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Paris, Dixon Long and Ruthanne Long with photographs by Alison Harris (Little Bookroom, 2006). The authors, who also wrote Markets of Provence (William Morrow, 1996), “have a love affair with markets,” and so might you after flipping through this book. As the Longs note, the attraction of markets is that, “above all, it’s the opportunity to observe a social experience that is quintessentially French and independent of class.” They include markets with food, antiques, artisanal crafts, and books, many of which I’m eager to explore—plus restaurant recommendations. The two-page primer “When in Paris, Do as the Parisians” is very helpful, as are the suggested daily itineraries.

Paris Chic & Trendy: Designers’ Studios, Hip Boutiques, Vintage Shops, Adrienne Ribes-Tiphaine with photographs by Sandrine Alouf (Little Bookroom, 2006). As the title suggests, this guide focuses exclusively on fashion, and includes jewelry, lingerie, shoes, and handbags. The fifty-four recommended shops “together make Paris what it has never ceased to be: the all-time moving and shaking capital of fashion.”

Paris: Made by Hand, Pia Jane Bijkerk (Little Bookroom, 2009). Stylist Bijkerk adores all things fait main (handmade), and she presents an enticing selection of papermakers, shoemakers, jewelry designers, milliners, umbrella makers, dressmakers, ceramicists, and more. She also explains the interesting concept of fait main: it’s not only about creating something by hand, but also includes the act of restyling, restoring, or reinterpreting a found object. “In French,” Bijkerk notes, “the act of finding vintage objects has its own verb: chiner. And chineurs are the talented individuals who chinent. Many of the chineurs I have included in this book have the ability to see a found object in a whole new light, and they can’t wait to get back to the studio and get their hands dirty.” Packed with memorable ateliers and boutiques, the book also includes a list of her dozen favorite fait main stops.

The Paris Shopping Companion: A Personal Guide to Shopping in Paris for Every Pocketbook, Susan Swire Winkler with Caroline Lesieur (Cumberland House, 2006, fourth edition). Winkler has “pursued the enigma that is French style” for some time: she imports French linens for her own shop in Portland, Oregon, she lived in Paris as a graduate student in French literature, and she was a Paris-based fashion journalist for Women’s Wear Daily. Coauthor Lesieur is a native Parisian and a personal VIP guide, so between the two of these specialists, readers are in good hands. They inform us that the first tourist guidebooks to include information on French luxury goods and boutiques appeared in the seventeenth century. “Even then, during the time of Louis XIV, the shops were put together as nowhere else, positively seducing their customers. Little has changed and the world still flocks to Paris to be seduced by the charm, elegance, and glamour of its offerings.”

Winkler’s shopping favorites represent a very personal selection, and in fact she covers a limited range of neighborhoods, but what she does cover is thorough. I particularly like that she not only chooses her favorites and points out good values, but also has “made a special effort to highlight wise purchases in even the most expensive shops. These often make the most distinctive gifts because they come so beautifully wrapped and packaged.” Practical information—sizing charts, tax refunds, shipping, customs, a “shop talk” glossary—is included, as are some places to stay and a chapter called “Paris on a Budget.” They leave us with this parting thought: “In a culture where style of life is a source of national pride and pleasure, shopping as the French do is an invaluable approach to understanding French culture.”

The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide, Maribeth Clemente (St. Martin’s, 2007). Amid other similar titles, Clemente’s book stands out and is very much worth perusing. For seven years Clemente operated the Chic Promenade shopping service in Paris, and she lived there for a total of eleven years;