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SHOPPING ARCADES

Paris’s 19th-century commercial arcades, called passages or galeries are the forerunners of the modern mall. Glass roofs, decorative pillars, and mosaic floors give the passages character. The major arcades are on the Right Bank in central Paris. Galerie Vivienne (4 rue des Petits-Champs, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 2e | Station: Bourse) is home to a range of interesting shops, including Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Philippe Starck–designed fantasy, an excellent tearoom, and a quality wine shop.

Passage du Grand-Cerf (Entrances on Rue Dussoubs, Rue St-Denis, Beaubourg/Les Halles, 4e | 75004 | Station: Étienne-Marcel) is a pretty, glass-roof gallery filled with crafts shops offering an innovative selection of jewelry, paintings, and ceramics. Passage Jouffroy (12 bd. Montmartre, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 9e | 75009 | Station: Montmartre) is full of shops selling toys, postcards, antique canes, and perfumes. Passage des Panoramas (11 bd. Montmartre, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 2e | 75002 | Station: Montmartre), built in 1800, is the oldest of them all and with a new organic wine bar, enjoying a rebirth. The elegant Galerie Véro-Dodat (19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | Station: Louvre) has painted ceilings and copper pillars with shops selling contemporary art, silks, antiques, designer cosmetics, and a boutique by shoemaker-to-the-stars Christian Louboutin.

SPECIALTY STORES

ACCESSORIES, COSMETICS, AND PERFUMES

Chantal Thomass (211 rue St-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–60–40–56 | Station: Tuileries), a legendary lingerie diva, is back with this Pillow Talk–meets–Louis XV–inspired boutique. This is French naughtiness at its best, striking just the right balance between playfulness and straight-on seduction. Christian Louboutin (19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Beaubourg/Les Halles, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–36–53–66 | Station: Palais-Royal | 38–40 rue de Grenelle, St-Germain-des-Prés, 7e | 75007 | 01–42–22–33–07 | Station: Sèvres Babylone) shoes carry their own red carpet with them, in their trademark crimson soles and impressive client list including Catherine Deneuve and Gwyneth Paltrow. E. Goyard (233 rue St-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–60–57–04 | Station: Tuileries) has been making the finest luggage for the jet set since 1853.

Hermès (24 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 8e | 75008 | 01–40–17–47–17 | Station: Concorde | 42 av. Georges V, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–47–20–48–51 | Station: George V) created the eternally chic Kelly (named for Grace Kelly) and Birkin (named for Jane Birkin) handbags. The silk scarves are legendary for their intricate designs, which change yearly. Other accessories are also extremely covetable: enamel bracelets, dashing silk-twill ties, and small leather goods.

Jamin Puech (43 rue Madame, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 75006 | 01–45–48–14–85 | Station: St-Sulpice | 68 rue Vieille-du-Temple, Le Marais, 3e | 75003 | 01–48–87–84–87 | Station: St-Paul) thinks of its bags as jewelry, not just a necessity. Nothing’s plain-Jane here—everything is whimsical, unusual, and fun.

Louis Vuitton (101 av. des Champs-Élysées, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 08–10–81–00–10 | Station: George V | 6 pl. St-Germain-des-Prés, St-Germain-des-Prés 6e | 08–10–81–00–10 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés | 22 av. Montaigne, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 08–10–81–00–10 | Station: Franklin-D.-Roosevelt) has spawned a voracious fan base from Texas to Tokyo with its mix of classic leather goods and the saucy revamped versions orchestrated by Marc Jacobs, with collaborators such as Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. This soaring cathedral-esque paean to luxury (and consumption) is unsurpassed, notably at the opulent flagship on the Champs-Élysées.

Loulou de la Falaise (21 rue Cambon, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–60–02–66 | Station: Concorde) was the original muse of Yves Saint Laurent; she was at his side for more than 30 years of collections and designed his accessories line. Now this paragon of the fashion