The Top Five Best, Unique French Shops In Paris
The Summer Sales in Paris, France are still going strong until August 2, so you can get a big bang for your weak dollar right now. Discounts begin at 25-30% off and as the sale days wear on, discounts can go has high as 75% off. So if you go now, you're probably walking straight into the 50% off period.
1.) Plume Plume - Lèche-vitrine (window shopping) is free, and this little jewel in the Marais will fill all your shopping needs via your eyes alone, up to and including the painted sky fresco on the ceiling. But if your euros are just burning a hole in your pocket, you can find French accessories laid about in the most romantic way: umbrellas stationed inside a Ceylon jar; clutches married with and scarves and pillows, resting on a small hand-painted side table; hats draped over mirrors and on little hat stands throughout the store. Plume Plume does for French accessories, what Laduree does for French macaroons. Plume Plume will become your favorite window shopping destination in Paris. Address: Plume Plume, rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75004; Telephone: 33.1.42.72.30.17.
2.) Vert d'Absinthe. We'd all love to take home a little scarf from Pierre Hermé, because, well, it's such a very classical French thing to buy. Unfortunately, the price is over our budget. So we set out to find something else very French and ran into the charming little Vert d'Absinthe. This is a living museum dedicated to absinthe, where you can purchase the illegal-in-the-States green liquid -- ah, the beautiful trouble: little absinthe spoons; crystal fountain handles; absinthe sugar holders; and all kinds of absinthe paraphernalia. Address: Vet d'Absinthe, 11 rue d'Ormesson, 75004, 33.1.42.71.69.73. www.vertdabsinthe.com
3.) Causse Gantier allows you to, literally, shake hands with French history. Since 1892, this glove manufacturer has offered a second skin for the hands of the most famous, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Cyd Charisse and Madonna. The gloves are made with the finest of skins (ostrich, lamb, python, etc.), worked into a variety of textures, with different finishes (metallics, lacquers, etc.) and little accouterments added, such as tiny knots, buckles, lace and more. If you need simple gloves or extravagant ones, you'll want to come here. The white lacquered lambskin Girly GLoves (in all colors) are divine. The almost-non-existent Heloise fingerless mittens made of red velvet lambskin jewelry for your hands this spring. The Spider crocheted ecru cotton and brown lace lambskin gloves are adorable for the golf course. As an added bonus, this shop is just steps away from the romantic Place des Vosges. Address: Boutique Causse, 12 rue de Castiglione, 75001; www.causse-gantier.fr
4.) Biscuit Sec has a little bit of everything French for your bath and kitchen... and seasonal, too. chocolates for Easter and Alsatian gingerbread for Christmas to begin. Bread baskets, embroidered towels, door-soaps, fragrant linen sprays, perfume bottles, tiny mirrors, dinner bells, leather heart and hat boxes, teddy bears, antique wooden toys, encaustique parfumes, and more are also available. Address: Biscuit Sec, 8 rue Saint-Lazare, 75009; 33.1.48.74.68.31.
5.) Côté Bastide speaks only to the romantic French in you. Thick ivory glazed pottery you'd expect to use in Provence in the kitchen or on the porch under the olive trees. Also find: loose butterfly soaps, course white flower bath salts, lime tree perfume, Cezanne scented candles and eau de toilette, fig tree bar soap, cotton and almond cleansing gel, grapefruit bubble bath, white pure linen coat hangers, pink satin slips to sleep in, pantry linens, pearl grey velvet and satin cotton eiderdowns, white glazed ceramic decorated stoups (oh so very French), white organdy heart pouches, tampico fibre oil-treated nailbrushes, white frosted tea glasses and blueberry colored wine glasses. Oh, to live in Provence -- well, you can at least take some of it home. Address: Côté Bastide, 4 rue de Poissy, 75005; 33.1.56.24.01.21.
