When planning my trip to Paris, I had a list of discount and consignment stores I was excited to visit. I had also read that Colette was a must visit store, so I have included it on my list. In all, with the exception of Monoprix, I was fairly disappointed with these stores.

Monoprix. I had read that Monoprix is the Target of France. That and my best friend’s fondness of the store made me confident that I too would love Monoprix. I did. French stores are a lot smaller than American stores, so Monoprix is much smaller than Target. Monoprix doesn’t carry a full range of stationery and home goods like Target, but it does carry clothes, cosmetics, toiletries, and groceries under one roof. It’s a great place to stock up on those French skin care lines that often aren’t available in the US outside of NYC. And it sells some really cute clothes. Be prepared to pay higher than Target prices, but expect a bit higher quality. My only complaint about Monoprix’s clothing was that the fit tended to be somewhat off. I came away from the store with a gray marled sweater for about $50 that looks a lot like designer sweaters I’ve seen going for hundreds more.

Cos. I had read that Cos was a chic but cheap place to buy basics. I found most of the clothing to be too basic. Though the clean-designed and bright store made my shopping experience pleasant, I found most of the clothing disappointing. A lot of the cuts were extremely boxy and might make for chic maternity wear, but it was a lot of plain without pizzazz. The material was generally not of the same quality as my favored French boutiques. Cos is certainly worth a quick look, though. I was able to find a great navy top with a white Peter Pan collar for around $50, which I’ve already worn several times.

Didier Ludot. Whenever I read about the top French designer consignment stores, Didier Ludot was always mentioned. After a long day of shopping on the Champs-Élysées AND the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore, my mom and I continued our walk. The map in my guide book was not exact enough, so it took us a little while to find Didier Ludot. I almost decided to give up on my pursuit, but we had walked so far just for this store that might prove to hold my Fashion Holy Grail (Still not sure what the Fashion Holy Grail is for me at this point, another question for another post), so we trudged on to the Garden du Palais Royal. Nestled among an elegant shopping center filled with unique shops, was Didier Ludot. This shopping center, Galeries de Montpensier et de Valois, is adjacent to the garden of the Palais Royal. My experience at Didier Ludot was one of the most unfriendly shopping experiences I’ve ever had. It’s one of those stores where customers have to press the buzzer for the shop merchant to unlock the door, which I’m quite used to from shopping in NY, but this shop owner did not give off a friendly vibe. Only part of the store was accessible to customers and all of the handbags and jewelry are displayed in the windows. So I could not easily view the bags (Hermes, Chanel) and baubles in the windows. Sure, the couture labels were there, but there was nothing that particularly struck me. At least now I know.

Andre. I had also read that Andre was The destination for trendy, affordable shoes. The shoes are certainly affordable and I probably should have picked up that pair of short brown ankle boots a la Claiborne Swanson Frank that were around $100, but overall I wasn’t impressed by the quality of the shoes. The old adage remains, “You get what you pay for.”

Colette. Although Colette is certainly not known as a discount store, I wanted to include it as part of the shops that disappointed me. I’ve read on blogs like Garance Dore that it’s a must for trendy clothing and gifts. I can see how the store appeals to a certain type of customer. A customer who perhaps grew up shopping at Urban Outfitters (I have purchased a few things there too) and now has grown to cultivate a more sophisticated, expensive taste beyond UO’s sister company Anthropologie. The labels were there but arranged in such an unbecoming way that I had no desire to look at the clothing. Rack after rack of clothing with no real presentation. The first floor of the store contained the gift items, ranging from Diptyque candles to Smythson notebooks, both items which I heartily approve as gifts, should you wish to send them my way. But the overall feeling of the store, with its pumping music, sleek design, and cold designer clothing floor, was of a place that was trying too hard to be trendy. That and the crowds that permeated the store are probably good indications that a place is not a shopping experience I wish to have.

On a return visit to Paris I would stop at Monoprix and perhaps Cos if I happened to pass by one of its locations. I’ve learned that in traveling as in life, sometimes failed or disappointing experiences are just as valuable as the successful, thrilling experiences. It’s just as important to know what you don’t want as to know what you do want.

Have you visited these stores in Paris? What was your take?
Have you ever visited a store with a lot of hype that you found disappointing?  Which store(s)?
When you shop, how important is the display of merchandise to you?

Last night we visited Galeries Lafayette and tonight I’d like to focus on brand boutique shopping in Paris. First, my readers should be aware that all of these brand boutiques are available at Galeries Lafayette, so as I mentioned before, there’s no need to make specific trips to freestanding stores. Here are a few French brands that I love and certainly believe are worth a look. I’ll also note that French style guru Ines de la Fressange recommends APC, Maje, and Sandro in her stylish tome, Parisian Chic. I highly recommend this book for anyone planning to travel to Paris or looking to cultivate that cool Parisian style. The places I’ve picked typically carry clothing made of quality materials such as wool coats, well-cut, chic jackets, classic inspired sweaters, girly meets sophisticated dresses, and trendy pants.

APC. APC makes incredibly simple clothing that falls a bit more on the androgynous than the feminine side. The cuts of the coats and dresses tend to be boxy. I feel somewhat odd saying that I’ve never purchased a piece of APC clothing because I’ve adored the brand for years. With a boutique located on Mercer St, it’s easily accessible. But APC’s steep prices have made purchasing their pieces less of a priority for me. I saw several items at Galeries Lafayette that I would’ve been happy to take home, but I have a feel for how much certain items are worth; though I loved these items and felt that they were of quality design and manufacturing, they were not quite thrilling enough to merit their prices. It’s that feeling that keeps me from buying. I still recommend checking out APC for quality clothing and handbags. And they do have sales.

Claudie Pierlot. Claudie Pierlot was one of my major shopping discoveries on this trip. I visited 3 different locations while in Paris and the photos that I share here are from the Marais location at 30 de la rue des Francs Bourgeois. Like a lot of French clothing, Claudie Pierlot captures the different looks that I aspire to achieve: masculine yet feminine, preppy, chic, and sometimes a bit quirky. The clothing had that “something special” that a lot of mainstream American clothing often lacks. The fabric is of high quality, the design fantastic, and the prices are reasonable by French standards. I also discovered that Claudie Pierlot has generous sales. It makes sense that I would like Claudie Pierlot so much: I learned that the brand’s parent company, Groupe SMCP, also owns Maje and Sandro, two brands that I consistently follow in the U.S. SMCP bills itself as “a leader in accessible luxury apparel, with three French aspirational brands:..” How fitting that I would be a fan of these “aspirational” brands!

Chattawak– Chattawak was another new discovery for me on this trip. It’s not on the same floor of Galeries Lafayette as all of the “cool” French brands like APC and Claudie Pierlot, so I almost passed it completely. But my eye happened to fall on a cool jacket with leather detailing and I found a couple of other cool jackets amidst some so-so offerings. These were jackets that I felt looked more expensive than their prices, and they were even on sale. My Chattawak experience epitomizes what I love about shopping in France: sometimes I stumble upon a piece of clothing by a new brand, the price is right, and it looks like a major designer piece. Win-win.

Comptoir des Cotonniers. I love Comptoir des Cotonniers but must admit that its sweaters and shirts typically border on the plain side of dressing. There’s certainly room for plain in every wardrobe, but my preference for a little sleeker appearance and darker colors often wins out over Comptoir’s sometimes uninspired pieces. Don’t get me wrong, the clothing is well made, it’s just not always quite as “me” as other pieces, the black boucle jacket I purchased in Nice years ago, notwithstanding. I’ve found that Comptoir especially excels in jackets and coats. I actually only own jackets from the label. In addition to the black boucle jacket, I also have a cotton and leather tailored jacket that someone mistook for a Balmain (now that’s a sign of a good buy!), and a simple brown leather jacket. All three were purchased on sale. The dresses tend to be a little less tailored than those of the other French brands.

Maje. Maje is just as cool as Claudie Pierlot and Sandro, but it’s one of the two recommended brands that I don’t yet own. I came close to buying a couple of pieces of Maje while in Paris, but a bigger ticket item won out. I always look in the Maje section at Bloomingdale’s after checking out Sandro, but I don’t find that Maje’s pieces impress me quite as much as Sandro’s.

Sandro. Sandro is probably my favorite French clothing brand and one of my absolute favorite clothing brands period. They consistently make clothes that I can’t wait to wear. Like Claudie Pierlot and Maje, they crank out menswear-inspired yet feminine pieces that manage to be preppy and edgy at the same time. Sandro has been available in the US since the end of 2011, with stores in NYC and other select locations. Sandro is my #1 stop when shopping at Bloomingdales. The pieces can be pricey, but I’ve found some fantastic sales. Pieces typically range from $120 (for a tank) to $1385 for a coat with sale prices bringing the range down to $60-970.

Bottom line: These French brands carry high quality clothing that you’ll want to wear for years. The high quality of these brands can come at a price, but good sales can make your style aspirations more of a reality.

What are your favorite clothing brands? Are you familiar with these French brands?