Wearing my Breton striped dress today has got me dreaming of my summer vacation in Provence. French girls are an effortlessly stylish bunch, and while traveling around the surprisingly large country, you have a vague feeling of outfit inadequacy ...

It’s no secret that the French generally choose a predominately neutral palette of black, blue, gray and a little bit of white. This seems like a good place to begin my French style transformation. French women tend to look to the classics, with just a few nods to the new season’s looks. The current style icon is the new French president’s wife, Brigitte Macron. She’s rocking it in the fashion stakes and breaking a few “First Lady” dressing rules in the process. The must-have, classic tailored jacket is paired with miniskirts and leather pants. There’s always an edge with her basics.

Luckily for us, the staple of any Parisian wardrobe—the jacket—has been spotlighted by many a designer including Isabel Marant and Calvin Klein. Many were in shades of black and gray with wide shoulders. To fuse a little je ne sais quoi to your look, add a wide belt and cinch in the waist à la Phillip Lim.

If you’re talking French style, you can’t get away from the quintessential house of Christian Dior. Celebrating its 70th birthday and with a major exhibition Christian Dior - Designer of Dreams, which opened in July runs until the end of January 2018. Maria Grazia Chiuri—the first woman to head up Dior—is revitalizing the brand with a strong, bold look that traditionally has femininity at its core. For her fall collection, every outfit sent down the catwalk was finished off with a black leather beret. Rihanna showed up for the show already donning this traditional French head topper and looking fierce. How très French!

All said and done, nothing says chic more than the ability to create your own look. The idea is to find the real you, not be a product of fashion moments. This is something French girls seem to be born knowing. It might seem incredibly masterful but certainly not unobtainable.

Kim Smith has been a professional wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004. Born a true Londoner, Smith had a successful career in public relations in the fashion industry in London for more than eight years before moving to Hawai‘i in 2002. Smith’s work spans a vast array of magazines, retailers and television as well as working with individual clients on their specific style needs. See her work at kimsmithstyle.com.