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Fashion Before you hit the shops its handy to have a bit of an understanding of French fashion jargon. Heres a quick glossary to help you out. Haute couture was born in Paris. Beyond the reach of most pockets, it refers to high-quality, bespoke dressmaking and tailoring, produced by the most exclusive designer houses. Garments are custom designed and made for each client and usually cost tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of euros. Few people across the world can claim to have bought a haute couture piece even the gowns worn by Hollywood stars at the Oscars are usually borrowed pieces. More often than not, haute couture garments are made as marketing tools to show off the designers flair and creativity and boost their reputation at the haute couture fashion shows. Haute couture is a very strictly governed trade, whose rules and regulations are protected by law. There are currently around 10 fashion houses entitled to use the haute couture label, most of which can be found in and around rue du Faubourg-St-Honor and avenue Montaigne in Paris city centre. For most of us, the only affordable way to buy designer clothes is by buying items from prt--porter or ready-to-wear collections. This means that the garments are industrially produced on a large scale to standard sizes and are purchased off the rack. Most of the haute couture houses create prt--porter collections, which are usually limited editions and still rather expensive. However, other fashion houses create mass produced prt--porter collections, making designer clothing accessible to the masses. Paris also has plenty of small, independent designers selling creative and unusual pieces at affordable prices. There are lots of wonderful boutiques around place des vosges in the chic and upmarket Marais quarter. If youre looking for value for money, youll find all the good high street shops and department stores (grand magasins) in Paris, such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Antiques and Art Antique and art shopping in Paris is much like clothes shopping. Some of the most exclusive dealers in the world can be found in the city, particularly around the rue du Faubourg-St-Honor alongside the haute couture fashion designers. However, there are also plenty of small independent dealers all over the city where you can pick up exquisite items at more affordable pieces. St-Germain-des-Prs is a great area for browsing around small art galleries and antique shops. Books Paris is a booklovers dream. There are branches of Frances best and most popular bookstore, FNAC, all over the city. FNAC sells everything from books and music to stationery and concert tickets. If youre looking for something rare or unique, check out the bouquinistes or bookstalls dotted along the bohemian and intellectual Left Bank of the Seine or walk into the heart of the Quartier Latin and youll be surrounded by second hand booksellers. Markets The French still love to shop in markets for good quality fresh produce or just to pick up a bargain. There are food markets all over the city heres a list of some of the main markets and their specialities: rue Lepic fruit and vegetables rue de Seine bakery goods and flowers March st Ouen flea market selling antiques and second hand clothes rue Poncelet patisseries, bakeries and cooked and cured meats March St Germain organic produce, international produce rue de Buci flowers March de la Porte de Vanves bric-a-brac |
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