How to Get That Je Ne Sais Quoi?

French girls have that je ne sais quoi; they always look sophisticated and mysterious. How do I get that look?
—Leigh, Knoxville, Tennessee

The only one universal trait I can share with certainty is that the mystery of French women contributes much to their beauty and vice versa. We admire French sensibilities so very much because we largely have no idea what they are. However, in general:

1. No sneakers, unless you're going for a long walk and have nothing else to wear. (Even then—where are your Tory Burch flats?) French women love shoes, but they love real shoes. One Francophile friend tells me he notices that when French women walk "their faces jiggle—because they're wearing real shoes with hard soles, not rubber soles."

2. Effortless, effortless, effortless. If you look like you spent hours in your closet coordinating an outfit, you just blew it. Forget the matchy-matchy belt-shoes-nail polish. Go with understated pieces (such as a classic pair of slim white pants) for your overall look and then throw on a flattering scarf, gorgeous pair of statement earrings or pretty brooch.

3. Ditto with the makeup. Go ahead. Wear your favorite Josie Maran tinted moisturizer or lip gloss, but any eye look that appears too meticulous will appear less than French.

4. Ditto with the hair. French women take great care with their hair, particularly when it comes to salon treatments like cuts and colors. But they also love to exude an air of I-just-let-it-air-dry-and-off-I-go. So if you can skip the blow-dryer and the curling iron, do it. (Bumble South can help much with this.)

5. Embrace your femininity. French women are unabashed about it. If you've been looking for a place to show off that über-flirty skirt (Anthropologie is full of them) or innocently sexy cotton dress, France is it.

So, in conclusion, no matter how hard you try to look French, the key is to make it look easy.

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