My wife wants to being back small gifts for several of her friends. She is thinking about scarves. I have two questions that I hope some of you could help me with. 1. Where should she look for scarves in or near Paris without breaking the bank? 2. Does anyone have other sugestions about what would be an appropriate gift from France?

for easily transportable gifts, scarves, small leather goods, and chocolates are great. Department stores like Printemps or Galeries Lafayette have lots of choices, and if you spend enough in one store in one day you are eligible for the VAT refund. Stop at the visitors' center when you go into the store, there are sometimes special discount cards for foreign shoppers.

The museum gift shops are also great places to browse, everything from art books (in English) to note paper to scarves to refrigerator magnets with the Mona Lisa on them.

I found some beautiful silk scarves that were being sold in the subway stations. They were all made in Italy and only cost about 10 euros.

Just make sure they wear scarves. I often receive them as gifts, but I never wear them. Lovely soap is another idea. My sister brought back some wonderful condiments for friends that enjoy exotic mustards and relishes.

I'be bought some really nice silk scarves from the vendors outside of Galleries Lafayette.

Hi,

Scarves are a great idea. You can get them with the Paris Metro map on them.

Make sure to read the labels, alot are made in China(from street vendors)

Scarves are a great idea. They don't take up room in your luggage, and you can't break them.

I bought several a few years back from a stall outside one of the major department stores in Paris. They were beautiful and under $10 each.

Fairridge,
I don't think you can actually buy them in France, but there is a website where you can buy special silk scarves with maps of cities on them - including Paris!
The website is: www.mapscarves.com and the Paris scarf is at www.mapscarves.com/paris.html
I have a London one - lovely!
Cheers, Firefly

Many cheap places along the Rue De Rivoli near the Louvre . My wife bought about two dozen there for two or three bucks a piece.

I think it depends on whether or not these friends wear scarves. I don't--I never did get the knack of wearing one and looking like it was more than an afterthought. The scarves I have been given over the years haven't gone to waste; my daughter has since appropriated all of the long narrow ones to wear as belts and the small squares as head rags.

The other suggestions--candies from a confisserie, condiments, herbes de Provence in earthenware pots, soap--are all great gifts for the accessorizing-challenged.

another "packable" suggestion from france and italy are pillow cases ...tapestry, beautiful italian silks, etc. i buy them from pillow and fabric stores in paris and in florence....you can buy the pillow forms when you get back home....

Thanks everyone for your wonderful suggestions. I'll be sharing them with my wife.

I wear scarves but it seems the affordable ones ($10-20) are actually 'made in Italy' while the French ones in the dept stores are priced much higher.. My "Paris Metro" scarf was made in Italy!
I do like buying soaps a la l'Occitane or some place like that, small packs of note cards (pretty velum paper), ceramic egg cups for my friend, and those French / Belgian cookies at the grocery store...
I stopped buying 'souvenirs' for friends and family, as it gets quite expensive and they don't really care about them. I give my buddy her egg cups for Christmas or birthday gifts.