trend 4: Rhinestones on Everyday Basics

Subtle sparkle has crept into pieces that used to be plain basics. Sweaters, cardigans, and even simple tops now sometimes carry small crystal or rhinestone details along a collar or sleeve.

This works because the sparkle stays understated rather than loud. A cardigan with a few crystal accents still reads as daytime appropriate, which fits the French approach of never looking like you tried too hard for attention.

Trend 5: Silk Blouses With a Twist

Plain silk blouses have been a French wardrobe staple for years. What has changed is the detailing. Puff sleeves, wing embroidery, or a slightly sheer panel now show up on pieces that would have been completely plain a decade ago.

These small details keep a classic silhouette from feeling dated, which matters a lot in a style tradition that already leans toward simple, timeless pieces.

Trend 6: Cognac Leather Over Classic Black

The classic black leather jacket is still around, but cognac and other warm brown tones have become just as common in recent seasons. Cropped lengths have also taken over from the longer moto styles that used to dominate.

A cropped leather jacket in a warm brown tone pairs easily with lighter colors, which makes it more versatile across seasons than the all-black version most people default to.

Trend 7: Prints in Small Doses

Traditional French style tends to avoid loud prints altogether, favoring solid colors and simple patterns. The modern version allows for more experimentation, but usually in small controlled doses, like a zebra print skirt paired with an otherwise plain black top, or a floral detail on just the trim of a garment.

This restrained approach to print keeps things from feeling overwhelming while still adding personality to an outfit that would otherwise be fairly simple.

Conclusion

French style has always been about looking put together without looking like you tried too hard, and that core idea has not changed. What has changed is the toolkit. Leather in new places, softer tailoring, small embellishments, and controlled prints have all found their way into a wardrobe that used to be defined mostly by stripes and simplicity.

If you are looking to update your own approach to French style, start small. Pick one trend from this list, whether that is a cropped leather jacket or a blazer with a slightly undone fit, and build the rest of your outfit around keeping things simple everywhere else.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.