When planning my trip to Paris, I had a list of discount and consignment stores I was excited to visit. I had also read that Colette was a must visit store, so I have included it on my list. In all, with the exception of Monoprix, I was fairly disappointed with these stores.
Monoprix. I had read that Monoprix is the Target of France. That and my best friend’s fondness of the store made me confident that I too would love Monoprix. I did. French stores are a lot smaller than American stores, so Monoprix is much smaller than Target. Monoprix doesn’t carry a full range of stationery and home goods like Target, but it does carry clothes, cosmetics, toiletries, and groceries under one roof. It’s a great place to stock up on those French skin care lines that often aren’t available in the US outside of NYC. And it sells some really cute clothes. Be prepared to pay higher than Target prices, but expect a bit higher quality. My only complaint about Monoprix’s clothing was that the fit tended to be somewhat off. I came away from the store with a gray marled sweater for about $50 that looks a lot like designer sweaters I’ve seen going for hundreds more.
Cos. I had read that Cos was a chic but cheap place to buy basics. I found most of the clothing to be too basic. Though the clean-designed and bright store made my shopping experience pleasant, I found most of the clothing disappointing. A lot of the cuts were extremely boxy and might make for chic maternity wear, but it was a lot of plain without pizzazz. The material was generally not of the same quality as my favored French boutiques. Cos is certainly worth a quick look, though. I was able to find a great navy top with a white Peter Pan collar for around $50, which I’ve already worn several times.
Didier Ludot. Whenever I read about the top French designer consignment stores, Didier Ludot was always mentioned. After a long day of shopping on the Champs-Élysées AND the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore, my mom and I continued our walk. The map in my guide book was not exact enough, so it took us a little while to find Didier Ludot. I almost decided to give up on my pursuit, but we had walked so far just for this store that might prove to hold my Fashion Holy Grail (Still not sure what the Fashion Holy Grail is for me at this point, another question for another post), so we trudged on to the Garden du Palais Royal. Nestled among an elegant shopping center filled with unique shops, was Didier Ludot. This shopping center, Galeries de Montpensier et de Valois, is adjacent to the garden of the Palais Royal. My experience at Didier Ludot was one of the most unfriendly shopping experiences I’ve ever had. It’s one of those stores where customers have to press the buzzer for the shop merchant to unlock the door, which I’m quite used to from shopping in NY, but this shop owner did not give off a friendly vibe. Only part of the store was accessible to customers and all of the handbags and jewelry are displayed in the windows. So I could not easily view the bags (Hermes, Chanel) and baubles in the windows. Sure, the couture labels were there, but there was nothing that particularly struck me. At least now I know.
Andre. I had also read that Andre was The destination for trendy, affordable shoes. The shoes are certainly affordable and I probably should have picked up that pair of short brown ankle boots a la Claiborne Swanson Frank that were around $100, but overall I wasn’t impressed by the quality of the shoes. The old adage remains, “You get what you pay for.”
Colette. Although Colette is certainly not known as a discount store, I wanted to include it as part of the shops that disappointed me. I’ve read on blogs like Garance Dore that it’s a must for trendy clothing and gifts. I can see how the store appeals to a certain type of customer. A customer who perhaps grew up shopping at Urban Outfitters (I have purchased a few things there too) and now has grown to cultivate a more sophisticated, expensive taste beyond UO’s sister company Anthropologie. The labels were there but arranged in such an unbecoming way that I had no desire to look at the clothing. Rack after rack of clothing with no real presentation. The first floor of the store contained the gift items, ranging from Diptyque candles to Smythson notebooks, both items which I heartily approve as gifts, should you wish to send them my way. But the overall feeling of the store, with its pumping music, sleek design, and cold designer clothing floor, was of a place that was trying too hard to be trendy. That and the crowds that permeated the store are probably good indications that a place is not a shopping experience I wish to have.
On a return visit to Paris I would stop at Monoprix and perhaps Cos if I happened to pass by one of its locations. I’ve learned that in traveling as in life, sometimes failed or disappointing experiences are just as valuable as the successful, thrilling experiences. It’s just as important to know what you don’t want as to know what you do want.
Have you visited these stores in Paris? What was your take?
Have you ever visited a store with a lot of hype that you found disappointing? Which store(s)?
When you shop, how important is the display of merchandise to you?