FIndng Vintage French Workwear in Paris
 

Good morning Fodorites

A few years ago, I stumbled on a booth selling the above at the Marches Aux Puces-and found a vintage (1940ish) Mont St Michel black moleskin jacket that became my son's favorite garment, and is now on the cusp of being outgrown.

Will be back in Paris (yay! ) next month, for almost a week but not on those market days. Can anyone recommend a particular vintage shop or store where I might find another ? I know there are many vintage clothing stores in Paris but have never seen them and looked extensively last year -- perhaps they were just not on my radar previously.

Thank you!

Most of the vintage shops in Paris sell only women's clothing.

You might try one of the Guerrisol shops in the Barbès-Rochechouart area, but you have to root through lots of abominable junk to find anything worthwhile. I usually go to the one on the corner of rue Ordener and boulevard Barbès.

http://www.guerrisol.fr/les-magasins-guerrisol/france/

Does Vintage Standards have men's clothing?

I had never heard of this and thought interesting and googled to see how it looks. and found this: https://www.ourdailyedit.com/product...nt=16686194692 If it doesn't have to be vintage - it is the same producer and moleskin!

That company closed in 1979, someone bought out the name and is using it for contemporary clothes.

Good luck with that, I'd just suggest doing the same thing you did before. I don't know any vintage men's shops. And there aren't going to be many of those around in wearable condition, the fabric will be degraded anyway, so while it may be cool to wear, it's going to pretty old and fabric degrades over time. I don't consider it really that stylish given how boxy it is, but I guess your son does.

I don't suppose it's the goal, but that's the kind of thing it would probably be easier to find online on French Ebay or vintage sites or something. Here's one

https://www.etsy.com/listing/5061863...f=sr_gallery_2

FYI, here's a vintage store in Paris that has some men's stuff

https://www.tilt-vintage.com/nos-boutiques

Thank you all for the advice !You wouldn't believe how durable this fabric is and how cool and faded the black gets- he has literally not taken this jacket off in spring or fall and it's holding up beautifully. I have found some on eBay that were located in UK, but the one black one was gone before I had to confirm measurements.

I also recently saw a French vintage workwear booth at Brimfield (antique market in Mass.)and similarly- was uncertain about measurements (apparently there was no "size" per se at the time)- and there was only one in black, well over $200, which also made the 60 to 80 euros I spent at the Marche even more painful! I had my son with me at the time- so it was clearly meant to be. :)
And vinorama, you are indeed correct. We were staying in the Marais at the time and I dragged him to the Mont St Michel store to show it to them- which they were thrilled to see it.

Will check out the sites and please keep reccs coming!'
And Christina- We arrive Saturday night from Florence and leave Friday to fly back home so there is litttle opportunity to head back to the market unless days/times have changed.

https://i.imgur.com/rFzvlh5.jpg

This may not have worked but here is the jacket and the model

http://lelaboureur.fr

you'll have to age them yourself though

difficult to find french workwear: most is bought up and sold in Japan. Funnily enough I came across a huge rack of vintage "bleu" jackets in Amsterdam. But in Paris I never really have. Sometimes something at freepstar, but those were chance finds.

here you can buy le labourour online

http://www.uniformesdiffusion.fr/41-...e-le-laboureur

Also

http://www.detoujours.com/es/e-shop/...moleskine.html

plenty of aging methods to be researched online for an afternoon of fun.

http://www.largeotetcoltin.com/17-coltins

I like the work clothes style, but the idea of "vintage" work clothes with exactly the right patina is so deliciously bourgeois.

If you are arriving from Florence Saturday night, Sunday is the perfect day to go to the Clignancourt flea market.

Just for the record, I walked through the flea market today and did not notice the item in question, but then again I wasn't really searching for it.

Thinking a bit more about this, the style or durability of French working clothes has really changed very little over the years, so you might find exactly what you want in a modern shop for "vêtements professionnels" or "bleus de travail" -- many places in Paris sell them.

Just check out the yellow pages -- www.pagesjaunes.fr

kerouac, that is what I linked to. Le Laboureur is not generally for sale in Paris - in the country it is more generally available in workwear shops, but only their general items, not their "tradition" range. And most shops that do bleus de travail don't carry it.

It's easy to order online. Hence my links.

Thank you all! Menachem, ironically the detoujours website did have a similar jacket-- new obviously, but also totally sold out in black- in all but one size, but do appreciate all the suggestions-

Agree that best bet is probably the Marche aux Puces - though it was such an unexpected find -and will check out the vintage shop recommendations as well. As a veteran antique market lover, I've come to enjoy the hunt immensely and in Paris, having made all our dinnner reservations already with lots of help from this forum, at the very least am certain of a great meal at the end of the day. :)

I'm going to predict: you won't find any. I'm always on the look out for workwear myself: flea markets: hardly anything to be had. But I understand the need for the hunt

I don't get it. I link to at least 3 sources, you look up one and then think, Oh, out of stock never mind?

I checked all links you sent . One was out of stock (the closest to the one I want) but truthfully- don't want a new one -- even if I had the skill to age it.

Appreciate the input and effort tremendously.

But to your other point, not knowing where you live, I did find the woman with the vintage workwear that I saw at Brimfield Mass - she lives in Vermont and does all three Brimfield shows- may, July and September

I live in NL.

And - coincidence - bought a great herringbone twill veste de travail yesterday. Episode Vintage had a rack full of them.

Oh that's great !! Good find!

Yes- Netherlands-- I remember reading all of your posts last springs for our wonderful, but too brief stay in Amsterdam in June!

Oh wow, very enlightning discussion. My grandfather used to sell these clothes (workwear of the brand Mont Saint Michel, Kidur and some others, trousers, overalls and jackets) in the 60s to 80s and we still have plenty left in the attic. We use them ourselves for DIY activities. They last for ever and never shrink.
The family might be sitting on a treasure if I believe the prices in the links! :) They are mostly blue and white, I remember seeing a few black jackets but not exactly of this model (they looked a bit like painter's jacket with a rounded collar, buttoned in the front). Just is case, what is your son's size? If I find one I will put a picture.