Shopping In Paris

Paris and shopping go together and that is just a plain fact. I first fell in love with Paris many years ago simply because I loved fashion and Paris is the fashion capitol of the world. That was my first reason for wanting to visit this city. Seeing all those stylish French women in pictures in magazines and on TV made me long to be them. If only someday I could visit Paris maybe some of that style would rub off on me.

Well whether or not that has happened after two trips to Paris is debatable. I try and that’s why shopping in Paris is so much fun. After all if you buy things in Paris, those things must instantly transform a Frenchie wanna-be like me.

Not likely, but it sure makes a girl feel good. Which is why no trip to Paris is complete without doing some shopping. I had a list of things in my mind I wanted to buy.

Number one, another Longchamp bag. That I accomplished a few nights before when we walked the Champs Elysee.

Number two, a classic striped shirt. Namely a Saint James. I really wasn’t sure about this, but we just happened to walk right past a Saint James boutique on shopping day and I went in and bought a red striped long sleeve boat neck.

Number three, a scarf or two or three. I did find a silk and cashmere scarf at the market 2 days before. This will be the only scarf I end up buying in Paris.

Finally and this one was on my dream list, is a pair of Repetto ballet flats. I love ballet flats and Repetto is classic French style in my book. I ended up holding my breath the following day and walking into a Repetto boutique the next day and trying on a pair of those cute ballet flats and I am proud to say they are just as cute and comfy in person. I splurged and bought a gray pair. That was my real Paris souvenir to myself. I intend to have them forever!!

Day 6 was pretty much devoted to shopping. First we made a stop at one of many Promod boutiques in Paris. Number one reason I was drawn to this store? Price! Promod is inexpensive and I wanted to save my money for the splurges that I had been dreaming about and saving for for months. I came out of Promod with a cute striped dress, a striped sweater, a blouse, and an absolutely cute pair of brown ankle boots.

Next we made our way to Le Bon Marche. I really didn’t intend to shop here, I just wanted to see the Paris Expedition and the exhibit from Paris street artist Fred le Chevalier that was running until October 15th. I had seen pictures of the caricatures but seeing them in person was a delight.

Then we did a little food shopping at Le Grande Epicerie next door. Talk about a selection of delights!! After that I was mainly some window shopping. In Paris window shopping is just as much fun as actually buying. I enjoyed taking pictures all week of window displays that caught my eye.

So one day devoted to shopping was satisfactory in my book. Even for a die-hard shopper like me I was happy. Really just observing all the French women on the street and what they wore was a fashion education. Simple put together outfits were the norm black being the staple color.

So if you’ve ever been to Paris, where is your favorite place to shop? Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for suggestions for my next trip!!