The Best French Winter Fashion

Last Updated:

11/16/2022

Winter is upon us, and while I’ve noticed Paris winters getting milder and milder, it’s still cold enough for this Australian. Over the years, I’ve learned how to survive the French winter. I love Uniqlo thermals as a base layer. A scarf is a must. Wool socks and a cute beanie always help. And you can’t pass up a good puffer jacket, or doudoune as they call them in French. Now that we’ve covered the comfort, let’s discover the best French winter fashion staples with some of our favorite brands:

Left: a woman with blue eyes is staring into the camera. Her head is wrapped in dark tan colored knits. Right: a woman with dark hair is standing against a wall outside. She has on a large dark tan colored knit with black tights and white heels. She is holding a white clutch in her right hand and is looking off to the right. — Top: Bobbies / AÉRYNE
Above: Loulou Studio

Knitwear & Cashmere

Winter is the time for chunky knits and soft cashmere. Aurélie De Barros is the 30-year-old founder of Les Mains de Mamie. Her grandmother inspired her to create a knitwear brand that makes women feel a sense of nostalgia, reminding them of sweet moments with their own grandmothers. Each piece is knitted and embroidered by the hands of a dozen mamies (grandmothers). The only requirement is that they are colorful, unique, and durable.

Left: a woman with dark blonde hair standing against a white background. She is wearing an over sized light pink sweater and a light pink and white skirt. Right: a woman with dark blonde hair is sitting on a dark green leather couch and looking off into the distance. She is wearing a dark red, light pink, white, and yellow over sized sweater. — Les Mains de Mamie

NOTSHY is a French cashmere brand known for its 100% cashmere ponchos, jumpers, coats, and scarves. They use eco-friendly and recycled cashmere to create sustainable pieces. NOTSHY often teams up with Danish creatives to imbue their collection with Scandi minimalist vibes, such as fashion influencer and face of the brand Pernille Teisbaek. Their cashmere tracksuits look particularly cozy.

Left: an older woman is standing with her hands of her hips in front of a dark green leather couch. She is wearing a long light blue silk skirt and a yellow sweater vest over a tan colored silk shirt. She has a scarf in her hair. Right: A woman wearing a dark red, light pink, white, and yellow over sized knit sweater and a white bottom is standing against a beige wall. She is reaching her arms up to put her hair behind her ears. — Les Mains de Mamie

Fashion consultant Chloé Harrouche, and the woman behind @louloudesaison, is the founder of Loulou Studio. Paris is her muse and source of inspiration. Loulou Studio makes timeless and high-quality wool and cashmere sweaters, cardigans, bodysuits, scarves, and gloves. Chloé is all about comfort and ease.

Left: a woman is sitting on top of a wooden desk. She is wearing black leather pants, black leather flip flops and a dark green roll neck sweater. Her hair is slicked closely to her head and she is staring at the camera. Right: a woman standing outside. She has on a large coat and plaid scarf with brown ankle boots. She has a white clutch in her hand and she is looking off to the left of the image. — Loulou Studio / Loulou de Saison

(Faux) Leather & Fur

Leather and fur have always been popular winter looks. But you don’t have to wear the real stuff! I love the faux leather and faux fur pieces from AÉRYNE. The brand is based in Sweden, but its creative studio is located in Paris. They’re inspired by the effortless minimalism of Scandinavian style and the assertive individualism of Paris.

Left: a woman with long brown hair in a plaid dress. The dress yellow and is short with large, long, and puffy sleeves. The woman is standing with her left side to the camera and her arms are extended behind her. Right: a woman with long brown hair in a plaid dress. The dress yellow and is short with large, long, and puffy sleeves. The woman is standing with her back to the camera and her hands folded behind her back. — AÉRYNE

AÉRYNE contributes to a more sustainable fashion industry thanks to an on-demand concept. They only produce a product according to demand, utilizing leftover fabrics and yarns. They ship directly from their factory to the customer, reducing unnecessary transportation. AÉRYNE also believes in empowering women. They donate 5% of every purchase to their female education and empowerment program in Mumbai, AÉRYNE Academy.

Left: a woman with brown hair is sitting on a hardwood floor in front of a white wall. She is looking directly into the camera and she has on a short black dress with long sheer sleeves. Right: a woman with brown hair is standing with her left side to the camera as she looks into the distance. She has on a white top with one long sleeve and one arm exposed. There is a white statue visible in the background. — AÉRYNE

Winter Coats

When you’re going out at night, swap the doudoune for a nice winter coat. Noyoco makes beautiful wool coats, jackets in a range of colors, and cozy sweaters. They use upcycled, natural, and low-environmental-impact materials to create eco-responsible, durable, and sustainable clothing.

Left: a woman in a matching gray suit with a white t-shirt. The pants reach just above her ankles and she has on dark socks with light gray sneakers. She is in an all white room and is standing next to a window. There are branches in front of the camera lens which aren't in focus. Right: a woman in a matching gray suit with a white t-shirt. She is in an all white room and is standing next to a window. She has a cherry blossom branch in her right hand and her face isn't fully visible. — Noyoco

Noyoco’s dead stock and materials, such as tencel, hemp, linen, organic cotton, and virgin and recycled wool and cashmere, come from Italy and Portugal. All of their materials are recyclable and bio-degradable, and their collections are small-scale.

Knee (or Thigh) High Boots

Left: a woman with short dark hair is sitting on a wooden table in an all white room and is staring directly at the camera. She is wearing a dark dan leather top and bottom, and she has on knee high boots made of the same dark tan leather. Shearling is peeking out of the top of the boots and the woman has her legs crossed. Right: A woman with short dark hair is looking directly into the camera as she stands in a white room with two small chairs on either side of her. She is wearing an over sized jacket made of various animal prints and leather pants with tall white boots with a wooden heel. — Zoe Lee

Knee-high or even thigh-high boots are great for giving your legs an extra bit of warmth. Zoe Lee was born in Canada but spent time in the UK working for a variety of British designers, including Vivienne Westwood, before launching her own brand. She moved to Paris and opened her one and only store in the Marais. Zoe has some seriously luxurious winter boots in this season, and all are handmade in Italy. I’m talking about the Regard thigh-high boots and the Boy shearling boots.

Left: a woman wearing white knee high boots. She is also wearing a white dress and a white jacket. The upper half of her body isn't visible. She is leaning against a white column. Right: a black and white photo of a woman sitting in a chair in a n empty room. Her back is to the camera and her hair is long and flowing down her back. She has on a black skirt and her top is bare. There is a light shining to the left. — Bobbies / AÉRYNE

Bobbies is another Parisian brand that makes solid shoes and leather goods. Their shoes are designed in Paris and are made out of Italian leather. They’re developed in family-owned workshops located in São João da Madeira, a region of Portugal renowned for its know-how in leather crafts. Bobbies make ankle boots and knee-high boots, with flat, mid-heel, and high-heel, as well as cold-weather boots.

Gloves

Maison Fabre is a glove-maker that was founded in 1924. Their gloves were worn by Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly at her wedding to Prince Rainier III. The brand has also been awarded the prestigious EPV award (Enterprise du Patrimoine) by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. Maison Fabre’s Paris store can be found under the famous arches of the Palais Royale.

Left: a black and white illustration of the front of a "Maison Fabre" shop. There is a black glove with a white illustration on top of the illustration of the shop. Right: a pair of black gloves from Maison Fabre. They are stacked on top of each other and only the fingers of the bottom glove are visible. There is a white illustration on the gloves. — Maison Fabre

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WRITTEN BY

Ali Postma

Ali is from Melbourne, Australia, where she studied Art History and Art Curatorship at Monash and The University of Melbourn. She has worked in various art galleries. Passionate about all things arts and culture, she has a particular interest French film, Nordic noir, photography, street art and architecture. Ali has lived in Paris since 2016 and has written extensively on art, food, beauty and more. Her work has in publications including BW Confidential, Oh My Mag, and HIP Paris.