Classy French Fashion

This was the first week I had for my classes here at the Universite Rennes 2 in Rennes, France. Since arriving week ago, I've been slowly observing how people typically dress around the campus. As I had assumed, people were dressed a lot more formally than they would back home. Actually, since I've arrived here, I haven't seen not one pair of yoga pants/leggings worn as pants/sweats. At all.

I talked with one of my new friends I've made since arriving, and when she asked about what I saw differently, I described to her the typical uniform of people on my campus. She was nearly in shock when I described to her how informal we Americans are for class. But there's no use changing it; we just feel more comfortable, I suppose. 

At any rate, here are some pictures from my first two days of classes.

Besides people dressing more formally, I also noticed another thing with fashion: layers. Black tights, a blazer, and a scarf are essential to fitting in fashion wise here. Luckily I came with plenty in stock, and for my first outfit, I put together a T.J. Maxx dress and Zara blazer (both bought while I was in Atlanta) with a scarf my grandmother had bought me for Christmas and tights I already owned. Of course, I couldn't come here without my beloved oxfords, even though a few of the studs have begun to fall off one of the shoes. In this pic, you can also see my ombre hair in curls. 

Oh, and about dyed hair: I have yet to see a French person with it. The only people on campus who have dyed hair (as in with color that they were definitely not born with) have been American or people from the U.K. I'll get back to you as soon as I figure that out. 

This outfit was made with my ruffle blouse, Zara blazer and skirt, and of course my oxfords. Pretty preppy and a little more monotone than my usual outfits, but I still love how it came out.

Inspired: Zara

Inspired: Zara by elle-kelly featuring flat shoes

CYCLE collared shirt
£150 - farfetch.com

Elizabeth and James jacket
$395 - net-a-porter.com

J.Crew short shorts
$45 - jcrew.com

Fred Perry flat shoes
£50 - houseoffraser.co.uk

What I remember most about visiting France last summer were the clothes. Staying with a host family in Rennes helped me learn where exactly long people get their hands on such a great wardrobe, and Zara was a main spot. Although there are Zara stores in the states, I don't live close enough to a store to enjoy it.

This set is inspired by the picture on the left, which is from one of the look books found on their website.