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.
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.
Shop My Favorite Scarves
Shop Cheap Chic Zara Scarves
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 months, 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.
What struck me most wasn’t any single element. It was the absence of effort on display. Not because they don’t care , 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!!
Thank you that was refreshing to hear.
’ve enjoyed traveling (vicariously) along with you in France and so interesting that the French seem to embrace ‘less is more’ in their lifestyle. Your observations are inspiring (as well as your scarf collection!) Goals!
Hi Zoe
I am admittedly a scarfaholic! Check out the beautiful ones at Zara in todays post!!
Well, thanks for introducing me to Darel Gerard you definitely peaked my curiosity because I end up loving whatever you admire. I even went ahead and paid full price for a scarf I fell in love with at Bloomingdale’s. So thanks for that You’re an expensive but fabulous friend with impeccable taste. Also didn’t realize Zara had such great scarves did some damage there too. Honestly, please stay home. read more https://glamicia.com
Cindy, this post sure resonated with me. You are spot on from start to finish. I am so weary of quite a few “influencers” who “specialize” in Paris (or France in general) and seem to think that an almost caricatured version of the French/Parisian woman is accurate! THE shoes, THE handbag, THE capsule wardrobe, shopping from THE store…..It’s almost comical. We travel overseas often, and for these influencers to stuff women in a certain locale into a little box simply does not do them justice, nor is it accurate. As you captured so beautifully, it is really the attitude, approach and philosophy that influence clothing choices one sees abroad, not a cookie-cutter mentality. I know y’all had a superlative trip and have arrived home with some wonderful inspiration. Thank you for the wonderful post.
Cindy, thank you for your discerning eye and independent, thoughtful observations.
What a breath of fresh air! Thoughtful style, rational choices: French women are a model of style for me now. This is such superior reporting, rather than pressure to buy.
Glad you enjoyed France and what a very insightful post about French women. Am a sucker for Gerard Darel and even though they are old, can’t bear parting with two of his dresses. Sold my Hermes scarves at an auction house several years ago (I did keep the red and black Pampas one, but never wear it). What looks ok in your 30s, can quickly look rather frumpy in one’s 50s and 60s. Can’t bring myself to letting my hair go grey yet and am off for a lower CO2 fractionated carbon laser of my lower face next month. I just feel that there is a fine line between ageing naturally and ‘throwing in the towel’.
I’ve enjoyed traveling (vicariously) along with you in France and so interesting that the French seem to embrace ‘less is more’ in their lifestyle. Your observations are inspiring (as well as your scarf collection!) Goals!
Loved reading your reactions to your trip to France…what’s not to love??!!! Because we love Provence, we found as we aged it was better for Hubby & me to locate in a specific town (that was L’isl sur la Sorgue for us). We used that as a base for day trips, exploring the Luberon/Vaucluse region. In planning your next trip, you might be interested in reading Shutters and Sunflowers blog. The writer has a home for rent in Lourmarin with a link on her home page. This might look appealing to you now that you are familiar with the various towns/villages/vineyards. Just a suggestion as you look forward to your next trip.
Also, whenever I need a “Provence fix” when home, I watch a Ridley Scott 2006 movie with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, “A Good Year”. Maybe you know it?
Thank you for all of your posts. Love following you.
Welcome home! But it’s so hard to leave France! I loved reading about your trip and your fashion observations. I visit a European destination every year (Northern Italy in November) and always look for a beautiful scarf and a piece of jewelry as a keepsake. In Paris, antique carnelian earrings. A vintage silk scarf from Amsterdam. The sweetest Liberty of London Tana Lawn paisley bandana. They’re easily packed and wearing them brings back wonderful memories!
Hi Andrea
Thank you! It’s so fun to bring back mementos from our travels isn’t it?
Well, thanks for introducing me to Darel Gerard. Of course you peaked my curiosity because I love what ever you admire. So I paid full price for one of his scarves that I fell in love with at Bloomingdales. So thanks a lot. You’re an expensive but fabulous friend. You have the best most interesting taste. I love it. I also didn’t realize what great scarves they have at Zara’s . Did some damage there also. Honestly. Please stay home.
Hi Sandra
You are hysterical!! You can find Gerard Darel on velstaire collective, ebay, poshmark and the likes too!!
Now you tell me. Actually I really fell in love with one of his scarves and just had to go for it. I find that a large cotton scarf around my neck keeps me so warm.
This is ONE OF MY FAVORITE POSTS! Welcome home from a fabulous trip!!!!!
I love the whole European model: walking everywhere, eating really good that hasn’t been chemically altered, family gatherings , quiet elegance and a natural beautiful look. They just live without trying to surpass or keep up with the Jones’s (seemingly). I noticed that even years ago when I first visited Europe.
Now… I want to hear what you ate and I want to see what you bought!!!!!!
Thank you for the post, Cindy!
Hi Dianne
More to come. I just don’t want to bore everyone ha ha!!
‘It was the absence of effort on display.’ That’s it, isn’t it?
It’s a pared-down elegance, uncontrived and suited to nothing more than their own desires on any one day. I love French simplicity, I love that they own elder age with no artifice – a scarf, a little bag, or a straw basket and I especially respect the way they let their faces age with them mostly without surgery or cosmetic enhancement. I’m so glad you picked up on all of this and wrote so clearly about it.
Now I can’t wait to see you style what you purchased!
Of course you said it so well Prue! If only I could write like you!!
Great posting on what French women wear. Im also a scarf girl. Love scarves and maybe have a serious scarf “collecting” addiction. Like trying all kinds of tying and probably wear one with every outfit.
Just as an aside, had a big issue with the article from NY times. Could never read it because their ads just wouldn’t let me. Too bad!
Hi Kathleen
Oh darn it. Let me see if I can copy and paste and email it to you! I consider myself a serious scarfaholic!!
Please send to me also. I’m embarrassed by y scarf drawer (s)
OmG I have scarf baskets!!!
Hi Katherine
Welcome to the scarf club!!
I love the look and idea of French women just being themselves. No pretense.
Lately I have felt that when I am finished with makeup and hair I just feel old.
I would love to give myself permission to just be natural but can’t quite give in.
I am tired of coloring my hair and it thinning on the top. I don’t feel my makeup helps. As I said, wish I could just be me, more confident and relaxed with myself. Love your inspiration!😊
Hi Jes
We all know what you are feeling. You are not alone by any means. I do the same thing…put on my makeup and think…yikes not so good!! Go to Sephora or Nordstrom and have them help you with your makeup. I am makeup handicapped as well. I think less is more at our age. It is all a work in progress. Email me anytime Jess. I hear you!!
I go to France almost every year and I think your observations are spot on. I am not happy in neutrals so do not adapt the French ladies philosophy for myself but I think they look great. I will add that women of a certain age still get appreciative glances from French men long after we have become invisible to the home grown guys. Vive La France! So glad you enjoyed your trip.
Hi Penelope
There is more of a respect and appreciation for age…for sure…
I don’t think this is a French thing. Confident women in their own skin, who have lived life and are thankful that they have been blessed to age look like this. It’s about quality, comfort, and not being ostentatious. It’s about growing up……
Great observation Barbara…spot on…
Being natural looks youthful. When you add a lot of clay to face you look cheap and desperate. Same for clothes. Don’t give me bold flower clothes….lol Looking forward to seeing your photos of France.
Hi Cindy, I love your observations regarding seeing so many women just wearing their natural gray hair -no fanfare, just living their lives. I saw this too; in France and Italy and it prompted me to let my hair go natural gray after 30+ years of coloring my hair. I did that several years ago and have no regrets. The women that I noticed in Europe seemed to have a natural ease about them and I wanted that for myself. Thanks for a great post and view into your travels in France.
Loved this Cindy. You always have the unique eye for details that matter! Hope you have some photos of those looks . Looking forward to more.
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?
Hi Joanna
Yes!! In the next couple weeks! I don’t want to bore everyone with my trip all at once!!
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🥰 🇫🇷
Hi Vicky
We were basically in Paris two and 1/2 days! Not long enough for me but perfect for my husband ha ha…I had hoped to make it to Linda’s store but failed to. I have purchased from her though!!
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!
Cindy, you put into words exactly what I observed in France over two weeks last year. It was easy to sort out the tourists and focus on the real French women. No jeans. Well cut trousers or long flowy skirts. Tasteful scarves. And quality handbags not shouting designer labels. Gerard Darel was one of my favorite shops. Thanks for pulling all your observations together.
Hi Chris
Love Gerard Darel scarves! Couldn’t agree more with your observations
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…