The Françoise Hardy Style Guide
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Françoise Hardy was the defining face of 1960s French pop, her voice and image inseparable from the rise of the yé-yé sound. With hits like “Tous les Garçons et les Filles” and “Le Temps de l’Amour” alongside a cool aura that set her apart, Hardy rose to fame as both a musical star and a fashion icon whose influence still resonates today.
Her style brought together Parisian insouciance and London mod flair, which made her a muse for designers like Paco Rabanne and Yves Saint Laurent. Alongside iconic looks that included futuristic chain mail dresses and masculine tailoring were pieces that became signatures: fur coats, mini skirts, and ribbed knitwear. Hardy’s fashion repertoire reads like a greatest hits of 60s style.
More than half a century later, Hardy’s style remains the ultimate lesson in French girl cool. Here’s how to recreate her distinct look today.
Leather Jacket
Françoise Hardy’s love of leather wasn’t just for show. She was an avid motorcyclist with her own Honda CB750, often spotted riding through Paris, clad in leather. Her affinity for motorcycles made the leather jacket one of her most authentic style signatures.
To recreate her look, try a cropped moto jacket over a graphic tee and jeans, or go all in with head-to-toe leather when you want true Hardy-level cool.
Flared Trousers
Hardy regularly stepped out in flared pants, a style that became the uniform of the 70s. Paired with a striped button-up and masculine tailoring, she made them look effortlessly cool. If you can’t get on board with full-on retro flares, a more modest kick-flare pant is just as good.
Ankle Boots
Long before modern French girls made ankle boots all the rage, Hardy was already styling them with everything from shift dresses and mini skirts to flared bottoms. She famously favored white, shorter go-go boots that were popularized by designer André Courrèges in the 60s.
Follow in her footsteps with boots that feature block heels and square toes. I’ve found the best selection at French footwear brands like Jonak and Carel.
Turtlenecks
For me, turtlenecks instantly recall Audrey Hepburn and her chic beatnik style in Funny Face. Hardy also pranced around Paris in turtlenecks, which were a staple of hippies style of the 1960s and 70s. She sported them in every color from classic black and stripes to sunshine yellow, often in ribbed knits that were unmistakably of the era.
Pair one with denim, layer it under easy outerwear, or wear it tucked into a mini skirt, all à la Françoise.
Masculine Tailoring
Blazers, tailored trousers, and structured coats highlighted Hardy’s androgynous side, a look that surged in popularity in the 60s and 70s thanks to the women’s liberation movements and fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent.
Even alongside feminine styles like mini skirts and ballerines, she famously modelled the YSL’s iconic Le Smoking. She was even described as the "anti-Bardot", presenting a beauty ideal that made the exaggerated femininity of the time feel passé.
To get Hardy's “borrowed from the boys” aesthetic, incorporate boxy blazers, pinstripe pants, or even a crisp men’s shirt into your own wardrobe.
Mini Skirt
Hardy was another muse of the mini skirt. The daring 60s hemline rose to fame during her heyday, thanks to London designer Mary Quant and the Parisian André Courrèges.
From suede and leather to stripes and plaid, her mini skirts were unapologetically short yet styled with sophistication. Mini dresses, too, were part of her most memorable looks.
Fur Coat
Few French it-girls of the 1960s wore outerwear with as much flair as Françoise Hardy. One more glamorous piece that she was often photographed in was a chunky fur coat. Whether long and dramatic or subtly fur-lined, they added a dose of drama to even the simplest outfit.
Faux-fur options are a perfect modern homage, draped over a mini dress or paired with trousers. Secondhand real furs are also a responsible way to mimic Hardy’s style.
Retro Sunnies
No chanteuse of the 60s would be complete without her shades, and Hardy certainly gravitated toward round or rectangular, oversized styles. Any statement sunglasses with retro flair can bring a touch of Hardy’s effortless Parisian cool to your own wardrobe.
Paco Rabanne
Hardy was one of Paco Rabanne’s muses, famously wearing his space-age inspired styles that shimmered under the spotlight. From chainmail dresses to futuristic jumpsuits, Rabanne’s creations soared in popularity after Hardy brought them to life on stage and screen.
Among their collaborations, the gold jewelry dress remains the most iconic. Made out of 1,000 gold plaques, 300 carats of diamonds, and weighing 20 pounds, it was considered to be "the most expensive dress in the world in 1968". While hardly an everyday look, it cemented Hardy’s place in fashion history.
A sequined slip dress or metallic accent piece brings that same sense of avant-garde glamour today—perfect for New Year’s Eve or a fashionable night out.
Newsboy Cap
Borrowing from across the channel, Hardy often topped off her outfits with newsboy and baker boy caps—a clear trend of the 60s and 70s that even British-born Jane Birkin wore. Beyond newsboys, she was also often spotted in fedoras and other flat-brim styles that brought a bit of boho chic to her looks. No berets in sight, yet her headwear perfectly complemented her Parisian cool.
White Denim
Hardy’s off-duty style was refreshingly pared-down, from her discreet hair and makeup to her effortlessly simple wardrobe. In that mix was plenty of white denim (and bright white trousers). Today, white denim feels just as fresh. Style it with a black turtleneck or a leather jacket like Hardy for a laidback look.
Plaid
Plaid made a frequent appearance in Hardy’s wardrobe. Coats, skirts, trousers, and even subtle pops of the pattern on a trench, she knew how to work the heritage print without ever looking overdone.
The look feels especially relevant now, with plaid dominating current collections (I’ve noticed plenty of checked pieces at Sézane this season). An unstructured car coat or tartan mini skirt is the easiest way to dress like Hardy today.
Knee-High Boots
Hardy didn’t just stop at ankle boots; knee-high styles became a defining part of her look too. Sleek leather pairs, usually in black and brown shades, perfectly complemented her mod mini dresses and short skirts. Tall boots remain a wardrobe essential today, including more retro chic styles that Hardy often wore.
Button-Down Shirt
Hardy turned simple staples into style statements, and the button-down shirt was one of her most essential items. Whether striped, crisp white, or in muted tones, she often wore hers tucked into flared trousers or layered under tailoring. The effect was easy, boyish, and unmistakably chic.
To get the look today, steal from the men’s section: slightly oversized cuts, left half-untucked, or styled with slim denim.
Graphic T-Shirt
In the 1966 film Grand Prix, Hardy donned her now-iconic Automania 66 tee stamped with blocky red lettering. Of course, she gave it her signature nonchalance that made even a casual tee look incredibly cool.
Let your clothes do the talking: the graphic tee remains a fashion favorite today, and you can easily get the same look by styling yours with relaxed denim and sneakers.
No-Effort Fringe
When you think of French girl hair, a soft, effortless fringe likely comes to mind. It’s no surprise that it started with the it-girls of the 60s, Françoise Hardy chief among them.
Her bangs weren’t super structured, but moved naturally, while the rest of her hair stayed perfectly undone. Never overly coiffed, yet always shiny, sleek and kept: Hardy’s hair is seriously the ultimate reference for a low-maintenance look (especially if your hair texture is straight or subtly wavy like hers).
To get her famous frange, bring a photo of Françoise to your next hair appointment and show your stylist (there are plenty in this post).
Winged Eyeliner
Françoise’s makeup always felt fresh-faced with a touch of vintage glamour. Her signature winged eyeliner added just the right amount of drama to an otherwise minimal face and lips.
To channel her iconic look today, keep your base natural. Then use a liquid eyeliner pen to draw on a bold line across the lid and a thick flick at the outer corner of the eye.
Getting Francoise Hardy style is all about mixing 60s mod with bohemian cool. And if you want to learn more about her life, I suggest you read her autobiography, The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles. I also enjoyed browsing the work of French photographer Jean-Marie Périer, Hardy’s ex-partner and close collaborator.
What do you think of Françoise Hardy’s style? Which fashion icon should I create a style guide for next? Let me know in the comments below.
