nice teen clothes - French influence?

[DottyHarmer]

dd hopefully off to university and needs some new clothes. She is anti-fast fashion (or at least the look of it!) so no BooHoo or Asos stuff and well-known high street/online stores have nothing particularly inspiring.

Where does nice clothes that are not middle aged (ie anything I might wear - hmmmph) and are not terribly expensive? Are there any stylish online places (sort of like La Redoute) that might yield more than a "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!!"

Where does she usually shop/what does she wear?

My french teenage niece shops at Vinted, Zara and Jaded London. She’s very into fashion, the faster the better though. (

Buy some basics and then give her a budget for shopping once she arrives and finds her style?

This type of stuff?

www.redbubble.com/shop/french+teenager+clothing

I wouldn't class La Redoute as stylish.
When I was a french young adult, I was mainly going to second hand shops. Now with Vinted and Depop, it's even easier.

Otherwise, cool brands that I think work just fine for teens and young adult

• Monki / Weekday (both are quite fast fashion though)
• Rains
• Colorful Standard
• Supreme
• Carhart
• Maison Kitsuné
• Comme des Garçons

None of those are cheap (except Monki and Weekday) but that's the deal with non-fast fashion stuff - however they can be found second hand on Vinted / Depop.

Thanks! Will get her to take a look at these.

& other stories (in the sale section!)

My 18yo dd also likes Weekday and Zara. (she's not french) but also likes going to second hand shops near us - I'd suggest you just give her some cash and send her off to the second hand shops.

I have a French teen. She shops in Brandy Melville, Subdued, Vinted... Sometimes Vestiaire Collective. She is elfin but dresses in massive sweatshirts mainly - I have to bite my tongue daily.

She can wait for her student loan and go shopping herself with that attitude.

Most of the French teens of my acquaintance wear the same as British ones, just with slightly less makeup! They have Primark in France too . The students are all wearing 90s check shirts and polyester granny dresses from the kilo shops with DMs and chunky trainers.

Reasonable well paid French thirty-somethings wear Scandi-French brands like Sessun, but that's now basically mum clothing.

Following with interest.
My teen dresses like Bella from Twilight in the school seasons. Will not wear a skirt, nothing that shows her figure, just jeans and oversized men's hoodies or over shirts. I wish she believed how beautiful she is, she is 5'8", size 14 with an amazing figure, stunningly pretty, but wearing men's clothes- all the bloody time!!

You aren’t going to get affordable clothes that aren’t fast fashion to be honest unless you are going second hand. There are some great companies that sell second hand by the kilo. I’d look at Depop and vinted, I don’t think ebay is likely to have what she is looking for. Olive, &OtherStories and Urban Outfitters usually have some pretty nice stuff in.

I associate french teen looks with black/grey skinnies, white/black/grey cap sleeved t-shirts, usually customised a little by the owner (e.g. a size of two up, but with a 'knot' created in the side of the midriff, to cinch around the waist), smoky/kohly eyes, french lob (v long Bob, with long fringe).
H&M will do basics, or Uniqlo if you're in London/Oxford.
Black biker or Chelsea boots.
And cigarettessorry

And vest tops, again monochrome palette.

It depends where she's going to Uni.
My eldest DD at uni wears Urban Outfitters & Monki. DD2 ( 17) wears vintage tops from vinted & depop & vintage Levi jeans/shorts, minis from Urban Outfitters.
I wouldn't try to intervene with a teens clothing choices, as you will almost inevitably be wrong 🤷🏼

DD1 likes H&M for basics and second hand shops so she won't look like everyone else... (her words)

Charity shops. DD has her own style and buys from charity shops, Lucy and Yak and Ragged Priest.

Well, two purchases made from &other stories (sale section!). DD’s look is grumpy French Goth

The majority of high street retailers are going to be 'fast fashion' and likely as ethically dubious as 'boohoo' outside of their minimal attempts at capsule collections. I do like &otherstories but would hardly bill them as sustainable. They're owned by the H&M group and Asos stocks a variety of high street brands, there aren't vast differences other than some good marketing and a price point.

If she wants to shop in a sustainable way why not shops second hand on Depop herself or look in the charity shops.

I'm in my thirties and wouldn't really shop at la reroute for anything other than homeware. Generally I shop in h&m, zara, &otherstories, arket, everlane, asos, primark, whatever really. It's what you choose and how you style it that makes a 'style' not where it's from.

If she's not opposed to some colour here and there, Lazy Oaf, Isolated Heroes and Stay Home Club might be worth looking at. Stay Home Club is Canada based but orders under £135 won't have vat/import fees issues but also worth checking the stockist section for UK based stores. They all claim some sustainability status, and afaik are all still independent.

If you're in France, Citadium seems to be the one stop shop for Parisian teenagers who don't want to look like generic high street teens and don't want to shop second hand (and have an ample budget to do so).

Just as much as the "dubious" aspect, I don't think dd (nor I) care for boohoo etc as their clothes are rather skimpy .

Dd is a regular charity-shop customer and she also shops in my wardrobe - I have a few things bought in the 90s which got the seal of approval. Ah, the old days, when garments had zips and darts.

Ha! I have a 12yo half French gothlet
My 15yo actually loves the fact that most waistbands are elasticated at the moment.

Doesn't she just buy her own stuff? My 18 year old would be polite if I suggested clothes but would rather choose her own stuff.