Paris, the City of Light and the world’s fashion capital. The entire history of fashion began in marvelous Paris. Walking its stylish, chic streets can be dizzying.
In Paris there are about 15 “haute couture” fashion houses, French boutiques, vintage shops and more, scattered across the whole city.
“Haute couture” is a protected French term. For a fashion house to be called couture, its atelier (a free translation: workshop) must be based in Paris and must follow all the rules set by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the governing body of the French fashion industry.
So you don’t get lost during your short time in Paris, and if style and fashion are close to your heart, I put together two fashion-focused routes just for you.
Day One: The Right Bank
We’ll start the day at the Palais-Royal, the “royal palace,” in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It’s a palace and a historic site, home to France‘s Council of State, and it’s full of special boutique shops. Its current form, with the column sculpture by Daniel Buren and the sphere sculpture by Pol Bury, has turned the place into a hit and an Instagram destination for every fashionista.
From the palace, head to the gardens, where Amélie from Paris used to sit with her friend Mandy. On the row of shops to the left, you’ll find the king of French vintage: Didier Ludot. Didier Ludot’s shops pay homage to Coco Chanel‘s (1883-1971) greatest creation, the little black dress, Le Petit Robe Noir. In the shop you’ll find plenty of vintage haute couture pieces: bags, shoes, accessories, and also dresses, suits and more.
From there, head toward Av. De l’Opéra and walk along the avenue to the stunning Palais Garnier building. Behind the opera house sits the second department store ever built in Paris, and the most famous one, Galeries Lafayette. Inside you’ll find perfume and cosmetics, clothing, housewares and more.
At this point, if you want to catch your breath and take in some Paris air, go up to the top floor and enjoy a stunning free view over the city. There’s also a café there for a quick stop.
Coco Chanel’s Street
From there, retrace your steps, and from the opera building head toward Bd. Des Capucines. On this boulevard you’ll find many chain stores. Continue until Rue Cambon on your left. This street is essentially Coco Chanel’s street, home to the original Chanel boutique at 31 Rue Cambon.
The small boutique is beautiful and open to the public, and from inside you can see the staircase that led up to what used to be her studio apartment. Unfortunately, you can’t go up and see the apartment, which has been preserved to this day, but fashion lovers like you will still be thrilled by the sight of the mirror-lined staircase.
Back in the day, when Chanel’s fashion shows were held right in this shop and the models would come down the staircase to the audience seated below, Coco Chanel used to sit at the top of the staircase without being seen, watching what was happening below and the crowd’s reactions through the mirrors.
At the end of this small, charming street, at number 21, you’ll find Chanel’s large flagship store, and walking in feels like entering an exquisite fashion museum. The entrance to this store is from the luxury shopping street Rue Saint-Honoré. All along this street you’ll enjoy luxury shops like Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Givenchy, Jimmy Choo and more, with elaborate, gorgeous window displays to admire.
The Most Fashionable Square in Paris
At this point, if you turn left, you’ll reach Place Vendôme, the most fashionable and prestigious square in Paris. There you’ll find luxury shops, upscale hotels like the Hôtel Ritz, where Coco Chanel lived until her last day, and couture houses like Louis Vuitton and the exquisite, artistic fashion house Schiaparelli, named for Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973).
If you turn right (or retrace your steps) and continue along Rue Saint-Honoré, you’ll pass more luxury shops and windows. On this side, I highly recommend stepping into the shop of Tory Burch, the American Jewish designer. This is the only Tory Burch store in Paris, and it’s the European flagship. The shop is beautifully designed, and each floor has a different department: bags, shoes, clothing and jewelry. If you go, tell them I sent you :).
At the end of the street you’ll reach the intersection with Rue Royale. On your right you’ll see the Église de la Madeleine, on your left you’ll see Place de la Concorde, and right across from you is Le Village Royal, an open-air passage of luxury shops. The Dior shop there is beautifully designed and much less crowded, which is great if you’re a fan of the brand. I highly recommend going in.
If you still have energy left, head toward Place de la Concorde and Rue de Rivoli, where you’ll find the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The museum has rotating exhibitions, and as I’m writing this, it’s showing “80 Years of Fashion and Design in France.”
Rue de Rivoli is the shopping street that runs along the Seine, and it’s a great spot for more casual, everyday shopping. Here you’ll find plenty of chain stores like Zara, Mango, Bershka and others.
Day Two: The Left Bank
The exclusive Saint-Germain neighborhood gives us the feel of true Parisians, with the most French flair and glamour, in my opinion.
We’ll start the day at the lovely Place Saint-Sulpice, where you’ll find a charming fountain and, of course, the Église Saint-Sulpice, one of the most important and famous churches in Paris. Along Rue Saint-Sulpice you’ll find boutique shops, most of them local and very special.
Further on, the street crosses Rue de Rennes. This street is central to the wonderful neighborhood and is packed with both well-known chain stores and boutiques, a nice mix for every taste and style.
The Hermès Flagship Store
If we continue straight, we’ll merge into Rue du Vieux Colombier. Along this street you’ll find plenty of boutiques and charming local shops, until you reach a fashionable square where it crosses Rue de Sèvres. At this point, turn left and continue up the street until you reach the stunning flagship store of the renowned French fashion house HERMÈS.
A bit about the Hermès flagship store: it used to be the public swimming pool of the Lutetia neighborhood, and today it’s a gorgeous Art Deco flagship store. In the vast space, the pool’s mosaic tiles and iron railings were preserved, with wooden cells and railings added.
Walking into this store is simply breathtaking, and exploring it will be exciting for any fashion lover, like visiting a top-tier fashion museum. I’m sure of it. Inside you’ll find clothing, shoes, jewelry, perfume and makeup. There’s also a small, chic café, a furniture department, and a particularly intriguing and beautiful recycling department.
On the corner, you’ll find the exclusive, famous Hôtel Lutetia. You can go in, admire its beauty, and even enjoy the Eat & Drink experience the hotel offers.
“The Good Market”
Further along Rue de Sèvres, right past the hotel’s intersection, you’ll find Paris’s very first department store, built about 40 years before Galeries Lafayette: Le Bon Marché (“the good market”). Inside you’ll find clothing, shoes, makeup, cosmetics and more from the best designers and leading boutiques in the fashion world.
Retrace your steps along the same street and turn left when you reach Rue de Grenelle. This street also has luxury shops and French boutiques like Saint Laurent, Céline, Zadig & Voltaire and more. I recommend continuing along this street until you reach the shop of Inès de la Fressange (born 1957).
Inès was the first model to receive a contract that turned her into a brand’s muse. The one who gave her that title was none other than Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019), for the Chanel fashion house. Inès became the star and the first muse of the fashion world. Since then there have been plenty of muses, and today it’s very common for every major fashion house to have its own muse for each era.
Today Inès is 65, a businesswoman and owner of a boutique under her own name. In her lovely boutique you’ll find plenty of pieces unique to French chic, true to her favorite French fashion motto, “Less is more,” along with items and accessories for kids.
Keep walking and turn onto Rue Saint-Guillaume until you reach Boulevard Saint-Germain, the main avenue of the fashionable Saint-Germain neighborhood. Along this street you’ll find boutiques and well-known chain stores, if you’re in the mood for some lighter shopping.
On this avenue, you can also stop at one of the most iconic, fashionable and Instagrammable cafés in the city: Café de Flore, and Les Deux Magots right next door.
Here too, if you still have energy left, I highly recommend taking the metro toward Av. Montaigne, another street lined with luxury shops for window shopping, but that’s not why I brought you here. It’s for the Dior fashion museum, La Galerie Dior. The stunning museum tells the brand’s story throughout its history. You’ll enjoy family photos, original sketches and unique pieces displayed to the public for the first time. A must-visit for fashion lovers.
I hope you enjoyed a fashion experience full of French glamour and chic, and one more illuminated Paris.
Avishag Nahari
Recommended Hotels for Fashion Lovers in Paris
Especially if your time in the city is short, it’s important to stay in a strategic location, one that helps you fit everything in and also rest properly when you get tired. Here are a few recommended hotels in the 6th and 1st arrondissements of Paris.
My Favorite Hotel in Saint-Germain: Hôtel Baume
A small, boutique hotel, beautifully designed, with excellent service. If I had to pick just one hotel, this would be it.
A 5-Star Hotel in the 6th Arrondissement: Hôtel D’Aubusson
A grand 17th-century mansion in the Latin Quarter, 350 meters from the Odéon metro station. A luxurious, indulgent hotel, with a jazz bar and an inner courtyard with a fountain, a gym, rooms with antique furniture and fireplaces, and all the luxury you could want.
An Elegant Hotel in Saint-Germain: Esprit Saint Germain
A hotel in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, just a kilometer from the Louvre. It includes a gym, sauna, lovely rooms and small indulgences like a bathrobe.
A 3-Star Hotel in Saint-Germain: Hôtel du Danube Saint Germain
A pleasant, nice hotel close to the Louvre with lovely, comfortable rooms. Every room has wifi, a TV and a hair dryer. The hotel is within walking distance of the Tuileries Garden and the Musée d’Orsay.
A 5-Star Hotel in the 1st Arrondissement: Grand Hôtel Du Palais Royal
A stunning hotel in an 18th-century building, in the heart of Paris, 200 meters from the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. The hotel features beautiful artwork, a spa, an excellent restaurant, a massive TV in every room and more. It’s very close to the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre metro station, giving you quick access to the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde.
A Chic Hotel in the 1st Arrondissement: Drawing Hotel
A short walk from the Louvre, you’ll find this 4-star hotel, with modern rooms, a buffet breakfast and plenty of restaurants nearby.
A 3-Star Hotel: Handsome Hotel By Elegancia
A hotel in the 1st arrondissement of Paris with air-conditioned rooms, nearby restaurants and bars, and less than a 15-minute walk to the Louvre. Notre-Dame Cathedral is just a kilometer away. Free wifi in the rooms, and a nice view of the city.
None of the hotels I recommended available? Try these links:
More hotels in the 1st arrondissement of Paris
More hotels in the 6th arrondissement of Paris
