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in Paris
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Agnès B
6, rue du Vieux Colombier
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Invest in timeless wardrobe staples and fun flirty pieces at this understated Latin Quarter boutique.
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Anne Fontaine
370, rue St-Honoré
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Anne Fontaine’s classic-yet-creative blouses are a must-have for any professional girl.
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Annick Goutal
14, rue Castiglione
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Prepare yourself for the gorgeous, heady scents at this elegant and feminine parfumerie.
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Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Ave. des Champs-Élysées
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Paris’s most famous (and most touristy) boulevard offers shopping, cafés, and crowds galore.
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Avenue George V
Ave. George V
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Elegant Haussmanian avenue where Paris’s upper crust peruse haute Euro-label boutiques.
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Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
Ave. Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Flagships of the world’s top couture labels fill the elegant mansions of these intersecting avenues.
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Boutique Baccarat
11, pl. des États-Unis
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
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Prepare to be dazzled at this palatial boutique dedicated to the House of Baccarat’s crystal creations.
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Catherine Malandrino
10, rue de Grenelle
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Malandrino’s hip, urban designs meld New York edginess with Paris chic.
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Chanel
31, rue Cambon
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
The legendary Rue Cambon boutique where Chanel’s classic, understated line was launched.
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Charvet
28, pl. Vendôme
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
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Lose yourself in the stacks of luxurious fabrics at this historic bespoke shirt maker.
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Christian Dior
30, ave. Montaigne
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
The legendary label that launched the ’50s “New Look” remains as sexy and stylish as ever.
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Christian Louboutin
19, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Cult shoe designer Christian Louboutin woos the ladies with his sexy red-soled stilettos.
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Colette
213, rue St-Honoré
Paris
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Department Stores
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Keep up with the trendsetters at this perennially hip design shop and boutique.
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Didier Ludot
24, Galerie Montpensier; 125, Galerie de Valois
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Pair of elegantly curated vintage couture boutiques in Palais Royale.
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Et Vous
6, rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Stock up on updated Parisian classics at this chic boutique beloved by style insiders.
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Fifi Chachnil
231, rue St-Honoré
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Bubblegum pink boutique proffering saucy ’50s style lingerie.
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Fragonard
9, rue Scribe
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Visit this elegant Napoleonic mansion for exotic, Riviera-inspired scents and accessories.
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Galeries Lafayette
40, blvd. Haussmann
Paris
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Department Stores
Historic Parisian department store offering a great mix of accessible fashions and jaw-dropping couture.
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Hermès
24, rue du Faubourg St-Honoré
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
This legendary Parisian luxury retailer keeps fashion icons supplied with classic silk scarves.
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Hervé Chapelier
1-bis rue du Vieux Colombier
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
These colorful, versatile handbags are a modern classic.
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Jamin Puech
26, rue Cambon
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Gorgeous, whimsical handbags creatively designed as functional pieces for gals on the go.
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Jean-Paul Hévin
231, rue St-Honoré
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Handsome artisan chocolaterie offering gorgeously decadent cocoa treats.
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Le Bon Marché
24, rue de Sèvres
Paris
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Department Stores
It may be the oldest department store in Paris but, from eats to threads, expect the ultra fresh at Le Bon Marché.
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LE66
66, ave. des Champs-Élysées
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
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Shop with the cool kids at this industrial-chic concept store devoted to hotter-than-hot designers.
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Louis Vuitton
101, ave. des Champs-Élysées
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Snag classic luggage and handbags from the elegant Champs-Élysées flagship.
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Maje
24, rue St-Sulpice
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Dress like the Parisian in-crowd with Maje’s edgy take on feminine casuals.
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Palais Royale
Palais Royale
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Enjoy tranquil gardens and high society company as you peruse these historic arcades.
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Paul & Joe
2, ave. Montaigne
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Have fun with the flirty fashions and cool interior design at this mansion-turned-flagship.
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Petit Bateau
116, ave. des Champs-Élysées
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Classic line of soft cotton basics that’s a favorite of the couture set.
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Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Historic, boutique-laden shopping arcade in one of the city’s ritziest districts.
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Printemps
64, blvd. Haussmann
Paris
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Department Stores
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Prepare to be pampered at this posh, couture-savvy department store.
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Repetto
22, rue de la Paix
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Indulge your inner ballerina with a pair of ever-so-cute ballet flats.
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Roger Vivier
29, rue du Faubourg St-Honoré
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
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The graceful shoe designs by the creator of the modern stiletto remain ever en vogue.
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Rue Bonaparte and Rue Saint-Sulpice
Rue Bonaparte and Rue St-Sulpice
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Cute, boutique-laden streets crisscrossing the artsy Latin Quarter.
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Rue des Francs Bourgeois
Rue des Francs Bourgeois
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Browse quirky boutiques along this rue in ancient Jewish quarter-turned-trendsetter hangout Le Marais.
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Rue Saint-Honoré
Rue St-Honoré
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Rub elbows with the Paris elite as you peruse the boutiques lining this elegant Rive Droite rue.
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Rue Vieille du Temple
Rue Vieille Temple
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Mix café-hopping with shopping along this cute stretch in Le Marais.
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Saint-Germain-des- Prés
St-Germain-des-Prés
Paris
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Designer boutiques stand side by side with artsy cafés in this upscale Latin Quarter neighborhood.
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shine
15, rue de Poitou
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Supplement your trendy wardrobe at this ultra-hip, multi-designer boutique in the Marais.
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Sonia Rykiel
175, blvd. St.-Germain
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Rykiel’s to-die-for knits have been wowing the Left Bank set since the 1960s.
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Vanessa Bruno
12, rue Castiglione
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
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Bruno’s signature sparkly totes and understated urban-cool casuals are the epitome of Parisian chic.
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Yves Saint Laurent
6, pl. St-Sulpice
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Iconic Parisian design house famous for its tailored feminine twists on masculine classics.
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Zadig et Voltaire
22, rue du Bourg Tibourg
Paris
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Super cool line of luxe urban streetwear.
Among fashionistas and the style cognoscenti, debates continue to swirl about which city is actually the fashion capital of the world. Contenders like New York and Milan have clinched the title at one time or another. But whichever city claims the current mantle, Paris endures as the symbolic center of the fashion world and its historic heart. It was here that fashion runways were conceived and some of the world's most formidable fashion houses were born. Paris is sort of like the Muhammad Ali of the fashion world: it will always be "The Greatest."
Of course, Paris's fashion contributions are not limited to the historic and symbolic–the city remains a fashion mecca nonpareil, with its longstanding luxury fashion houses still holding court and upstart designers cutting their teeth in the bevy of boutiques. In fact, the shopping map here looks a bit like the line-up in a boxing match: you've got your heavyweights (luxury houses), welterweights (department stores), and lightweights (fanciful boutiques). But in the end, they're all knockouts.
You may want to enter the ring at high-end fashion houses. Sure, these luxury labels are available around the world, but their Parisian stores (oftentimes flagships) are worth dropping by for more than just their wares. At fashion landmark and temple-of-French-chic Chanel, you can pick up an iconic tweed suit and also peer into the lavish personal apartments from which Coco launched her line. Get a trunkful of history at the Louis Vuitton flagship, where exhibits on the history of luggage making give a context to all those gorgeously crafted handbags and flat-topped trunks. And at Christian Louboutin, you can glimpse the collection of red-soled stilettos in their "natural habitat"–the display mimics a dovecot, with each pair of heels given its own special alcove in which to perch.
If fashion house fatigue sets in (from Hermès to Yves Saint Laurent, the list goes on and on), you might want to spend your next round, well, strolling around. Paris is a place where the runway has literally been taken to the roadway–entire avenues of the French capital are dedicated to the pursuit of the purchase. The most famous would be the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a retail bonanza of luxe brands, chain stores, and crowds (lots of them). If you're looking for something with as many elegant choices but a little less touristy, head for the one-two punch of Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Couture labels like Christian Dior and Lanvin fill the elegant mansions of these intersecting avenues. Though worldly names like Prada and Catherine Malandrino also grace the Left Bank side streets of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, the focus here is more on local Parisian designers and specialty boutiques. It's also worth a wander through the quirky-cool shops along Rue Vieille du Temple and Rue des Francs Bourgeois in the trendy Le Marais district–catch a break at a cute café if you need to recharge before your next retail bout.
While the high-profile flagships and heavy-hitting retail boulevards are must-dos, don't overlook the more independent contenders: forward-thinking boutiques with a modern (or vintage-as-modern) sensibility. Though Colette is fairly well established on the Parisian scene, the hip labels found there like Phillip Lim and Alexander McQueen are ultra au courant. For a concept as punchy as the designers inside, scope out the industrial-chic boutique "modules" at LE66. But if you favor a softer look that is still quite à la mode, pay a visit to Vanessa Bruno. Or travel back decades and enrobe yourself in vintage couture at Didier Ludot–the gloves are off as fashion junkies troll through the racks of designers pieces from the '20s through the '80s hunting for timeless gems.
If going the distance from one corner of the city to the other has you wishing for a timeout, look no further than the city's incredibly well-stocked department stores for unparalleled one-stop-shops. Not only are they beautiful, but the merch is top-notch–a mixture of big-name brands and smaller local labels. Designed by Gustav Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), Le Bon Marché is the city's oldest department store, and its divine food halls and fresh fashion collections are equally satiating. Set in a gorgeous 19th century Art Nouveau building, Printemps excels in posh couture from a range of our favorite designers. Here or at any of our picks in Paris, you'll have a ringside seat to supreme style. To paraphrase The Greatest, you'll emerge from your shopping adventures floating like a butterfly...but looking so sharp that you'll sting like a bee.
Photo of Chanel courtesy of katclay on Flickr Creative Commons

