Paris Shopping Guide - 2

Brocante and Marché aux Puces 

By sight, a brocante and a marché aux puces can be hard to distinguish. A brocante (somewhat akin to a garage sale), tends to take place over a weekend, in temporary, fixed locations throughout the year. A marché aux puces, which translates to a flea market, tends to have a fixed location and regular hours. However, you tend to find the same things at both: antiques, furniture, vintage and knock-off clothing, lamps that may or may not work, antiquarian books and oriental rugs, to name a few.

Puces are sometimes tacked on to regular open-air food markets, and depending on which neighborhood you find yourself in, the selection and cost varies. The Marché aux Puces d’Aligre, (Place d’Aligre, Bastille) has a fantastic selection of knickknacks, home décor and literature.

 

• A Marché aux Puce is a great place to pick up vintage French clothing for a steal.

Rachel Holman

Paris is also very proud of its Marché aux Puce de Clignancourt (Porte de Clignancourt). On its edges is a bustling clothing market, filled with sneakers, hoodies and other commercial clothing, but at its interior is a maze of small allies filled with stands containing everything from antique dining room tables to dolls’ eyes and buttons.

Boutique 

The boutique Merci (111 boulevard Beaumarchais) is relatively new, however Merci’s chic construction, collection and mission statement have made an impression in Paris. The profits of Merci are turned over to aid organizations, in particular one that benefits children in Madagascar. Various designers have contributed their talents by creating special lines of clothing, furniture and accessories for the boutique.

 

• Do some window shopping in the city famous for dramatic, beautiful couture clothing.

Thomas Duchnicki

Luxury 

It’s easy to mistake Paris high fashion for just plain old Paris couture. In reality, there are very few designers who qualify, as the criteria for haute couture (established in 1945) are strict and financially draining. However, plain old couture is nothing to shake a stick at. Also known as luxury brands, designers like Chloé (54/56 rue de faubourg de Saint Honoré), Sonia Rykiel (175 boulevard Saint-Germain) and Isabelle Marant (1 rue Jacob), create beautiful pieces that rival the designs of established haute couture houses like Christian Dior.

Haute Couture 

Before the 1980s, rue de faubourg de Saint Honoré and rue de la Paix were the base for some of Paris’ most elite shopping. Even today, some of the most renowned haute couture boutiques, such as Chanel (31 rue Cambon) and Givenchy (28 rue de faubourg de Saint Honoré) can be found in the area, and should be explored, even if only for a small taste of the great pride and tradition of high fashion in Paris.