Accessories are potent. They have the power to take what is otherwise a pretty standard outfit and make it more exciting and unique to you. I find accessories particularly handy in summer, for instance, when a basket bag is all I need to make my fail-safe jeans-and-white-T-shirt outfit combination feel more seasonally appropriate. On the subject of basket bags, I also like mine because it makes me feel like a French girl when I carry one. And anyone who reads my features will tell you that’s precisely the aesthetic I want to emulate. 

There are many clichés surrounding French style—too many to get into here—but one thing we can all agree on is that our Gallic friends know how to put an outfit together. Whether they prefer wardrobe classics or bold statement pieces, the way they assemble their looks comes with an inherent je ne sais quoi. And I want in.