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Added by admin April 8, 2014

PARISIAN HANGOUTS FOR FASHIONISTAS

Shopping in Paris is not what it used to be, some will say… It is a fact that with globalization, the French “Je ne sais quoi” now hides behind a variety of prêt-à-porter brands like H&M, Zara, etc., brands that have widely spread on either side of Atlantic.

Having said that, one cannot visit the City of Lights without spending some time shopping! Here are a few areas any fashionista should check out and explore when in Paris!

LE MARCHÉ SAINT PIERRE

Located at the foot of the “Butte Montmartre”, the Saint Pierre Market is a sixty-year old structure where you can find all kinds of material: wools (des laines), cottons (des cotons), silks (des soies). It is slightly old-fashioned and offers a quaint experience not to be missed!

LES HALLES – “THE STOMACH OF PARIS”

French 19^th century novelist Emile Zola called the area now known as Les Halles, “The Belly of Paris”. The old farmer’s market of the city used to be right there, filled with fruit and vegetables, live chickens. It is now an underground shopping structure laid out over several floors and that holds lots of “prêt-à-porter” stores.

LE QUARTIER LATIN

On the left bank, not far from the prestigious Sorbonne University stretch the Saint Germain and Saint Michel Boulevards with their own array of designers’ stores. Still in the Latin Quarter, going down the Boulevard Saint-Germain,  you will find La Rue de Rennes, a famous streets filled with eclectic boutiques where you can buy clothes, but also linen or books, leisurely walking away from the Latin Quarter towards the Montparnasse Tower.

AVENUE DES TERNES

The Ternes Avenue is not well known to tourists in terms of shopping, but it is a really nice area to hang out and shop. You can find some common “prêt-à-porter” boutiques, but also a few designers’ stores. Definitely worth checking out, it is located not far from the Champs Elysées!

LE TRIANGLE D’OR

The Champs Elysées themselves do offer a nice shopping experience, but not much originality! If you wander off the Champs Elysées towards Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V and Rue François 1er, you will likely have a much more exciting shopping experience – or would it be a much more exciting window-shopping experience? For what has come to be known as the Golden Triangle is in fact the heart of Paris’s Haute Couture shops, the nest of such fashion houses as Dior, Chanel, Gucci… This is a must for fashionistas like you!

RUE SAINT-HONORÉ

The Saint-Honoré Street is another hub of Parisian Haute Couture, with plenty of designer stores. Miles of high-end boutiques for you to discover!

BOULEVARD HAUSSMAN – LES GRANDS MAGASINS

The area around the Garnier Opera House is a very popular shopping district. On the Hausmann Boulevard there are two major department stores: Les Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps. The stores spread over several floors filled with clothing, make-up, linen etc. (designer brands included!). The architecture of the Galeries Lafayette is also one of a kind! If you’re traveling back to the US after you’re done with your shopping, don’t forget to grab a form that will allow you to get your taxes back at the airport.

LE MARAIS & PLACE DES VOSGES

Le Marais is probably the most interestingly diverse shopping area in Paris. It mixes a variety of designers’ stores and vintage stores. What’s more, most stores in this area are open on Sunday – a very unusual fact for the all too well regulated French capital.

Soso