I spent this past summer studying in France and was lucky enough to have an undeniably chic 15-year-old host sister.  We quickly realized we had a mutual fondness for fashion, and within a week she had given me a thorough rundown on her favorite French brands.

Upon returning to the U.S., I was dismayed by the thought of no longer having easy access to such reasonably priced yet incredibly chic fashion labels.  However, I happened to notice adjacent Maje and Sandro boutiques (two of my host sister’s favorite choices) while spending an afternoon in the West Village.  Lo and behold, it turns out that a myriad of French brands are indeed expanding overseas.

It’s quickly becoming this much easier to dress like a French girl, and here are some of my favorite edgy, wearable, and (generally) affordable lines that have recently invaded NYC:

APC (131 Mercer St):  practical, tasteful, boyishly preppy basics—particularly great coats and pullovers.

Comptoir des Cotonniers (155 Spring St):  cheerful separates, floral prints, and stripes—excellent daytime clothing.

Isabel Marant (469 Broome St):  girly-cool dresses, cozy-chic sweaters, and inexplicably cool shoes.

Inside Isabel Marant's SoHo flagship

Jerome Dreyfuss (473 Broome St):  beautiful, tastefully trendy, high-quality leather handbags created by Marant’s husband.

Maje (145 Spring St and 417 Bleecker St):  feminine, day-to-night, perfect mix of conservative and funky.

Sandro (415 Bleecker St):  self-described “bohemian chic,” demure, feminine with daring touches.

Zadig et Voltaire (831 Washington St):  funky (lots of skulls), casual, and comfortable in neutral tones.

The Kooples, quite possibly my favorite French brand, is set to open later this year.

And finally, there’s always Ladurée (71^st and Madison) for fail-safe Parisian treats. Want to see Parisians out and about? Check out Leah’s article when she was abroad in Paris last semester!

Alli Kaye