| -link"> | | | | season by their original owners, and are in quasi |
| | | | perfect condition. |
| Paris has become more expensive over the last | | | | Style is a keyword here. In 'designer depot', there |
| three years because of the appreciation of the | | | | is 'designer'. Thus the selection of brand names |
| Euro currency. Die-hard fashionistas have had to | | | | you can find in any of these treasure troves |
| wisen up and be smarter in the way they shop. | | | | depends on the style the owner prefers: classic, |
| Some best-kept-secret shops offer bargains you | | | | bourgeois, up and coming, ethnic, boho, and so |
| cannot decently pass on. | | | | forth. It is a fascinating business to enter a |
| Expensive? A matter of area, mostly | | | | designer depot, and hunt around for a killer little |
| Travelers familiar with Paris notice retail prices | | | | skirt or dressy pants made by A-list designers, |
| paid for similar merchandise vary from one district | | | | and sold for 20% of the regular retail price. |
| to the other. This is especially true for restaurants | | | | That's the address, silly! |
| and clothing. As far as the latter goes, discount | | | | Now not all designer depots were created equal, |
| shops tend to cluster around certain micro-areas | | | | and where you go shopping for |
| which couture designers and upscale clothiers | | | | practically-perfect-in-every-way designer clothes is |
| carefully avoid. Paris is a shopping mosaic. | | | | the true measure of your inside knowledge of the |
| Say, you are on the Boulevard Saint Germain, in | | | | city. |
| the upper part of the Saint Germain des Prés | | | | I would like to recommend you three 'petites |
| district. Designer clothing stores, sidewalk cafés | | | | adresses' [the French for 'best-kept-secret places'] |
| et restaurants abound in this area. Draw nearer | | | | I selected amongst a host of others. |
| the river Seine and your footsteps lead you | | | | For those of you, ladies, who like the classic look, |
| where the art galleries cluster together. Walk a bit | | | | 'Priscilla' is the shop for you. Priscilla is lady who |
| to the east, towards rue de Buci, the clothing | | | | owns the place. She reveres such signature |
| stores become less expensive. | | | | names as Yves Saint Laurent, Max Mara, Kenzo, |
| Turn southwards, and from the church of Saint | | | | Chistian Dior, and Sonya Rykiel. Her prices range |
| Germain des Prés, take Rue de Rennes, | | | | from 60 for a skirt, to 75 for a jacket, to |
| walking towards the Montparnasse Tower. About | | | | 130 for a lady's suit. Priscilla advises you to |
| 200 yards in the Rue de Rennes, your path | | | | rummage around, and come to her place with an |
| crosses the upscale Rue Du Four which is lined | | | | open mind. The shop is located at 4 rue Mouton- |
| with more expensive brands. Continue on up the | | | | Duvernet, in the 14 th district. The nearest metro |
| Rue de Rennes, and you will arrive at the Saint | | | | station is Mouton-Duvernet. Its opening hours are |
| Sulpice metro station. On your right side (west of | | | | between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Monday, and |
| where you are when you face the Montparnasse | | | | between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm from Tuesday to |
| Tower), the apparel shops in the surrounding | | | | Saturday with a one-hour break at 1:30 pm. |
| streets offer attractive bargains. | | | | My next address, 'Le Jupon Rouge', is situated at |
| Sales, Sales, Sales in Paris! | | | | 9 rue de Rochechouart in the 9th district. The |
| In yet another district, close to the Madeleine | | | | owner, Tania, describes here designer depot as |
| Church and the Opera Garnier, large department | | | | "colorful, ethnic but not hippie, and certainly not |
| stores found a home on Boulevard Haussmann | | | | classical in style". Tania offers a selection of up |
| some 110-140 years ago. Le Printemps | | | | and coming French designers such as Bali Barret |
| department store was constructed there in 1865, | | | | (a fencing-style vest for 45, cashmere blend |
| and the Galeries Lafayette followed suit in 1893. | | | | cardigans for 45 to 100) and Vanessa |
| Department stores offer a very convenient way | | | | Bruno (wool jackets, 90). She also carries |
| of shopping for fashion: thousands of upscale | | | | more established signatures such as Agnès B |
| items can be found over acres of floor space. | | | | (her signature black jacket is offered at 50), |
| This includes apparel, accessories, perfumes, | | | | and vintage Ungaro blouses for 45. Ladies |
| cosmetics, watches, shoes, and other goodies. A | | | | looking for shoes can fall for pairs of Stephane |
| great selection, but bargains are far and between | | | | Kelian low-cut Cuban boots (100), Repetto |
| except during the sales seasons. | | | | ballerina shoes (40), or vintage low-heel |
| The latter are a tightly regulated business in | | | | horse-riding boots (40-70). Tania opens her |
| France. There are two sales seasons, winter and | | | | doors from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 am |
| summer. Their starting dates are a matter of | | | | to 7:30 pm with a one-hour lunch break at 1:30 |
| administrative decrees, and each of the two | | | | pm. |
| seasons last six weeks only. The Parisian winter | | | | In a totally different style, Griff-Troc is the |
| sales season starts at the end of January, the | | | | designer depot you need to lose yourself into |
| summer one begins in late June. | | | | when you want to go chic-chic-chic. The owner, |
| Shopping at designer depots | | | | Beatrice, chose to specialize in perennial, classic |
| But outside the sales seasons, shoppers looking | | | | basics in perfect condition. Chic has a heftier price |
| for bargain-basement prices and irresistible | | | | tag, of course, but on the upside Griff-Troc |
| clearances must look elsewhere. It is my | | | | offers brand names for 15-30% of boutique |
| experience that the best bargain prices on clothing | | | | prices. On the shelves at the time I wrote this |
| offered in Paris are found at designer depots. | | | | article, Beatrice had a Chanel suit for 1000 (vs. |
| Though it has become a brand name in North | | | | 5000 at Chanel's), a brand-new Chloe bag for |
| America, a designer depot is in fact a form of | | | | 800 (instead of 1200), several astounding |
| commerce. People like you and me bring in clothes | | | | evening dresses priced between 1200 and |
| we don't want to wear anymore, and get a little | | | | 1500 (Chloe, Dior, D&G, Valentino), and |
| money from the shop owner who will resell our | | | | Hermès silk scarfs on offer for only 150. She |
| garments for a little more money to other people. | | | | maintains a full selection of bags, jewels, and |
| I can see already a few eyebrows raised, their | | | | fragrances. Chic classic never dies, who cares |
| rightful owners objecting that designer depots are | | | | about whether your Chanel suit is this season's or |
| only glorified thrift shops or consignment stores. | | | | not? The busy boutique is located in the posh |
| Not so in Paris. | | | | section of the 17 th district, at 119 Boulevard |
| Parisian designer depots are usually owned and | | | | Malesherbes. The nearest metro stations are |
| managed by ladies with a flair for fashion. A | | | | Villiers and Monceau. Its opening hours are |
| number of them have a professional experience in | | | | between 10:30 am and 7:00 pm, from Monday to |
| the fashion industry, and if invited to do so, most | | | | Saturday. |
| of them can tell you right away which dress fits | | | | Opening my address book for you |
| you well.... and which skirt makes you look like you | | | | I will come back to you with other names and |
| dressed with a potato bag. | | | | addresses in future articles on this topic. I |
| Parisian fashion retailers have quite an educated | | | | personally enjoy shopping these boutiques, and |
| eye, and owners of designer depots are no | | | | based on the number of smartly dressed women |
| exception to this rule. And so it goes for the | | | | I spot there, I am not alone in the belief that such |
| quality of the merchandise they buy, though to | | | | bargains cannot be let pass. Till then, I salute all |
| each owner her own style. They offer items | | | | unrepentant fashion shoppers! |
| which have seldom been worn more than one | | | | |