Suddenly, French Girls Are All Using This Chic, Affordable Accessory to Elevate Their Winter Outfits

There are very few people I look at and think, "Yes, absolutely everything you wear is a yes." French women, however, never miss. Lately, my social feeds have been quietly (and then not so quietly) taken over by one particular styling trick the chicest French women are backing right now: brightly coloured socks. I've seen red socks with ballet flats, green socks peeking out of chunky loafers, and (possibly my favourite pairing) a pair of cobalt-blue socks worn with the simplest brown shoes that honestly stopped me mid-scroll. Claire Most pulled it off so effortlessly that I immediately wanted to copy her entire outfit, right down to the socks. It feels playful, cool and just a little unexpected, which is exactly why it works.

What I love most about the coloured-sock trend is how low-commitment it is. This isn't about going full dopamine dressing; socks are perhaps the most basic of basics, something we all already own, which makes them the perfect way to dip a toe (pun intended) into some colour without feeling like you're wearing a costume. A flash of colour at the ankle does all the work, especially when the rest of your outfit is classic: jeans, flats and a good coat. French influencers are proving that you don't need to make a head-to-toe statement to show off your style. Sometimes it's just one small detail that makes an outfit feel current.

And the colours just keep coming. In the past week alone, I've clocked burgundy, pistachio green, butter yellow and more shades of blue than I can count, which has me genuinely excited for spring. As we move into lighter layers and shorter hemlines, this shoe-and-sock combo is set to be a huge player.

Below are the socks I've already bookmarked, inspired by the French women doing it best.

Shop Coloured Socks: