According to new research from LTK, commissioned from lfop, which focuses on the relationship French women have with style, comfort is the most important factor when getting dressed in the morning. 61% of women adopt a classic fashion style with neutral colors and simple pieces of clothes (like the Jeans-T shirt combination), and half still see fashion as a passion whilst more than 2 in 3 women love to shop regularly.  The study also shows Gen Z spend the most a month on fashion. 89% of Gen Z spend up to 200 euros each month on average on clothes.

The quest for comfort, a priority for French women
Feeling comfortable seems to be a non-negotiable for French women when they are looking for clothes and outfits. 61% of them think their style is ‘classic’ and 21% of them prefer adopting a ‘casual’ style, with clothes that make them feel at ease. 

• Jeans (59%) and t-shirts (30%) are a must in French women’s wardrobes, as well as sneakers, which they wear very often (66%). 
• Seeking the feeling of comfort, Gen Z prefer oversized clothes (20% vs 12% for the general population)
• We hear about new trends like Barbicore, Clean Girl aesthetic or Old Money style everyday, but is ‘Comfortcore’ the biggest trend of them all for French women? 

• Women from Normandy (North-West) state they adopt a more ‘edgy’ style and mostly favor jewelry and piercings for their accessories (63,6% vs 47,6% for the general population) and 14% define their style as ‘Rock’ (vs. 5% for the general population)
• Women from the North-East region (Bourgogne Franche-Comté) seem to be the most feminine and elegant out of the country. They spend a lot of time choosing their outfits and accessories (61% vs. 46% for the general population) and they define their style as more ‘Elegant’ and ‘Sophisticated/Chic’ than the rest of the population (18,4% and 12%, vs. 14% and 7%).

If women from the Parisian region have a similar comfortable style than the general population, they seem to describe it as more feminine than the rest (38% vs 33%). Parisian women also show a greater interest in haute-couture and luxury compared to the general population (35% vs. 29%).

Gen Z, the fashion-forward generation
While comfort is the common denominator for most French women, they do have different preferences and priorities when it comes to fashion, especially Gen Z. 

• When it comes to fashion, Gen Z has a certain preference for high-end clothes and haute-couture (15% vs 10% for the general population). They are the generation that places the most importance on their fashion style (70% vs 63% for the general population) and they love buying clothes (81% vs 70%).
• Apart from feeling comfortable, fashion is a way to gain self-esteem for Gen Z (24,2% vs 16,4%), as well as a way to feel happy and good about themselves (23,7% vs 18,1%).
• In an era dominated by fast fashion, 59% of Gen Z women (vs 49,9%) would rather buy second-hand clothes. 
  
  

• As a whole, social media are an important part of fashion inspiration for women (34%). 
• Pinterest and Instagram are THE main sources of inspiration for Gen Z (30% and 33,4%). They also are the most inspired by influencers and creators, compared to the general population, showing the importance of social media and influence in their consumption. As the most-used media by Gen Z, TikTok is also an important source of inspiration for fashion (22,7%).
• The importance of social media for younger generations shows how impacted they are by mobile culture and instant access to inspiration (series, content creators, celebrities, etc.) and explains the huge popularity that aesthetics and trends such as Barbiecore or the Clean Girl aesthetic are encountering.

• Gen Z from both sides of the Atlantic are greatly inspired by social media and influencers regarding their fashion style, but they seem to prefer TikTok in the US and the UK. 
• The number one style trend for summer 2023 across all regions in the US and Gen Z / Millennials is clean girl aesthetic, a style trend inspired by the European market, and florals as a close second. Gen Z UK women tend to gravitate still towards the Y2K trend, as well as the Clean Girl aesthetic, which they  plan to incorporate in their summer style.
• In the US this summer, 40% of Gen Z women plan to wear crocs. Similarly, this type of shoes is coming back in the UK, with almost 1 in 4 Gen Z consumers (24%) planning to wear the marmite footwear this summer.
• Unsurprisingly, in the US Gen Z is the most experimental in their style with 72% of saying they love trying and buying clothes for new trends, compared to Millennials (66%) and Gen X (58%). In the UK, Gen Z are the generation granting the most importance to spending time choosing their outfits before going outside (48%).