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Top Luxury Shopping in Paris

Top Luxury Paris Shops

By , About.com Guide

Paris is the city for the chic shopper. A trip to Paris must include shopping, whether it's at the top department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marche, or the smaller exclusive boutiques. Here is my short guide to the top luxury Paris shops from designer fashion to perfume.

1. Top Paris Shopping Areas

gaultierparisJean-Paul Gaultier Paris Fashion Show 2012 © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment

Like any city, you’ll find top shopping in various central areas. What is known as the ‘Golden Triange’ takes in the district between the avenue of the Champs-Elysees, the avenue Montaigne and the avenue George-V (8th arrondissement). Also the avenue Montaigne (8th arrondissement), the Faubourg Saint-Honore (8th), Saint-Germain-des-Pres (6th), and the arcaded Palais-Royal (1st). But while these house the big names, the more cutting-edge shops and chic boutiques have spread out into the Left Bank, Sevres Babylone, and the Marais.

More about the top Paris shopping districts.

2. Top Department Stores

shopparisfetfils© Franck et Fils

Franck et Fils is not as well known as Galerie Lafayette, but it's one of my favorites, outside the center in the 16th arrondissement. On rue de Passy, and now owned by Le Bon Marche, this venerable shop is very chic indeed with a slightly younger customer base. It has a good café, and a Studio Harcourt instant photo booth that people flock to for very good passport sized photos with the famous Harcourt style.

Franck et Fils

Address: 80, rue de Passy, 16th
Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 44 14 38 00 (Switchboard); 00 33 (0)1 44 14 38 74 (Customer Services)
Website
Metro: La Muette, Victor Hugo
RER: RER C, Boullainvilliers stop
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 10am to 7pm
Saturday 10am to 8pm

More on Franck et Fils

Other Top Department Stores

  • Galeries Lafayette for its expanded luxury and designer fashion section, and everything else.
  • Le Bon Marche for its Left Bank chic, iconic building and fabulous food department.
  • Le Printemps is another iconic and beautiful store every visitor should see.

    • 3. Top One-Stop Fashion Shopping

    Montaigne Market on avenue Montaigne houses top designers, both international names and more niche labels and a great range of accessories. Victoria Beckham and Alexander Wang bags; Jimmy Choo and Lanvin shoes; JBrand skinny jeans and a leather jacket from Snow from St Barth. Go on, you know you need them.

    Practical Information

    Address 57 ave Montaigne, 8th
    Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 42 56 58 58
    Website
    Metro George-V, Alma-Marceau
    Opening hours
    Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm

    Other One-Stop Fashion Shops

    Colette on rue Staint-Honore in the 1st arrondissement is where the fashionistas gather not just for the latest avant-garde fashion, but also for those must-have gadgets that look so chic in Paris apartments. Plenty for kids too.

    4. Top beauty and well-being salons

    parishoppayot© Espace Payot

    For a Thai spa experience, spend time at Harnn & Thann Located in a pretty courtyard on rue Moliere, the spa offers Thai massages amongst other treatments. It also has a tempting boutique selling own name oils, soaps and creams.

    Harnn & Thann

    Address 11 rue Moliere, 1st
    Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 40 15 02 20
    Website
    Metro Pyramides
    Opening hours
    Monday to Saturday 11am to 8pm
    Thursday to 10pm

    Other Top Spas and Salons

  • Thermes Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement on the Left Bank is the place for aquatic, revitalizing treatments such as a hot chocolate or hot stone massage in a luxury setting of gorgeous colors and textures.
  • Try Espace Payot in rue Pierre-Charon in the 8th arrondissement for its treatments plus its swimming pool bathed in ultraviolet light.
  • For a small-scale, intimate beauty salon with very chic and unusual treatments, book a treatment at Le Cercle, located in a townhouse on the rue du Faubourg- Saint-Honore.

    • 5. Best Foot Forward

    jlobbbespokeshoeJohn Lobb bespoke shoes getting a final shine © Lisa Camus

    You find both the top names like Christian Louboutin and artisan shoemakers in Paris. For a wide selection go to Espace chaussures des Galeries Lafayette in their luxury shopping area where you'll find all the names like Jimmy Choo, Prada, Gucci, Dior and more.

    Galeries Lafayette

    Address 40 bvd Haussmann, 9th
    Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 42 82 30 25
    Website
    Metro Chaussee-d'Antin
    Opening hours
    Monday-Saturday 09.30 am to 07.30 pm Thursdays: Open until 9 pm

    Other Top Shoe Shops

  • Go to the exclusive Christian Louboutin shop in rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 8th arrondissement for those signature red soles of some of the most beautiful shoes in the world.
  • Roger Vivier on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honore in the 8th arrondissement for colorful, beautifully designed shoes from the company started by the man who created the stiletto heel.
  • Smart men go to that quintessential English shoemaker, John Lobb, at the boutique at 21 rue Boissy d'Anglas in the 8th. For bespoke shoes, make an appointment at 32 rue de Mogador in the 9th, tel.: 00 33 (0)1 43 47 58 14
  • For a fun bespoke pair of shoes, try La Boutique Sentimentale.
    Address 14, rue Roi de Sicile, 4th
    Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 42 78 84 04
    Metro Saint-Paul
    Open Tuesday to Saturday 2 to 7pm.

    • 6. The Very Best China and Glass

    shopparisbernard© Bernardaud

    To transform your apartment or house with Paris style, Bernardaud is a top brand in tableware and table decoration, though less well known than names like Christofle internationally. Each year the company creates a new porcelain dinner service. If you are in Limoges, you can see how the porcelain is made on a guided tour of the factory.

    Bernardaud

    Address 11 rue Royale, 8th
    Tel.: 00 33 (0)1 47 42 82 66
    Website
    Metro Madeleine
    Opening hours
    Monday-Saturday 10am to 7pm

    Other Top Shops

    Lalique is a major name in glass and its glorious, gleaming store on rue Royale stocks all the latest designs as well as some antique glass objects. If you're in Alsace, visit the Rene Lalique Museum.

    7. Scents to Seduce

    parishopjoyoy© Parfums Rares Jovoy

    France and perfume are inextricably linked through the town of Grasse in the south of France where the major perfume houses create their new scents. Modern perfume was created in France in 1889 when Aime Guerlain produced Jicky. It was followed by Chanel No 5 in 1921, Arpege by Lanvin in 1927 and Patou’s Joy in 1930. Other great names have been reincarnated like Francois Coty, who lived at the Chateau d’Artigny in the Loire Valley.

    For bespoke scents, try the following.

  • Jovoy Paris in rue de Castligione (1st) is a small, family-owned business specialising in rare scents that are difficult to find. It will also produce bespoke scents for you.
  • Maison Francis Kurkdjian is one of the city’s most tempting places, but you need a pretty large budget.

    • 8. Personal Shopping Service

    kimkardshopparis© Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment

    Get the most out of your Paris shopping by having a personal program created by an English-speaking guide. Two companies that provide the service are Ultimate Paris and Paris for a Day. A personal guide will meet you to discover what exactly you want to see and where you want to shop and tailor-make an itinerary for you. She will then accompany you, with a car, on the tour. To get the most out of this, contact the company beforehand for the first stage, so when you arrive in Paris you can hit the ground running.

  • Paris for a Day Website
  • Ultimate Paris Website

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