I have no shame in saying that shopping is one of my favorite things to do on vacation.
Having always worked in retail and fashion has something to do with it, but even when my travel companions are fully aware of that, one will always make a snide remark like “Don’t you want to do something cultural like see the cathedral or attend the opera?”
Besides the opera, of course I do. But on the way there, I’m going to pop into every menswear shop that registers on my taste radar. Not Zara, Uniqlo, or the Madame Tussauds gift shop—stuff I can’t get at home.
The way I see it, shopping is a cultural engagement. It’s a chance to see what the locals wear, where they buy it, and how it differs from the style customs back home. You don’t even need to buy anything!
Besides NYC and Tokyo, no city comes close to the menswear banquet Paris has to offer. I’m there annually and believe me, I’ve hit every spot. Just ask the people I dragged to each one.
With that being said, you only need to know five. Allow me to make the introductions.
Galeries Lafayette
40 Bd Haussmann
Like Bloomingdale’s is to the United States and Harrods the United Kingdom, Galeries Lafayette is France’s centennial representative for all things fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
The 750,000-square-foot department store occupies three entire buildings with their own dedicated category. Lafayette Maison & Gourmet is the smallest and showcases their housewares strategically merchandised alongside perhaps the most bougie food court in the world. Men’s and women’s are connected by a sky bridge, the latter of which houses the famous Coupole, a stained-glass Art Nouveau dome stretching 1000m² over the main atrium.
As with any high-end department store, the mix is defined by luxury brands, and the service is world-class. I find it hilarious when someone drops cash at the airport Gucci store for a vacation “keepsake.” Galeries Lafayette is one of the few places where Sandro and Jacquemus pickups can be legitimate mementos.
Merci
111 bd Beaumarchais
Nestled into a courtyard in Paris’ historic Marais district, the Merci shopping experience covers two floors and several categories outside of menswear—women’s, lighting, dining, furniture, stationary, and more.
Despite its street-facing Haussmannian architecture, the interior opens into an open industrial space featuring a lofted second floor and wide skylights that illuminate a rotating display of their latest retail vision.
Carhartt WIP, Paraboot, and James Perse are just some of the familiar faces Merci stocks, but Subu Tokyo, Il Bussetto, and Epperson Mountaineering paint a better picture of how they stock their men’s floor—niche, chic, and justifiably pricy most of the time.
If you love supporting niche apparel companies, Merci is an obligatory stop. Hit it on the way back to the airport if you have to. The Used Book Café is right next door and has some damn good carpaccio.
KITH
10 Rue Beaurepaire
KITH’s Paris flagship makes the founding NYC locations seem amateur à la Terminator 2. It’s as if the streetwear mainstay took a French noble’s botanical garden and plopped it right in the city center.
Granted, most of New York City’s buildings can’t compete with even the shoddiest structure within the Paris city limits, but that doesn’t detract from feeling like royalty browsing 16,000 feet of luxury streetwear and accessories.
The assortment is largely predictable if you’ve been in any of KITH’s other stores. Even if a new pair of Jordans isn’t your idea of a souvenir (which I hope it’s not), KITH Paris is worth a stop just to ogle the marvelous real estate it occupies.
Charvet
28 Pl. Vendôme
With a legacy that has attracted icons like Claude Debussy, John F. Kennedy, and even Yves Saint Laurent, getting sized for a bespoke Charvet piece is a bucket-list experience for men who take clothes seriously.
The first floor offers ready-to-wear options, but the second floor is where all of the customization services go down. Here, in the “tailor-made orders” room, you can personalize your shirts with a selection from thousands of exclusive fabrics—oxfords, argyles, polka dots, you name it.
Twice a year, the owners introduce up to 600 new patterns, ensuring that Charvet is still around to serve the next generation of dapper gentlemen—and the next, and the next. If you value uniqueness and aren’t willing to compromise on quality, make Charvet part of your itinerary.
The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine
Thankfully, the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen also goes by “The Paris Flea Market.” It could also just be “The Flea Market” as it’s the biggest antiques and second-hand market in the world.
I set aside a whole day for the flea every time I’m in Paris. Miles of stalls dealing in mid-century modern furniture, military surplus, vintage prints, and impenetrable hordes of Tintin memorabilia are an above-ground catacomb in their own right. But instead of the lives of naive urban explorers, St Ouen’s Market stakes its claim in the last ATM withdrawal of all who enter.
Every brand nowadays tries its hand at the French work jacket. This is the place to go if you want one that was made before they turned into the Letterboxd legion uniform. Dip your hand in the front pockets and you might even find a pre-Euro Franc.
And the best part? You won’t have to stave off insufferable scalpers hopping from stall to stall in a sweaty quest for Sega Dreamcast games.
In only five shops, I think I covered a little bit of everything—streetwear, vintage, tailored garments, and some good old-fashioned department store shopping just like you and Grandma used to do.
The nice part about Paris is that it’s one of the most walkable metro areas in the world. Between these five shops, don’t hesitate to dip your head into whatever piques your interest. That’s how I found these, and you might just roll up on your next grail.
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