The French Girls At Fashion Week Are Upgrading My Fall Denim

I’ve never been to Paris Fashion Week, but this fall, when a fellow style setter spots my jeans on the street, I want them to think I’m fresh from an Air France flight. (For context, French girls have top-tier taste in denim.) To get mistaken for a Parisian transplant, I’m shifting my fashion focus from the celebrity front-row circuit to the street style scene, where showgoers on the sidewalk offer enough inspiration to revamp my entire denim drawer.

Now, I’m not saying that Fashion Week fans in New York City, London, and Milan aren’t worthy of a spot on my denim mood board. In NYC, the arrivals outside Calvin Klein made a strong case for Canadian tuxedos. Meanwhile, The London Effect influenced me to give barrel jeans another go. But there’s something about the pairs in Paris (whether classic colors or relaxed legs) that makes me forget about all of my friction with jeans and go back to the beginning—of building my denim collection, that is.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

What I adore most about the jeans at Paris Fashion Week is how different they are—especially since I’m trying to step outside of my sky blue, straight-leg comfort zone. Cuffed denim was one of the first designer-tested trends to get the street style treatment; the looser the legs, the better. Most attendees rolled up the hems to reveal interesting shoes. See: razor-sharp stilettos or horsebit leather loafers.

Even if hems weren’t cuffed, French girls rejected the skintight resurgence in wide-leg bottoms. If spacious jeans stretched beyond their shoes, scuffing and potentially tearing against the Parisian sidewalk, they didn’t blink twice. The style sacrifice was well worth it. At the same time, not everyone was willing to take that risk, so stuffing extra-long hems into fall boots became a foolproof fix. And it helped the baggy bottoms look more refined in a boho-chic way.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Turns out, when cuffed and wide-leg denim migrated from NYC and London, they weren’t alone: Canadian tuxedos tagged along, too. That’s not to say that double-denim attire looked the same on Parisians. In France, mid- to dark-wash jackets and jeans were stacked over white T-shirts and tanks à la Jane Birkin. Whereas in NYC, most pro-Canadian tuxedo people kept their button-downs closed, completely concealing the layers underneath.

Yes, Birkin is the epitome of the French girl aesthetic, but less-is-more denim looks aren’t for everyone. Some picked unconventional pants that were guaranteed to turn heads, just to keep fellow showgoers and photographers on their toes. Outside Fashion Shows from Dior, Chloé, and more, sequined, patchworked, bedazzled, and striped jeans were present (even leather Western-looking chaps popped up).

Usually, to ensure the rest of their looks wouldn’t steal the show, the maximalists would dress their denim with timeless black or white tops. The stylist and content creator Tina Leung, on the other hand, couldn’t resist styling Dior‘s sequin-adorned denim with an asymmetrical, statement-making coat.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Now, my inner minimalist must give an honorable mention to the trendsetters wearing simple-on-the-surface jeans in Paris; the ones that lean more Birkin than bold. Going braless beneath a tank top, refusing to retire well-loved ballet flats, keeping it classic in a cropped trench coat, and finishing everything with a grab-and-go bag by Louis Vuitton, The Row, or Hermès is denim dressing in its Parisian prime. And that effortlessly chic energy is on full display at Fashion Week.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

All this to say? My Paris Fashion Week debut could be months or years away, but when that time comes, I plan on packing my luggage with jeans inspired by the stars of the Spring/Summer 2027 circuit. Who knows? Maybe my homage will be so strong that someone will ask me for directions to the nearest fashion show. In the meantime, the pieces below will bring a little bit of Paris to the Midwest.

Shop French-Girl Denim Inspired by Paris Fashion Week