Going to Paris to shop doesn’t have to affect your household finances for the next two years. It just takes a little planning and getting admitted to little-known stores that offer bargain deals.
Paris is a mosaic of shopping
Those of you who have visited Paris already know that from a shopper’s perspective, the city is divided into broad sections where stores 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 the Rue de Seine, where the art galleries have come together.
From Saint-Germain, walk down Rue de Rennes, towards the Montparnasse area. You’ll 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 more than a century ago. The Printemps store was built there in 1865, closely followed by the Galeries Lafayette, in 1893. The department stores are not unlike Ali Baba’s treasure trove: 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 official sales seasons to find 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 Deposit Offers
For off-season deals, look elsewhere. Gems are often found in small 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 name in North America, a design repository is, in fact, a form of commerce. People like you and me bring in 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. No problem.
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 a keen eye for 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 haute couture clothing at big, big, big discounts. And yes, clothes in almost perfect condition. Clothes worn only once. Well, maybe twice.
If you come to them 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?
On the other hand, 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 you three ‘little directions’ [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 revere 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 lady’s 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 an hour break at 1:30 p.m.
My next address, ‘Le Jupon Rouge’, is located 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 €45, cashmere-blend cardigans €45-€100) and Vanessa Bruno (wool jackets €90). It also carries more established labels, such as Agnes B (her signature black jacket is offered for €50) and vintage Ungaro blouses for €45. Shoe-seeking ladies may fall in love with a pair of Stephane Kelian low-cut Cuban boots (€100), Repetto ballerinas (€40), or low-heeled vintage riding boots (€40-70). Tania opens its doors from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with a lunch hour at 1:30 p.m.
With a totally different style, Griff-Troc is the design reservoir to dive into when you want to go chic-chic-chic. Owner Beatrice chose to specialize in mint-condition, classic, evergreen staples. Chic is priced higher, of course, but on the plus side, Griff-Troc offers brand names for 15-30% off boutique prices. On the shelves at the time I wrote this article, Beatrice had a $1,000 Chanel suit (vs. $5,000 at Chanel’s), a new $800 Chloe bag (vs. $1,200), several evening dresses amazing ones 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 posh 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 from designer warehouses and small boutiques. In later articles I will recommend more such “small 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 articles you like. Ta-ta!
