Bethan HOLT
Although I haven’t exactly managed to escape to sunny climes this summer, my return from a week in Scotland has heralded a … shift. I’m mentally mood-boarding the person I want to be (well, dress like) this autumn/winter, and when that mini heatwave hit a few days ago, I couldn’t bear to do hot weather with all the enthusiasm I’d mustered in July.
Naturally, our chicer, arguably more sorted and sartorially astute French counterparts have a far more nuanced, allencompassing name for this than our tired old “Back to School” moniker – they call it la rentrée.
“My mother was just here for a visit and kept exclaiming at the difference between the outfits during the last week of August and the first week of September,” says Monica de la Villardière, a Canadian-born fashion journalist who lives in
Paris with her French husband. ‘“Everyone’s wearing a long floral dress and sneakers!” she remarked on August 23. Then suddenly on September 2: “Now they’re all wearing nice shoes and light jackets!” She proudly broke out her mid-heeled sandals and green khaki jacket, which I confirmed were perfectly appropriate for our diner en terrasse.
Parisiennes confirm that the change which the beginning of September heralds is real. “I’m always happy at la rentrée. It’s full of promises,” says fashion editor Sophie Fontanel, who has found fame on Instagram charting her midlife style. “I like to imagine my autumn looks. I like the newness in the air, even if I do not especially want to buy things. It’s just a process, the idea that something new is possible.”
“For me, la rentrée is a kind of synonym for ‘hope for a new start’,” says Lola Rykiel, founder of sportswear label Pom-pom Paris and granddaughter of legendary designer Sonia Rykiel. “I am not growing up anymore, but I still have that feeling during summer holidays that autumn and winter are going to be a nice break from all these light dresses and swimsuits.”
While the fashion pages might once have declared that September was a time to completely transform your look – veering from a major 1960s revival one year to being all about gothic Victoriana the next – we’ve now reached a slightly more, well, French way of doing things, whereby seismic change has been replaced by thoughtful tweaks. Plus, it’s a transition defined more by situation than the whims of fashion.
“The entire mood in Paris changes in early September as Parisians flood back into town, set goals and get back to work,” observes de la Villardière. “There is a palpable buzz in the streets. In my opinion, this is a direct consequence of the almost entire population of Paris taking their holidays at the same time. Whereas in North America or Britain holiday times are often more staggered so the shift to autumn feels less sudden and drastic.”
“I think the most important thing to note is that French women do not go out and buy a fresh wardrobe for fall. French women are not constantly reinventing themselves so what they wear year to year stays pretty much the same,” says London-based Parisian Camille Charrière. “They are probably still using that basket they picked up in a market in St Tropez or Deauville and will just add the layers they have in their closet to transition into fall.”
Charrière lists “a classic trench, a navy blazer, a nice knit tied over her shoulders” as the cornerstones of a French woman’s layering arsenal – all pieces which help to unlock others no matter what the September weather. And while none of the women I spoke to counsel a mega shopping spree, they have very sensible advice about taking stock, rediscovering old gems and making some carefully thoughtthough additions.
“I usually don’t get tired of the clothes I already own but I might think about additional pieces that are going to give me this feeling of nouveauté,” says Rykiel. “It is definitely a good excuse and a good time of the year to invest in a statement piece.” She is most excited about being able to get back into jeans after having a baby last year. “I could only wear dresses a year after I gave birth. For the occasion, I got a pair of super cool Balenciaga denim.”
It’s not just the basics getting an upgrade. “I am thinking of this Bottega Veneta huge teddy bear coat in ‘joker’ green,” Rykiel confides. “It is super expensive but I just can’t stop thinking about it. I think it would look so cool with all the velour from Pom-pom and my pink neon top. Also, I like the fact that not a lot of people will get the crazy green one. Not very French but why not?”
Meanwhile, Fontanel says that she has “already ordered a pair of oversized white cargo pants with pockets” which were so hard to track down she had to order via the Chinese website Aliexpress, but “I’m pretty sure it will be a trend very soon”. She’s also added more staple pieces to her collection, including a hoodie from Fruit of the Loom, jeans from APC’S collaboration with Suzanne Koller (“their denim is fabulous, the quality!”). Like so many women now, Fontanel is getting her new season kicks from buying vintage: “I bought a big white Saint Laurent Rive Gauche shirt from Open Dressing, a secondhand store in the third arrondissement which also sells via its Instagram account @opendressing.
“This year, I’m being super careful with what I buy as I am more conscious than ever of the fact I technically don’t need anything new,” says Charrière. “I already own plenty so have challenged myself to play around with all the things I already own. It’s the French approach and I would even argue that it makes you more stylish, as the more you play around with what you have, the more you develop your own signature style.” One way to jazz up your old coat, for example, could be to follow Charrière’s street style example and throw a silk scarf around your shoulders.
Now is also the time to make those beauty switch-ups you’ve been considering when, ostensibly, you’re tanned and rested post summer break. “I also decided to stop bleaching my hair, even though it was a very hard decision,” reveals Rykiel. “I have been an unnatural blonde for the past 15 years and I want to have a chance to heal my hair. I think I wanted to be as blonde as my grandmother was a redhead [this look was Sonia Rykiel’s famous signature] so I was going hardcore – I even wanted to be platinum – but thank God I never did.”
For those of us without Parisian style instincts, the lesson is simple. “Any respectable Parisienne knows September means it’s time to put away her beloved beaten-up flat Rondini sandals, torn vintage jean shorts and ethereal floral dresses in favour of more sophisticated mid-heels, well-cut jeans and crisp shirts,” notes de la Villardière. “I personally think that high-summer outfits, in all their glory, can begin to look a bit stale when September rolls around. It’s not about temperature: it’s about mood and intention. La rentrée is here, with its fresher air and new opportunities, begin as you mean to go on.”