How to Frenchify Your Summer
Summer is here, and the weather is heating up. We got a good early taste of the heat before the first official summer day in Chicago. Travel to France right now isn’t cheap, so if you are working on a budget, these tips will help you recreate a French summer at home. Frenchify your summer with these suggestions. I would love to know if you have your ideas on how to have a French-inspired summer. Comment below and share how you will Frenchify your summer this year.
20 Ways to Frenchify Your Summer
Picnic. This is one of my favorite activities to do in Paris, whether with friends or solo, on the Seine. You can always instantly transport yourself to Paris with a Parisian picnic in your backyard or front yard. Grab a Turkish towel, a picnic basket with your favorite foods, and a bottle or two of wine. You can’t go wrong with a baguette and cheese.
Drink French Rosé. Educate yourself about French wines with friends. Rosé favorites include Whispering Angel, Miraval, Minuty, and Aix. The list could go on forever. Try to discover something new and different this Summer.
- Spend an afternoon at your local museum. The Chicago Art Institute boasts an impressive collection of French Impressionist art—a great activity to do on a weekday or rainy afternoon.
Dress Up. Pull out that favorite dress you bought on your last trip to Paris and wear it this summer. There are a lot of French brands you can now buy in the US. I personally love Sézane, and I will be wearing some of their dresses all Summer long. For more French brands you can buy in the US you can see this post.
- Channel Your Inner French Girl with the 10 French wardrobe essentials for a French woman.
- Be inspired by this list of accessories to add to your summer wardrobe. This can be used on your summer wardrobe, no matter where you plan to spend your time.
Frenchify Your Summer
Friday apéro to kick off the weekend. Invite some friends over for rosé and some small French-inspired appetizers. Dinner in French and À Table are good cookbooks to look for inspiration.
Wear stripes. I am a big fan of stripes, and the trend covers everything in my closet, from dresses and shirts to even bathing suits. My family is entirely on board with the stripe trend, and it isn’t unusual for us to match occasionally. I own this Bretton striped shirt in two colors.
Saint James is the place for authentic Brenton Stripes and knitwear, and they ship to the US. I got this one when I was in Paris a few years ago.
Play pétanque. If you have space, you can set this up at a local park or in your backyard. You will find people of all ages playing this French classic all Summer long in France.
Make a Fruit Galette. Use your favorite Summer fruits to create this French pastry at home. Blueberry, peach, mixed berry, the possibilities are endless.
Frenchify Your Summer
Wear Espadrilles—the French Girl’s Favorite summer shoe. You can wear them in flats or wedges. I have both options. Sézane has a great wedge option in black that I own.
Master a Cheese Plate. I love an excellent Comté, Brie, and truffle cheese, but I’m always up for trying something new. (Except for blue cheese.) Ask your local cheese shop; I have a cheese section in my grocery store, and they always have recommendations for new cheeses to try.
Go for a Bike Ride. I got a bike for my birthday this year, and it was the best gift. I love going for bike rides around the city on the weekends. If you don’t have a bike, you can try out a bike-sharing system similar to vélib in your local city.
- Refresh your Summer hair in between washes with dry shampoo from Klorane. Use this after workouts or at night before bed. The dry shampoo can be great for giving life back to bangs, too.
Take the month of August off. The French are known for taking a holiday in August, which means many businesses and shops are closed in Paris. Even if you have exhausted your PTO, you can have a French-inspired weekend at home.
How to Frenchify Your Summer
Evening cocktails/French 75. Up your cocktail game this Summer. Stock your bar and get creative. If you are looking for inspiration, David Lebovitz has a great book called “Drinking French.”
- Light a French candle at home and be transported to the heart of Paris or Provence. I love Diptyque’s Linden Tree Blossom candle.
Farmers Markets Visit your local farmer’s market and shop seasonally. I love Green City in Chicago. P.S. Don’t forget your market basket.
- Add a table and chairs to your patio or garden. We have this set, and it is a more affordable version than Fermob.
Watch “A Good Year.” It’s one of my favorite movies, and it will transport you to Summer in Provence. Pull out your favorite rosé and make a night of it.
- Display art that feels like summer in France. Shop The Print Shop to bring something home.
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Shop Summer in Luxembourg Gardens Print Here
This post includes affiliate links. We make a small commission off of items purchased through our links. Merci!
Bonjour, I’m Rebecca!
I’m a photographer, blogger, croissant-lover, and world traveler. I hope that Everyday Parisian inspires you by bringing a bit of France into your daily life and helps you plan the best trip to Paris with personalized recommendations for places to stay, explore, and eat.
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Bonjour😊. I was born & raised in Chicago, in Andersonville. At that time, a long time ago, it was truly a Swedish neighborhood. Stores, churches & population was primarily Swedish. Both sides of my family
Immigrated to Chicago in the early 1900’s. My grandparents owned a business in the Merchandise Mart for 40 years.
Most of my family moved to Southern California where I still live with my husband. We have returned to Chicago numerous times, our son. & daughter have run the Chicago Marathon several times.
I became a Francophile on our first trip to Paris. I literally left my heart in Paris. Our home is French country, I cook many French recipes (Julia Child).
We spent a week in Provence & loved it. It is very similar to Southern California . A tip…. We rented a smaller BMW while there to go exploring, which was great, but the car literally got jammed in a tiny, curved street in a hillside village! Was quite an experience getting out of that situation 😅
I love your weekly blog & miss Paris so much! My last visit was 3 years ago right now with our newly married daughter& her husband.
Enjoy the South of France this summer. Marseilles gets extremely busy with travelers.
I am going to spend hours on today’s post! but first let me say that while b/w photos are a favorite genre, the color portrait of you that opens today’s issue is just lovely and who took it? and are you wearing the yellow linen pants I’m about to get from JCrew?
Nancy in savannah Ga
Regarding Frenchify -coffee and croissant in the morning, French music anytime, flit around your house with French music while you clean (like the wine makers wife in it’s a Good Year), make French tableaus such as Provence pottery, lavendar in a pottery vase, a stack of French plates or latte bowls along with a mustard pot or sel de mer somewhere in your house, have an aperitif, maybe pastis, late in the afternoon.
And for Provence try Cassis and a calanque tour.
Once a week I am going to find ways to Frenchify my day! Or maybe more! Thanks for sharing this! Inspired !
In Chicago in Lincoln Park on Webster St, I love the french clothing store Cotelac.
They are online too.
Love this! Thank you for this series, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been to Paris a few times and am looking forward to my next trip. Until then I will enjoy Paris through your posts and photos.
I enjoy these posts, too! I was in Paris in June but came home wishing I’d bought more souvenirs so I searched your archives and discovered your link to the Paris museums boutique site. I’ve already placed 2 orders and the shipping is reasonable and quick and I was delighted to order items from the Louvre! Would love more ideas on French boutiques or stores that ship internationally in future posts!
I am so happy to see that you have brought back the Frenchify series! Travel is not available to me right now so incorporating the French sense to everyday living is lovely. Over the years your clothing choices have become a pit pricier. I was wondering if you might do a high/low selection from time to time. Thanks again for bringing back Frenchify!
A Good Year is my guilty pleasure movie for when I’m in a bad mood and need a pick-me-up. 😁
Yes! It is one of my favorites. I also love Under the Tuscan Sun. I will have to watch it before I leave this week. ✈️
Love this! I am looking for a new straw basket to take to the market (the one I have now has rope handles that are uncomfortable on my shoulder when full). Is the one linked the one in the first pic in Paris? Is it comfortable when full to carry?
Hi Anita,
Thank you! This is one of the most popular items readers have bought this summer. I don’t think any bag is fully comfortable if it is too heavy. I would leave it to a picnic blanket and picnic items and you should be good 🙂
Love all these suggestions and will try many. Thank you! Great blog.💕🌸🌸
Thank you so much, Mary! Enjoy your Summer.
I have been listening to A Year in Provence on audio with Libro. It’s narrated by the author and transports you to France!
Oh I love this idea! I need to check it out. Thank you!
I signed up for a course at my local Alliance Française after many years away from it. I studied there for 7 years and loved it so much I even became a volunteer for events. I credit them for taking me from basic HS French to ‘functional fluency.” Classes are online which is the silver lining allowing me to attend again. They also have many cultural events (online now) and membership gets you access to the Culturetheque mutt I media library (also virtual). Formidable!
That is so great! Thank you for sharing! Online classes are such a great option for learning and staying safe. what city are you in?
*multimedia library 😂