The Paris Vintage Shopping Guide
How professional dealers find everything from antiques to designer
If this piece looks familiar, that’s because you may have already seen it in your inbox last week. Shortly after it went out, I un-published it. I decided it felt inappropriate to distract from preparations for the nationwide general strike against the horrific actions of ICE.
Things have not changed in the past week. I am resuming my publication schedule with a heavy heart, and like many of you, continue to try balancing offline activism with the consistency promised to the people that support and sustain my work. All February paid subscriptions to 1-800-VINTAGE are being donated to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund.
If you’re looking for a quick list of “must see” shops and markets, this isn’t it.
The beauty of vintage is that it’s adventurous by nature, and half the fun is in the finding itself. Though I’ve included 20+ specific recommendations below, the spirit of this guide is more about what to expect, and how to do your research.
Paris is very quiet at 6 AM.
An electrifying combination of excitement and jet lag had me wide awake at an hour I rarely saw back home, the city still washed in a deep blue darkness. I was starting the second day of a group sourcing trip with a few other vintage dealers and designers that were, understandably, still asleep down the hall. I ventured out by myself into the lamp-lit morning, crossing paths with more pigeons than people as my boots made satisfying, rhythmic clicks across the cobblestones.
Much like New York, Paris is not an early morning city. I scrolled down a list of local coffee shops on Google Maps, shocked to see the earliest opening hours starting somewhere around 9 AM. I was not going into a Starbucks. Luckily I found a boulangerie that opened at 7, and I happily accepted the weak, touch-screen machine cappuccino that accompanied my blessedly oven-warm briochette.
By 10:30 I was eating my second pastry, pieces of fragrant cardamom bun falling into the downy fur cuffs of my coat. I had already clocked over two miles of walking, spent entirely too long pondering moisturizers in the pharmacie, and had just finished sitting down to breakfast with the rest of my now-awake friends. And none of the vintage stores were even open yet.
If you’re in Paris to shop, there’s no need to rush. Most brick and mortars open between 11AM and noon, while one flea market that supposedly started at 7AM had dozens of vendors still setting up well after 8:30. Walk slow and indulge in your mornings - you won’t miss a thing, I promise.
Hot tip: Apple’s calculator has a built-in conversion feature. Tap the symbol at the top right corner and select the last option, “convert,” and switch to your currency of choice.
Many of the city’s shops are quite small, but a surprising number extend into the basement. Keep a lookout for little metal staircases that lead you to hidden treasure. Some shops had lower priced items tucked away downstairs, while others had a really different selection between floors.
France does offer tax refunds for tourists (VAT) on purchases of over €100+ made in the same store on the same day, but it sadly does not apply to secondhand goods.
The Curated Shopping
If you’re looking for magical interiors and expertly sourced curation, it’s honestly hard to avoid. Paris has so many incredible stores, I really wouldn’t bother trying to map out every shop you want to see in advance. I’d plan around arrondissements instead of specific stores, and just enjoy wandering. Montmartre, the 2nd, 10th, and 11th are all well-known secondhand shopping areas, as well as Saint-Germain-des-Prés for more luxury and designer.
The biggest vintage neighborhood, however, is Le Marais. That’s where I stayed, so most of the stores I visited were in walking distance of the 4th. As my intentions were sourcing vintage to resell, I didn’t dedicate a ton of time to shops with inventory that was already curated and processed. I browsed about a dozen shops to look at beautiful things, be inspired, and to see how Paris’ scene stacked up against NYC. The prices were generally comparable, though there was a much wider selection of European labels, for obvious reasons.
My Favorites
Le Cygne Rose, $$$
47 Rue Saint-Paul, Le Marais
Unlike the overwhelmingly majority of trendy, youthful spots in the area, Le Cygne Rose (The Pink Swan) felt like stepping into a time capsule. The space is dimly lit and crowded, spilling over with fine lace and millinery and cold rayon gowns. Stunning antique cases held shelves of shimmering trinkets and jewels. Le Cygne Rose’s selection is old, rare, and beautiful - and priced accordingly.
The owner, a very friendly Swiss man, noticed the heart-shaped hardware on my bag and pulled out a velvet tray from beneath the counter laden with heart-shaped charms in sterling and stones. He showed me one particularly oversized silver heart that created a single low chime, like an ancient bell, but it was so big and heavy I wasn’t sure I’d wear it as jewelry. He was only asking €40, but I had just landed in the city and hadn’t broken the seal on my wallet yet. It’s only one of two things I regret not buying on the trip.
Bimbo Vintage Club, −$
65 Rue Charlot, Le Marais
31 Ave Parmentier, 11th Arrondissement (I didn’t visit this location)
A little pink shop perfect for anyone who’d proudly embrace the bimbo label: think polka dots, ruffles, and lace. The store is sleek and neatly merchandised, a refreshing reprieve from overstuffed racks and narrow aisles. Bimbo’s curation focuses on feminine designer pieces from labels like Moschino and Miu Miu, skewing towards Y2K and forward.
Immediately upon entering, I beelined for a perfect pair of blue silk polka dot gloves waiting for me on a display table. I was delighted to find that they (mostly, shh) fit on my enormous hands! The entire store was 30% off for January, making my only personal in-store vintage purchase for the trip €35 ($42).
I was also charmed to find a very familiar pair of 2010 Marc by Marc Jacobs flats. While studying abroad in Italy 15 years ago, my mom came to visit and took me to Paris for the first time. I spent years dreaming about a pair of Marc Jacobs mouse flats that my 19-year-old self fell in love with but couldn’t afford, and seeing them again in the same city all of these years later felt sweet and serendipitous. My style has changed in innumerable ways since college, but my penchant for kitschy accessories has held strong. If they were in my size, I would have forked over the €90.
Bleu Velours, −$
58 Rue Charlot, Le Marais
This shop was a basement situation that I almost totally missed out on! The store has two owners, each showcasing on separate floors. Walking in, you’ll find vinyl records and street style-esque vintage menswear - think denim, leather, and t-shirts. I was ready to move on after spotting one too many (for me) American labels like Levi’s and Ralph Lauren, when the owner kindly suggested we check out the basement.
The downstairs offered up a different experience entirely. The racks were full of pieces from every European designer was I hoping to find in France, from Courrèges to MFG to Jean Paul Gaultier. I can best describe the selection as cool. Most of the inventory ranged from the 70’s-Y2K at fair (but not cheap) prices - a vintage Mugler vinyl puffer mini skirt was €180 ($214), and a vintage Paco Rabanne sweater with oversized zipper pulls was €245 ($291). I didn’t see any of the most mainstream designer brands like Dior or Prada, making this store a great option if you’re looking for something more unexpected.
A few spots that have come highly recommended that I didn’t have the chance to visit myself:
Rêve de Gosse - 18 Rue de Picardie, Le Marais
Come on Eileen - 40 Rue de Rivoli, Le Marais and 16/18 Rue des Taillandiers, 11th
Chinemachine - 100 R. des Martyrs, Montmartre
Revoir Vintage (12 Rue Commines, Le Marais) reminded me so much of Seven Wonders Collective! It seemed to operate on a similar shared-spare vendor model, with a varied and well-merchandised selection. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re not from NYC, but it reminded me so much of the vintage stores at home that I wouldn’t personally prioritize stopping here.
The “Thrifting”
Okay, so I didn’t actually do any true thrifting in Paris.
I often find traditional donation-based thrifts in big city centers to be lackluster, especially on a time crunch. If I don’t have time to go down the racks piece by piece, I personally find it worth the markup for a more curated experience. If my trip was weeks long instead of days, I would have gone to Emmaus, Guerrisol, and Croix Rouge, some of Paris’ biggest thrift chains with locations throughout the city.
I opted to get my Parisian digging fix in stores that are a step up from a traditional thrift. The selection and vibe of these spots are more comparable to buy/sell/trade shops in the US like Beacon’s Closet or Buffalo Exchange. Though these stores do have a fair bit of fast fashion, there was a much higher volume of vintage than I would have expected to find in any thrift stores. And with the crazy price hikes at American thrift chains, I found the prices comparable (or better) than what I see at Savers or American Thrift these days.
