The French Dispatch: How Paris Is Dressing For Summer in the City

To ground this street style report in a modern phenomenon — Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour — it’s worth revisiting the outro of the artist’s 2013 release, “Partition.” In the midst of the song, a recording from 2009 of a reporter asking Beyonce, “Are you happy to be in Paris?” plays. The sound of cameras flashing and heels on the pavement play in the background of the recording. This specific sound bite has become a soundtrack for Paris street style, as if to provide an answer to its own question: Yes, of course. There is nowhere quite like Paris.

The street style at this month’s fall 2023 couture shows reaffirmed that Paris is the epicenter of cool-girl fashion. While summer in the city is hot, trends like uniform dressing, cool silver tones, and everyday dresses are perfect for an urban setting. You might even consider forgoing fancy footwear and opting for classic shoe styles like ballet flats, loafers, or sandals. But that doesn’t mean forgoing fun — quintessential summertime favorites like gingham, all-white ensembles, and tweed are also taking center stage in the streets of Paris. In other words, we’re taking pages from the style books of French fashion icons like Bridget Bardot (hello, the original gingham skirt icon), Coco Chanel (all hail the tweed queen), and Françoise Hardy (one of the first to wear Paco Rabanne’s silver chainmail mini dress). 

In sum, yes, we’re always happy to be in Paris. In the meantime, wherever you’re summering, here are the key city-girl looks to note from this season’s street style in Paris. 

A Maxi Dress and Sandals