Going to Paris for shopping doesn’t have to affect your household finances for the next two years. It just requires a bit of planning and getting admitted to little-known stores that offer bargain deals.
Paris is a shopping mosaic
Those of you who have visited Paris already know that from a shopper’s perspective, the city is divided into broad sections where shops of the same trade tend to congregate. A mosaic of many colors, tastes and prices.
Take Saint-Germain-des-Pres, for example. The highest part of the famous area, located closer to Boulevard St Germain, is home to designer clothing stores, outdoor cafes and restaurants. Dive in and your steps will take you to Rue de Seine, where art galleries have come together.
From Saint-Germain, walk down Rue de Rennes, towards the Montparnasse area. You will cross Rue Du Four, where even more expensive clothing manufacturers line the facades. But continue to the Saint Sulpice metro station, around which many clothing stores offer cheaper clothes and accessories.
Sales season in Paris
In another area of the city, not far from the old Opera, Boulevard Haussmann became the home of department stores over a century ago. The Printemps store was built there in 1865, followed closely by the Galeries Lafayette, in 1893. The department store is not unlike Ali Baba’s treasure cave: clothes, shoes, jewelry, watches, accessories, perfumes scattered on a floor five story giant space.
Their selection is excellent, but you have to visit Paris during the official sales seasons to find any real bargains there. And there are only two sales seasons in France: winter and summer. Their respective start dates in a given year are set by administrative decree, and each lasts 6 weeks. In Paris, the winter sales season usually starts in the second week of January. The summer sales season starts at the end of June.
Designer Warehouse Deals
For off-season deals, look elsewhere. Gems are often found in little shops on godforsaken streets, or in hard-to-find first-floor apartments. This is especially the case for designer deposits.
Although it has become a brand in North America, a design warehouse is, in fact, a form of commerce. People like you and me bring clothes that we no longer want to wear and get a little money from the store owner who will resell our clothes for a little more money to other people.
I can hear their jaded comments: “Tcha! Consignment stores! Thrift stores!…” Well, in Paris, designer warehouses aren’t exactly your typical Salvation Army stores. You are welcome.
Although not all are equal before God, Parisian designer warehouses are often owned and managed by women with experience in the fashion industry. Women with style and an eye for knowing what to wear and how. Women who can easily tell you why you would look better in this dress than that.
In ‘designer repository’, there is the magic word ‘designer’. Parisian designer warehouses offer designer and couture clothing at big, big, big discounts. And yes, clothes in almost perfect condition. Clothes worn only once. Well, maybe twice.
If you show up in your usual hoodies, or last season’s tennis shoes, or your mall-bought polo shirt, don’t expect to be welcomed. Expect rejection with a disapproving look instead.
So where are they hiding?
Then again, not all designer warehouses were created equal, and where you go to buy practically perfect designer clothes in every way is the true measure of your insider knowledge of the city.
I would like to recommend three ‘small addresses’ [the French for ‘best-kept-secret places’] I chose from a multitude of others.
For those of you ladies who like the classic look, ‘Priscilla’ is the store for you. Priscilla is the lady who owns the place. She reveres such iconic names as Yves Saint Laurent, Max Mara, Kenzo, Christian Dior and Sonya Rykiel. Their prices range from EUR 60 for a skirt, EUR 75 for a jacket and EUR 130 for a ladies’ suit. Priscilla advises you to poke around and go to her house with an open mind. The store is located at 4 rue Mouton-Duvernet, in the 14th arrondissement. The nearest metro station is Mouton-Duvernet. Its opening hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Mondays, and from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday with a one-hour break at 1:30 p.m.
My next address, ‘Le Jupon Rouge’, is situated at 9 rue de Rochechouart in the 9th arrondissement. The owner, Tania, describes this design repository as “colourful, ethnic but not hippie, and certainly not classical in style”. Tania offers a selection of emerging French designers such as Bali Barret (a fencing-style vest for EUR45, cashmere-blend cardigans for EUR45 to EUR100) and Vanessa Bruno (wool jackets, EUR90). It also carries more established labels such as Agnes B (her signature black jacket is on offer for EUR50) and vintage Ungaro blouses for EUR45. Ladies looking for shoes might fall for a pair of low-cut Cuban boots by Stephane Kelian (EUR 100), Repetto ballerinas (EUR 40) or low-heeled vintage riding boots (EUR 40-70). Tania opens its doors from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with an hour for lunch at 1:30 p.m.
With a totally different style, Griff-Troc is the design repository to dive into when you want to go chic-chic-chic. The owner, Beatrice, chose to specialize in perennial, classic, and mint-condition staples. Chic comes at a higher price of course, but on the plus side, Griff-Troc offers name brand names for 15-30% of boutique prices. On the shelves at the time of writing, Beatrice had a Chanel suit for £1,000 (versus £5,000 at Chanel’s), a new Chloe bag for £800 (instead of £1,200), several evening dresses amazing priced between EUR 1,200 and EUR 1,500 (Chloe, Dior, D&G, Valentino) and Hermès silk scarves on sale for only EUR 150. She maintains a full selection of handbags, jewelry, and fragrances. Classic chic never dies, who cares if your Chanel suit is from this season or not? The busy boutique is located in the fashionable section of the 17th arrondissement, at 119 Boulevard Malesherbes. The nearest metro stations are Villiers and Monceau. Its opening hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
More shopping tips to come
These are just three of my selection of designer warehouses and small boutiques. In later articles I will recommend more of these “little addresses”, including some specializing in men’s clothing. In the meantime, I hope you’ve had a chance to meet Tania, Beatrice, and Priscilla in person and find a couple of items you like. Ta-ta!