Shopping in Paris: Christmas food, fashion and gifts
Winter shopping in Paris doesn’t have to be a drab filled with the typical expensive gifts, or shopping anxiety. We’ve found some cool shops and spots to share with you. ?A little list all kinds of Christmas gifts from the cheap to the chic. ?For Family, Foodies, Fashionistas and the likes (wait are people still using these terms anyways?)…
Most stores even offer holiday gift wrapping services for free.
The idea of this blog post was to help you navigate through the pool of choices. ?These top 5 go-to places will help you?find the perfect (elegant) gift including food to perfume for that special someone.
Don’t be shy if you’d like to share your favorite shop with us leave it in the comments.
Also – My Parisian Life is on?Periscope – with weekly tips and chat session on Life in Paris. Come over to the fun side!
1.?& Other Stories
Ok, so not a French brand, but &Other Stories happens to be an obsession for many fashionistas because of its wide range of chic ready-to-wear products. Online and in store offer women collections from shoes, accessories, clothing, beauty products and you name it.
Their elegant chic vibe has caught onto their products with their signature color gold in accessories, perfect for a holiday event. On top of their basic, comfortable yet fashion collections, you will also find aisles of metallic, gold, and embroidered dresses for a perfect night out.
It is almost impossible to walk out the store without buying anything. It?s?also a secret weapon to French girl style.
BTW,?Refinery 29 has a cool article on how to shop like a French Girl, in my opinion some of these places just aren’t worth the price point but they are popular.
TIP: if you’re staying here until January make sure to go back for the SOLDES( annual sale where everything will be marked down by at least 50%).
Also you can stock up on some of our favorite coffee table?magazine like WAD and The GentleWoman.
2.?Nose
Nose is a concept store that curates various fragrance brands from all over the world.
The team not only provides over 45 perfumes and home fragrances brands, but specializes in its perfume recommendation technology that helps you discover the most suitable perfume from a 25-min diagnose. The store holds brands from the common ones to the most prestigious and also perfect holiday candles from Dityque, Astier de Villatte, to Odin.
Don?t worry about not finding the right scent! The only store with its modern bohemian design stands out on a quiet street in the 2nd arrondissement. Still looking for a perfect scent for your home, room, and yourself? Stop by and find the fragrance that best describes you.
Located right next door to the luxurious Bachaumont Hotel ( stop in for a drink at their chic bar!)
TIP: Walk around a bit you’ll also find a COS, Yaya (hippie like selection) and one of our favorites Matamata coffeeshop in the same hood.
3.?Julh?s Paris
For the foodies and French cuisine lovers, don’t miss out this gem in the (hip) 10th arrondissement.
There you can get everything for a delicious cheese platter. They have sections of wine and hard liquor as well to get you prepared for a dinner party at home. If you are looking for something delicious and cute, you are definitely going to have a hard time choosing from the shelves of jars.
There are just so many flavors of jams, olive oils, vinegars, foie gras, etc. They also have a great selection of non-french food items too!
TIP: You can also make your own sandwich to go from a selection of the best cheeses and sliced meats (typically under 5 euros!)
4.?Galeries?Lafayette
If you still don?t know where to start, Galeries Lafayette would be a good bet on finding the right gift. As a well-known department store, they offer everything, and that?s everything you might consider getting for others. In the buildings you can browse through the filtered brands that are all suitable as gifts.
It is a place to get inspired if you haven?t gotten an idea of what to send! Oh, and have I mentioned the festive decors they cover throughout the buildings? (yes including the interior and lights on the exteriors)
Check out the Christmas tree too.
TIP:?If you are traveling, don?t forget to visit the tax-refund counter to get even more deals.
Also their Gourmet section is a great place to pick up souvenirs: prepare your shopping via their Pinterest.?
5.?Christmas market on the Champs-Elys?es
A tradition of Xmas markets has been going on throughout Europe for quite a while. From the end of November through December, you’ll see many markets setting up and ready to deliver some Xmas spirit. The most popular market at the Champs-Elysees stretches a long way from Concorde to the Champs-Elysees roundabout.
There you can find festive and traditional arts and crafts, decorations for homes and xmas trees, toys, ingredients, cookies? How much more Xmas-y can it be to receive a gift straight off from the xmas market? It is also a place to go with kids and families to enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
TIP: as usual in crowded spaces there may be Paris or gipsy pickpockets, so be careful of your belongings.