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Best Vintage Shops in Paris... Yet!

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PARIS VINTAGE SHOPPING GUIDE VOL.1

My passion for thrift and vintage clothing started when I was studying Fashion Design at Edinburgh University. The first year was all about buying cheap clothes from charity shops (AKA Thrift Stores for my lovely North American friends) to practice sewing, unpicking, and pattern cutting. Of course this had the obvious benefit of giving us practice in bargain hunting too! The first project we had was a charity shop fashion show where we were given a bunch of clothes from charity shops all over Edinburgh and had to give them a runway makeover. That was before any of us learnt how to sew and cut patterns so we let our imagination run wild and came up with a plethora of crazy designs. It was an immense amount of fun and certainly sowed the seeds of my lifelong love for sustainable fashion and vintage clothes. 

1. Citizen 

This shop is such a hidden gem, I still don't know how I found it, I literally just stumbled upon it without looking for anything in particular. They have some of the most amazing and rarest vintage designer items I've ever seen. I couldn't afford 90% of the stuff in the shop but it was so quiet and pleasant -set back from all the hustle and bustle, affording me the luxury of taking a leisurely amount of time combing through all the beautiful vintage designer clothes and handbags that you don't normally see in any shop.

The shop assistant was very patient, helpful and polite. I managed to communicate and found what I was looking for in my broken French. I found this one of the kind wool camel poncho and a pair of Christian Lacroix trousers from the final sale box for a thrifty £25. I remember reading about the closure of the House of Christian Lacroix when I was studying Fashion Design. Unlike fashion powerhouses such as LVMH and Kering, smaller, independent brands that are discontinued hardly have any value left post-closure but that doesn't bother me at all, it's the quality and the design that truly matter. I can't wait to write about my new finds!

Address: 22 rue Thorigny, 75003 Paris

  • Vintage and contemporary
  • Rare, luxury designer collection
  • Price Range: ££ - ££££

Citizen offers a good collection of designer handbags, shoes and clothes.

 

2. Chinemachine

Chinemachine is pretty well known for getting high end, second hand designer items at an affordable price. The original shop is near the (in)famous Moulin Rouge. I was staying at a hotel nearby on my last night and thought I would walk over and check it out. There's quite a few vintage shops in that area but unfortunately many people smoke indoors in Paris, tarnishing the quality of clothes one can purchase. 

I walked into one such shop and realised even if I found something nice I might not be able to get rid of the tobacco stench, so I just left and went straight to Chinemachine. It wasn't as well stocked as I anticipated but they certainly had some beautiful products. Right before I went I read some reviews online about how rude the shop assistants were but honestly they were totally accommodating and exceptionally polite. I've learned that most of the time if you just smile and be polite, people normally won't be rude to you. As soon as I walked into the shop I had my eyes set on a pair of dark brown Stella McCartney boots. I knew they cost around £500+ originally and they looked brand new. I never thought I could afford them but here they were! A match made in heaven in the city of love!

Address: 100 Rue des Martyr, 75018 Paris

Stella McCartney boots

courtesy of Chinemachine

I wrote an essay on Stella McCartney and vegan leather, never thought I'd actually own a pair of these boots one day, super chuffed!

3. EPISODE

EPISODE is the shop for all vintage lovers - men or women. They've certainly put a lot of effort into sorting all the clothing and accessories in to mini sections. For example, if you are looking for a jacket they have all the denim and suede jackets near the cashier, and winter shearling coats and fur coats are at the back. It's very well stocked and I really appreciate how they categorise everything by type and colour. It certainly makes the shopping experience more efficient! I got this super cool double-faced reversible coat that I've been wearing almost everyday since I purchased it. It's green on the outside and black on the inside and the design reminds me of the Burberry shearling coats. The shade of green is so unique, I've never seen any garment in this colour! And if you turn it inside out you get a black, teddy bear coat which goes with everything, and and and... on top of everything it's so warm! The only downside is that it's so heavy and I can really feel the weigh on my shoulders after walking around in it all day. Definitely recommend EPISODE for everyone!

Address: 12-16 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris

Voila! This is the coat I got from EPISODE, 2 coats in 1 for $55, such a bargain!!

4. Mad Vintage

Mad Vintage is a shop with its own indelible character. They have 4 stores in Paris and I only had time to visit one this time. The layout of the shop is similar to a dungeon or a wine cellar, but unlike EPISODE the shop is more eclectic and hit or miss and you can see random shoes or scarves lying around. Some items aren't very well kept, and maybe I'm a little OCD but vintage or not, I really appreciate it when the shop owner keeps their products clean. The guy at the cashier was lovely though! They also have an online shop on ASOS marketplace. 

Address: 66 Rue St Denis, 75001 Paris

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