The French Fashion Brands Every Stylish Man Should Know

With incredible wine, food widely considered the high-water mark of haute cuisine, world-leading fashion and a slightly annoyingly nonchalant attitude toward the whole thing, it’s no wonder France is known as one of the coolest nations on earth.

Culinary delights and devil-may-care demeanour aside, though, it’s the style aspect we’d like to focus on today. Here we round up the crème de la crème of Gallic labels and explore what gives them that je ne sais quoi.

Vilebrequin

The French might have a bit of a reputation for favouring budgie smugglers at the beach or around the pool, but not where Vilebrequin is concerned.

This premium label is responsible for some of the most stylish resort wear we’ve ever laid eyes on – and there’s not a banana hammock in sight. Instead, expect breezy Cuban-collar shirts, refined swim shorts and everything else a man could possibly need to soak up some rays in style.

Shop now at Farfetch

Arpenteur

Based in Lyon, Arpenteur is a small company with a big mission: to keep clothing locally produced and of the absolute highest quality.

If you’re a fan of old-school French workwear, then their offering will be right up your street. Think cotton twill worker jackets and smocks interspersed with contemporary staples like hoodies and striped T-shirts.

There’s something very, very French about the whole thing. We’re not entirely sure what it is, but take a look for yourself and we’re sure you’ll agree this stuff is très magnifique.

Shop now at Arpenteur

Armor-Lux

In 1938, Armor-Lux began life as an underwear label, but today it’s better known for producing Breton tops than boxer briefs.

The Brittany-based brand is stocked in some of the world’s most respected contemporary menswear outlets and has forged a reputation as the go-to name for sailor-friendly garb that looks just as at home down the pub as it does on the harbour.

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Maison Kitsuné

Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand, but never more directly than in the case of Maison Kitsuné. The Parisian clothing brand started life as a record label in 2002, putting out indie, alternative and electronic music from the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Digitalism and Simian Mobile Disco.

Its apparel brand has arguably been even more successful. Expect refined wardrobe staples like crew necks, polos and T-shirts featuring the brand’s iconic tricolour fox logo.

Shop now at Farfetch

Le Laboureur

The classic blue worker jacket has long been a staple of French utilitarian style, and it’s something that heritage workwear label Le Laboureur does better than almost anyone else.

Using heavy cotton twill, this Burgundy-based brand has been crafting quality overshirts since 1956. Everything is made in France using top-notch materials and traditional techniques. A finer work jacket you’ll struggle to find.

Shop now at Urban Excess

A.P.C.

Jean Touitou’s A.P.C. is living proof that less is more. Over the past 30 years, the Parisian brand has made a name for itself as the go-to label for high-quality, low-fuss wardrobe staples that ooze laid-back European charm.

Granted, you may come across the odd logo sweatshirt or designer collab, but on the whole, A.P.C.’s seasonal collections are stripped-back, refined and achingly tasteful.

If we were going to deck our entire wardrobes out in just one brand’s clothing, A.P.C. may well be the one we’d choose.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Louis Vuitton

As far as high-end designer labels go, it doesn’t get much higher than Louis Vuitton. This storied haute-couture house has been one of the leading names in high fashion for well over 100 years.

It all began with premium trunks and cases, but now the Parisian label is at the cutting edge of cool, blending classic influences with a streetwear twist. You’ll still find monogrammed leather luggage, but don’t be surprised to see the odd Supreme collab or logo hoodie thrown in for good measure.

Shop now at Louis Vuitton

AMI

Alexandre Mattiussi’s subtly stylish pieces have been supremely popular among style-savvy gents in Europe since his AMI label launched in 2011. Fast forward to today, and the brand is nothing short of a global phenomenon, being paraded around by everyone from Hollywood A-listers to that cool influencer you follow on Instagram.

Garments are simple but sometimes bear the odd bold logo, and cuts tend to be fitted and form-flattering. Put simply, it’s timeless stuff that seamlessly blends classic and contemporary to wondrous effect.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Lacoste

There aren’t many brands that have kudos with professional tennis players, preppy Ivy League students and UK garage MCs alike, but Lacoste is one of them.

Founded by French pro René Lacoste in 1933, the label was responsible for creating the crisp, white pique-cotton polo we all know and love today. The brand’s crocodile logo, featured on those first shirts, has continued to appear ever since, becoming every bit as iconic as Nike’s Swoosh or Adidas’ Three Stripes.

This is tennis gear you can wear off the court, and we highly suggest you do.

Shop now at Lacoste

Vetra

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the French know their way around a good cotton-twill overshirt. If you require further proof, allow us to point you to Vetra: a 100-year-old workwear brand with a reputation for making top-notch work jackets.

Vetra’s output, particularly its outerwear, has a reputation for quality, and the brand is well known for its no-bullshit approach. It’s simple stuff, but it’s the original, so if you’re in the market for some classic European workwear, look no further.

Shop now at Vetra

Saint Laurent

Founded in Paris in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Saint Laurent has been instrumental in altering the course of fashion over the decades. The brand’s introduction of the ‘Le Smoking’ suit in 1966 changed the way women dressed forever, and its impact on men’s fashion has been no less dramatic.

The brand’s menswear sits somewhere between razor-sharp tailoring and louche rock ’n’ roll decadence. Think skinny black denim, silk shirts unbuttoned perhaps just a touch too far, and impeccably cut tuxedos.

Now part of Kering, it’s a global luxury juggernaut, but it still trades on that Parisian insouciance that made it iconic in the first place.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Officine Générale

If your style leans towards understated as opposed to ostentatious, Officine Générale should definitely be on your radar. Founded in Paris in 2012 by Pierre Mahéo, the brand deals in elevated essentials with a focus on European production. Portugal in particular.

The mood is relaxed but considered. Think softly tailored jackets, tidy trousers and knitwear that feels lived in right off the hanger.

Fabrics are sourced from the UK, Italy, Japan and beyond, and there’s a subtle workwear thread tying it all together. Sign us up.

Shop now at Farfetch

Jacquemus

Simon Porte Jacquemus launched his eponymous label in 2009 at the tender age of 20 and has since turned it into one of fashion’s most Instagrammable success stories.

The brand cut its teeth at Paris Fashion Week before branching into menswear in 2019, staging cinematic runway shows in lavender fields and wheat plains along the way.

Expect playful proportions, bold colour and simple yet sculptural silhouettes. It’s modern Provence by way of Paris – sun-soaked, slightly surreal and self-aware.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Danton

For fans of clean, unfussy workwear, Danton is one to know. Originating in post-war France, the label built its reputation on practical chore jackets and functional outerwear rooted in utility rather than hype.

The cuts are boxy, the fabrics robust and the aesthetic refreshingly straightforward. Now operated from Japan, it’s the sort of clothing that looks just as good layered with tailoring as it does thrown on for a weekend wander.

Solid, everyday pieces that do exactly what they’re supposed to.

Shop now at Farfetch

Satisfy

Running gear, but make it fashion. That’s the rough pitch for Satisfy, the Paris-based performance label founded in 2015 by Brice Partouche.

The brand blends technical innovation with a slightly dishevelled yet achingly cool aesthetic. Attention to detail is obsessive, whether it’s the choice of material in a pair of high-performance running shorts or the strategic placement of holes in one of its famous MothTech cotton tees.

Satisfy has built a cult following among runners who want their kit to perform impeccably while still looking a certain way. Standard-issue Lycra this is not.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Paraboot

Founded in 1908 and still family-owned, Paraboot is one of France’s great shoemaking institutions. Production remains in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans in Isère, and that commitment to domestic manufacture shows in the quality.

The Michael Derby is the undisputed hero: chunky, borderline ugly, and somehow able to bridge the gap between tailoring and workwear. Add in sturdy Norwegian welts and the brand’s own hard-wearing rubber soles and you’ve got a piece of footwear that’ll outlast the majority of your wardrobe.

Practical, yes. But also quietly stylish in a way that the French do best.

Shop now at END.

De Bonne Facture

De Bonne Facture translates loosely as ‘well made’, which is about as French and as accurate as it gets. The label focuses on classic menswear staples crafted with genuine attention to fabric and finish, often produced in France using traditional methods.

Expect softly structured tailoring, textured shirts and knitwear that improves with age. There’s a calm confidence to it all. Nothing trend-led, nothing forced. Just thoughtful, durable clothing designed to slot into a grown-up wardrobe and stay there.

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Casablanca

Founded in 2018 by Charaf Tajer, Casablanca is apparently what happens when luxury tailoring collides with après-tennis energy and a North African sensibility.

For this unusual yet winning mix, the brand leans heavily into silk shirts, vibrant prints and sharply cut suits that feel destined for five-star resorts. Sport is a recurring motif, but this is sport seen through the lens of leisure rather than competition.

The result is glamour with a wink and a nod. Bold, polished and, perhaps most importantly, fun.

Shop now at Farfetch

Lemaire

Christophe Lemaire, alongside Sarah-Linh Tran, has successfully built one of Paris’s most respected and quietly luxurious labels. Founded in the early Nineties, Lemaire is all about restraint. Think fluid tailoring, muted palettes and cuts that prioritise movement and function.

Production is centred in Europe, with fabrics sourced from Europe and Japan. Modern minimalism done properly.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Salomon

Founded in 1947 in Annecy in the French Alps, Salomon began life producing ski equipment before evolving into one of the most respected names in trail running and outdoor footwear.

Now part of Amer Sports, the brand has become an unlikely darling of the fashion crowd, thanks to its aggressively technical silhouettes and often completely outrageous colour schemes.

Whether you’re actually scaling a mountain or just navigating the queue outside a Soho small-plates restaurant, Salomon’s footwear will see you right.

Shop now at SSENSE

Celine

Celine, believe it or not, actually started life as a bespoke children’s shoe business before expanding into leather goods and ready-to-wear. Today, under LVMH ownership, it stands as a byword for sleek, minimalist luxury.

Menswear has leaned into sharp tailoring, clean lines and a slightly rock-inflected sensibility in recent years. Exactly the sort of Parisian aesthetic that keeps France firmly at the top of the fashion food chain.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Dior

Established in 1946, Christian Dior’s house redefined post-war women’s fashion with the ‘New Look’ silhouette and has remained a powerhouse ever since.

Now under the LVMH umbrella, Dior spans haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods and fragrance, but its menswear in particular has become increasingly influential in recent years.

Tailoring remains central, albeit often sharpened or reinterpreted for contemporary tastes. This is heritage with serious muscle. A brand that understands spectacle but is equally fluent in precision.

Shop now at Dior