Shopping in Paris
 

Taking two girls to Paris(25&27)between Christmas and New Years(Thanks to all who helped with my planning!). Where are the best spots to get good clothes for that age group? Any suggestions for spots that maybe sell designer clothes cheaper or antique clothes?
Thanks in advance!

There are a few places that they will enjoy wandering...

1. Galleries Lafayette and Printemps department stores

2. Along the rue de Rivoli from the Louvre to the Chatelet metro station has lots of shops for the trendy set.

3. On the blvd St Germain in St Germain

4. The Bon Marche department store on the 6th arr.

tt

There is a shop on rue Castex - think the name is Tabala but it is a short street and you can find it by wandering - that sells the clothes and shoes worn in fashion shows. My niece snagged there a pair of what she thought were killer shoes (though to me they looked like a torture device) for much less than half of the price in the department stores.

Alternatives 18 rue de Roi de Sicilie

Misentroc 12 rue Vavin

Reciproque 88-123 rue de LA Pompe

Designer resale and fashion show clothing

I had good luck at the Bon Marche.

In my opinion nothing beats the Galleries Lafayette- don't miss the lingerie and hosiery depts! However, if you don't have a H & M in your city (only a few in US), you should check out the three floored one at the forum mall in Les Halles. It has great prices and the style reminds me of Express, but at much better prices. I found sweaters for under 10E! Also, there is a very trendy place just across and around the corner from Lafayette Galleries called Zara which I loved (a bit more pricey than H & M). The only negative for some with these two suggestions is that the sizes don't seem to come any larger than an American Large (14-16) which usually translates to XL at these places.

I am going back late March and I can't wait to go shopping!

Offbeat suggestion but interesting idea for this age group is Clignacourt Flea market.

The Marais!!!!

For example...sexy well prices shirts at Rayure:

http://www.mcdougalladventures.com/france/paris-rayure

Take a walk along rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the Marais to find really unique pieces.

Hi Mom...This is from my June 2005 Paris Trip Report...Enjoy!


MARAIS BOUTIQUES:

1) KESSLORD: I loved the leather handbags here, all beautiful and well-priced. I purchased a bag here for 110 euros that I currently use everyday, and get many strangers looking at it on the metro, etc. It is a handbag that has an interesting texture, which looks like it could be snake/python skin, but is actually painted leather. (I don’t know if they have this label in NYC; I haven’t seen it yet.) The salesgirl was very friendly;

2) ANNICK B.: Pretty, minimalist silver jewelry. The jewelry designer’s name is “Sidney Carron” (speeling?) I found some great silver earrings here – long, a simple design – but very beautiful. The saleslady was very sweet. 30 euros for earrings;

3) TARZITA: A small boutique run by a nice, young Japanese woman. Japanese-inspired designs with a modern twist. I fell in love with a beautiful lavender-coloured half-sweater, very feminine and flattering for the neck and shoulders. I’M REALLY FALLING IN LOVE WITH KNITS: knit summer dresses, knit skirts…I think Japanese designers do knits very well. 135 euros for one-of-a-kind knit;

4) BARBARA BUI: Speaking of knits…Barbara Bui had a beautiful, light-beige, full-length knit dress in their window, very sexy, but OUCH! 675 euros was too much. Maybe I can find a similar dress somewhere for much less. Nice merchandise, but overly pricey;

5) CREA CONCEPT: Pretty sweaters/blouses in some avant-garde designs. My Italian family loved this pale-pink sweater-knit with wrap design that I purchased for my mother. Nice girls working here. 135 euros for the blouse;

6) MELLOW YELLOW: A store with feminine and trendy shoes (for teens, 20s and anyone who likes flirty shoes). Fair prices -- Are they made in France??! -- I bought a pair of pale-pink leather flats which resemble ballet slippers. 69 euros – a deal in this pricey neighborhood!;

7) L’ECLAIREUR: I had heard a lot about this boutique, but I did not like the merchandise displayed in the window. It looked too “earthy” for me, with a lot of dark browns and forest greens. Just not my style.

8) PAOLA FRANI: Again, not really my style. Found the overall look kind of "heavy." (Wasn’t crazy about the fabrics they use in their clothes.)

9) PAULE KA: Charming, well-tailored clothes. Pricey. Reminds me of a funkier agnes b. (Did not find anything here, but definitely worth a look.)

BOUTIQUES IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS:

1) VANESSA BRUNO (with branches all over Paris): Beautiful, unique blouses, shoes and lingerie. Very Parisian. Nice tailoring and colours. Soft and feminine, but with an edge. Pricey. They now carry her line in Saks Fifth Avenue (NYC). This is a good place to find that one-of-a-kind piece that you splurge on to energize your wardrobe. I did not buy anything in the Parisian boutique, but will keep an eye on her pieces in the future;

2) PAUL et JOE (6th arr.): Young, cute and sporty. I did not see anything that stood out when I was in their store, but it seemed very popular with young Parisians. I have also seen their merchandise at Saks Fifth Avenue;

3) STELLA CADENTE (6th arr.): Some pretty dresses. This is where I bumped into French actress Julie Delpy. I did not find anything there, but would definitely keep the label in mind for the future. Feminine, unique styles. Medium-pricey;

4) CLAUDIE PIERLOT (6th arr.): I bought a wonderful top of CP in a rich mauve colour from Barney’s Co-Op in NYC. It is soft, pretty and modern. (I did not find anything in the Paris store though.);

5) MARCEL MONTORGIU (spelling?): Was recommended to me by a Parisian lady. I did not have any luck here. Seemed more conservative than I expected.


PARIS DEPARTMENT STORES:

Well, I think it may be a sign that I am getting older or something, but I DO NOT LIKE TO SHOP IN LARGE DEPARTMENT STORES ANYMORE. They are so big and crazy – I get a headache whenever I enter one. They take a lot of time and patience to explore. I entered Galeries Lafayette and was overwhelmed. I left soon after. As I approached KENZO, the same feeling occurred: It just felt like OVERLOAD (which is a shame because I was curious about the KENZO store)! I did not even attempt BON MARCHE because I knew I would boderline-pass-out!

Also, I did not have the time to look for lingerie on this trip (sniff!). Maybe next time…

I agree with betty, the large dept stores are a jungle. Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are huge and full of merchandise, people and endless escalators. The are fun anyway.

The Marais is a nice place to shop because you feel like you are in a village.

The chain store Zara seems to be aimed at that age group. I had great fun on Rue Alesia at the "stock" shops. They are outlets for designer names and there are a bunch down there in the 14th. If you are into shopping, I highly recommend the Suzy Gershman "Born To Shop" series. She has great tips fro shopping, "window licking" (idiomatique for window shopping!), snacks along the way, etc... Fun reading.

Thanks for this great thread! My teenaged daughter and are looking forward to shopping in Paris next June!

There are stores for young women's clothes all along the rue de Rennes between St. Germain and Montparnasse. You can start at the Tour Montparnasse, where there is a shopping mall with several such stores, and work your way up the rue de Rennes. My college aged daughter found several things this way. There is an H&M, Kookai, and several more whose names I have forgotten.

Yes, for younger gals...Kookai is a good option.

Don't forget to treat YOURSELF to something nice!

Wow, what great advice.

A quick question:

What street(s) in the Marais should we focus on for that "charming village" feel and all those great shops Betty mentioned?

Thanks again!

Dina,

The Marais is such a wonderful neighborhood that you should allow yourself to explore ALL the streets. It is easy to walk around.

I think it is also a great area in which to stay, because there are endless boutiques, restaurants, galleries and bars to discover.

A great source is "Time Out: Paris." Enjoy getting lost there!

I second Betty in her recommendation of the Time Out Paris guide. You will not find a better city guide (IMHO) for shops, restaurants and information.

:)

Thanks so much. I will pick up a Time Out: Paris guide.
I only asked for streets to focus in case we are pressed for time. It sounds like the whole area is lovely.

Indeed it is. You will want to get off the Rue de Rivioli and on to the many side streets. It's hard to give you specific streets other than check out Bettyo's list of addresses for shops, because once you're there, you see that it is a nice, small, easy area to shop.

A big big thanks to all for you imput!
I'm sure the girls will love it. Yes I will treat myself but seeing the girls have fun like I did so many years(and pounds ago) is a treat!

Mom: Don't forget to post back here after you've made some new discoveries!

Cheers

Could someone tell me about Bon Marche in comparison to Galleries Lafayette? I have not been to Bon Marche and have it on my agenda for March trip.

The first thing you'll notice is that Bon Marche is a LOT less crowded than GL and has far fewer tourists.
Also, IMHO, Bon Marche caters to a slightly older shopper, or at least it's not particularly oriented toward teens (hopefully someone will correct me on that if I'm wrong).
Bon Marche is very elegant and worth a visit, but don't expect to find cheaper designer clothes there.

There are some cool stores on the Boulevard St Michel, heading south from the Seine toward Boulevard St Germain. I like Naf Naf, and there's another great one whose name escapes me...argh...!

For department stores, don't forget BHV. I much prefer it to Galleries Lafayette and Printemps. Much more affordable in my opinion. I found Bon Marche to be even more expensive. BHV is by far my fav department store. It's a shame that Samaritaine is closed, it was a great store to shop in too.

I think young people would like the underground mall at Les Halles.

I agree that the shoppping in the Marais is great. We stayed in that area last time and spent lots of time just tooling around the area. I found lots of little shops that were great for little gifts that were not your typical stamped with 'Paris' souveniers. Shop in the Marais at least once on Sunday. It's the busiest day. Everyone is bustling around, it's like a street party.

cbleigh, when was the last time you were in Paris? BHV is now owned by Galleries Lafayette and the prices have gone up dramatically... Its still a great store and Galleries Lafayette has been modernizing it and making it a place for the younger set...

Oh no...they closed Samaritaine?

I would agree that Bon Marche is not geared to young people, but that kind of depends on their style and pocketbooks. I think Les Halles is really young and kind of junky, but most general-purpose dept. stores would be fine. Zara is a Spanish chain, but if one has never seen one or doesn't have one where you live, I think it would be about right. I think a lot of people that age would just like a dept. store and some of the stores on the Champs-Elysees (Zara is on there), or in St Germain.

I never liked Samaritaine myself, and don't feel any loss that it is gone. I thought it was really dowdy. I like BHV as a general dept. store, but never felt its prices were anything cheap. Actually, one "mall" I like is the one out at La Defense, which has a lot of stores.

I always liked Samaritaine. It has some fine examples of Art Deco. I hope they restore some of the original architectural features.
Too bad they are closed.

Since we are a shopping subject, can anyone tell me how they get their purchases home? I was overweight on my luggage on my return (and I wasn't inbound!) and had to pay $50 penalty.
should I bring a fold-down extra piece of luggage?

<b>Oui</b>!

I always pack a gym bag in my checked luggage. Then on the way home I fill the gym bag with laundry, put all my purchases in my carry-on if possible (ever since my flea market coffee grinder was stolen from my checked luggage), and check the gym bag and my suitcase.

in the marais, the rue francs-bourgeois is known for its boutiques. also the rue de turenne near the place des vosges. but really, they're everywhere. not cheap, but fun!

bookmarking