Children’s clothing shops in Paris: Part Two
I’ve been back from Paris for a month now, and I still have a delicious taste in my mouth. What a feast! Of course I couldn’t help but notice how much gorgeous children’s clothing there was. My first post on this topic included four shops, and today I’m happy to share four more with you. These shops all have some wonderful things, ranging from friendly and affordable to pricey and ever-so-precious.
Soeur’s St-Germain shop is a treat for older girls with more sophisticated tastes
I was quite taken with Soeur, a shop that caters to girls aged 10-16. How delightful to see a collection for this age range that is stylish, well made, and — dare I say it? — age appropriate. The pieces on display for Fall 2013 reminded me of the luscious corduroy and plaid preppy designs I lusted after at age 13, so sophisticated and chic, yet soft and comfortable. Their website lists three locations; I visited the St-Germain shop at 88 rue Bonaparte. The prices are a bit intimidating — for example, the cream-coloured sweater below is priced at €135 (about $180 USD), but it has a luxurious feel, and seems to be of very good quality (and this is Paris, where everything seems pricey to me). Founded by two sisters with a strong design pedigree, this is a strong brand whose corduroy pants and soft sweaters had me wondering “could I possibly fit into this?”
Drool-worthy sweaters at Soeur
I can hardly discuss children’s clothing in Paris without mentioning Petit Bateau, one of the best-known and most beloved French clothing lines for both children and adults. I strolled past several locations in Paris (there are 164 shops in France, and many more internationally) and was amused to see that the windows looked virtually identical, thanks to strong branding. The line is made in France, and is expensive, but very appealing to those who like sophisticated, classic pieces. On the U.S. site you can see the whole collection easily, in English.
At Petit Bateau, the Fall 2013 collection includes classic liberty prints, coloured corduroy and soft plaid, a very popular combination right now in Paris.
If you prefer something that’s both more playful and easier on the wallet, you might like Du Pareil au même (DPAM). This year DPAM opened its 600th store, reflecting its popularity and accessibility. Designs are bright and childlike, with bold use of colour, and prices are very reasonable. While walking through one of their shops, it also struck me that this clothing was designed for comfort, with lots of knits and comfy shapes. The English language website is here.
French children’s chain DPAM is bright, cheerful and affordable. Does a three-year-old always need to look sophisticated?
Did you notice in the DPAM photo that the window includes cards that list the prices of each item on display? Another Paris shop that does that is Tartine et Chocolat, at the higher end of the price spectrum. This line is very precious, and to my eye, uptight; it was hard to imagine children playing in these clothes, but they would look lovely at a wedding. Dresses start around €90 ($120 USD) and go up from there, with fancier dresses in the hundreds. When I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was cashmere, and the first thing I smelled was snootiness. While I can easily appreciate beautiful, well-made clothing, this line was a little too conservative and precious for my sensibilities. I watched their Fall/Winter 2013 video with my children, and we all agreed that the children in the video look uncomfortable and sad. This is a classic Paris children’s shop with some beautiful things and a devoted clientele, but is not really my cup of tea.
The Tartine et Chocolat boutique on St-Germain is a temple of luxury for babies and children, but in a city so rich with luxury goods, I found it conservative and uninspiring.
Paris abounds with wonderful children’s shops. At times, I felt I was discovering a new one around every corner. While there were several things I saw repeatedly, such as delicate Liberty print blouses, plaid dresses and skirts, and luxurious collared coats, there was enough variety to satisfy different tastes, and although prices were generally high, it was possible to find some wonderful pieces without breaking the bank. I hope you’ve enjoyed my little (admittedly biased) reviews, and would love to hear your suggestions for great children’s finds in Paris!
À plus tard,
Devorah
Love your babble and pics! The windows are always so eye catching, at least the ones i remember. My favs of your pics is the liberty blouse with the soft checked shirt. Was almost overwhelmed by the art of everything on my last Paris trip. One of my best remembered shops was a place called ” Finger in the Nose”, even though the name of the shop was more interesting than the clothes. Another was ” ie boutique”. They printed their own fabric…lovely cambrics. I bought some yardage of mini airplanes and cameras, and of course, blowzy flowers! Everything they made from their prints had a slight Asian feel. Lovely couple that owned it, hope they’re still in business. Nice start to the week, reading your musings. Thanks.