The Best French-Inspired Gift Ideas for Francophiles

The best French-inspired gift ideas for the Francophiles in your life. Mother’s Day is two weeks away, so I thought my Sunday Favorites post with Mary Ann and Cindy could be about sharing a few favorite ideas for lovely, French style gifts!

Favorite books

We’ll start with a list of a few favorite books that all have a taste of the French lifestyle. After I purchased Jane Bertch’s new memoir, a new novel by Ruth Reichl popped up as a recommendation. Both were released in April of this year! And I devoured both books in a matter of days. I mean, I stayed on the treadmill for 90 minutes to finish The Paris Novel. I listened to both books on Audible, which I really love! 

The Paris Novel // The French Ingredient // Sara Midda’s South of France: A Sketchbook // The New Paris// When in French: Love is a Second Language //L’appart: The Delights and Disaster of Making Paris My Home // The New Parisienne: The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris // Joie: A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life.

Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home  // In Love with Paris: Recipes & Stories From the Most Romantic City in the World // Dinner in French // The French Chef Cookbook Julia Child // Mastering the Art of French Cooking // French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards // The Cook’s Atelier 

The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune is a treasure to visit! Their cookbook is beautiful, filled with recipes and gorgeous lifestyle photos of their shop and where they teach cooking classes. When we visited last fall, they said they were working on a new book! You can read our blog post about our visit to the Cook’s Atelier here.

Of course, several French cookbooks are lovely to have and cook from. They would be lovely hostess gifts, Christmas gifts, and, of course, Mother’s Day gifts. I’ve included a few must-have French kitchen items, too!

Duralex Made in France Gigogne Glasses // Apiclo Porcelain dishware from Williams Sonoma

A French kitchen will always have a French press, a Le Creuset Dutch oven, and Picardie glassware, which I use for water and wine in my own home. Picardie glassware is made in France by Duralex, and the glasses are very durable and come in different sizes. They come in different colors, too, but I prefer the traditional clear glass. 

Small things like a canister of fleur de sel by the stove and maybe a small dish with seasoned salt are also essential. I make this aromatic blend as parting gifts for French-inspired dinner parties. A small jar tied up with ribbon or twine is the perfect French gift. It is small but a little piece of France for each guest to take home.  

Give a taste of French lifestyle with a jar of mustard (the kind we bought at The Cook’s Atelier) and an aged red wine vinegar in a stone crock bottle. These simple items make the best French gifts for any occasion. A gorgeous bouquet of seasonal flowers with a jar of mustard or vinegar for any Francophile friend.  

I also included Madeleine pans, a wooden rolling pin, and a stainless steel whisk. All are the perfect addition to a kitchen with a little bit of France in mind. We have vintage Madeleine tins in our shop, as well as lots of vintage copper and some French tea towels.

What women are wearing in France

It seems all the major brands have their version of the French market bag. These three are my favorites. I want to love the one from Sézane, but I think the Madewell market bag might be more practical. However, not every bag needs to be practical.

Sézane Justine Basket Bag // Madewell Leather-Trimmed Straw Tote // J.Crew Como Woven Straw Tote

The striped tee

I hope striped tees never go out. I have a few, and I love wearing them year-round. In the summer, I wear one tied around my waist in case I need it 

if it gets chilly. I wear it over a T-shirt with a boyfriend cardigan in the winter. I love the thicker tees from Saint James and Kule. 

Saint James // Kule // J.Crew // Everlane // Alex Mill for Nordstrom 

The outfit I plan to wear all summer (similar to this one from last year)

Eileen Fisher Organic Handkerchief Linen Band Collar Short-Sleeved Shirt // Organic Linen Pocket Skirt // The Greta Ballet Flat from Madewell // Leather-Trimmed Straw Tote // Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton Boucle Crew Neck

Last year, I wore this linen pocket skirt and shirt from Eileen Fisher with everything! You can see how I styled it five ways in this reel on Instagram. This year, I’m thinking of adding these versatile pieces to my small wardrobe, knowing that I could wear them together as a dress or separate them and wear each piece in multiple ways. I love the quality of Eileen Fisher. Every piece lasts forever, and the fabrics are easy to maintain. I wash, shake, and hang to dry. Perfect for everyday wear and travel! Check out this blog post to see how I styled last year’s version.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I may make a small commission, but it does not in any way affect your price. Thank you so much! I hope this post has given you a few ideas for the perfect gift for your favorite Francophile. 

Now, let’s see what Mary Ann and Cindy have to say about Mother’s Day gifts!

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