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The French Girl Summer Essentials: 20 Effortless Pieces To Shop Now

The French Girl Summer Essentials: 20 Effortless Pieces To Shop Now

Forbes21-07-2025
The French Girl Summer Essentials: 20 Effortless Pieces To Shop Now Courtesy of With Jéan
Summer '25 is all about languorous mornings and late afternoon bike rides with fresh baguettes in the basket. This season's French girl aesthetic has everyone reaching for clean cotton, polka dots, and effortlessly chic pieces that work from café to coastline. Here are 20 summer essentials that capture that je ne sais quoi, with the most flattering silhouettes for every lazy afternoon and sunset apéritif.
The ultimate cool-girl bikini for summer 2025, the Fifi set in the refreshing shade of mint channels French vintage vibe. Inspired by seventies glamour, the set is crafted from quick-drying, natural Italian cotton and elevated with custom hardware finishes designed in collaboration with Jessica McCormack.
Nounou Fifi Mint Bikini Courtesy of nounou
Polka dots reign supreme this summer, but With Jéan elevates the classic print with oversized proportions in its Penny Skirt — a favorite among fashion insiders currently making waves from Saint-Tropez to Ibiza.
With Jéan Penny Skirt Yellow Dot Courtesy of With Jéan
No French girl's jewelry box is complete without a pair of sculptural statement earrings, and these Daphne earrings strike the perfect balance between artistic and effortless. Light enough for all-day wear yet bold enough to elevate a simple white tee, they embody the French philosophy that one exquisite piece is worth a dozen trends.
YSSO Daphne Earrings Courtesy of YSSO
Nothing captures the French approach to beach dressing quite like an oversized shirt that doubles as a dress. This airy piece by Wiggy Kit, with its subtle folk-inspired print lining the edges, embodies that Riviera ease — voluminous enough to feel unstructured, yet elevated enough for a beachfront restaurant.
Wiggy Kit Montauk Shirt Dress Courtesy of Wiggy Kit Heaven Mayhem Carino Watch
With its minimalist rectangular face and refined proportions, the Carino watch by Heaven Mayhem adds just enough polish to bare wrists peeking from oversized shirt cuffs. The dual strap option (black and brown leather included) means one watch works for every occasion, from beach picnics to gallery openings.
Heaven Mayhem Carino Watch in silver Courtesy of Heaven Mayhem Salty Little Things Linea Rosa Underwire Top
The Linea Rosa piece with its whisper-soft pink stripes and vintage-inspired lace trim is the kind of piece that transitions seamlessly from Saint-Tropez beach clubs to under an unbuttoned linen shirt at dinner — quintessentially French in its ability to be both practical and pretty.
Salty Little Things Linea Rosa Underwire Top Courtesy of Salty Little Things Boteh Sirenuse Peplem Top
A cool serenade to the south of France, Boteh's Sirenuse top will get you ready for Euro summer romance in an instance. With yarn-dyed linen in sleek French stripes embroidered with indigo florals, the chic little number can be mixed and matched for all your vacation needs.
Boteh Sirenuse Peplem Top Courtesy of Boteh Stringys Nude Invisible Underwear
Go carefree this summer without worrying about VPL ruining your perfect outfit. Stringys' viral undies (they come in nude as well as deep lush brown) promise to disappear completely under silk skirts and linen trousers — no lines, no bunching, just smooth confidence and a whole lotta fun.
Stringys Nude Invisible Underwear Courtesy of Stringys If Only If Clover Organic Cotton Voile
This cotton voile nightdress with hand-smocked sleeves does double duty as the ultimate summer day dress. Pair with espadrilles and a straw basket for instant Provence vibes.
If Only If Clover Organic Cotton Voile Courtesy of If Only If Lorna Murray Luxe Capri Hat
There's something irresistibly addictive about these Lorna Murray hats that no one can quite explain — but it's simply not a hot girl summer in 2025 without one of these lampshade beauties. Functional, playful, and just a touch unhinged, these Luxe Capri hats are flattering and fun while offering total sun protection.
Lorna Murray Luxe Capri Hat Courtesy of Lorna Murray tbco. Cotton Short Set in Flora Sun
The matching set is having a moment in French summer style, and this cotton co-ord in coral florals strikes the perfect balance between polish and ease. It's the kind of outfit you can throw on for morning market runs or afternoon rosé sessions — no styling required.
tbco. Cotton Short Set in Flora Sun Courtesy of tbco. VRG GRL Remi Satin Pants Stripe
Bias-cut trousers in an abstract stripe print solve the eternal French girl dilemma: how to look polished without trying. The fluid drape and elastic waistband offer that coveted combination of structure and ease — perfect for long lunches that turn into evening adventures.
VRG GRL Remi Satin Pants Stripe Courtesy of VRG GRL Freja New York The Jane Bag Butter
The Jane bag in buttery pale yellow captures the French cool girl mantra: simple, elevated and effortlessly chic. The sculptural handle attachments and precise seam detailing elevate it beyond basic, while the compact size forces that enviable French discipline of traveling light.
Freja New York The Jane Bag Butter courtesy of Freja New York With Nothing Underneath The Palazzo Chocolate
The palazzo trouser in rich chocolate hemp embodies the French philosophy of investment dressing — one perfect piece worn endlessly. The wide-leg silhouette moves like liquid through summer streets, while the sustainable hemp fabric only gets better with wear.
WNU The Palazzo Chocolate Courtesy of With Nothing Underneath Hope and May Palma Tiered Dress
Hope and May has that lazy summer aesthetic nailed to a T. This tiered cotton voile dress masters the art of looking undone in the most deliberate way, with the voluminous sleeves add a touch of romantic drama without trying too hard.
Hope and May Palma Tiered Dress Courtesy of Hope and May ELLEME Trousse Woven Leather Olive Green
The Trousse bag's boxy silhouette in buttery woven leather holds just enough for summer's essential moments without weighing you down. It's the kind of understated piece that elevates everything from knit tanks to slip dresses — proof that sometimes the smallest details make the biggest impact.
ELLEME Trousse Woven Leather Olive Green Courtesy of ELLEME MAKSU Lulu Cotton Tie Front Top
Broderie anglaise is summer's answer to looking dressed up without trying — and this Lulu top perfects the formula. The tie-front closure steals the show by adding that undone quality essential to French dressing.
MAKSU Lulu Ecru Broderie Anglaise Cotton Tie Front Top Courtesy of MAKSU Linda Farrow x Jacquemus Aviador Sunglasses in Silver
These Linda Farrow x Jacquemus aviators with their distinctive yellow lenses capture the golden hour glow of the Côte d'Azur at any time of day. Never too retro, never too futuristic — these perfect day-to-night shades will add a touch of French nonchalance to any outfit.
Linda Farrow x Jacquemus Aviador Sunglasses in Silver Courtesy of Linda Farrow Campbell and Kramer Psyche Capri in Black Polka Dot
Capri pants are the viral must-have of summer 2025, and in classic polka dots, they're your hot girl summer gold. The halter-and-capri set by Campbell and Kramer taps into the playful side of French dressing — think Bardot on the Riviera but make it TikTok-ready.
Campbell and Kramer Psyche Capri in Black Polka Dot Courtesy of Campbell and Kramer Tilly Sveaas Medium Gold T-Bar on Mahogany Leather Necklace
After maximum impact with minimal effort? Tilly Sveaas' leather cord necklace with its sculptural gold T-bar closure is the quintessential accessory of the summer: wrapped twice around the wrist for morning markets, worn long and loose over bare skin at the beach, or tied as an anklet for evening drinks.
Tilly Sveaas Medium Gold T-Bar on Mahogany Leather Necklace Courtesy of Tilly Sveaas
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Cambodian Auteur Rithy Panh Chats About His Super 8 Plans and Whether Cinema Can Save Us
Cambodian Auteur Rithy Panh Chats About His Super 8 Plans and Whether Cinema Can Save Us

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Cambodian Auteur Rithy Panh Chats About His Super 8 Plans and Whether Cinema Can Save Us

Cinema can 'preserve history, influence mindsets and provide a space for reflection and escape,' Cambodian auteur Rithy Panh (Graves Without a Name, Exile, Meeting With Pol Pot, Everything Will Be OK) said when he was unveiled as the surprise jury president of this year's 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. The longtime documentary chronicler is best known for his work about the 1970s Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, which saw his parents, siblings and extended family perish of starvation and forced labor. Panh escaped to Thailand and then to France, where he discovered filmmaking. More from The Hollywood Reporter Willem Dafoe to Receive Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at Sarajevo Film Festival Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice,' Starring Lee Byung-hun, to Open Busan Film Festival 'The Seasons' Is an "Archaeological Film" Uncovering Tales and "Shared History" (Exclusive Trailer) In 2013, his The Missing Picture saw Panh debuting the aesthetic mixing clay figurines, archival footage and first-person narration that became his trademark. The movie ended up winning the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival and earning an Oscar nomination in the best international feature film category. Panh is 'one of contemporary cinema's most courageous and consistent defenders of artistic freedom and an indefatigable champion of the power of historical truth,' Locarno said when revealing his appointment as jury head. 'Since 1994, his feature films have been acclaimed around the world, giving voice to those whose lives were destroyed through horrifying state violence.' Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno festival, lauded Panh as 'an authoritative witness of our time,' adding: 'His passionate search for truth, his anti-dogmatic approach, and his genuine commitment, as well as his capacity to move freely between the numerous forms of present-day filmmaking were the crucial elements that prompted us, spontaneously and enthusiastically, to offer him the task of President of the Jury of the Concorso Internazionale at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. Before taking on his jury duty at the Locarno festival, which kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 6, and runs though Aug. 16, Panh talked to THR about his past and current work, the impact of social media and AI, the importance of the theatrical experience and why he wants to pick up a Super 8 camera are you working on right now? Any new film in the works, maybe? I start reading now and searching for information, maybe looking back at the list of ideas to see what idea is now possible to work on. I am also working with some young artists on a photography exhibition in November. And I'm reading the latest version of the book I wrote with Christophe Bataille [The Elimination: A Survivor of the Khmer Rouge Confronts His Past and the Commandant of the Killing Fields], which takes time. Do you expect your next film will be similar to your latest, , and a continuation of your past work or quite different, like , in which animals enslave humans in a takedown of totalitarianism, surveillance and excessive capitalism? I don't know. That one was different, talking about capitalism, the environment, etc. I have always mixed things up between work on the Khmer Rouge and also other work. But it was a choice that I put more time on the Khmer Rouge work. But now it's maybe the last 10 years or 15 years of my life. I don't want to be that director who still shoots at 100 years. That's really crazy. Maybe I wish to enjoy cinema more now. I'm teaching, too. You learn a lot when you are in contact with young film directors. I try to discover them and have an exchange with them. Now, how people produce, how the new generation does things is different and how they observe the world. And at the same time, I like teaching my students with classic films, because they discover things. The idea is that we can be free with cinema, and we can bring people with us. You mentioned freedom. You have long seemed free from genre restrictions, mixing documentary and fictional elements and the like. Can you talk a bit about that? It's amazing. When I made The Missing Picture, the film got nominated for the foreign-language film Oscar, not for documentary. But still, people used to call me the guy who makes documentaries. But it's not really true, because I am not thinking too much about whether something is fiction, documentary or more. It's just my vision of the images and how to tell a story with images. Now, people make films [or series] for social networks that are three minutes [long], exactly the time between two stations on the subway. I'm very interested by this kind of new narration, but it's so stupid. It's three minutes and always the same story. It's cinema influencers and not cinema. For me, it's good to to go to festivals sometimes to have a meeting with cinema and wait for something that can make me cry or make me laugh or make me sad, whatever — but something that moves me. How do you approach the role of jury president in Locarno? I'm a little bit afraid of festivals. Why? Because you have to judge things. I don't want to say this one is better than that one. I'd create a prize for everyone. I'm a filmmaker, so I respect you a lot when you shoot a short [or feature]. It's so hard to make a film. I don't know if I didn't sleep well at night, maybe I cannot follow one film. We have a few people on the jury, and maybe someone will have to explain the story of a film to me. And if one film comes from another continent, how can I fully understand all of it? The strongest films are universal. You can understand because you fear something. There is this humanity, dignity, freedom. Your work has often explored trauma, especially historical trauma. How do you see cinema helping people confront and work through trauma?Probably, the cinema work will be harder now because there are fakes with AI, so artists will need to be very cautious about where and how we research. With trauma, of course, culture in general can do something, because it can gather people around to talk about a painful event or something like this. Cinema also brings you a moment to breathe, happiness, you can dream, you can love. We are so under pressure everywhere, with daily life, work, all that's happening, amplified by social media. And we need something to breathe. We need space. We need to watch and hear. We need physical sensation. A close-up must be a close-up on the big screen. It's not the same on your TV screen. But can cinema repair the world or can it save the world? No, we cannot save the world. We need to save ourselves. You are a role model for various filmmakers. Do you have any cinema role models, or anybody who you feel influenced your work a lot? Many, many, many. I knew the cinema when I was very young, because my neighbor was a filmmaker. But I was a child, so I was not prepared to make films. When I went to cinema school here in France, I knew nothing about cinema history. But they gave us an ID card so that we could go watch films for free. So I spent a lot of time in theaters to discover film, and they also had a videotape library. I watched Andrei Tarkovsky and started watching a lot of Russian cinema. I also love the great work of [Kenji] Mizoguchi, [Akira] Kurosawa and, of course, [Ingmar] Bergman and [Aki] Kaurismäki and [Krzysztof] Kieś maybe the best one for me is [the late low-budget French filmmaker] Chris Marker. Maybe not in terms of filmmaking, but when I have difficulty with shooting or editing, I think: 'Hi, Chris, can you help me?' And I hear him: 'Don't worry. Go test! Don't worry. Be free. Don't respect the script. Change the pace of the sequence.' I never met him, but he is very strong for me, like a saint of cinema. Saint Marker. Is there anything else you would like to mention? Images and sound are very complex. When cameras can come into every hand, it's good in one way because everybody can record pictures. But also, images can become more and more banal. I have a project. I want to go back to Super 8. As a very young filmmaker, I made a Super 8 movie. And I want to go back to Super 8. But it's very expensive — 100 euros ($118) for [a film roll of] three minutes. It's interesting because you cannot shoot like when you use your phone. You need to think a little bit. I have bought a camera now. So I will try one or two cartridges to see what happens. I would like to find again my first love or maybe the same sensation. I would like to find something more innocent, more elegant, more poetic. And I realized I shot too much with the digital camera, so I want to go back to something more basic. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 25 Best U.S. Film Schools in 2025 The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Solve the daily Crossword

How Locarno Opener ‘In the Land of Arto' Tackles Armenia's 'Collective Trauma'
How Locarno Opener ‘In the Land of Arto' Tackles Armenia's 'Collective Trauma'

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How Locarno Opener ‘In the Land of Arto' Tackles Armenia's 'Collective Trauma'

The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival opens with a movie that gives audiences plenty to think about, courtesy of Tamara Stepanyan's fiction feature directorial debut In the Land of Arto, starring Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!, House of Gucci) and Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider, Tatami). Cottin plays a French woman named Céline, who arrives in Armenia from France to legalize the death of her husband Arto, who died by suicide, only to discover that he lied to her about his identity. 'So begins a journey through Arto's past, as she meets people left disabled by the battles of 2020, veterans from the 1990s, hauntings of a never-ending war' with Azerbaijan, highlights a synopsis. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Don't Let the Sun,' Jacqueline Zünd's Fiction Feature Debut, Looks to Heat up Locarno (Exclusive First Look) BBC's 'Repair Shop' Presenter Jay Blades Charged With Rape Korean Auteur Lee Chang-dong to Direct Feature Drama 'Possible Love' for Netflix Amir Ebrahimi plays an Armenian woman who helps the protagonist understand more about the history and the scars of the country. Other cast members include Shant Hovhannisyan, Hovnatan Avédikian, Alexander Khachatryan, Babken Chobanyan and Denis Lavant. Be For Films is handling sales duties on the French-American co-production. Cottin tells THR that she enjoys acting in both dramas and comedies, but acknowledges that Arto took a lot of effort, not only because of the difficult journey of her character. 'It definitely was a challenge given the trajectory of this woman and the ghost of her husband, and how you can reconcile, understand, forgive people when they are gone,' she explains. 'What's beautiful is that Tamara also made this love story to say that the conversation continues even after death.' Much more than simply a story about a married couple and their secrets, In the Land of Arto paints a picture of a whole country. 'It's about a collective trauma,' Stepanyan tells THR. 'It is about a collective history that includes several wars, warriors and wounded women, wounded men and a wounded country. Armenia went through a lot — genocide, war and then there was a big earthquake [in 1988]. So, it is more than one woman's story. And I just felt that I needed to talk about mourning, because I think it's something that is important to talk about. It takes time.' Asked about the choice of Arto's death by suicide, the filmmaker explains: 'I wanted a sudden death, but at the same time, I felt the guy should die because he could not bear the defeat. I think it's very important, if you're nationalist or not, other than the fact that you lost land, it is really about the realization that so many people, and so much youth, died for nothing.' In her portrayal of Céline, Cottin says she had to convey both the character's determination and her confusion. 'The amount of questions and guilt and search for understanding is just crazy, but the fact that she has children means that she needs to keep on moving,' the actress explains. 'And the children need hope, so you need to be strong. So little by little, the feelings, the emotions, are left aside to focus on the answers, the quest, action. That's how I danced the character.' The actress has a friend whose father is Armenian, but she didn't know much about the country's history. 'When I met Tamara, she really opened the door to the story of this country and the political context for me, and we just ended up having the dream of making this film together,' she recalls. 'She's very magnetic, and this is really like a declaration of love to her country.' Coming to the film without much knowledge about Armenia actually helped her with her character, she adds. 'Céline is ignorant of a lot of the history, which matched where I was regarding Armenia,' Cottin tells THR. 'But I was just really excited to dive into the history of a country, travel through its landscapes, and work with a whole team where, I would say, 70 percent of the crew was Armenian. It was really a way of being totally involved and immersed and trying to understand the culture.' In fact, much of the shoot took place in Armenia. 'All the scenes in the country, I did actually shoot in Armenia,' Stepanyan emphasizes. The crew even shot in a village near the border with Azerbaijan. Much of the crew was Armenian, but as cinematographer, the director was excited to have attracted Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Saint Omer), 'the French mega superstar cinematographer, and a woman who's done around 30 feature films,' Stepanyan tells THR with a smile. 'When I wanted to work with her, everybody said, 'Don't even try! She refuses a film every week, and by very big directors.' But I had this deep desire to make my film through her eyes, through her images. So, I had to try. And I did. And she accepted. It was really tremendous.' Stepanyan's experience as a documentary filmmaker shines through in various ways throughout Arto. 'Yes, there's a kind of documentary feel to the movie,' she says. 'Claire is also very, very sensitive to documentary. She's done a lot of documentaries, and we both wanted to bring the real into fiction, bring documentary into fiction. Both can nourish each other.' Stepanyan found joy in the 'real collaboration' of the entire creative team behind and in front of the camera. 'For me, cinema is a collective work, and I love that,' she says. 'Camille had this beautiful tradition to come on set and say: 'Okay, my darling, let's read this again, and let's discuss this again.' And sometimes she made proposals that I accepted. Sometimes I wouldn't. The same with Zar and the other actors and Claire. I really enjoyed that everybody was there to collaborate and to push my idea as far as possible.' Adding to the authenticity of the atmosphere in Arto is a range of Armenian actors, including Hovhannisyan, whom Stepanyan calls 'one of the greatest actors in Armenia today.' Most actors are from local theaters, though. 'I spent two months in Armenia, deeply casting, and I basically picked a lot of people from the places we shot at,' the director explains. 'I wanted them to feel authentic and seem like they are really part of the scenery.' For one smaller role in a memorable scene, the director cast a local man who is a mechanic rather than an actor. 'I was scouting with Claire, and we were going up these stairs of this broken building, and this guy asks: 'Are you looking for something?' And I said I'm making a film, and I want to maybe take a shot from here. He said: 'You know, this house was mine. I was born in this house,'' Stepanyan tells THR. 'He lived there when the earthquake happened. He told me the whole story of his family. And I was there with Claire. I was translating to Claire, and we looked at each other and said: This guy has to be in the film. And then I wrote a little role for him.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 25 Best U.S. Film Schools in 2025 The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Solve the daily Crossword

Angelina Jolie-Starring ‘Couture' and Franz Kafka Biopic Join San Sebastian Film Festival Lineup
Angelina Jolie-Starring ‘Couture' and Franz Kafka Biopic Join San Sebastian Film Festival Lineup

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Angelina Jolie-Starring ‘Couture' and Franz Kafka Biopic Join San Sebastian Film Festival Lineup

New feature films from Alice Winocour, Arnaud Desplechin, Kentaro Hirase and Yutaro Seki, Agnieszka Holland and Milagros Mumenthaler will compete in the San Sebastian Film Festival official selection. Winocour, who won the special jury prize at San Sebastián with Proxima in 2019, will return to the competition with her fifth film, Couture, a French American co-production starring Angelina Jolie and Louis Garrel set in the fashion world. More from The Hollywood Reporter Spotify Hits 276 Million Paying Subs, Exceeding Forecasts, But Swings to Quarterly Loss Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth Feature in New Images From Guillermo Del Toro's 'Frankenstein' Locarno Adds Vicky Krieps-Starring 'Yakushima's Illusion' From Naomi Kawase to Competition Frenchman Desplechin will participate for the first time in competition with Two Pianos, in which a virtuoso pianist returns to his hometown of Lyon to experience a story of impossible love. Among the cast members are François Civil, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Charlotte Rampling and Hippolyte Girardot. The duo made up of Hirase and Seki, who co-directed 2022's Roleless with Masahiko Sato, will premiere their second feature film, the Japanese production Sai. Actor Teruyuki Kagawa comes back to star in the dark tale in which a mysterious man tragically enters the lives of a number of people, appearing under different identities. Elsewhere, Holland's new film, a Franz Kafka biopic titled Franz, will premiere as the director returns to San Sebastian. Argentine filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler will debut in competition with her third film, The Currents, a Swiss-Argentine co-production starring Isabel Aimé González Sola in the role of a woman confronting a past she thought she had left behind. These titles join the four previously announced Spanish productions that will also compete at the Spanish festival: Maspalomas, by Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi; Good Valley Stories, by José Luis Guerin; Los Tigres, by Alberto Rodríguez, and Sundays, by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. The rest of the feature films included in the competition will be announced in the coming weeks. The 73rd edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival runs Sept. 19-27. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best Solve the daily Crossword

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