The Secret to French Girl Cool? Lingerie

Chioma Nnadi

Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Adjani

The essence of French girl style is as elusive as it is legendary: They don't diet, they don't follow trends, and they'll rarely admit to using a hairbrush, let alone a blow dryer. Peel back the layers of cool and you'll find a unifying truth at the heart of that je ne sais quoi, and it's one that's neatly folded in the lingerie drawer. "I think what you wear underneath you clothes is a reflection of your style and how you see the world," says stylist and designer Daphne Javitch. "Whether it's Charlotte Gainsbourg or Françoise Hardy, when you look at these women there's a sense that they are comfortable in their own skin. There's nothing pushed up or padded there." Along with American beauties like Lauren Hutton, French style icons have been prominent on Javitch's mood board since the inception of her label Ten Undies, and her simple triangular bralettes and high-waisted briefs are like something out of a 1960s New Wave film.


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As Eres designer Valérie Delafosse will tell you, the French have a long and storied love affair with lingerie, one that ironically starts with the corset. "I'd say it really began after the 1968 student revolution in Paris, when women were burning their bras," says Delafosse. "Lingerie after that time was all about being natural and at ease with the one's body-and it has stuck. The notion of a padded bra or molded cup has no personality for us. Why should our breasts all look the same? It's robotic." Lou Doillon, who first starred in the label's swimwear and lingerie campaigns more than ten years ago, is arguably the poster child of the look, along with models like Caroline de Maigret. They'll wear their boyfriend's shirts unbuttoned down to their navel with an unlined lace bra peeking through.


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But does that laissez-faire style really hold up for women who wear a size bigger than a gamine A-cup? Delafosse would argue that a supportive bra needn't be packed with padding or heavy-duty wire, and many of their pieces come with a wireless banding system that supports without giving an artificially sculpted or molded silhouette. Boutique owner and new mom Laure Hériard Dubreuil, who lives between France and the U.S., would agree. According to her, the look ultimately brings cultural differences around the notion of sexy to the surface. "I love the way that American women take care of themselves, but I think in France we embrace the idea of imperfections a lot more," says the Webster cofounder. "Our idea of sexy is more subtle. When you're wearing push-up, it can be too obvious." Striking a balance between comfort and Old World allure is key-think a simple blush-colored bra made from the dentelle lace that has been produced in Calais, France, for centuries (she stocks up on pieces from Le Bon Marché and Eres in Paris). "You can be wearing the most beautiful bra on the planet but if it's itchy or tight you won't feel sexy at all," she says. "And if it's too complicated to come off quickly, then it's no good either."


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