Everything sounds better in French, doesn’t it? Well, it does if we are to believe an entire set of the foreign population who have incorporated t-shirts and accessories splashed with French expressions and phrases into their wardrobes, with greater frequency.

These items are primarily produced by mass market brands like Forever 21, Asos or Urban Outfitters who evidently lack a native French speaker on staff to vet the expressions which err on the side of nonsensical. So frivolous in fact that Buzzfeed recently published an article decoding 21 different t-shirts with amusing commentary from a Franco-Belgian French-speaking duo. Still, they were poking fun at what appears to be a universally acknowledged truth – putting text, any text apparently, in French elevates it to a more elegant register. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just is.

Sensing a market opportunity, creative duo at Obvious State (Nichole and Evan Robertson) tapped into the insight for a clever new collection of totes, prints and mugs called Better in French which speaks to our collective fascination with the language by featuring amusing French wordplay. Case in point: the tote above. Each item includes the literal translation in English in small print but these truly can be worn confidently with the knowledge that most people won’t have any clue what is written anyway. Those whose do will appreciate the humor.  The collection is not targeted to the same Forever21-sporting audience, to be sure, but is a smart response to the unabated Francophilia that evidently lives in all of us. Who else is guilty of being drawn to objects en français?

Check out Obvious State books and other collections HERE. 
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