Saint-Tropez in white on white, the pretenses of a colorful destination

Each summer, Saint-Tropez reactivates its chic and rowdy score with the ease of a myth that assumes. White laundry slaps with balconies, glasses oversize Slide on the reworked noses, and the silhouettes sneak between marina and tamed palm trees. But under the varnish of immaculate flax and the tropéziennes in golden leather, the local style obeys such precise rules as a yacht party dress code. Here, the garment is never left to chance. He suggests more than he shows.

White, between radiance and belonging

“White is a constantsays Pauline, manager of a multi -brand shop in the center. We sell 45 % in summer. It remains a safe bet, which crosses the seasons. »»

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Long associated with the Dolce Vita Mediterranean, the white has found an ideal playground in Saint-Trope: bright, relaxed, but always strategic. Popularized in the 1960s by a jet set which sought to shine without sweating, it has established itself as a quasi-norme summer. Brought to a golden skin, he has this instant power of making “vacation” without saying a word. A flattering color that makes “rich”, and above all, which brings out tanning like no other color code.

Having caramel skin meant only one thing: that we had the luxury of leaving, taking the time, having a boat, a terrace or a well located deckchair. White here is not just a neutral shade. It is a social marker, a revealer of barely disguised privilege.

The white linen shirt, above all, reigns without sharing. Light, ample, it is suitable for Parisians on the run as well as to seasoned premises, faithful to this elegance without effect. The Tropéziennes, too, resurfaces each year. “As soon as vacationers arrive, they are looking for them. »»

But to want to stick too much to the shot, you fall into the panel. “We also sell typical prints from Provence. Tourists love it, but the Tropéziens do not wear them. They find it too marked. »» Translation: What seems typical is, often, off topic. And the old demons of Barclay years (white on white, champagne evening, linen suit on shirtless and brushing platinum) still prowl in the memories. Useful reminder: you don’t dress like Eddie Barclay by accident.

“I will never put a total white look”

Capucine, 26, is “born” here. His uniform? “John of jeans, knotted man’s shirt, flat sandals. Nothing too obvious. In Saint-Tropez, the risk is to look like bling-bling. She admits to having adopted certain parts because the vacationers wore them, a teenager. “But today I come back to simple things. It’s hot, it must be practical. »»

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Lola, 17, is a high school student. For her, Saint-Tropez rhymes with freedom: “ Here, no one really judges. You can go out in a beach dress or in pastel tailor, nobody will say anything. I love to hunt things on vinted and mix with old pieces from my mother. But I will never put a total white look. Too seen. »»

Catherine, 58, former gallery owner, lives year -round in the historic center. “I like broken white and fluid cuts. This is the essential of my wardrobe in summer. But I get dressed above all in Marseille, so as not to have the same things as everyone. It amuses me to divert a very chic room with a wicker basket. I don’t like the looks that scream “Parisians on vacation”. »»

Under the sun, the Fashion Faux Pas

Fail fake clothes? There are few, but they exist. “The coordinated sets to party, like high and low matching in white, is not very localnote Pauline. This is not the kind of outfit you can put in Paris. »» The Tropézien style is not trying to dazzle, it seeks to last.

Under flashes and legends, the truth is more nuanced: Saint-Tropez is not just a setting. It is a scene where everyone knows what they embody. Even in a jersey, even at noon. The style slips into the details, whether it is a pearly button, a rolled handle or golden skin. A white on white why not but provided you are perfectly assumed, like a rosé that would drink dry: it sometimes stings. But it’s all the charm of the place.