I’ve mentioned French fashion and dressing “French” a few times on this blog when referring to my personal style. That is, pieces I would wear every day. While I do have a few vintage pieces from well known French fashion houses, it occurred to me that I don’t actually own any contemporary French brands.
The brands I’m referring to are the ones you find all over social media, Sezane & Sessun to name a few. Brands which are notoriously associated with French street style icons, “cool girls” and influencers.
With this in mind I decided to try a few “High Street” French labels to find out what all the fuss was about. I came out on the other side just a bit lighter on savings but nonetheless impressed by what I discovered.
Sezane is the first stop for anyone looking to try French fashion brands.
In just a mere 3 years this brand has amassed a cult following. Sezane’s sweaters, a.k.a. Jumpers sell out quickly and fetch a high price on the second hand market. However I was not an early adapter for several reasons.
Reason #1 – Many pieces developed by Sezane are a bit too feminine for my personal everyday style. I do enjoy a Bohemian inspired dress during the summer months. But I’m less into ruffles and lace throughout the year.
Reason #2 – This was about a year ago, and since then Sezane has stepped up their game. However at that time the fabric did not meet my expectations for the cost. When browsing Sezane’s popular, sell-out sweaters I quickly went about adding several to my cart (obviously that was pre-Covid). Before submitting my order I took a step back to read a review of a blogger that I often compare my style to. In the blog post Sezane Clothing Review Try On Why I Returned My Entire Order, it came to my attention that many Sezane sweaters had a high synthetic fabric composition such as polyamide and acrylic.
Being a child of the 70’s and 80’s I had my fair share of acrylic sweaters – itchy, uncomfortable, and definitely not a fabric that is synonymous with quality. It is my opinion that 100% wool or a wool blend is the way to go if you’re going to drop a hundred plus bucks on a sweater.
Today Sezane indicates with a special icon that their sweaters are 75% natural material. However it was a dress made of 100% Linen that caught my attention and that I ultimately checked out with.
The Odalie dress, to me, epitomizes French Riviera style. What looks like a simple shift dress on the front , reveals a sensuous open back cutaway. Adding to the quality, and something that is a hallmark of Sezane, are the buttons. So many other brands would slap on a simple plastic button. Whereas Sezane sourced a beautiful tortoise shell button that looks hand made and keeps the dress from looking as if it were mass produced
The packaging from Sezane also didn’t disappoint. Recyclable packaging inside and out. The inside of the box is inscribed with a botanical print and sweet nothing versus. Plus a request to share your style on social for a chance to be featured. But it was the perfumed scent of the box and packing that was icing on the cake for me. All I can say is that it smelled “pretty”.
Sessun – I came across this brand by watching a review of the above mentioned brand on Youtube. Although the video was all about Sezane, a comment was submitted describing this brand as being less feminine than Sezane.
Exactly what I was looking for. After going down the rabbit hole at Sessun’s US language site, I had no problem finding those unique pieces that we associate with French style.
The Priti top is a boyish Polo style in a rib knit and made from certified organic cotton. The weave fade-out effect on front and back makes it a stand out albeit slightly retro piece. I’ll be styling this with a high waist midi or maxi skirt for years to come.
The Santorin Jumper, yes we all it a jumper now, is another one of those surprise element pieces. The billowy sleeves impart a feminine and vintage 70’s vibe that I love. But it’s again the back detail setting it in a class all its own. I challenge you to find a jumper in this price point from another high street or fast fashion brand sold in the US.
Similar to Sezane, which I honestly think Sessun tries to emulate, the packaging was all recyclable. And with a similar inscribed inner box details, but less perfumey.
A note on shipping – Both orders were placed the same day and came from France. My Sezane order shipped out the following day and arrived within 4 calendar days via FedEx which is very fast in my opinion. I paid $10 for shipping. My Sessun was prepared for shipping the next day as well and I received regular updates such as when it left France (3 calendar days). It arrived 10 calendar days from my order date. Shipping cost was about $21US.
Would I shop Sessun again? I’ve already got a wishlist going even though I’m not totally thrilled with the shipping fee. To save on shipping I will likely wait until I’m ordering more than 2 pieces.
Would I shop at Sezane again? – definitely, although I enjoy their Last Chance section the most where you can find the best prices. I may even try a sweater, uh I mean jumper.
I recently took a chance and bought a pair of jeans online from Sessun. I’m glad I did: the cut and the fit are perfect! I, as well, will definitely be back for more.
Author
That’s great to hear! I’m definitely interested in their denim but have been hesitant about sizing conversions from French to US. Any tips you can share would be greatly appreciated!
I recently took a chance and bought a pair online from Sessun. I’m glad I did: the cut and the fit are perfect! I too will be going back for more.
I enjoyed reading this blog post! You have officially put me on to French style. I liked the pieces from both brands, especially the linen dress. Its so nice when brands put in the effort to add a little more detail to their clothing; it makes such a huge difference.
Author
I’m so glad I convinced you. The Odalie dress really is perfect. Even though the fabric is more of a summer fabric, I will be layering on a cardigan to transition it to fall. And winterizing it with tall boots and a pullover. The options are endless! Thank you for taking the time to read this post!
I have the same feelings about Sezane. I also noticed there were a lot of acrylic and polyamide content, which is off-putting to me too. At that price point, I want all natural fibers.
Author
Agree. Many of their pieces are quite an investment. I’m glad to see Sezane incorporating recycled cashmere in their FW20 collection along with detailed breakdown of fabric composition and sustainable attributes. Just in time for the holidays!
Was a big fan of Sezanne as well, bought a lot of clothes, but they surf on the French quality style, with recyclable packaging, whereas all is produced in China.. What a big disappointment
Author
Yes , one of the downsides of buying our clothing online is that we don’t have access to read the label in person. And the information can be hard to locate. These days the burden is placed upon the consumer to confirm the composition and country of manufacture before we add to cart. My dress was made in Bulgaria and I didn’t even consider checking the website for this information until your comment. After looking on Sezane’s site they write “WHERE IS SÉZANE MADE?
More than 2/3 of our models are produced in Europe, the rest all over the world, depending on the origin of raw materials, expertise, working conditions and production capacities. All of our workshops are audited by independent experts, in compliance with the standards we have selected (BSCI, SMETA, ICS or WCA audits).
Discover through a series of videos, what goes on Behind the Label…” that said, I’m not necessarily opposed to Chinese clothing products but agree that Sezane would do well to provide this information in a prominent location on their site.