Shopping in Paris
 

This will be our 4th trip to Paris and we have never been shopping (except for chocolate and wine and that's not really shopping, it's a necessity)! This trip, we are going to spend some time shopping, not necessarily buying.

Suggestions? Two things I'm interested in is skin care products and vintage posters. Of course, shoes and clothing are always included. Any special finds?

I always shop at grocery stores for fleur de sel (so much cheaper than at home); love the Maille mustard shop on Pl de Madeleine for little jars of specialty mustard (great gifts too); always buy a new Longchamps bag usually at shop at CDG. Never buy clothes unless for my baby granddaughters and can't resist (bought shoes once in Nice and several times in Spain but never in Paris). I find clothes in France rather expensive...but have found great hats and jewelry at a little shop on L'ile St Louis.
No doubt other helpful Fodorites will give suggestions for skincare and posters...

The products made by LaRoche Posay are very good, especially their sunscreen. Found in pharmacies there.

I love blouses by Anne Fontaine, not cheap but gorgeous and last a long time if you take care of them.

Things that I shop for in Paris:

* L'Occitaine verbena soap

* Alain Mikli eyeglass frames at the Mikli boutique in the 7th

* canvas bags to lug stuff in as there are some interesting ones

* canvas/vinyl/cloth grocery store bags as there are some interesting ones

* my favorite handbags by certain designers including Jerome Dreyfus and Jamin Puech, along with other designers as buyers are different around the world and although one can buy the same designer bags at home, one can't always find the same models or colors of bags.

* custom-made parasol by the master parasol/umbrella maker, Michel Heurtault

http://www.parasolerieheurtault.com

* Anne Fontaine blouses. I agree with that one as I've been buying her blouses for about 20 years. Anne is from Brazil, but designs in Paris. We've had her boutiques here at home for a long time, but sometimes different styles pop up in Paris as buyers are different from place to place.

I'm sure there have been other items over the last 40 years to Paris, but then again, things that I'm interested in purchasing has changed over the decades with the exception of handbags.

Happy Travels!

Oh, and I forgot to add, St. James clothing as I stock up on it.

https://www.saintjamesboutique.com

Happy Travels!

The big department stores are fun. DH and I visited Le Bon Marche, Le Printemps and Lafayette. Seasonal window dressings beckon shoppers.

Another suggest is the Arcades. Thin posted a guide to these covered shopping areas.

DH bought wine at a chain called Nicholas.

Please report about your experiences.

Tagging on a uestion, are the department stores the best place to shop for handbags if time is limited?

cmcfong, I cannot say for sure, sorry. But think one would have more choices.

The TD. I am tagging along with you on the trip report. Sounds like you are a most resilient traveler.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Seems like we may need to budget more than one shopping day!

Anyone have any knowledge about vintage posters. My husband found a great one in NYC at a gallery that had was from the 40's and had a cat on it with a knowing smile. The fun thing was the poster was an advertisement for thread. It was too expensive! Was hoping to find something fun like that while in Paris to compare prices.

Vintage posters are expensive anywhere and most especially Paris. If the poster you are describing is what I think it is, it is a well worn repro at any tourist shop!! I just uncovered mine from a trip.
The real things are thousands of dollars.
You can look along the Seine at the stalls--ALWAYS fun in any case and you never know what might strike you as "yours". LOL

Also, when I started reading this "Seems like we may need to budget more than one shopping day!" I thought it was going to end "budget more money". LOL

One place to shop for interesting handbags for me is one of the large street markets--I have found some wonderful ones for daughters--and a year or two before they show up in the US as "stylish".

Thanks, Gretchen.

Ha Gretchen. I probably should have said more time AND more money!

Yep, the one we saw in NYC was several thousand dollars. She had just gotten back from a buying trip in Paris and I thought, well, if she can find them, maybe I can too.

Thanks for the handbag suggestion.

For skin care products, try CIty-Pharma on Rue du Four in Saint Germain. I believe it's at the intersection with Rue Bonaparte.

There's BHV (Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville) department store on Rue de Rivoli. You can find anything there. And, speaking of handbags, I was at BHV in March and they had a nice selection of Longchamp purses at 50% off. I bought one - should have bought two!
Longchamp handbags are less expensive in France than the US.

Have fun shopping!

This is an excellent shop for vintage posters, on boulevard Saint-Germain. Unfortunately, many shops now only do online sales, due to rising rents and lack of display space.
http://www.elbe.paris/en/

Merci beaucoup! I'll check it out.

Bookmarking for my trip this summer. Great suggestions, especially about the Longchamps bags. Also, I always like to look at the sunglasses in the shops along the Champs-Elysees. The styles are always the latest, and often I seem to hit a sale!

It's also fun to peek in the Guerlain shop on the Champs. The original store was breathtaking, with a huge chandelier and walls covered in gold tile. The last time I was there in 2013, it was closed for renovations, but I hope it has reopened by now. They are also very nice there. Even though I just wanted to buy a couple of make-up items, they escorted me upstairs to have them apply it first...what fun for me! (not so much for DH, but he was a good sport...) Then they sent me on my way with lots of samples and a full size travel brush...for the price of some eyeshadow!

Have a wonderful time in Paris!

I forgot to mention this boutique, on rue de Babylone - if you're interested in all kinds of authentic movie posters:
http://www.cine-images.com/

Real vintage posters or reproductions?