If you ever find yourself lucky enough to have the opportunity to go shopping in Paris, make sure you opt for boutiques rather than the ever-so-boring mall or department store. Though the Galeries Lafayette are housed in stunning 19th century buildings, one which features a remarkable steel and glass dome ceiling, it is still inevitably just an over-crowded and overly complicated department store. Service is non-existent and cashiers are elusive. The presence of a cash register, a debit machine and bags labeled ‘Galeries Lafayette’, does not warrant an actual cashier (which are more than likely hidden behind a wall or shoved into a corner disguised as what seems to be a DMV).

Window display at Lanvin

One could say that finding a ‘Does my butt look big in these pants?’ boutique, a ‘Will this turn him on?’ boutique, or a ‘Nobody can afford a $2000 pair of shoes!’ boutique, is about as simple as it is to remember the last time you said any one of those statements. There are hundreds, nay, thousands of boutiques in Paris; each just as unique as the next hundred you‘ll stroll past (on your third trip back to the boulangerie for more chocolate croissants).

A certain stretch of the historic and medieval rue Saint-Honoré, starting a few blocks west of Rue Royale and ending at rue D’Alger, has some of the most extraordinary shopping in Paris. There you will find luxurious brand names such as Chanel, Lanvin and Jimmy Choo, co-existing amongst less mainstream (though still widely popular) labels such as Chantal Thomass – a boutique specializing in seductively erotic lingerie and shoes with heels resembling the curved legs of an antique table. Manoush, a personal favorite, has some of the most brilliant and artistically intriguing clothing designs to be found on this street. Knit sleeveless sweaters laced with belly dancer charms are an example of one of their more ‘tame’ pieces.


Window displays are pieces of art, ‘snapshots’ of a lavish and giddy scene, luring its viewers to come in and spend a couple of grand. And you will – feeling just as giddy as the plastic, but sometimes gold, mannequins having the cocktail party behind the front window.

Sipping on champagne while you try on diamonds at Cartier, or admiring yourself in the mirror while you try on Chanel - in Paris - one could start to feel a bit punch-drunk. Make sure to take several breaks between luxuries – have lunch at Hotel Costes (just as pricey as the name suggests – but great for celebrity sighting), take a quick stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries (a quick one-block detour from rue Saint-Honoré), or head back to your hotel on a Velib rental bike to drop off the collection of shopping bags you’ve suddenly gathered.


When you return to your little stretch of shopping addict heaven, make sure to check out the mysterious side streets. Seeming to have nothing but restaurants and tiny cars on them, this is where you’ll find the hidden gems: jewelry stores. And more Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Diane von Furstenberg, Roger Vivier, Gucci, Missoni, Valentino, Paul Smith and many, many others.

This isn’t Fifth Avenue in the Big Apple, ladies. This is the street you walk on in your most lucid shopping-spree dreams.

by Marayna Dickinson
all images by Marayna Dickinson