Specific recommendations needed: Parisian shops for 20-year old female fashionista, shopping on a shoestring
May 14th, 2005, 11:58 AM
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Specific recommendations needed: Parisian shops for 20-year old female fashionista, shopping on a shoestring
My daughter will turn 20 while we're in Europe, and she wants to spend her birthday money in Paris, shopping for some cool wardrobe additions. She's beautiful and athletic, so the problem is that everything fits her perfectly and looks great on her-- yet she can't afford to buy it all.
Where can she find Parisian boutiques with affordable and stylish clothes? She needs nice dresses and clothing for a fair number of formal dinners during the college school year on the east coast.
Is there a neighborhood where the rest of us can sightsee nearby while she's shopping? The Latin Quarter? Marais? St. Germain de Pres? Because I, for one, won't spend more than an hour on shopping indoors in beautiful Paris.
Where can she find Parisian boutiques with affordable and stylish clothes? She needs nice dresses and clothing for a fair number of formal dinners during the college school year on the east coast.
Is there a neighborhood where the rest of us can sightsee nearby while she's shopping? The Latin Quarter? Marais? St. Germain de Pres? Because I, for one, won't spend more than an hour on shopping indoors in beautiful Paris.
May 14th, 2005, 12:07 PM
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Here is a store I found that I loved and thought was reasonably priced...dresses around 80-125 euro, skirts 40-80 euro and some inexpensive tanks/tees cool accesories.
Des Filles a la Vanille
several locations
www.desfillesalavanille.com
Marais and St Germain both good shopping areas. Both have some reasonalble and some EXPENSIVE shops, you have to look to see what you can find!!
Good luck and have fun.
Des Filles a la Vanille
several locations
www.desfillesalavanille.com
Marais and St Germain both good shopping areas. Both have some reasonalble and some EXPENSIVE shops, you have to look to see what you can find!!
Good luck and have fun.
May 14th, 2005, 12:09 PM
#3
My college aged daughter found lots of youth-oriented shops on the rue de Rennes from Montparnasse toward St. Germain. I didn't notice lots of formal type clothes though. Your daughter must be having a very different college experience than my two are if she needs clothes for many formal dinners.
May 14th, 2005, 01:14 PM
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Thanks for your prompt replies!
Yes, her college parties are a far cry from my own experience in the 60s. (Enough said about that subject!) They are called "formal" parties, but are really cocktail attire for the most part. So she has a collection of little black dresses already. Good thing she enjoys dressing up. The East Coast is a big change socially, from living here in Colorado where we can wear jeans all the time...
Any other specific shops to suggest that are tres Parisienne?
Yes, her college parties are a far cry from my own experience in the 60s. (Enough said about that subject!) They are called "formal" parties, but are really cocktail attire for the most part. So she has a collection of little black dresses already. Good thing she enjoys dressing up. The East Coast is a big change socially, from living here in Colorado where we can wear jeans all the time...
Any other specific shops to suggest that are tres Parisienne?
May 14th, 2005, 02:00 PM
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My mow 18-year-old liked Zara, Etam, and Pimkie up until our last trip at the end of last summer, but they may now be a little too young for her (I don't know, I hate that kind of shopping and usually go elsewhere while she's in the store) or for your daughter, though it always seems there are young women in their 20s in the stores. There are branches all over Paris, and the clothes are inexpensive.
May 14th, 2005, 04:17 PM
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Last year my 18 yo also beautiful and athletic (and intelligent, and charming, and considerate, and committed ...wait, I may have a bias) niece was in a similar position. She freaked at the prices in the department stores and boutiques. We lucked out finding a little shop in the Marais that sells clothes, shoes and accessories that have been used in fashion shows. She got a pair of shoes that would make any fashionista envious for a fraction of the usual cost. Can't recall the name but think it is on rue Castex.
Also, there is a designer outlet discount center outside Paris that you can reach on the RER. http://www.lavalleevillage.com/lavallee/home.asp?lan=en
There is a typical mall and then next to it the "village" where multiple designers sell last year's line at discounted (but still pretty steep!) prices.
The other outlet center, Quai des Marques in St Denis en Ile, was pretty disappointing and not worth the trip.
Also, there is a designer outlet discount center outside Paris that you can reach on the RER. http://www.lavalleevillage.com/lavallee/home.asp?lan=en
There is a typical mall and then next to it the "village" where multiple designers sell last year's line at discounted (but still pretty steep!) prices.
The other outlet center, Quai des Marques in St Denis en Ile, was pretty disappointing and not worth the trip.
May 14th, 2005, 09:10 PM
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When I lived in Paris there was an annual guidebook to shopping cheap called <i>Paris Pas Cher</i>. Buy it at any book store. If not, then shop where the Parisians shop and don't miss the BHV which is smack dab in the middle of the city.
May 15th, 2005, 01:04 PM
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okay - I am a guy, so take this in stride. I lived in Germany about 25 years ago and while on a shoe string budget learned to love C&A. It is a cahin not unlike JC Pennies. Here's the deal though....wander the expensive stores in Paris. Learn what colors are "in" what styles are "in" and then go to C&A (thee is one on the Rivoli). Prices are cheap by any standard and you go home with stylish European clothing. I'll be 46 next week and I have not bought a winter coat from anywhere other than C&A for the last 25 years...I'm hooked and your daughter may be too.
May 15th, 2005, 01:37 PM
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Our daughter has never walked out of Naf Naf on the Champs Elysees empty-handed and she's far from naive or easily sold. It's worth a look:
http://www.nafnaf.com/
http://www.nafnaf.com/
May 17th, 2005, 12:25 PM
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I found some great clothes at even greater prices at Promod.
http://www.promod.com/odyssee/src/Ho...21726287666824
There's several around Paris but the one we went to was right next to the St. Michel stop. It may be a large chain but the clothes were really cute.
http://www.promod.com/odyssee/src/Ho...21726287666824
There's several around Paris but the one we went to was right next to the St. Michel stop. It may be a large chain but the clothes were really cute.
May 17th, 2005, 12:28 PM
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Maureen, Try to take your daughter to one of the fashion shows at Galleries Lafayette. They are free with advance reservations on their website. I took my neice last summer and it was her Paris highlight.
May 17th, 2005, 12:39 PM
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I found some cute tops for my step daughter at C&A. It was the one on Blvd. Haussmann close to Galerie Lafayett. It was a pretty big store..two floors for sure but didn't get upstairs. Lots of Parisians in there or a lot of tourists that spoke french 
. Cute scarves, belts, other accessories etc. Didn't look at all the clothes. Prices very reasonable.
. Cute scarves, belts, other accessories etc. Didn't look at all the clothes. Prices very reasonable.
May 17th, 2005, 12:46 PM
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well, I do have a different viewpoint that seafox on C&A. YOu don't need to go window shopping in an expensive area to see what's in. I mean, if you want to shop at C&A, why not just go shop there and see what they have. I wouldn't call it exactly like JCPenney, it's more bargain basement. It's where I go to buy some sleeveless blouse if it's hotter than I thought and I didn't pack one, but I don't want to invest anything in new clothes. It's cheaper than H&M. It's not good quality (less than JCPEnney, even). Really, there is nothing special there that you can't find at home, I imagine. I wouldn't spend my time in Paris shopping for cheap synthetic clothes. It's not cutting edge, can't be at that quality and price but you never know, she might find something she thinks is better than at home.
I think there are lots of places to window shop, and the Champs Elysees may not be the best (but she can't afford the best nor the latest couture so you may not want that), but it's not the worst. It's a busy, lively area a lot of people like walking around, including teens. There is a Zara's on it that is really popular, and some other stores, also.
If you just want to browse current styles, any of the main dept. stores would do for that, actually, and be fairly convenient. There are various streets with boutiques you could browse -- rue de Rennes (although I don't think it the best for clothing), generally around St-Germain (maybe around rue du Four area and branching from there, but all over), rue St-Dominique or St-Placide, or around Etienne Marcel on the Right Bank or place des Victoires.
Actually, just for the first time last year I was in the mall at La Defense and thought it was really quite nice for shopping overall with a broad range of reasonable shops. It was nicer than the malls I'd been in Paris (Les Halles or MOntparnasse). YOu could combine that shopping trip with seeing that arch and going up in it, maybe. It's not far on the RER or metro.
I think there are lots of places to window shop, and the Champs Elysees may not be the best (but she can't afford the best nor the latest couture so you may not want that), but it's not the worst. It's a busy, lively area a lot of people like walking around, including teens. There is a Zara's on it that is really popular, and some other stores, also.
If you just want to browse current styles, any of the main dept. stores would do for that, actually, and be fairly convenient. There are various streets with boutiques you could browse -- rue de Rennes (although I don't think it the best for clothing), generally around St-Germain (maybe around rue du Four area and branching from there, but all over), rue St-Dominique or St-Placide, or around Etienne Marcel on the Right Bank or place des Victoires.
Actually, just for the first time last year I was in the mall at La Defense and thought it was really quite nice for shopping overall with a broad range of reasonable shops. It was nicer than the malls I'd been in Paris (Les Halles or MOntparnasse). YOu could combine that shopping trip with seeing that arch and going up in it, maybe. It's not far on the RER or metro.
