urban_nomad

Does anyone know any good Urbanwear/Streetwear/HipHop stores in Paris that sell PLUS SIZE clothes for both men and women? Is there a certain street I can go to, which has a concentration of Urbanwear stores? I know there is an influential French HipHop music scene and a lot of young people in France choose to dress in this style. So my guess is that there are probably a number of HipHop stores in Paris that provide the threads for the genre's aficionados. Please don't recommend any stores in the US as I don't live there.

urban_nomad

ttt

Christina

your requests are getting trickier...

I think a lot of that kind of clothing would just be imported from the US, anyway. And while I don't know that scene very well, I know kind of where it is and where to look and where some of those clubs are and folks dressed in that style -- I would wander around the Bastille and Oberkampf areas in the 11th arr (try around rue de Lappe), and especially around the Chatelet/Les Halles metro/RER stop area or the Forum Halles shops. There are lots of shops around there with urbanwear and folks hanging out who dress like that. Get off at Chatelet/Les Halles stop and start around the place just outside in front of the FOrum (southeast side) then go north along rue Pierre Lescot up to the Etienne Marcel metro area. There are trendy young shops around there, also.

YOu could also try rue des Martyrs around the border of the 18th and 9th -- that's a shopping street and also a slot of popular clubs are on it.

TrendGirl

Urban Nomad,
Christina has given you the correct information for your request. Each of her recommendations are the same places where I would also suggest.Les Halles had a lot of that type of clothing in the various boutiques.

crefloors

Try Google. I found stores in London that way. Just a suggestion.

urban_nomad

Thanks for posting Christine. I myself doubted that anyone would be able to answer this one! But you seem to know Paris like the back of your hand I just need a little clarification on the locations you mentioned, as this is my first trip to Paris and I've never been to these places. I have read that the Forum des Halles is an underground shopping mall in the middle of Paris, and the Châtelet-les-Halles metro station is underneath it. After I get off the metro, do I go up into the actual mall and look for urbanwear stores in there? Or, should I go outside and walk to rue Etienne Marcel, and that's where I'll find them?

P.S. I got a reply from Mephisto (Paris) the other day and they mentioned carrying a size 9.5. I remember you saying that you had difficulty finding that size. So, maybe this can help. Suzanne had also posted a link sofftshoes.com, they're a US company with US-only store locations and they carry a 9.5. I don't know if you're in France, the US, or elsewhere right now; but keep visiting the post, you might find something of use to you.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...me=urban_nomad

Cheers.

urban_nomad

Opps it's Christina not Christine. Sorry about that. You must get that alot

kerouac

Les Halles is the place to, either in the Forum shopping mall or anywhere in the surrounding streets.

SiobhanP

To be honest would they not be the same brands as you could get in the U.S.? There is commercial here of a street dancer and its for one of the brads like Nike or Reebok. They will be more money in Paris than at home. I am sure there are a few different brangs as well but make sure you don't pay more for what you can get at home. Enjoy.

P.S. my partner is a tall big guy and we had a hard time finding clothes for him in Paris.

helsinkiflyer

What on earth makes so many think that the OP is from the US? On the contrary. He even writes in his first post: "Please don't recommend any stores in the US as I don't live there"

But to the subject. I´d recommend about the same. It might also be worthwhile to go into a bookstore/newsagent and take a look at some of the french language music/rap magazines found there. You could get some ideas from the ads or stories.

kerouac

H&M is a big seller of a lot of the slightly sanitized streetwear, and they most definitely are not American, since it is a Swedish company. And as for the real stuff, I have read numberous articles about California surfer dudes ordering their surfer dude clothes from France because the French version is more to their liking. Of course we are talking about the surfer dudes who can afford something other than Wal-Mart.

4greenfields

Hi Urban-
Take the metro line 4 direction Porte Clignancourt to the Chateau Rouge stop. When you exit, walk up the bd Barbes to the next street (rue Doudeauville). Cross to the other side of the street but stay on Barbes. There is a small urban shop halfway down the block owned by some guys from the neighborhood. It's as authentic as you're going to get. Tell them a friend of Jaures' sent you, and be sure to check out the surrounding neighborhood while you're up there. Tourists never do and it's a shame. You'll find some amazing African food as well as Sri Lankan. Go!

SiobhanP

My humblest apologies to urban_nomad . Helsinki flyer, relax it was not an attack on them I just hate to see people pick up the same things at a larger price abroad for example in another post someone spoke about buying Waterford Crystal in Ireland (it's actually cheaper in some places in the U.S.).

Enjoy shopping!

P.S. God I need a spell checker!

Christina

thanks for the Mephisto info but I don't like Mephisto shoes, they aren't comfortable to me.

I don't think H&M is urbanwear myself.

I found some specific stores and addresses for you, several of them around Les Halles and Etienne Marcel. Let me know if you can't find this.

Go to the Timeout Guides for Paris, then the shopping section, and they actually have a page on urbanwear (was I surprised). This is the URL
http://www.timeout.com/paris/shops/12.html

M Dia was the kind of place I was thinking of seeing.

I'd get out at Chatelet metro -- place Ste Opportune is right next to metro entrance (north one). Then, I'd browse from there, walking north to place Bellay just outside the Forum and then up Lescot. YOu can go into the Forum mall if you want, there are probably shops in there, also, but I find it more enjoyable to shop on the streets.

I think they might be rue des Innocents on that address for M Dia (can't find place des Innocents on a map). It will be around there, though, and you can ask if you can't find it. Here is an article I found on that designer/store when searching for Dia and it actually is a good article on your subject as it mentions other stores for that kind of clothing and some other info you might find interesting. Coincidentally, I just stayed last summer a few doors down from one of the places they mention, Haynes Cafe in the 9th, which was popular with black American expat musicians in the 40s/50s.

http://www.popmatters.com/columns/lewis/050323.shtml

QC

There is an actual Timberland store on the Left Bank not far from St. Germain (the actual church). They had larger sizes, it was identical to the selection found in the U.S. You could pick up whole outfits from there. It's at 18 Rue l'Ancienne Comedie in the 6th.

Major brand sneakers (trainers) like Nike and Reebok were extremely common, there were several Foot Locker (a U.S. chain) stores in the Les Halles vicinity. 45 rue de Rivoli in the 1st is easy to get to from the Louvre!

More underground gear will be difficult to find, most of it would be imported from the U.S., it will likely be cheaper to order via internet/post and have it shipped. Most of the French youth I saw dressed in this style were emulating American styles, including sportswear, etc. I live in NYC and was very surprised to see so much copying from MTV. Like you, this was something I was hoping to see more of in Paris.

I CAN report that it is extraordinarily easy to pick up CDs of Franophone Hiphop, there is a HUGE selection and can be found in any FNAC store. Hiphop is called Hiphop or Rap (really!) in French. There are some excellent French MCs, and listening stations are available. CDs were about 18-20EUR, very expensive.

urban_nomad

Helsinklyer, you hit the nail right on the head. Frankly, I am starting to get really frustrated by the number of posts I receive on any thread I start that think I’m from the US. Only non-US posters here are going to relate to what I‘m saying. I often feel completely alienated on Fodor‘s because of this ridiculous stereotype on all posters being American. You try to be polite and thank people for their recommendations on where to shop in the US when you’ve just asked for information on anywhere but the US!! You mention a zillion times on your thread that you are not from the US in hopes of someone actually bothering to read that part before hitting the reply button. But nooo the pre-suppositions are carved into most people’s brains, and they’re almost blind to what you write. When 70% of the replies you get for a post give you tips on where to shop in the US, rather than info on where to shop at your country of destination, you start wondering why bother with starting threads anyways.

Then there are the wise guys who actually start to rudely CRITICIZE you for spending YOUR money on merchandise outside the borders of the US when, according to them, they’re practically giving the stuff away for free in Alabama!! Asides from *again* presuming that I live in the States, just being addressed with that line of reasoning infuriates me as I don’t recall employing a financial advisor to supervise spending on my checking's account. Maybe the US Ministry of Finance is employing secret agents who go around travel forums discouraging Americans from foreign spending, their slogan being “money made in the US, stays in the US”.

If I posted a question on where to buy, say, American flags in Paris, I expect people who happen to know something about that and would like to share it with me to reply with the name of a place and an address; if they were exceptionally nice, maybe directions on how to get there and if the owners/assistants were helpful or not. And unless I include a question in my request on whether a product is cheaper in country "X" or "Y", I do not expect to be given a comparison chart on prices between Paris and someone’s idea of where my “home” is. And I definitely do not expect to be ridiculed or belittled by someone telling me how and where to spend my money. Unfortunately, some people here feed their egos by trying to look smart at the expense of making others look like fools. For some reason they think they know better, and they go around instructing people on how to conduct their lives. You don’t know my reasons; maybe I’m a journalist who’s obsessed about finding symbols of Americana in every country I visit as a means of assessing the extent of globalization around the world! Maybe I’m a political analyst who’s writing a book about US-France relationships after the liberation/war on Iraq; and want to interview a Parisian flag shop owner on whether he has been harassed/threatened about importing/manufacturing US flags after the US-led coalition went into Iraq!! Maybe I’m a non-American homemaker who likes to collect flags and won’t be able to get a "cheaply-priced" American flag from the US because my country was named on the “axis of evil” speech, and I’ll never be issued a US visa!!! My point is that all sorts of people post on Fodor’s; and when someone asks for shopping info, pricing is not always a primary concern (unless they state so). Maybe money is no object and they have bucketfuls of it to spend. Maybe they’re collectors or doing research. And believe it or not, maybe, just maybe they don’t have the privilege of comparing with “home” prices because the product they’re looking for isn’t marketed where they come from; and they’re not planning on visiting the product’s country of origin/manufacture anytime soon---which is exactly my situation with urbanwear. So, the next time we think about posting how about a little more open-mindedness and less judgmentalism or cheekiness.

That was my two cents on board nuisances, and they‘re not few. But I guess that’s how it is with any human gathering. I have been subjected to these attitudes on previous threads (presumed American even if I’ve clearly stated otherwise, and mocked rudely for asking for info on buying stuff in certain countries). I have also witnessed this kind of attitude inflicted on others around the boards (including a host of other irritations, like how snobbish some people can get when they layout the protocols of dressing “right” in Europe, and then look down at those who choose to dress comfortably. What about people who wear a national costume or religious attire, where do they fit in the picture? I think some people here would suggest that they should just starve to death in Paris, rather than disturb the chic-ness of a French bistro. Whatever happened to celebrating/tolerating human differences? And why is individuality and personal style frowned upon?).

By the way this message is NOT purely a reaction to Siobhan’s post, his post was maybe the straw that broke the camel’s back, but this has really little to do with him. At least he wasn’t disrespectful like some people can be around here. I accept and appreciate your apology Siobhan. Thanks for being a gentleman about it.

urban_nomad

Thanks 4greenfields! What's the name of the shop?

urban_nomad

As usual Christina you've been so genereously helpful. Thanks for going out of your way and looking for links and articles that would help. Deeply appreciative

urban_nomad

Thanks QC. I'll be sure to check out the Timberland store.

Christina

you're welcome, I thought that article was good.

I knew you weren't American, and understand your feelings on that assumption, but I did say one thing about most of that clothing might be imported from the US -- not because I thought you could pop into a store in the US, but thinking that you might be able to get it cheaper or easier by ordering online from a US website or something, if you can't find what you want there. I find it hard to shop for clothing on line or from a catalog myself, as you never know exactly what it will look like or how it will fit -- so I do prefer to buy clothes in person.

The Forum des Halles is a big shopping mall (also theaters in there, and a pool, I think), but it's not mostly underground. One part is and it has a metro stop in there. One interesting thing about that mall is that stores are open in there even on some holidays when they are closed everywhere else (like Bastille Day).