Amelia Byrne
Every time I do an FAQ on Instagram I always get the question: where can I find affordable French style if I’m on a budget? This question is definitely hard to respond to because as we all know French girl style is associated with luxury which basically means high prices.
Personally, I am a fan of the “buy less, shop well” mentality and I prefer to spend a little bit more money on fewer, higher quality items than go the cheap route.
Right now, Reformation is one of the only brands offering mid-range prices and good design that you actually want to wear (and even they have gotten expensive).
Let’s talk about a few ways that you can save money when shopping for French style clothing. My first tip might be obvious to some, but I recommend that you join the mailing list of all brands you want to shop to get 10% off online purchases.
You can find so many French influenced clothing, shoe and handbag designs if you look closely! I have found amazing deals on mid-level designers by looking on online outlet shops. Well, online outlet shops are basically websites dedicated to selling lasts season’s clothing at heavy discounts. I got my Stand Studio teddy coat from The Outnet for example, at a price I probably would have paid at a low-cost retailer like The Gap, for example.
I have lots of friends who have been able to snag designer pieces here for less than half of what they would cost at retail. Either way you can surely find a great discount on affordable French style clothing on Vinted!
You can find great Breton-style striped shirts here as well as many durable French wardrobe basics. The other popular French fast fashion clothing brands include Camaieu, Pimkie, Kookai, Monoprix, and La Redoute. Kouka is a brand I recently discovered which sells bohemian French clothing at an affordable price. You might have to wait until the borders reopen, but the next time you come to Paris please take a minute to research the famous Parisian ‘stock’ shops.
A stock shop is basically a store which sells last season’s collection at a heavily discounted price. Rue de Sevigné in the Marais is a hotbed for these stores, but they’re dotted around Paris in different places.
Lastly, this might sound crazy but I found amazing, cheap French-style clothing from Australian fashion brands! There’s so much good design coming out of Australia right now and there are multiple brands that really encompass that effortless, summertime, south of France look.
I’ll be sure to update this article if I think of any more ways to find affordable French style clothing.
