A Tried and True Guide to Paris—According to a Fashion Girl
The city is a rich destination for anyone with an interest in clothes, fashion history or retail.
If freedom of sartorial expression is welcome anywhere in the world, it’s certainly not in the streets of Paris. For a city that prides itself on being the birthplace of haute couture, French style is disarmingly predictable. It’s cliché, but Parisians dress like they all work at the same company or are headed to a Bastille Day party. They tend to favor a particular brand of unfussy minimalism that takes shape in a strict palette of dark blue, black, red, white and brown. There is an unspoken dress code they seem to follow, and they will not hold back on judging anyone who doesn’t abide by that rule.
During my first visit to the City of Light last month, I was able to distill Parisian street style to a few simple colors and silhouettes. The sartorial trappings were everywhere: printed silk scarves, striped boatneck shirts, black blazers, blue denim and white button-downs. The shoes ranged from ballerina flats and Hermès slides to block-heel sandals. There was such a uniformity to the looks, they felt devoid of any personality. Stray too far from that formula, you’ll be met with skeptical or downright disapproving looks. Like when I wore this brown Shona Joy silk mini dress for date night with my husband. The stares I received seemed to suggest that the hem was too short. Another day, my fitted Louisa Ballou minidress—which boasts a plunging neckline accented with the brand’s signature gold ring—didn’t seem to meet the standards of French refinement.
It’s one thing to not like a garment for yourself, but it’s another thing entirely to make others feel out of place for expressing themselves. Considering the fashion coming out of the rarefied Parisians runways, I’d hoped people would be open to alternative styles. But it seems the exuberant gowns regularly seen at Valentino or naughty schoolgirl skirts at Miu Miu or deconstructed Jacquemus separates are nothing French people can concern themselves with.
“Ironically, if you can get past the snobby attitude, the city is a rich destination for someone with an interest in clothes, fashion history or retail.”
Musée Yves Saint Laurent
Ironically, if you can get past the snobby attitude, the city is a rich destination for someone with an interest in clothes, fashion history or retail. Standing in contrast with the uniform-ness of French style is a treasure trove of fashion creativity preserved in museums, advertised during Fashion and Haute Couture Week and displayed in select stores. My goal for the trip was to soak up all the fashion knowledge and insights, and I have enjoyed doing just that.
If Paris is on your radar in the months to come, bookmark these recommendations—ranging from cultural institutions to mega commercial centers and well-curated clothing stores.
Musée Yves Saint-Laurent
From making history as the youngest creative director at the house of Christian Dior (hired at just 21 years old) to permanently leaving his mark on women’s fashion with the invention of Le Smoking, Yves Saint-Laurent’s achievements indeed call for a permanent museum. While it only offers a glimpse of his chef-d’oeuvre (this would require a bigger space), the exhibition does a good job of curating a visual crash course without leaving you overwhelmed. The best part? Getting to walk through his studio where all the magic was created.
Azzedine Alaïa Foundation
The Azzedine Alaïa foundation sits quietly at the end of an alley accessible from the buzzy Rue de la Verrerie, yet it bursts with the magnetic energy of the Tunisian couturier’s legacy. Featuring a small curation of Alaïa’s most iconic garments, which are paired with photographs of supermodels clad in them, the exhibition will inspire a newfound respect for the designer’s understanding (and appreciation) of women’s bodies. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and you will even get a sneak peek of Alaïa’s atelier located on the second floor.
While exploring the curation and getting up close and personal with the clothes, I started to discern the influence of Cristóbal Balenciaga in that they were both obsessed with clothes as architecture. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Alaia had not only purchased a few of Balenciaga’s gowns when he abruptly closed his couture house, but he deeply admired him. On your way out,Bbe sure to stop by the bookstore, which holds a fun collection of fashion and art books.
Nice Piece Vintage
Boasting a curation of well-preserved vintage garments, Nice Piece is a cozy little shop with dim lighting that makes you feel like you’ve just stepped into a collector’s living room. This is where you’ll find archival gowns and one-of-a-kind accessories to complete your themed party look or source a fashion heirloom you’ll pass down to your children. What makes it even more special is that the owner Bonaventure KELL will happily share the backstory behind his pieces, which span several decades and run the gamut from Chanel and Hermès to lesser-known yet equally compelling brands. Spread across two floors, it is a mandatory stop during you visit to Paris.
Y’s Yohji Yamamoto
There is no denying the outsize impact Japanese designers have had on the look of fashion today. Yohji Yamamoto is among those who helped redefine the notion of beauty in the 1990s by introducing aesthetic codes (i.e. deconstructed clothes) that now occupy a permanent place in our style vocabulary. While the realt
Seven Boys & Girls
Despite the strict “no photo” policy, I managed to snap the two items I considered buying at this cool vintage shop. While the ambience isn’t as welcoming as Nice Piece Vintage, the curation is just as exciting to explore. While the clothes at Seven Boys & Girls have a trendier edge that seems to cater to a younger crowd, they somehow also feel timeless. The store boasts a range of high-end designer items with an overall avant-garde aesthetic.
La Galerie Dior
While I didn’t get a chance to visit La Galerie Dior (with no advance tickets, the line is pretty discouraging), I suspect the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition that I saw at the Brooklyn museum in 2021 (pictured above) almost amounted to the same thing. It extensively documented the legacy of the couturier who revolutionized the way women dress after World War II with the invention of the “New Look.” As it turns out, the original looks displayed at the museum came directly from La Galerie Dior, which offers a more expansive tour of Dior’s archives. It’s a must-see if you’re interested to learn not just the story of Christian Dior but also post-war fashion, and understand the evolution of the fashion industry from a rarefied creative practice to a marketing machine.
Places that are on my list for the next visit:
LECLAIREUR Harold
A cool concept store with an appreciation for the avant-garde, this is a fun place to discover established and emerging designers who truly offer something unique.
The Broken Arm
I was recommended this place by the same person who raved about LECLAIREUR Harold. I was told it offers the best shopping experience in Paris.
Le Bon Marché
The first-ever department store in the world, Le Bon Marché is hailed as the coolest shopping destination in fashion circles. When it opened in 1852, it changed the way consumers engaged with clothes by turning shopping into an experience and a form of leisure. People no longer haggles as prices were displayed next to the merchandise, but they could also browse without any pressure to buy. Now owned by LVMH, the department store continue to attract millions of tourists and locals alike with its special curation of fashion, beauty and lifestyle goods.
Place Vendôme
Renowned for its neoclassical architecture, Place Vendôme is also a famous shopping destination that houses all the top luxury stores. Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari, Patek Phillipe, Maison Goyard, Louis Vuitton—among others—all have a physical footprint there.
Galeries Lafayette
Apparently the biggest department chain store in Europe, Galeries Lafayette is a premium real estate destination for brands with the budget to compete with all the big fashion players.
Samaritaine
Another LVMH-owned department store that targets affluent consumers with its selection of stores, restaurants and boutique hotels.