I realized the French pedicure was back while I was people-watching at the Ritz in Naples—specifically when I noted that every well-dressed woman I passed seemed to have the exact same French tip toes. Poolside, at lunch, gliding through the lobby in leather Hermès sandals: clean nails, sheer polish, and that unmistakable white tip.
At this point, I'll acknowledge that I was thinking too hard about other people's toes, but can you blame me? I love clocking the quiet luxury trends the ultra-rich casually collect, if only for investigative beauty journalism. (And, fine, for spectacle.) But this French pedicure wasn't the one I remembered. Instead of the stark white-and-pink contrast that used to feel like a default vacation choice, this one was softened and pared back. The bases were milky or barely there, and the tips were much thinner. It looked expensive in the way the best things do: not flashy, just impossibly chic and polished. Which, frankly, is the point.
