I Asked a French Fashion Designer What to Wear in Paris in the Summer—Here Are the 15 Styles She Recommends

Thanks to a new direct Air France flight added to my home airport, Orlando (MCO), I'm planning my first summer trip to Paris. Orlando and the City of Lights haven't been directly connected in over 10 years, but now that the nonstop flights are running four days a week, I'll be visiting my favorite European city a lot more often, especially during Florida's hottest months. I travel to Paris often and thought I had mastered the art of the ultimate Paris packing list filled with effortlessly stylish pieces, until I realized I'll need an entirely new ensemble for the hot and sometimes unpredictable summer weather.
So, to help me pack, I turned to a Paris-based fashion and style expert: Morgane Sézalory, the founder of the French fashion brand Sézane. I always look to Sézane when I need to add versatile basics to my closet because the garments are well-tailored, crafted from high-quality fabrics, and designed specifically to pair together. The styles are timeless and feminine; they transcend fleeting, cheap trends and are instead designed to last. Using her best summer fashion tips, I created a Paris packing list that's comfortable, functional, and fashionable.
'What defines quintessential Parisian summer style?' is my first question for Sézalory. Thoughtful and unfussy, she tells me. 'It's less about trends and more about trusting your instincts.' She gives the example of this white embroidered blouse from Sezane paired with worn-in sandals. Your best accessory will be minimalist makeup, she adds, saying, 'A touch of blush goes a long way.' The easiest way to get that coveted French flush is with Ilia Beauty's Multi Stick, plus a swipe of Typology's Tinted Balm on the lips. I found similar tops perfect for summer, including a cotton poplin blouse from J.Crew and a boatneck tee from Madewell.
Unlike a white blouse, a white button-down adds movement to an outfit and is just the right weight on your shoulders, especially as an evening layer. 'Pack light, breathable staples,' Sézalory says. 'I always go for a crisp shirt like our Max Shirt.' The designer also advises paying attention to fabric, saying that it's best to stick to light materials like cotton and linen. 'They keep you cool and comfortable, no matter where the day takes you,' she says. Given this advice, I'm eyeing these polished button-down shirts to add to my suitcase, whether it's the silky cotton top from Everlane or Quince's breathable linen option.
Dresses should feel effortless but not lazy, and easy to wear all day. When choosing a dress to pack for summer in Paris, make it something you can slip on in the morning and still feel beautiful wearing to dinner, especially if you run out of time to head back to your hotel to change. 'What I love about Paris is its versatility—what you wear by day you can easily wear by night,' Sézalory says. She recommends the versatile Sezane Dorotha chambray dress, and I'm also looking at similar easy-to-throw-on cotton dresses, like this Mango white midi style or this fit and flare number from Gap.
When I think of summers in the south of France, I think of creamy linen sets. Turns out a linen set is popular in Paris, too. Sézalory says she likes to pair a matching set with a big woven tote bag, like the Justine basket bag, a look which brings to mind visions of style icon Jane Birkin. Linen sets are such a summer travel staple that I know I'll wear these items over and over again, whether it's this Abercrombie wide-leg pant and matching vest or a striped number from Gap.
Americans might live in casual cut-offs and cargo shorts for a summer spent by the lake, but frayed shorts are not a common style choice in Paris, or even Europe in general. Instead of denim, pack tailored shorts with pleats, a high waist, and room around the leg. 'You want to feel free but still pulled together,' Sézalory says, pointing to Sézane cuts like the cotton Rome style. Other options that will keep you cool yet still looking polished this summer are a pair of pleated shorts from Quince or a linen-blend pair of Bermuda shorts from Mango.
Jeans might seem like a surprising addition to a summer packing list, but a loose, wide-leg pair makes sense. Paris in August is at its hottest and might reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the height of the day. But after dusk, the temperature is dropping back into the 60s. A comfortable pair of jeans that don't trap heat against the legs and still allow you to move is a versatile bottom to pack; it'll pair well with the white blouse and white button-down from above. Sézalory mentioned a pair of classic blue denim trousers in particular, but I'm eyeing them in ecru and this faded light blue denim too. I'm also loving this high-waisted pick at J.Crew and a stylish split-hem style at Banana Republic.
Everyone has an opinion about the perfect white sneaker. Adidas Sambas or Gazelles? Vionic or Veja? But Sézalory says, 'I've never really been a sneaker girl. For me, it's all about comfort, but never at the expense of style.' Instead of sneakers, she reaches for ballet flats, espadrilles, or a low-heeled shoe. She notes that she can 'still walk all over Paris' in Sézane's Isabelle clogs that add just the right amount of height. Packing comfortable, stylish flats instead of sneakers supports the Parisian principle of outfits that transition seamlessly from day to night. I'm looking at staples like Everlane's understated ballet flat and Quince's Italian leather flat that will be comfortable for all-day wear and match everything in my wardrobe.
'Mix pieces you love, whether new or vintage, in a way that feels personal,' says Sézalory, which had me dreaming of a simple white ensemble paired with my favorite well-worn leather sandals. There's nothing more comfortable than shoes that have worn in exactly to your footbed. Similar sandal options include Everlane's suede fisherman sandals or Quince's platform sandals that will go with anything.
As a big fan of Paris's Velib public bikes, I could relate to Sézalory's suggestion to pack a good crossbody bag for visiting the city. The style will make your life easier when you're on a bike. Paris' weather can be unpredictable, so a water-resistant or waterproof bag is a good choice if you wish the contents to stay dry. Try an option that doubles as a fanny pack or a shoulder bag that can also be worn across your body,
As a mom of three, Sézalory uses a tote or a basket bag for running errands and carrying everything she needs. Even when you're visiting Paris as a tourist, however, a roomy bag will come in handy whether you're keeping essentials close or doing some shopping. Sézalory mentioned the Justine basket bag, which feels summery with its woven raffia construction, and has a drawstring lining so its contents won't jump out while bumping around in a bike basket. A canvas tote bag, like this one from Athleta, provides plenty of security thanks to the zipper, while Quince's puffer bag can also double as your personal item on the plane with an expandable design.
Leave your baseball caps at home when you head to Paris. 'Instead of hats, you'll often see a silk scarf around the neck, in the hair, or tied to a bag—yes, even at the height of summer,' says Sézalory. Silk is a lightweight fabric that feels great on the skin in the summer. I use a silk scarf as a hack to hide humid, frizzy, or sweaty hair. Use this accessory to add pops of color or playful summer prints to your outfit.
My Paris packing list for the fall is full of olives, burgundies, browns, and plaids, but I wasn't sure what color palette and patterns to pack for summer. When choosing colors and prints, Sézalory says to 'think soft shades, the occasional bold accent, and classic prints like florals.' Given this advice, I'm looking at tops and dresses with pretty floral prints and delicate embroidery that have a sense of romantic timelessness (and I'll be looking for them at Paris' huge flea market, Marche du Puce).
France has a reputation for loving a classic stripe, but Sézalory reminded me of another neutral pattern to reach for during the summer—gingham. When choosing prints and colors for summer, she says, 'It's more about timeless touches than making a statement.' Gingham is everywhere this season, whether it's in the form of a tank top, vest, pants—you name it.
Accessories play a big part in Parisian summer style. With just the swap of a silk scarf for jewelry, a piece can go from casual to dressed-up. 'Versatility matters in a city where plans change fast,' Sézalory says. I can attest to the scenario of being 45 minutes from my hotel but needing an outfit change for an impromptu party—having the right jewelry on hand could've easily done the trick. 'Lately, I've loved incorporating bold, playful jewelry—just one fun piece can completely shift the feel of an outfit built on good basics,' adds Sézalory. As for my packing list, I'll be adding some gold earrings, whether it's a pair of globe hoops or gold-plated brass earrings.
There's no garment more versatile than a trench coat, and Sézalory says they come in handy in the summer, too. The key is to reach for a lightweight trench that has water-resistant properties, so you'll be ready for whatever the unpredictable summer weather throws at you. Pack pieces that 'handle heat and a surprise downpour equally well,' Sézalory says. 'Paris weather can be moody. Your clothes shouldn't be.' Whether it's a long belted number or a cropped style for a little less fabric to deal with, this year-round essential will be a welcome addition.
Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Vogue

4 hours ago

• Vogue

Bonjour Bob! Behind Sofia Richie Grainge's Ultimate French Girl Chop

Summering in the South of France requires plenty of rosé wine, crochet dresses, Breton stripes, and some Françoise Hardy playing softly in the distance. Sofia Richie Grainge has been enjoying the abundance of the French Riviera, hopping from a Monaco-set wedding to the exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc with her family—and has now debuted a hair transformation to fit the vibe. Quelle surprise! Richie Grainge has a bob. A 'French bob,' as she wrote underneath its reveal on her Instagram. The carousel post showed said bob-in-progress, by London-based hairstylist George Curran, and a series of more selfies and shots in her sunny holiday setting. Known for her signature long blonde hair, as well as a penchant for a clean girl, slicked back bun, the new hairstyle keeps her middle part and hits at chin length. The bob shape accentuates the dimensions of dark and lighter pieces of blonde to create some dynamic movement—perfect for moving leisurely in the French Riviera winds. Photo: Instagram (@sofiagrainge) 'Sofia's hair was at the stage where it needed a bit of a revamp,' Curran tells Vogue, noting Richie Grainge's hair history of up-dos; looks that have come to define the clean girl aesthetic which she's been a driving force of. 'She was nervous, but super excited,' he adds. It's a decision, Curran says, that Richie Grainge had been thinking about for a few weeks. 'Sofia had chopped a bit off before—she had cut off about five inches already—but she wanted the full refresh.' She explained her own thinking in a TikTok that documented the bob du jour. 'I did one too many Keratin treatments on my hair, and I've just been cutting at it and cutting at it, hoping I could get this 'dead' away…and it's just not going away,' she said to camera. 'I know what I have to do to make this hair healthy again, and it's to start over—so we're cutting a bob.' The nerves were palpable—doing what we all do before a big chop, she decided for a moment that it looked pretty good as is. Still, she soldiered on with Team Bob. 'It's a great look for 27, we're starting fresh,' she reassured herself. In bed the night before the haircut, she added: 'I've decided I want a bob. Like a real [gestures to her chin length]. It's gotta go—it's fried.'

Travel Weekly

7 hours ago

• Travel Weekly

Rediscovering Notre Dame with Finding France

Americans touring Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral for the first time since its reopening in December will find a very different visitor experience than they did before the 2019 fire that destroyed parts of the interior, its roof and, most heartbreakingly, its spire. Before the fire, there were always crowds hanging out in front of the cathedral -- often more people than were actually inside -- meeting friends, taking selfies and enjoying the dramatic backdrop of its facade. Fast-forward to today, and the crowds have grown exponentially and morphed into long lines of people standing outside the entrance waiting to get in. Wait times vary depending on the day of the week and time of day and can range from 15 minutes to more than two hours. Strategies for shortening that time include going first thing in the morning or booking complimentary, timed entry tickets online -- although, fair warning, they book out quickly. Travel advisors looking to spare their clients from the hassle factor and elevate the tour experience into something unforgettable have a new option, via Finding France, a luxury DMC that was recently named a Top Travel Specialist 2025 by Conde Nast Traveler. During my most recent trip to Paris, my husband and I took a two-hour, behind-the-scenes exploration of Notre Dame that not only bypassed the line altogether but was guided by Philippe Giraud, a master sculptor who is fluent in English and played a key role in the restoration. "All visits with [Giraud] are exclusively arranged through Finding France," said Clement Decre, the company's founder and CEO, stressing the proprietary relationship with the sculptor. Philippe Giraud, a master sculptor who played a key role in the restoration of Notre Dame, led the author's private tour of the cathedral. It was arranged by Finding France. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Finding France Expert insights Giraud led us past the crowds and into the cathedral, stopping at key points to point out where fire damage had occurred, how the restoration was accomplished and how some of the areas were not only restored but enhanced with new features. The names of firefighters, for example, are displayed in some areas, as are those of restoration artisans and sculptors. A key attraction is the display of the Crown of Thorns, a venerated relic that is now showcased in a glittering, gilded cedarwood display designed by architect Sylvain Dubuisson. Because these tours are private -- we were the only participants -- we were able to interact with Giraud, ask questions and listen to his fascinating anecdotes about the restoration. For example, we stopped in front of a statue of the Madonna, which was positioned under the destroyed open roof. When the firefighters got inside, Giraud told us, they saw that a simmering ember had landed on the statue's foot. They caught it before the whole statue went up in flames. He also took us through the reliquary, the part of the cathedral that houses relics of saints as well as a purported piece of Christ's cross and a nail from the crucifixion. When the soot was removed from the stained-glass windows, they emerged in vibrant glory. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Finding France Giraud had worked on Notre Dame's spire itself, so as we walked us through the structure he was regularly recognized by the people who tend the cathedral's interior. At one point, he showed us the tools he used for parts of the restoration, and at another he pointed out the dome that, after the ravages of the fire, had been open to the sky, leaving the floor and priceless artifacts covered in soot. The rose windows miraculously escaped fire damage, he said, but they had been so covered in soot that the subsequent cleaning revealed brightly colored stained glass that hadn't looked so vivid in generations. We ended our tour on the bank of the Seine with a direct side view of Notre Dame. From this angle, the enormity of the task of restoring the spire became even more clear, and Giraud made the process come alive with his own personal photos of the work in progress. Our tour costs about $2,285 for one to four participants, although experiences for larger groups are available by request. Participants can opt for a hotel pick-up and drop-off in Paris with a private chauffeur in an air-conditioned vehicle for about an additional $310. The cathedral's famous gargoyles were lovingly restored during the reconstruction. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Finding France Tours from Paris In addition to fully customized, all-inclusive, multiday trips for individual travelers, small groups and incentive travel throughout France, Finding France also offers full- and half-day tours from Paris. The Notre Dame tour can also be part of a multiday program, for example, that includes such distinctive features as a "French Etiquette 101: Crack the Code to French Culture" experience and an "In Your Ancestor's Footsteps in Normandy" option. Other Finding France insider tours include exclusive access to the secret tunnel of the Chateau du Clos Luce in the Loire Valley, where Leonardo da Vinci used to secretly meet the King of France; a behind-the-scenes tour of Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the largest privately owned estate in France and just one hour from Paris; and a visit with a Christmas ornament engraver that ends with a chance to create and take home a personalized decoration. Finding France has offices in Paris and Provence, and customizable experiences are available throughout the destination. Rates are net, or with a travel advisor commission built in, Decre said.

Yahoo

8 hours ago

• Yahoo

Why defense and Airbus dominated this year's Paris Air Show

Airbus announced hundreds of orders at the Paris Air Show, while Boeing maintained a low profile. The Air India crash cast a long shadow over the event, with defense taking the spotlight. Airline passenger numbers are above pre-pandemic levels and supply chain constraints are easing. Airbus won the orders game at an unusual Paris Air Show, overshadowed by geopolitical tensions and last Thursday's Air India plane crash. Boeing chose not to announce any orders and kept a low profile. The sense of mourning was palpable inside the company's chalet. All staff wore Air India pin badges to commemorate Flight 171. "This show definitely has a very different tone for us in the Boeing company," said Turbo Sjogren, senior vice-president for government services, as he began its first media briefing on Tuesday. "When you go into our chalet, when you go into our exhibit, you will see not only flowers, but you will see all Boeing employees wearing this," he added, pointing to his pin. "It's been a very tough time for us, and it affects all of our employees." Both CEO Kelly Ortberg and the chief of its commercial airplanes division, Stephanie Pope, canceled their plans to attend the show. Even as Airbus announced order after order, airline and lessor CEOs began signing ceremonies by expressing sympathy for the victims in Ahmedabad. The European planemaker tallied 142 firm commercial aircraft orders, including 25 A350-1000s from Saudi Arabia's new airline, Riyadh Air. Additionally, Vietnam's VietJet signed an agreement to buy 100 A321neos. Embraer also scored big, as regional airline SkyWest ordered 60 E175 jets in a deal the Brazilian firm valued at $3.6 billion. With 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries, the global nature of aviation was tangible at Le Bourget Airport — where Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St Louis after his historic transatlantic flight in 1927. However, geopolitical tensions bubbled over amid the conflicts in Gaza and between Israel and Iran. Five Israeli defense companies arrived on Monday to find organizers had blocked off their stands overnight with large black walls. The French government had ordered them to remove offensive weapons from their pavilions, but they declined to do so, Israel's ministry of defense said in a statement. "They're saying that they would discuss it with us and see what goes out, but when we came here this morning, it was unilaterally done," Shlomo Toaff, an executive vice president at Rafael, told reporters. Business Insider saw half a dozen police officers gathered by the pavilions on Monday morning, and two officers standing guard throughout the week. French Prime Minister François Bayrou said the decision was made given "extreme tensions" in the region and "France's diplomatic choices, in particular the very great concern about Gaza." Meanwhile, the F-35 appeared to be the most popular aircraft of the flying displays. Nearly everyone on the tarmac stopped, phones pointed skyward, below the deafening roar of the fighter jet that Israel has used to bomb Gaza and Tehran. Compared to past major shows, it was a salient reminder of an increasingly troubled world. Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer also pulled out of the air show at the last minute. In a video message after the airline was named the world's top carrier for the ninth time, he said he flew home from Paris on Monday, "to focus on our operational responsibilities due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East." "It feels incredibly strange not to be there," Al-Meer added. "In over a decade with our airline and airport, I've never missed a Skytrax ceremony." Growing conflicts and President Donald Trump's policies have prompted European countries to increase their defense spending and seek more autonomy over military programs. About 45% of the Paris Air Show was dedicated to defense and security, a "strong increase" from 2023, organisers said. The event is typically far more focused on civil aviation, especially compared to the UK's defense-leaning Farnborough Air Show, with which it alternates each year. While there were reasons for industry figures to feel despondent this week, the sector is starting to move on from recent troubles. At last year's Farnborough show and Paris the year before, the main theme was recovering from the pandemic. Passenger numbers have now eclipsed 2019 levels, and while the supply chain is still struggling, constraints are easing. "There is renewed optimism around the ability to restore capacity," said Chad Stecker of Incora, a supply chain solutions provider for aerospace and defense firms. "We're not out yet, I would say," he told BI. "But there's really a life at this show, a renewed life, and optimism around where we're headed." Read the original article on Business Insider