Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [119]
My foray in current designer secondhand was short and sweet: Parisian pioneer of dépôt-vente in 1970, Chercheminippes (Map; www.chercheminippes.com; 102, 109-11 & 124 rue du Cherche Midi, 6e; Vaneau) in St-Germain des Prés was everything I could dream of in the shape of five beautifully presented boutiques on one street, each specialising in a different genre (haute couture, kids, menswear etc) and perfectly ordered by size and designer. There were even changing rooms.
The single biggest draw of shopping for vintage in Paris is not the promise of Parisian chic but price. Secondhand haute couture from previous decades costs 20% to 30% less in Paris than London, says Lawrence Carlier at Le Dépôt-Vente de Buci (Map; 01 46 34 28 28; 4 rue Bourbon le Château, 6e; Mabillion). She stocks hand-me-downs brought in from well-off ladies in the 6e arrondissement, returning anything that hasn’t sold after three months. ‘My vintage is mainly from the 1960s, very à la mode again’, she adds, as I mentally calculate if my bank account can handle pea-green cowboy boots, a Chanel jacket and an A-line skirt smothered in sequins. This stylish ‘boutique of curiosities’ with black wooden façade and a hip wine shop as neighbour is right up my alley – as is Madame Auguet’s Ragtime (Map; 01 56 24 00 36; 23 rue de l’Échaude, 6e; Mabillon) selling vêtements anciens from 1870 to 1970, and elegant L’Embellie (Map; 01 45 48 29 82; 2 rue du Regard, 6e; Sèvres Babylone). Count €100 to €1500 for a designer dress at all three. For old-fashioned accessories like gentlemen’s pocket watches, ladies’ hats and walking canes, browse Aspasie & Mathieu (Map; 10 rue des Carmes, 5e; Maubert Mutualité) in the Latin Quarter.
Paris being Paris, there’s secondhand…and secondhand: in the rag trade since 1975, collector Didier Ludot not only sells the city’s finest couture creations of yesteryear in his exclusive twinset of boutiques Didier Ludot (Map; 01 42 96 06 56; www.didierludot.com; 20 & 24 Galerie de Montpensier, 1er; Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre), he also hosts fashion exhibitions in the neighbouring galleries of the Palais Royal, and has published a book portraying the evolution of the little black dress, brilliantly brought to life in his boutique that sells just that, La Petite Robe Noire ( 01 40 15 01 04; 125 Galerie de Valois, 1er). Shop mannequins modelled a 1960s Chanel and 2006 Lanvin the day we were there.
Prize for innovation goes to Andrea Crews (Map; 01 45 26 36 68; www.andreacrews.com; 10 rue Frochot, 9e; Pigalle), a creative collective that added a whole new dimension to my quest to dress for less. Using everything from discarded clothing to electrical fittings and household bric-a-brac, the team chops, sews, recycles and reinvents to create the most extraordinary new fashion not everyone (few?) would wear. ‘Sustainable secondhand’ is its motto.
Nicola Williams
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À L’OLIVIER Map Food & Drink
01 48 04 86 59; www.alolivier.com; 23 rue de Rivoli, 4e; 2-7pm Mon, 9.30am-7pm Tue-Sat; St-Paul
‘At the Olive Tree’ has been the place for oil, from olive and walnut to soy and sesame, since 1822. It also offers olive oil tastings and olive-oil beauty products, as well as good vinegars, jams and honeys.
JULIEN, CAVISTE Map Food & Drink
01 42 72 00 94; 50 rue Charlot, 3e; 9.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-8.30pm Tue-Fri, 9.30am-8pm Sat; Filles du Calvaire
This independent wine store on hip rue Charlot focuses on small, independent producers and organic wines. There’s a unique selection of Rhône, Languedoc and Loire vintages and exceptional champagnes. The enthusiastic merchant Julien will locate, explain (and wax lyrical about) the wine for you, whatever your budget.
LE PALAIS DES THÉS Map Food & Drink
01 48 87 80 60; www.palaisdesthes.com; 64 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul
The ‘Palace of Teas’ is not as well established as Mariage Frères (right), but the selection is as large and the surroundings much more 21st-century. There are three other outlets in Paris, including a 6e branch (Map; 01