The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word CONFIDANTES
C
O
N
F
I
D
A
N
T
E
S
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Girl friends" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case girl friends = confidantes.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CONFIDANTES mean?
CONFIDANTES noun- A female confidant.
- A type of settee having a seat at each end at right angles to the main seats.