Point Mode: The Pareo

The timeless of summer: an elegance that comes from afar

 

Before being a fashion piece, the pareo is a traditional garment full of symbols. Appearing in Oceanian cultures notably in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the Samoan archipelago, the pareu (Polynesian original name) was a rectangular fabric tied around the body. Made from natural fibers and often adorned with tribal patterns, it told the story, belonging, and sometimes even the civil status of the wearer.

With the arrival of Europeans in the Pacific in the 18th century, missionaries imposed more covering clothing, but the pareo resisted, transformed, and gained popularity.

It was in the 1920s-1930s, with the development of cruises, exotic travel, and then the golden age of cinema, that it arrived on European beaches, becoming a symbol of freedom, sensuality, and eternal vacations.

 

 

An icon of icons

The pareo is the faithful ally of women who love fashion without ever overdoing it. Worn carelessly at the waist or tied with sophistication, it evokes both relaxation and a certain form of carefree elegance . 

Among the first to make it a style piece, Josephine Baker wore it as early as the 1930s on the Côte d’Azur. Brigitte Bardot, icon of the sixties, adopted it in Saint-Tropez as a uniform of freedom, later it was Jane Birkin who made it an effortless charm accessory. Today, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, and Zendaya carry on the legacy, each in their own way, in an ultra contemporary vision of femininity,  each surely thinking of the historical icons who were Grace Kelly, who wore it with canvas espadrilles during her Monegasque escapes, or Jacqueline Kennedy, elegant even at the beach, pareo tied perfectly around the hips.

 

 

Ines de la Fressange & the art of the French-style pareo

Ines de la Fressange has never hidden her love for simple, natural pieces, yet always distinguished. The pareo, in her wardrobe, is not an occasional garment, but a true style tool that adapts, is repurposed, and elevated.

Ines de la Fressange has never hidden her love for simple, natural pieces, yet always distinguished. The pareo, in her wardrobe, is not an occasional garment, but a true style tool that adapts, is repurposed, and elevated.

During her summers between the south of France, Capri, or the Basque coast, Ines ties it in turn as a dress, skirt, or turban, always with that nonchalant and ultra-Parisian flair that characterizes her. A crumpled white shirt, a pair of flat sandals, a basket in hand, a printed pareo tied carelessly… and everything is said.

 

Our vision of the pareo: elegance, softness, and modernity

At Ines de la Fressange Paris, we designed our own pareos, inspired by Ines’s style, and imagined a series of pareos in light cotton or silk voile, with exclusive prints inspired by southern flowers, vintage geometric patterns, or shades of blue like the waves of an endless summer.

 

Each pareo is designed to accompany you from morning to night:

• On the beach, wrapped around the swimsuit or tied as a light bustier

• In the city, as a scarf around the neck or a chic belt on a flowy dress

• In the evening, like a light stole thrown over the shoulders 
  
  

These pieces are made to be loved, worn, then rediscovered the following summer with the same happiness.

How to tie your pareo like a Parisian

Some suggestions inspired by the Ines de la Fressange style: 

Tied at the waist like a wrap skirt, to be paired with a white t-shirt and gladiator sandals. 

Crossed and tied around the neck for a perfect strapless dress after the beach. 

Transformed into a bandeau top, worn with high-waisted flowy pants. 

Worn on the hair, bohemian-chic turban style, to enhance a summer look.

 In an oversized scarf version, on an open white shirt.

 

 

A word from the House

The pareo is more than an accessory, it’s a promise of escape, a caress on the skin, freedom of movement, and designs that accompany you.
It’s an everyday object that, when well chosen, becomes precious. At Ines de la Fressange Paris, it embodies everything we love: femininity, a taste for beauty, and joyful simplicity.

Discover our exclusive collection of pareos!
Natural fabrics, delicate prints, Riviera spirit: a summer in your image, with complete lightness.