What French Women Over 60 Actually Wear (I Just Spent Two Weeks in France)
We just returned last night from two fabulous weeks in France. I’ve been following the “French woman” content rabbit hole for years. So when we landed in Paris, and then spent two weeks driving through Burgundy and Provence,I watched closely. Not the cafés tourists photograph, but the women at the market in St Remy, the ones shopping at the Boulangerie in Beaune, or boutique shopping in Lourmarin. I came home with different thoughts about what french women over 60 actually wear.
What French Women Over 60 Actually Wear (I Just Spent Two Weeks in France)
They are not wearing heels…
Not in Paris, not in the villages, not anywhere. Sneakers (clean, usually white or neutral ) low ankle boots, or flat sandals. French women walk a lot in shoes that make that possible. The influencer version of the French woman tottering through cobblestones in kitten heels are an American fantasy. I am so glad I didn’t buy into it. French women walk everywhere. Sneakers are their friend.
Their clothes are quiet…
Solid colors, almost exclusively. Navy, cream, camel, olive, black. A well-cut trouser, a simple blouse, a jacket that’s been worn enough to belong to them. Patterns were rare enough that when I saw one, I noticed. There’s a kind of confidence in wearing something that doesn’t ask to be looked at.
The scarf is their signature accessory
The uber-stylish Linda V Wright in an outfit from her boutique Crimson Cashmere. You can follow Linda on Instagram here.
Almost every stylish French woman over 60 that I saw was wearing a scarf, as naturally as a second layer in their own signature way. Linda V Wright embodies this spirit.
Shop My Favorite Scarves
Shop Cheap Chic Zara Scarves
But here’s what Instagram gets wrong: it’s not the latest carefully tied Hermès moment. It’s a soft cotton or wool rectangle, knotted loosely at the throat or draped over one shoulder, worn the way you’d throw on a cardigan. Completely uncontrived. The scarf wasn’t finishing the outfit, it was the outfit’s personality.
I came home a more confirmed “scarfaholic”. If you’ve been scarf-curious but not sure where to start, these are the ones I’d reach for first.
Gray hair is everywhere..
And I do mean everywhere, silver, white, that beautiful steel blue-gray. Women are not hiding it. They’re not “going gray gracefully” as a brand moment. They just have gray hair. It’s not a statement.
Their faces look like their faces…
This one stopped me. Makeup that looks minimal, maybe a swipe of lipstick & blush. Even on the young I did not see the caterpillar eyelashes we see here in the states. And very little of the frozen, pulled, over-filled work that’s become so common in American women of a certain means. These women look their age in the best possible way: like themselves, with good bones and a life behind them. If they had a facelift you would never know it.
A note on shopping: I skipped the usual Paris suspects and sought out small boutiques in the Marais, where boutique hunting felt more like discovery than retail. I found a Gérard Darel scarf I’d been admiring for month, and paid half what I would have at home. I wore it three times before we left France.
The real shopping surprise was the small village of Lourmarin, which was my favorite village for shopping. Charming small shops, nothing predictable. I found an embroidered dress by a French designer I didn’t know, which is exactly the kind of find that makes the trip worth it.
In Bonnieux, I bought a beautiully made linen dress from a family run business (Luberone) in a unique color, I also tumbled into a tiny shop run by a former French television correspondent. Her shelves were filled with pieces gathered from decades of travel. I left with a necklace she’d brought back from Africa years ago. It’s the kind of thing you can’t source online and can’t replicate, collected with a story.
The influencer version of the French woman is a costume. The real one is a woman who’s figured out what works for her, owns her own style, and stopped negotiating with trends. That’s the part worth actually stealing.
What struck me most wasn’t any single element. It was the absence of effort on display. Not because they don’t care they do, but because the caring happened quietly, privately, over decades of knowing themselves. The result looks like ease because it is ease. They’ve long since stopped negotiating with trends, stopped auditioning new versions of themselves, stopped asking whether something is of the moment. They simply know what’s theirs.
That’s what a collected personal style actually looks like in the wild. Not a capsule wardrobe built from a checklist. Not an aesthetic assembled from someone else’s Pinterest board. A woman who has edited herself down to what is genuinely, unmistakably her.
The influencer version of the French woman is a costume anyone can buy. The real one took a lifetime to build. That’s the most inspiring thing I saw in two weeks of looking. What French Women Over 60 Actually Wear is confidence.
Further Reading:
The Collected Wardrobe How to Build a Personal Style That Tells Your Story
New York Times-How Can I Style my Scarf Like a Frenchwoman
I will be back on Thursday with a long overdue refresh of my laundry room!!
Cindy,
I love these observations! Talk about aging gracefully and owning it. This is something I can get behind and aspire to.
A coincidence – this morning when reading your post, I was wearing a sweatshirt that I bought at the DGL Boutique in Lourmarin a year ago . I recognized the photo of the storefront. My friend bought a couple of necklaces there. We were taken with lovely shop owner, and we were wishing we could channel her style. It was just as you described.
Cindy, Thank you for your post on real French fashion! We are all so bombarded with the “French Influencer style, I often say to myself, “Nice, but where would I wear that?” You have shown us reality – something often lost on the web!
There are so many blog post about dressing like a French woman and I was always skeptical, didn’t feel genuine. You expressed exactly my impression of those blogs when you said, “The influencer version of the French woman is a costume anyone can buy.” That’s it! They looked like they were in costume. Thanks for sharing the reality.
This is a really great summary of French women and their style. I agree the bloggers trying to tell
what to wear are missing the point. The French lady dresses in what pleases her and has learned what looks good on her body. Style ranges from bohemian to tailored classic and many in between . I feel like a “ French capsule” is anathema to the whole French aesthetic.
Speaking of embracing your own style, I have been so inspired with your color posts.
I have invested in the blue yellow and red group you put together. It really is me and I have gotten so many compliments. It is my summer go to this year
Thanks for your great blog
I have yet to visit France but it is on my bucket list. I follow a few French influencers and have noted their easy style…their uniform of choice. They always look put together but without any fuss. I love that they linger at cafes, enjoying the small pleasures of life. We always seem to be rushing. I think I need to book a trip once I’m back from Portugal. Will ups be doing a post on where you went, where you stayed, ate, etc?
You didn’t mention making a visit to Linda’s wonderful store, Crimson Cashmere. It’s a treat to purchase any one of the beautiful scarves she’s carries, many by Pierre Louis Mascia, positively drool worthy. The added benefit every time you wear it is that it reminds you of Paris🥰 🇫🇷
Thank you for saying this. We have family in France (but not Paris) and I have spent quite a few years there. The “French Style” thing here in the USA is completely false, contrived, and probably dreamed up by people who never travel. There are so many women who want to believe it that calling it out as nonsense has gotten me snapped at a few times. French women dress for comfort and function, and the style aspect is a by-product of good taste.
Oh what a great post. It’s been too long since we were in France so this certainly has me thinking it’s time for a return trip, I share your love of all things linen, scarves and a boho vintage style. I hope one of your next posts will have you modeling your great finds from the trip. They all sound unique and amazing!
I so appreciated The Collected Wardrobe! And I got the denim topper – it looked really good with the scarf that you used! I have gone to Paris one time many years ago, when my “fashion sense” was very different. I really like the way they dress now. This was a great post!
Cindy Thank you for this post. One thing I noticed during my visits to France was that shelves are stocked with beauty products in major cities and yet many women don’t wear or appear to wear much of it. I saw a lot of young women with messy hair and red lipstick smoking outside cafes. I learned that closets , if one has one, are small and apartments very small compared to American standards so the amount of clothing might be minimal. No closets are common so you have to go to IKEA to create one. This is particularly true in old buildings…or you find an antique piece to hold your clothing in. Each clothing purchase must work many ways. In the countryside the lack of salons and manicurists is notable. The weather is harsh at times and keeping your skin from drying out is a task. Walking everywhere you begin to lose weight as it is an ‘unconscious’ exercise plan. The servings are smaller than American ones. A comment from a relative who came on my last trip was ‘What are people doing just sitting around?’ They are not in a rush, having a glass of wine and enjoying life was my reply to him. We are so on schedule here that it was a stunner to see cafes filled with not just tourists relaxing. Looking forward to more of your observations. Donnie
Hi Donnie
So true! The one thing that shocked us was that so many of the young people are smoking, which is so distressing. I loved lingering over a glace of wine and dinner as an event rather than a task!! I also love the fact that there is very little take out food…hence trash is not everywhere…
Thank you for this. We’ve been to France (Provence, Burgundy, Paris, Côte d’Azur) at least 7 times. But last trip was 10 years ago! Best people watching anywhere. And a great sense of style. Not just in clothing or boutique windows but even the local patisseries, cheese shops, butcher shops.
On my first trip (to Provence, in 1995) I also got a lesson about appropriate dress. It was September, warm, and I made the mistake of wearing shorts to a market in a smallish town. They were knee length, loose, and a muted, darker earth-tone plaid. Was wearing a lightweight denim jacket and T. Definitely not “beach shorts” and I thought they were respectful of the rural setting, time of year and temperature. I was in my early 40s and a local woman shopping at the market, probably in her mid 60s gave me a stern scowl of disapproval! Of course, it also could have been the denim jacket that generated the scowl.
Hi Sheila
Ha ha….I didn’t see many shorts but it also wasn’t quite shorts weather. I found the French very friendly and acommodating as well.
How delightful! I loved reading this Cindy–thank you for the reality check. Love the tips and choices. I haven’t been to any French villages for any length of time so this was a really wonderful read.
Hi Sally
It was our first trip but not our last! We had a wonderful time.
Thank you for your good observations and for putting them into words. When I was in Paris recently, I think most of the women I saw were tourists so couldn’t judge them as well as who you saw outside of the city. I learned from my high school French teacher about wardrobe philosophy . My teacher only had about 5 outfits that she wore again and again but they were tailored and nice quality so they held up. She was married to a man in medical school so didn’t have a big budget but what she had was certainly nicer than what most other women of her age were wearing.
Welcome home!
Hi Wren
We need to meet for lunch!!
Thank you for sharing your perspective! It’s great to hear from someone who was there and watched. Just what I would hope to make my wardrobe like – me!
Hi Nan
Absolutely!!
Hello Cindy,
You are so right ! My sister in law is French and always looks so chic. Your “finds” in France sound absolutely wonderful. Love Linda and following her on Instagram. Enjoy being home after such a gorgeous trip! xo
Hi Francesca
They do have such natural style..
Cindy, I loved your “What French Women Over 60 Wear” article! I’ve visited France a few times and also noticed the ease of living they seem to have and the natural confidence they exude. Your eyelash comment made me laugh because I completely understood it – lol – and I’ve always admired the grace with which they embrace aging. I bet you had a super fabulous trip! I always enjoy your posts.
Hi Kelli
So glad you enjoyed it!! I don’t understand those eyelashes I have to admit. They are so unnatural looking.
As a decades long Francophile I have long admired how women are taught to eat well and dress well without over consuming. I love the French approach to fashion, exercise which is organic, minimal makeup, and of course seasonal food. Your trip looked wonderful.
Amen to everything you commented on JoAnn!
Cindy, I’m so jealous! Two weeks in France…that is the dream.
Thank you for this post. It was wonderful and affirming. The U.S. only embraces youth. Aging gracefully here is not the norm any more. Disappointing.
Thank you again and welcome home 🙂
Hi Lisa
I have made no secret of having a lower facelift a few years ago but if I had not broiled myself in the sun for so many years I would not have needed it. I think everyone should do what makes them happy but keeping it natural is best.
France is always a joy to visit. Your comments on Women Dressing over 60 years of age is so informative. I have always tried to keep my wardrobe simple and the scarves have been part of my wardrobe for many years. I’m almost 80 and thankfully in good health. Enjoy your day.
Hi Helene
I took very few clothes and wore them over and over. My scarves saved me!
So wonderful to know that women somewhere in the world are just being real and living their lives far from the sound and fury of 2026 social media and everything else
Hi K
So true!!
I loved this post and your insights. My father lived in the France the last 30 years of his life — and every time he’d return home to the states for a visit, he’d comment on how French women were so different from American women. What was it, I’d ask? He could never explain. I think you hit on the key points of that certain je ne sais quoi we admire.
Hi Bette
It is hard to explain…