Well designed clothes for young French women, which are also stylish enough to be bought by their chic mothers. This chain has branches all over Paris and in selected department stores, too.
Prices range from 105 € for a skirt to 221€ for a wool coat.

www.comptoirdescotonniers.com

Autour du monde

Stylish, unfussy and wearable collections are found in these nice shops. They are not a big chain, so younger women might find something unusual and flattering.

Boutiques
12, rue des Francs Bourgeois - Tél. : 01 42 77 16 18
54, rue de Seine - Tél. : 01 43 54 64 47

They also sell some rather attractive designs for the home, so your living room can look good as well. Their pink felt slippers, oval/square mirrors and bright patchwork cushions are very 'a la mode'.

Home store
8, rue des Francs Bourgeois - Tél. : 01 42 77 06 08

Their clothing range is also available in the following 'grand magasins':
Bon Marché -22, rue de Sèvres - Tél: 01 44 39 80 00Samaritaine - 19, rue de la Monnaie - Tél: 01 40 41 26 88Galeries Lafayette -40, boulevard Haussman - Tél: 01 40 23 98 86

Website: www.bensimon.com or www.autourdumonde.com

Armor-Lux

If you like to look the part and want to dress as a French fisherman or woman from Brittany, try on the high quality striped t-shirts from this company which specialises in clothing 'marin' (sailor styles).
Showroom: 32 Rue du Grenier St.Lazare
Tel 01 488 75654 www.armor-lux.com

Designer boutiques

Jean Paul Gaultier
The bad boy of French fashion continues to design some imaginative clothes for men and women. The two Parisian stores are a treat and have witty, irreverent collections. Look out for the silk scarves printed with scenes from old movies and star shaped jewellery.

44, Avenue Georges V Tel 01 44430044 and 6, rue Vivienne 0142860505 Metro: Bourse and 30 Faubourg St Antoine Tel 0146284946 Metro: Bastille. www.jeanpaul-gaultier.com

Chanel
Much more than the little black dress and understated strings of pearls, this renowned brand still produce simple, stylish clothes for women. Their original offices in Rue Cambon are where Coco Chanel herself used to work. The ready to wear collection designed by Karl Lagerfield is definitely short skirted thi

CHANEL BOUTIQUE
25, rue Royale, Tel.: 01 44 51 92 93, Fax: 01 44 51 90 41
Accessories Shoes

CHANEL BOUTIQUE
31, rue Cambon, Tel.: 01 42 86 28 00, Fax: 01 42 86 29 75
Ready-to-Wear clothes Accessories Shoes

CHANEL BOUTIQUE
42, avenue Montaignem, Tel.: 01 47 23 74 12, Fax: 01 40 70 07 04
Ready-to-Wear clothes Accessories Shoes

CHANEL BOUTIQUE
21, Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré, Paris, Tel.: 01 53 05 98 95, Fax: 01 40 07 10 77
Ready-to-Wear clothes Accessories Shoes

Yves Saint Laurent

Tom Ford now designs for this quintessentially French name, and has produced some very slick designs for both men and women.
5 Avenue Marceau Tel 0144316400 Metro: Alma Marceau and women's boutique: 6 Place Saint Sulpice Tel 0143294300 Metro: Mabillon (Next to Luxembourg Gardens).

Yohji Yamamoto

Military inspired outerwear is this season's trademark look. Most of this Japanese designer's clothes are beautifully cut and a real pleasure to wear. He designs for both men and women.
47 Rue Etienne Marcel Tel 0145088245 Metro: Les Halles and 25 Rue Louvre Tel 0142214293 Metro: Also Les Halles.

Men's Clothing

Hugo Boss

Now an international chain, but their understated clothing range makes any man look good. From casuals to business suits to after shave, they are a dependable choice. Expensive.

43, Avenue de L'Opéra Tel: 0147039400Metro: Opéra
374, rue Saint-Honoré Tel: 01 47 03 40 53 Metro: Madeleine
Shops open from 10.00 to 20.00 Monday to Saturday

Agnes B
Stylish clothes for men (and women). Agnes B's designs are also popular with the fashion conscious Japanese, perhaps because her designs are simple and unostentatious.

17 Rue Dieu Tel: 0140034500 Metro: Republique
Open from Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 19.00

Alain Manoukian
Impressive suits and well cut sportswear make this a good choice for the discerning man.
Suits from 275 euros
14 Rue Haléry Tel:0144799236 Metro: Chausée d'Antin

Department stores
Paris has some excellent department stores, known as 'grand magasins' (large shops). These are mainly found in the centre around Boulevard Haussman and are also good places to have a beauty treatment or meet up with friends for a café au lait.

Galeries Lafayette

Probably the most well known department store in the French capital, they have most of the brand name designers under one roof. You can find anything from an Agnes B cardigan to a stylish Waterman fountain pen.
40 Boulevard Haussman Tel 0142823456 and for non French speakers: 0142823640.
Open every day from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 to 18.45
They also have a branch in the Montparnasse shopping complex. Tel 0145385287 which is open from 9.45 to 19.15 Monday to Saturday
Metro: Opera, Chaussée d'Antin and Trinité. Rail station: Auber RER A, buses 22, 52, 53, 66
All major credit cards accepted.

BHV
Originally the supplier for the Hotel du Ville (which is why it is called Bazaar du Hotel du Ville or BHV), this large department store has almost everything you need for the home as well as brand name clothing. Apparently, Napoleon used to shop here, (or ask his retinue to order his requirements), so although the shop goods have changed somewhat since the 19th Century, the grand exterior remains the same. They excel at stocking reasonably priced, well designed and useful kitchen equipment.
14, rue du Temple
Tél : 01 42 74 90 00
Fax : 01.42 74 96 79
Open: Monday, Tuesday Thursday, Saturday : 9.30 - 19 Wednesday, Friday : 9.30 - 20.30
www.bhv.fr

Metro: Hotel du Ville. Buses 70,72, 74

Le Bon Marché

Another large department store, but this one is renowned for having a good food department (and at 2,700 metres it is huge). This was the first 'grand magasin', built by Aristide Boucicaut in 1852, It soon got a good reputation for having low prices and is also the only department store on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) of Paris. The architect incorporated new metal structures which were being developed at the end of the 19th Century into his design and even Gustave Eiffel (who designed the famous tower) was involved. It is also less busy and more elegant than the Hausmann Boulevard department stores and has work by contemporary artists for sale..
24 Rue du Sèvres
Métro: Sèvres-Babylone
Open 9.30 -19 Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9.30-20.00 Saturday and on Thursdays from 10.00 to 21.00 (late night shopping).

Tel 01 44 39 80 00. Le Bon Marché also has underground parking
www.bonmarche.fr
La Grande Epicerie 38 Rue du Sèvres
Tel 0144 39 6100
www.lagrandeepicerie.fr

Printemps
Less chic than the other grand magasins, but still worth a visit for their revamped home interiors section and fashion shows.
Printemps Haussmann - 64, boulevard Haussmann
Open: From Monday to Saturday from 9.35 to 19.00
Late night shopping on Thursday to 22.00
Métro: Havre Caumartin - RER A Auber - RER E Haussmann St Lazare
Buses : 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 42, 43, 53, 66, 68, 80, 81, 94, 95

Tel : 01.42.82.50.00 - Fax : 01.42.82.45.22
E-mail : infos@printemps.fr
www.printemps.com

Unusual Gifts

Paris-Musées

Instead of tramping round lots of Parisian museums, you can find lots of imaginative gifts in Paris Musées boutique. The Ville de Paris museums have brought together the best designs from all the galleries. This shop has lamps with photographs of pouting women on and some unusual ceramics by young French designers. They also have Rodin sculptures, glassware and reproductions of other unique objects on display in the city's museums.

Branch : Forum des Halles, 1 rue Pierre-Lescot, 1e Tel01.40.26.56.65
29 bis rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4e Tel 01.42.74.13.02
Metro: St-Paul.
Open 14 to 19.00 Monday; 11.00-19.00 Tuesday-Saturday; 11.00-18.30 Sunday.

Diptyque produce nearly fifty different scented candles and are probably the nicest in Europe. Their scents include honeysuckle, jasmine, freesias and even leather and fig.
Around €25.
Branches include: Forum des Halles, rue Pierre Lescot, 1e Tel 01.40.28.42.16
34 Boulevard St-Germain, 5e Tel 01.43.26.45.27. Metro: Maubert-Mutualité.
Open 10.00-19.00 Monday to Saturday

Robin des Bois

Translated as 'Robin Hood', this unusual shop is part of an ecological organisation which promotes recycling and imaginative use of used objects. Everything is made with recycled or ecologically sound products, so you might find bottle-top jewellery, natural toiletries and recycled notepaper.
15 rue Ferdinand-Duval, 4e Tel 01.48.04.09.36. Metro: St-PaulOpen 10.30-19.30 Monday-Saturday; 14.00-19.30 Sunday. Association de protection de l'Homme et de l'environnementFax: 01.48.04.56.41 http://www.biorganic-mag.com/robindesbois

Violetera

This unsual shop is a treasure trove of ephemera from the music hall and other Parisian musical traditions. You might find anything from a collector's recording of Edith Piaf to a postcard of the Eiffel Tower or an old book about the films of Jacques Tati, the ultimate French comedian.
12 Rue Papillon: Tel 01 45 233417 Metro: Cadet

Doch é Vana

If you like well made jewellery made from leather and stainless steel, visit Doch é Vana's boutique. Their unusual designs are both chic and modern.Around €8032, rue Etienne Marcel. Metro: Sentier
Tél / Fax : 33 1 4221 3225 contact@dochevana.com

Le Comptoir des Écritures

Walking into this shop is like stepping back in time. It is like a museum of ink, paper, and they even sell coloured strips of wax for old-fashioned ways to seal your private letters. The bottles of coloured ink look like exotic poisons and the Chinese paintbrushes and paper are stillin their original wrappings. In addition, they sell art supplies and run calligraphy classes in their own classroom.

35 Rue Quincampoix Paris 4e Tel 01 42789510 Metro: Chatelet and Rambuteau www.comptoirdesecritures.com

Jadis et Gourmande

88 Boulevard du Port Royal.
This shop is one of four branches selling divine chocolate for true connoisseurs. Open from 13.00 to 19.00 on Mondays and 9.30 to 19.00 Tuesday to Saturday.

A L'Olivier

Everything you have ever wanted made from olives can be found in this lovely shop. They sell virgin olive oils in beautiful bottles as well as soap and biscuits made from this Mediterranean fruit. Open from 9.30 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 19.00 Tuesday to Saturday.23 Rue de Rivoli Tel 0148048659 Metro: St Paul or Hotel de Ville

CSAO: La Boutique

La Boutique1 and 3 Rue Elzevir
In the middle of the chic Marais, entering this large shop is like stepping into an African bazaar. The CSAO is the Compagnie du Senegal et d l'Afrique de L'Ouest (Senegal and West Africa Company) and they have a wide range of naïve paintings on glass, baskets woven from brightly coloured plastic and intriguing dolls all from French speaking Africa. They also have a restaurant nearby where you can sample the tastes of this Fascinating part of the world: (Le Petit Dakar 6 Rue Elzevir Tel 01 44 59 34 74)
CSAO Tel 0144545588 Open from Monday to Saturday from 10.30 to 19.30 and on Sundays from 14.00 to 19.30. Metro: Saint Paul

Interior Design Shops

The Parisians excel at not only making their shop windows look beautiful, but their homes are tastefully kitted out, too.
Here are a few recommended stores:

Yves Deshoulieres

Fine ceramics and cutlery for rather special dinner parties.
101 Rue du Bac 7e
0153630171
95, rue de Passy
Tél : 01 45 25 01 88
Fax : 01 45 24 79 15

Martine Goron
Oriental tea sets, elegant Moroccan inspired teapots and much more…
22 Rue des Ecoffes Paris 4e
01 421717710 or 0142238272

Pylones
Plates that are like jigsaw puzzles and other unusual things…
Chez Pylones, 7 rue Tardieu, Tél 01 46 06 37 00.
www.pylones.com

Luma
Some great designs by French designers in the 6e quartier of Paris.
54, Rue Madame
Tel 01 45 49 37 12
Fax 01 45 49 37 36
florence.baudoux@wanadoo.fr

Culinarion

If you like cooking, you'll love this shop. They stock everything from simple white china to professional cooks' pans and knives, so whether you just like to toss a crépe or want to attempt to baste a pigeon, this a is chef's delight.

99 rue de Rennes Tél: 01 41 90 09 11Metro: Rennes or 75 rue Commerce 01 42503750 Metro: Commerce

www.culinarion.com

L'Occitane
Inspired by the aromas of Provence, L'Occitane use traditional recipes to make divine smelling soaps, hand creams, perfumes and everything you ever wanted for a heavenly toilette. Buy their verbena liquid soap for the kitchen or bathroom and your hands will smell gorgeous. Their products are made from natural ingredients and even the bag they are wrapped in is made of seaweed!
They have 17 branches all over Paris (and many more abroad), mostly in areas where you will probably find other delightful boutiques nearby…

These are just a few:
60, Rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine
55, rue St-Louis en L'Ile
Tel: 01 40 46 81 71

84, rue de Rivoli
Tel: 01 42 78 74 01

90, rue du Bac
Tel: 01 42 22 55 28

93, rue de Rennes
Tel: 01.42.22.48.74

Galerie des Champs-Elysées
84, avenue des Champs-Elysées
Tel: 01 53 76 00 06

Passage du Havre
109, rue Saint-Lazare
Tel: 01 44 53 62 36

12,rue d'Auteuil
Tel: 01 40 50 70 50

Galerie Passy Plaza
53, rue de Passy
Tel: 01 40 50 78 29

130, rue Mouffetard
Tel: 01 43 31 98 12

17 rue des francs-Bourgeois
Tél: 01 42 77 96 67

109, avenue Victor Hugo
Tel: 01 44 05 96 00

18, Place des Vosges
Tel: 01 42 72 60 36

26, rue Vavin
Tel: 01 43 25 07 71

www.loccitane.com

Jean-Louis David
One of the best known chains in France, this is a great place to have a stylish cut.
7 Rue Monge 01 40468144 Metro: Maubert-Mutualité
138 Rue Belleville Tel 01 43581260 Metro Jourdain Open late to 20.00 on Thursdays

The Abbey Bookshop
Located near the Sorbonne University, this bookshop also provides an ordering service and many British, Canadian and American books are held in stock, too.
29 Rue de la Parcheminerie Tel 01 46 331624 Metro: Cluny Sorbonne

Librarie Ulysse
Open from Tuesday to Saturday, this travel bookshop has books, maps and travel guides to almost anywhere in the world. It's also situated on one of the most expensive pieces of land anywhere on earth, the Isle St Louis. (and 'librarie' means bookshop, not 'library' which in French is 'Une bibliotheque').
Tel: 0143251735 Metro: Pont Marie

FNAC Photography service
Useful for developing colour film, getting digital prints or a spare black and white roll.
There are a few branches round town. This one is close to a couple of metro stops.
127 rue de Sevres Tel: 0143063323 Metro: Vaneau or Duroc

Le 5ème Disque
You can listen to anything before you buy, here. They stock a diverse range from jazz, reggae, blues and salsa. A great place for world music and French traditions from countries other than France…Open everyday.

53 r Mouffetard Tel: 0143361704 Metro: Place Monge

Rue Raspail

Rue Raspail on Sunday mornings is a lively, thriving market with very good quality food quality and variety. Try some farmer's thick crème fraiche or homemade butter, farmhouse cheeses, organic vegetables, carefully reared organic beef and lamb, pork and poultry. You can also buy ready to eat chickens stuffed with fresh herbs cooked in a spit oven in the market. Hot muffins are very popular, too . Apparently, Monsieur Lepic sells little terracotta pots of country pates but he sells out of his speciality boudin noir very quickly, so get there early.
Nearest metro:

Other markets include:
Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, along Rue de Rosiers and Avenue Michelet. This is a huge flea market, one of the biggest in Europe and each area has it's own speciality.
Metro: Porte de Clignancourt, open Saturday to Monday from 07.30 to 19.00

Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves. Based along Avenue Georges Lafenestre and Avenue Marc Sangnier, there is a good choice of junk here. Open Saturday and Sunday from 07.00 to 18.00 Metro: Porte de Vanves

Avenue Montaigne

The capital's wealthy bourgeoisie still rule this expensive and slightly pretentious area of Paris. Elegant women can be found in the avenue's swish hotels and luxury shops, such as Dior, Givenchy, Lacroix, and Bulgari . However, beware the scary store bouncers who might deter quite a few intrepid shoppers. If you don't manage to get inside the shops, (or even if you do), you can always linger over a glass of wine at the Bar de Theatres at 6 Avenue Montaigne.

Opera

Shopping at Place de la Opera can be fun and inspiring. Younger women love the European chain Zara, but there are lots of other treats in store here.

St. Germain

This district is the heart of the `Left Bank'. You can spend all day here, wandering round the shops and looking longingly at the gorgeous handbags, ties and suits. After all the shopping excesses, revive yourself with a coffee in the café opposite the famous Church where Simon de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre hung out.

The 16th

After visiting the Musée Marmottan, wandering around the 16th (Rue de la Pompe, Avenue. Victor Hugo) can be very pleasant. Franck et Fils is an impressive, less well-known department store.

Le Marais

The back streets of Le Marais have some exquisitely decorated shop windows. The fashionable cutting edge can be found along almost any street as well as some nice bars to sit and ponder where to go next…

Faubourg St. Honoré

Almost every expensive designer brand in the world can be found here.Pick up a chic scarf at Hermes but beware: along this grand street the prices are not cheap!