What is a French tuck?

The “French tuck” was popularized by THE fashion stylist, Tan France, from the popular Netflix show, Queer Eye. He coined this term, presumably after his last name! A French tuck is when you tuck in your shirt JUST at the front or to one side, and leave the rest of the shirt at the sides and back untucked. This is a 2021 fashion trend that you won’t see going anywhere for quite some time. Not only is it super flattering and easy to do (once you know HOW to do it!) But the French tuck also helps you to get more out of your basic wardrobe essentials.

WHY would you use a French tuck?

The benefits to a French tuck are pretty endless, but here are the top 3 reasons we would use it:

1. You are wearing a belt! Pulling your shirt over a belt buckle can leave a lot of strange looking lumps and bumps around that area. The French tuck is the perfect way to show off your cute belt, while also being able to wear that cute eco-friendly top, and not have to tuck it all the way in.
2. You’re looking to camouflage. Whether you had a big lunch, or are looking to add a bit of ruching around the stomach area, the half tuck lends itself perfectly to this.
3. To give you a curve at the hem. Straight across tops can tend to make your body look a bit choppy and can also make your hips look wider. The French tuck adds a natural curve to your top, elongating the body and perfecting your cozy and cute outfit! By the way...if you’re looking for the perfect tummy control legging, you NEED to check out our Lisa2 highwaisted leggings! They have a 4 inch waistband and help smooth everything out. We’re all obsessed with these bamboo leggings...you have to give them a try!
4. You’re looking to add a bit of style! With jeans, you favourite bamboo jogger pants, or a pair of comfy dress pants, we love using the French tuck to add some extra style and flair to a basic t-shirt, turtleneck, or simple tank 
   
   

How do you do the perfect french tuck?

Donna showed these shirt tucking tips in a segment from one of our Virtual Happy Hours on our Facebook page back in January that you all loved, so we're putting it here permanently on the Miik blog! Feel free to save this video on our Youtube channel or Instagram Page, and come back to it anytime you're getting dressed in the morning, and need some TUCK INSPO 😜

Tucking in your shirt sounds easy, but isn't always as simple as it seems! Our designer Donna is breaking down what a French tuck is, when to wear one, and how get the perfect one every time in this video! Give it a watch for a super easy step-by-step tutorial on what to do...and what NOT to do!

For this video, Donna used our Kerry turtleneck, made with our buttery soft, and eco-friendly bamboo fabric, to show the perfect French tuck! All our clothes are made in Canada, from milling, to dying and sewing the final product.  The finished garments are shipped out from our Toronto, Ontario head office in compostable mailers. From start to finish, we aim to be a sustainable clothing company.

What not to do:

1. Don’t tuck your top all the way down and leave it like that! We tend to see this in a lot of our photoshoots with community models. The top is supposed to have a relaxed fit around the stomach area. When you tuck it all the way down, it defeats the purpose of the French tuck!
2. Don’t pull down the sides too much. The top should have a natural curve once you do the half tuck...you shouldn’t have to yank down the sides to get an unnatural looking tuck! Everything should look natural, and should stay in place once you tuck it. No one wants to or has time to fuss with their shirt all day!

The number 1 tip when it comes to doing the French tuck correctly:

DON’T TUCK TOO MUCH! What Donna shows in the video, is that she’s only tucking in about an inch of the shirt’s fabric. The rest stays untucked, and blousons over to give a really naturally relaxed look...almost opposite to a full tuck. This helps create that flattering curve and a little bit of camouflage in the tummy area.

That’s our simple, easy step-by-step guide on how to French tuck! You can also use the same steps for a side French tuck as we showed for a front tuck. Have you ever tried the French tuck or Half tuck? Let us know in the comments below!