Gabrielle Union Nails the Effortless Summer Outfit Formula Everyone in Paris Is Wearing

She owns the proverbial "pop of color" at the same time.

Gabrielle Union stands on a red carpet wearing long braids similar to what she'll wear in Paris
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some celebrities take dressing for the ongoing Olympics literally, in Team USA's Ralph Lauren racing jackets. Some celebrities take it figuratively, channeling a gold medal in a slip skirt or mini dress. Gabrielle Union went a third route: tapping into an effortless summer outfit formula all over the streets of this year's host city, Paris.

Union was photographed heading back to her hotel on Sunday, August 4, in a look comprised of the easy, breezy basics that Parisians wear for a day shopping in the Marais. The actress layered a slightly oversize button-up shirt over a pair of white, straight leg jeans and leather sandals, then added a pop of color via a cherry red handbag.

Gabrielle Union enters the Ritz hotel wearing a button down shirt and straight leg jeans with sandals

Gabrielle Union returned to the Ritz Carlton in Paris on Sunday, August 4, in a staple Parisian outfit.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

Technically, Gabrielle Union's outfit tapped into the spirit of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her color palette nodded to Team USA through its layering of red, white, and blue. Swapping an obvious Olympic fashion collab for a big shirt and classic denim was a move ripped straight from the sidewalks in the 11th arrondissement: It's polished without trying too hard, relaxed without the off-duty energy of sweatpants. In other words, it's the embodiment of day-to-day Parisian chic.

Outfits like Union's are the croissant and butter of real-life fashion in the City of Light. (Fashion week street style, while inspirational in its own way, triples-down on designers and exaggerated silhouettes in a way that isn't always realistic.) Still, the Perfect Find actress did take another opportunity to show her stars and stripes inside one of the Olympic arenas.

Gabrielle Union wears a tank dress and a button up

Later, on August 5, Union tied her button-down shirt around a navy tennis dress.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

On August 5, Union attended the women's Artistic Gymnastics Floor final wearing her button-down tied over a navy exercise dress. Hers came equipped with red and white piping along the straps, nodding to the colors Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles would wear to compete on behalf of Team USA. Both ways she wore the wardrobe classic earned a personal style gold.

Shop Gabrielle Union's Parisian Summer Outfit

Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.