Shopping in Paris: An Introduction to the Fashion District

A city that has seen the growth of the fashion industry as we know it, Paris is home to some of the most exclusive fashion districts in the world. If one is considering serious fashion purchases, the stores are all located in and around the 8th arrondissement. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne form the arterial nerves of high French fashion.

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is quoted as one of the most fashionable streets in the world. It is a narrow lane, when compared to the more famous Avenue des Champs Elysees. It runs across a stretch of 2 kilometers and houses practically every major fashion label of the world. The entire stretch of the road is dedicated to high fashion stores and luxury departmental stores. The official residence of the French President is located at 55 on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. It also goes by the name of Palais de l'Élysée.

Some of the most important establishments that are located on the street are Lanvin, Hermes, Lancome, luxury tea shop of Dalloyau and Perfumier Jean-François Houbigant. Apart from the fashion houses, it also houses the residence of the Canadian Ambassador, Hotel Le Bristol, Hotel de Pontalba and an annex of the Japanese embassy. The street continues to be one of the most important names in the world of fashion.

Avenue Montaigne

The other important road that defines shopping in Paris is Avenue Montaigne. It was originally called the widows' alley, as women used to gather on this particular street to mourn way back in the 18th century. Times have changed, and the street is now one of the most fashionable streets in the world, just like its rival Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré across the street. Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Chanel, Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton have their stores on this particular road.
By the 1980s, the street was already known as the most fashionable in Paris. Today its popularity exceeds its rival's and it is a constant source of debate to decide which of the two streets are more important.

Fashion Can Confuse

Shopping in Paris can become a haphazard and confusing task, especially if one is not familiar with the myriad styles, brand names and designers. Moreover, it is very easy to miss out on lesser known labels that have their boutiques in less prominent areas of the city. For this purpose, visitors to Paris could contact their travel agency or even agents from Paris vacation rentals in order to find a worthy personal shopper. A personal shopper usually knows what fashion suits particular individuals and would provide expert opinions on the latest trends and little known secrets about the various luxury department stores.

The Joy of Shopping Alone in Paris

However, if one has a little time and is in no hurry to leave Paris, they could go window shop for a couple of days and choose what they want to buy. Making lists of shops and labels, and even particular items of clothing that one likes may help in making decisions later. All that one needs to do is make a list of the shops that they visited and also the items that they liked, so that they can go back to their rented luxury Paris apartment and ponder over all the possible items they could purchase.

Such planned shopping excursions help a great deal, especially in a city like Paris. Moreover, it is always intriguing and luxurious at the same time to shop on one's own than seek the guidance of a personal shopper, no matter how useful they might be.