So many options at the Repetto Boutique. Photos by Theadora Brack

By Theadora Brack in Paris—

Shoe fanatic Louis XIV got the party started, while Marie Antoinette raised it to new heights. Still, shoe shopping in Paris still gleams brightly. With the recent openings of Printemps’ new three-level atrium and Galeries Lafayette’s brand-spanking-new showroom pumped with 12,000 designer shoes, the art of shoeing has never been more swagnificent. So for the love of Versailles, how does a hot-stepper avoid paying full price?

Lean in, Cheapos, and follow my lead.

Step One: It’s all in the timing

Get closer to Galeries Lafayette.

One way to avoid paying full price on shoes is to schedule your trip during either the big January or July sale periods. The upcoming “Soldes d’été” (summer sales) will kick off on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Discounts range from 20 to 80 per cent off retail prices. Remember to know your European shoe size!

Step Two: Now, study the classics

For your browsing pleasure, may I recommend starting off with a little “window licking” (faire du lèche-vitrine) on the boulevards?

Whet your appetite in the swanky shopping districts along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Avenue Montaigne, Louvre-Tuileries, and Place Vendôme. Don’t forget the funky independent designers in Abbesses, the Marais, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. But don’t buy! Just spy, and make note of what you fancy. Recognition will be your greatest asset at vintage shops and flea markets later on.

Repetto's Red, White, and Blues

Shoe-in at the movies

While you’re out and about, do swing by the Repetto boutique for a peek at their towering cubbyholes stuffed with satin ballet slippers in shades of pale. Brigitte Bardot and Repetto transformed the classic ballet flat into an iconic street shoe during the making of the 1956 film “And God Created Woman.”

Sex and the City fans, this tip’s for you! Dior is located next to the Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés, while Manolo Blahnik’s showroom is near Place de la Concorde. Blahnik also confected the shoes for Sophia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.” It was a piece of cake for the designer, no doubt!

Then, step into the past

This is also an excellent time to study other masters like Carven, Lanvin, Poiret, Rykiel, and Schiaparelli at the Musée Galliera and Musée de la Mode et du Textile. Exhibits change frequently, so always Google for current listings prior to your visit.

You’ll have no regrets if you stop by the Musée Edith Piaf to see the “Little Sparrow’s” black dresses, size 4 shoes, and her pocketbooks. Still need a shoe fix? Marie Antoinette’s slippers and a scale model of the Lanvin showroom are at the Musée Carnavalet in the Marais.

Vide-greniers captivate!

Step three: Knowledge pays off

With a few favorite designer names under your hat, it’s now high time to visit the vintage shops, designer stock shops (outlets), flea markets, brocantes (antique/junk sales) and vide-greniers (neighborhood-wide garage sales) scattered all over.

Cheapos, I often find treasures at the vide-greniers! This is where the locals empty their closets. My latest finds include Valentino Garavani heels in burgundy satin and pink snakeskin, red ballet slippers by Zara, and patent leather black sliders by Freelance. And none cost more than 15 euros! I also found three pair of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. Back in the day, he created wonders for Mary Pickford and Marilyn Monroe. Imagine and sigh. His shoes usually retail for up to $500, but on this very rainy day, the dealer asked for just €10 a pop. Now that’s a Hollywood ending!

Step four: Give them TLC

“Cendrillon” (Cinderella), if you’ve found your match but they’re not quite perfect, never fear. Just take them to any shoe repair shop (”cordonnerie”) and have them resoled or reheeled. Repairs are usually quick and cheap—and well done. My favorite is located at 48 rue des Abbesses. Look for the little 1940s- automaton cobbler hammering away in the shop window.

Pinching yet another pointer from Dior, Cheapos, comfort always comes first!

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Bargain shopping at La Vaissellerie. Photos by Theadora Brack.

By Theadora Brack in Paris-

Like snowflakes, the truly sensational Soldes by Paris (annual winter sale) has recently returned to Paris, so why not outfit your kitchen with a few French classics?

Here are my favorite hot spots for picking up kitchenware, guaranteed to make you the toast of the town! So shop to it, Cheapos!

1. Let’s dish at La Vaissellerie

La Vaissellerie is a Cheapo's cup of tea.

Beloved chain La Vaissellerie has five locations peppered throughout the city. For your bargain shopping pleasure, may I suggest starting out at the shop at 85 rue de Rennes (Metro Saint-Sulpice). Here you’ll find baskets of porcelain tableware, wedged in between towering stacks of dinner plates.

Slashed prices are usually hand-written in thick black dry marker across each dish in a Zorro-like fashion. Keep your eyes peeled for iconic French beauties such as ramekins, espresso cups, soufflé dishes, brightly colored café saucers, soup bowls, tarte and quiche pans, all costing just a few euros!

2. Get your kitsch-on at Porte de Vanves flea market

If you, too, believe that minor scratches and dents add value (for love of mana!), the Porte de Vanves flea market is definitely the hunting ground for you. Cheapos, the selection is beyond belief. Several stalls are even dedicated to cookware and table settings gone by. Also, the prices can’t be beat.

I have bought old soup crocks, ornate silverware, and French royalty portrait plates from the ’50s, each costing just a few euros. You’ll also find a slew of glass terrine jars, loaf pans, crêpe skillets, gratins, aspic molds, handled éscargot pans, and Paris saucepans—just to name a few. (Arrive early, though, because this flea market starts to shut down at noon.)

3. What would Julia Child do?

For culinary sakes, she’d haunt the aisles of kitchen-equipment specialist E. Dehillerin! “Thunderstruck!” was her description of the heated encounter. The attraction was instant, mutual, and long lasting.

Located at 18 Rue Coquillière (Metro: Les Halles), the centuries-old shop’s gleam has not dulled the least bit. Though not a Cheapo haven in the price tag sense, you’ll find the shop’s stock possesses all the right ingredients for dreamy window-shopping. So take in its vast collection of cookware in bright copper, cast iron, and glossy enamel, too, while mulling slowly over endless gastronomical possibilities.

Also, check out Julia’s photograph behind the cash register. Julia’s own kitchen, along with the actual culinary tools she purchased at Dehillerin, is now on display at Smithsonian!

Forever pinching from my favorite French Chef, this has been Theadora Brack! Bon appétit, Cheapos!

(And bravo Meryl Streep!!!)

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The bustling Boulevard Haussmann. Photos by Theadora Brack.

By Theadora Brack in Paris–

It’s that most wonderful time of the year for shoppers in Paris, Cheapos! “Les Soldes d’Eté” (the summer sales) kick off Wednesday, June 24! Mark your calendar, get set, but first create a plan of transaction.

Here are some tips for scoring big during this glorious five-week event.

1. Get smart.

"Soldes" on rue des Abbesses.

I spy. Visit your favorite shops just before the sale. Memorize the layout. Take note of “rack formations.” Also, try on clothing… you’ll avoid the lines later.

2. Befriend the staff.

Throughout the year, my savvy and smartly dressed friend Dominique drops off chocolates for the sales team at her favorite shops. Guess who hears about the bargains first? The French value fidelity. Don’t live in Paris full-time? Send thank-you notes after each visit.

3. Mind the gaps.

What’s missing from your closet? A belted trench coat with a narrow cinched waist in khaki? Striped shirt? Ballet shoes in black patent leather or navy suède? All three are timeless French classics, and quite souvenir-worthy.

4.  Get your beauty rest…

But set your alarm, because stores open at 8:00 AM.

5. Cents and Sensibility.

Pack a survival kit: water bottle, pre-cut moleskin, candy, gum, eyedrops, Metro tickets, footies (for trying on shoes), maps with target shops circled, and coins for WCs. Also a sturdy bag, because shops give out flimsy plastic sacs.

6. Leader of the Pack.

Véronique on Boulevard Voltaire with bike and sacs of purchases.

My friend Véronique beats the crowds by scooting around by bike. “I’m able to visit at least twenty shops by 10 AM,” she boasted, while installing her new jumbo-sized basket just in time for the sale. Need a bike? Rent a Vélib’!

7. Avoid the masses.

Hate crowds? Shop weekday mornings or early afternoons.

8. Size matters.

When should you pounce? In France, “smalls” fly out the door first, but “large” and “X-large” stick around a little longer. On the other hand prices drop as the sales progress, so it’s a gamble! Know your European size numbers.

Vintage clothing in the Marais

10. Retro active.

Vintage shops often reduce prices, too. You’ll find pockets of boutiques scattered through Montmartre (start at La Caverne à Fripes at 25, rue Houdon) and the Marais, where at the Vintage Désir at 32, rue des Rosiers you’ll find a vast collection of striped shirts. For inspiration, see exposition“Les Marins Font La Mode—Sailor Chic in Paris” at the Musée National de la Marine at place du Trocadéro.

11. Don’t forget the obvious.

Discount shops like Sympa (Metro Anvers), and TATI on Boulevard Rochechouart (Metro Barbès-Rochechouart) take their already bargain basement prices to new lows. Make a pilgrimage to TATI, where Jules Ouaki introduced “discount shopping” (self-service and towering baskets of merchandise) to Paris in 1948.

12. Keep your cool.

A "Loft Design By" window.

Pick a handful of boutiques and one or two shopping districts, or you’ll end up overwhelmed before the get-go. For instance, I focus on the Spanish marque Zara, which slashes prices like almost no other store (I once scored almost 400 euros-worth for under 50 euros!).

You’ll find clusters in busy shopping districts throughout the city. Boulevard Haussmann, for instance, has five Zara’s in a six-block radius. Two are inside Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, and one even has a view of the Opéra! Divine, yes, but their proximity also saves you time. (By the way, rumor has it that a Cheapo editor once assembled a very stylish–and skinny–suit by Zara-hopping along rue de Rivoli. Très, très bien!)

Borrowing from Elsa Schiaparelli, “Buy only the best or the cheapest!”

Tell us: Have you scored at the soldes? Tell us about it!

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Shoppers a la mode, photo by Ma Gali

Soldes to the Cheapo in Paris!

It’s that time of year again, Cheapos. Time for resolutions and those after holiday sales! Perhaps the best shopping, bar none, can always be found in Paris. But in January, true bargain-biased fashionistas hoping to pay less for more couture can enjoy five weeks of top-notch January sales as part of the annual Paris Soldes.

We blogged about the kick-off events on this occasion last year. This year, the same benefits apply.

Personal shoppers

Head to www.shoppingbyparis.com, pick your preference (trendy, classic, bohochic…), and find boutiques (like Paul Smith, Le Petit Bateau, and Stella McCartney) and department stores hosting sales, all laid out on colorful, interactive maps. You can also pick out special shopping itineraries customized to your own personal taste and shopping goals. Ooh la la!

And, for four special kick-off days, “Shopping By Paris” will be running special events in participating boutiques and around town. Check out the program. In addition, the Paris Tourism Office offers helpful “digi-guides” to the shops and the events taking place. Find more info here.

Did somebody say ‘paper or plastique‘?

If you plan to go, take a look at our list of cheap hotels in Paris.

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photograph courtesy of Tour Magazine

We were psyched to get a reminder from Gridskipper that the Parisian city-wide “soldes” sales event will be in effect January 9-20. A government regulated program, Paris slashes prices (anywhere from 30-50 percent off) on clothing and the like twice a year, once in January (”soldes d’hiver”) and again during the summer months (”soldes d’été”). From big retailers like Galeries Lafayette to smaller boutique chains like Agatha, you can expect to get your mitts on some haute stuff for cooler prices.

But, for cheapos out there, here’s the best news of all:

Because the annual retail sales are such a big tourism draw, the Chamber of Commerce along with the Tourist Office of Paris and a few other government orgs join forces each year to present, “Soldes By Paris,” an event involving some 1,500 retailers, 500 hotels and restaurants and a whole lot more.

For about two weeks, participating hotels drop their rates, while restaurants and museums offer special promotions. This year, the SNCF—French National Railway—and other transportation authorities will offer discounts too.

To learn more, visit the official “Soldes By Paris” site.

An interactive map allows you to search for discounts and events by personality type (romantic, chic, trendy, creative or original). Unsure just where you fall in? Take the quiz. This resident cheapo scored a hefty “romantic” score that deemed her Amélie-like (“You can’t do without these chance meetings that are so Parisian and charming.” How did they know?) and suggested we visit Monoprix for our big shopping (hey, we’re solde on any store that sells both skirts and steaks!).

Among other recommendations the site gave for Audrey Tautou artists:

For hotels: 48 participating hotels and guesthouses will offer discounts to tourists in the “romance circuit.”

For art: The contemporary Galerie Hebert on the Rue du Pont Louis Philippe in the Marais.

Going out: The site dishes up kick-off events, including free or reduced prices at cinemas and parties at bars like L’Irlandais.

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Photo by JamesWallis

Cheapo shoppers, be warned: the weather in Paris this spring was unseasonably cool—apart from that burst of heat over Easter—and many stores have reported disappointing sales. This is great news for us as it means only one thing: fantastic markdowns in the sales starting on June 27.

At this time of the year, Parisian women are busy scoping out the stores for what they intend to buy once the sales get started. Precision targeting is the name of their game. Decide exactly what you want to buy and then hover patiently in the third week of June for the “pre-sale” discounts that are usually handed out by the shopkeepers who know they must clear their stock by mid-July. The other day we were were told in a shoe store that there was an “exceptional” discount of €15 on any pair of shoes that day.

A great place to max out your sale leverage is to shop at the outlet stores for your favourite brands. These places already have 30 to 60 percent markdowns on items left over from last season. When the sales roll around you get an extra 30 to 50 percent off. That’s a great deal in any currency.

Check out the Zadig and Voltaire outlet in the Marais, for instance. Zadig and Voltaire is one of the staples (along with brands like A.P.C., Isabelle Marant, Comptoir des Cotonniers, and Vanessa Bruno) of the fashionable Parisian’s wardrobe. You can find their famed loose cashmere sweaters in muted tones of moss, plum, and chocolate as well as a chic line for girls under 12 called Zadig and Voltaire Little for girls up to age 12. Cecilia Sarkozy, France’s First Lady and leading fashion icon, was wearing a pair of white Zadig trousers on election victory night last month.

Le stock Zadig et Voltaire is located at 22 rue du Bourg Tibourg, 4th. M° Hotel de Ville.

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