Ian Gavan/GettyEach year at the Cannes Film Festival, we indulge in a visual feast of glamorous gowns and illustrious stars. But even though the affair brings another level of celebrity sightings, we all know just how innately beautiful the French—and, in particular, their sophisticates—truly are.
Natural, cool and confident, the French It Girl embodies an entirely different beauty that women worldwide try—and have tried—to emulate. From the excessive Marie Antoinette to the fresh-faced Léa Seydoux, here's a lesson in style, as told by history's Parisian females.
1755-1793
The French queen may have gone down in history as one of the most opulent, extravagant monarchs who was ever beheaded, but she was the premier trendsetter. The daring queen broke court tradition when she started wearing muslin dresses, garments seen then as inappropriate. Oh, and those poufy wigs!
1883-1971
Where would the world be without the visionary who is credited for liberating women from the restraining silhouettes of the early 20th century? Coco Chanel imagined a more streamlined, chicer approach to fashion, and her influence lives on today, even possibly in the origins of the little black dress.
1906-1975
The first black woman to star in a major film, Josephine Baker was a bilingual American-born French entertainer who dazzled audiences with her talent and risqué ensembles, including her famous banana skirt. The Black Pearl, as she was known, also made contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, refusing to perform for segregated crowds.
1934-Present
Pretty much the sex symbol of the mid-20th century, Brigitte Bardot was one of the few Europeans who found mainstream success in America. A model, actor, singer and animal activist, the blonde bombshell was deemed "the most liberated woman of post-war France" in a 1959 essay, The Lolita Syndrome.
1946-Present
You know those Hermès bags starting at upwards of $10,000 with wait lists even celebs must endure? Yep, they are named after France-based English beauty Jane Birkin. Not only is she an accomplished actress and model, but she is the mother to another generation of It Girls, including Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon.
1957-Present
The first model to sign an exclusive modeling contract with Chanel, under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfelt, Inès de La Fressange is also a fashion designer and perfumer who still walks couture runways even now in her 50s.
1975-Present
Propped up alongside contemporaries like Vanessa Paradis and Audrey Tautou, Marion Cotillard is not just an A-list celeb, featured in both critically acclaimed indies and blockbuster hits, but many people don't know that the face of Lady Dior is also a singer-songwriter.
1985-Present
Léa Seydoux is the latest of French It Girls, alongside Clemence Poesy and Melanie Laurent, to uphold a more natural, raw take on beauty. Less is more with this actress, which makes her performances in Ridley Scott and Woody Allen-directed films that much more interesting.