Elegance and style walk hand in hand. When matching our outfits, we have to change our mindset as to look as beautiful and elegant as we possibly can.

Impulsive Purchases

Pairing your outfits doesn’t mean that you have to look outside of your home for a matching piece. You don’t need to go to the nearest store and start buying clothes or accessories that you’ll be using once or twice to combine the same colours in order to create an awesome outfit.  It’s all about using what you have for a unique style. If you’re buying an item, make sure that that item will complement other outfits you already have in your closet.

Foundational Steps to Pair Your Outfits

1. Base – A base attire that is typically neutral in colour. Suits, dresses, trousers, skirts and blazers all make wonderful bases. You don’t need to have lots of them. Less is more, so three black blazers or six black dresses are not necessary or needed.
2. Accentuation pieces – These are the garments you will wear with your base clothing. A tip for them – use neutral hues like your base garments.
3. Pop Items – Shoes, handbags that complement your wardrobe.

Timeless Clothing

You start standing out when you do not blend in with the rest. When making purchases, invest in a wardrobe that will always make a great impression throughout the years.

You can find great deals in thrift stores and flea markets (car boot sales if you’re in the UK!). It’s about finding treasures and quality items where most people may not look.

Colours and Fabrics

There are some colours that are distinguished when dressing in French chic. Below you can see some basic colours that stand out.

Navy

A dark colour – can be an alternative for those who don’t wish to wear black. If you’re bored of wearing black all the time, try navy. It matches wonderfully with white.

Prints

You should always strive for simplicity. So when buying clothing in prints, always choose simple prints. Breton stripes are also a good alternative too if you don’t want to wear prints.

Animal Prints

For French chic, these limit themselves only to belts, scarfs and shoes. Anything more than that (ie. a top) would not look good.

Fabrics

Quality of the fabric is key as the weather changes. It’s always best to invest a bit more money and buy something of very good quality that will last much longer than buying inferior quality, leading you to having to replace your clothing every couple of months.

What is the Secret with the Colours?

French women are practical with colours. There is a set of basic and neutral colours that you need to have in your wardrobe – black,navy blue, gray, white, burgundy and dark green  – and red, don’t forget red, a staple colour.

Having your basic colours on hand, you can start matching various combinations – White can be matched with grey, navy with burgundy or even navy and camel. Red with grey or beige – Go beyond black and white!

Neutral colours have to be invested – so get valuable pieces of them. Then purchase other clothing in unusual colours.

You can also match your clothes by using several hues of the same colour. The main principle is two or three colours maximum. Mixing four and five colours is too showy.

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