French Girls in 5 “Ugly” Fall Trends—the Perfect Intersection of My Interests

French girls are known for throwing subtle shade to antiquated
fashion rules. In fact, the women in this trend-setting
group are often recognized for their effortless approach to
style—specifically dressing for what they love and what makes
them comfortable, rather than succumbing to the conventional
ideology of wearing what’s “in” or “flattering.” As a result,
they’ve been all about “ugly”
fashion over the last few seasons, and, quite frankly, I’m
feeling it. The coolest women embracing
“uncool”-but-actually-very-cool looks? Sign me up.

Okay, let’s dig a little deeper. The Parisian set’s ironic
fashion choices pretty much run the gamut. There are of course
the ugly
items like flip-flops that have basically gone mainstream at
this point. But there’s actually a range of other ugly pieces
(some more under the radar) that I’ve noticed the women of Paris
loving for fall.

Ahead you’ll find the five ugly fall trends filling my Instagram
feed from some of my favorite French girls. And because I strongly
believe said looks can truly enhance the cool factor in anyone’s
autumn vibe, I shopped out the must-try styles for each trend to
bring that instant Parisian spin to your wardrobe.

While skinnies and classic straight-leg jeans will always be the
more conventional denim choice for French girls, loose jeans are
the offbeat pick of the moment. The specific style invading the
streets of Paris currently are those finds that are longer in
length to the point where they bunch just slightly over the
shoes—I’m calling them Buncha jeans. Honestly, the look feels so
wrong, it’s so right.

We’ve seen the power-shoulder
trend trickle throughout the fashion universe for the last few
seasons, but that ’80s shoulder pad vibe is hitting hard right now.
As the Parisians continue to showcase, fall 2019’s shoulder details
pack a punch with elevated details like ruching and ruffles. I’m
particularly into the idea of pairing an exaggerated blouse with
tailored separates or going for a puff-sleeve dress with unexpected
moto boots.

Okay, okay, ugly dad
sneakers aren’t new to the game, but that doesn’t mean their
moment is over. It appears French girls are feeling more
streamlined silhouettes (aka, a little less chunk), paired with
dad-like socks that hit higher on the leg than traditional
ankle socks.

While cargo
pants are hardly a subtle pick with the more voluminous shape
and conspicuously placed pockets, French girls are in no way
afraid of going all-in with the trend. I’m here for it. Slip into
a baggy iteration—or one of the more streamlined styles out
there—and your outfit will feel about 10 times cooler (and more
French).

As we
reported earlier this summer, Birkenstocks—America’s beloved
but also admittedly “ugly” footwear staple—have quite literally
invaded the streets of Paris. Sure, they may seem like the
untraditional shoe choice for this set, but the clunkier sandals
and clogs seem to be the 2019 answer to standard slides or ballet
flats.