Looking for a little guidance from anyone who is familiar with Paris - great shops - local designers, etc. I am heading there next week and would love to find some interesting clothing or handbag items that I may not be able to find here in NY. Aside from the internationally well known designers and stores, does anyone have any suggestions for some shops or a neighborhood that may be interesting? Last time, I fell upon Paule Ka and love it. Desperately seeking suggestions from our friends who know Paris a lot better than I do.

Monoprix for budget conscious clothing. It's a Target-type store. They're all over the city. They are also great for French beauty products, as are the pharmacies. Lafayette and Printemps for designer.

I was there in May and my friend recommended to go shopping down Rue St Honore. She said it was the best street for shopping. We were too busy sightseeing to make it. Have a great trip!

Originally Posted by smurfgirl06

Monoprix for budget conscious clothing. It's a Target-type store. They're all over the city. They are also great for French beauty products, as are the pharmacies. Lafayette and Printemps for designer.

What kind of french beauty product do you recommend? i love the ducray lotion.

this past spring when I was in Spain I was itching to go to Paris so I could visit the Givenchy outlet that's just outside of the city.

The Marais neighborhood is cool. It reminds me of Soho in NYC. It has a lot of boutiques and stuff. However I rec to go to a dept store first so you can explore a lot of brands at once and see what you like. Then head out to Marais in search of brands not carried by the dept store. Some high street brands have multiple branches like The Kooples, Sandro, Zadig et Voltaire and etc.

Of course for brand names you can go to Champs Élysées and Rue St Honore. Lots
Of brands also have their stores around Louvre (Rick Owens etc).

My suggestion is to make a google maps for Paris and put down all the stores of interest. That way you can plan out your sightseeing and shopping and maximize your time in Paris. hth

Does that mean everything in the Marais is expensive or can you find some deals (clothing for under ($100) ?

Also, I'm sure this has been asked before in another forum but since we're talking about Paris:

Does anyone have any idea how much Longchamp bags run and/or if they're cheaper than what they sell for U.S. (considering the 20% VAT in Paris) in 2012? I'm interested in the medium short handled tote or the large long handled bag.

Have a great trip!

Originally Posted by stcyla

Does that mean everything in the Marais is expensive or can you find some deals (clothing for under ($100) ? Also, I'm sure this has been asked before in another forum but since we're talking about Paris: Does anyone have any idea how much Longchamp bags run and/or if they're cheaper than what they sell for U.S. (considering the 20% VAT in Paris) in 2012? I'm interested in the medium short handled tote or the large long handled bag.

You can find stuff under $100 at the high street stores on sale. July is sale season so I don't know if there are any more bargain items. However there are some good second hand stores where you can find good deals.

Longchamp is about 40% cheaper in Paris when compared to USA retail prices. The small short handle is 45-50€ to give you an idea about pricing. However the minimum spend for tax free shopping is 175€. And you don't get 20% back because the companies take a cut of your refund for processing fees. You get about 8% back only.

have a good time

Thanks so much for your reply, pinknyanko! Super helpful. That's the neighborhood I'm living in so I was hoping I would be able to do more than window shop and stare at haute couture

check out a store named Merci! Lots of designer clothing and furniture!

Originally Posted by stcyla

Thanks so much for your reply, pinknyanko! Super helpful. That's the neighborhood I'm living in so I was hoping I would be able to do more than window shop and stare at haute couture

Youre welcome. I was just in Paris last month :)


A lot of the stores there are high street brands. Try the falafel at l'as du falafel. Seriously it is the best falafel I've had in my life (it is in marais) and it is worth the wait. If you are going around shop closing time I recommend to walk around a bit and let the queue die down because it will be massive. Go get a gelato eat it and Ho back. Haha