Parisian Fashion: How to Dress and Shop Like a Parisian

The codes of Parisian style

The image of the "effortless" Parisian, elegant without seeming to try, rests on a few simple principles you see on the street, at the office and at weekends alike.

• Few pieces, well chosen: straight raw-denim or black jeans, a white or striped shirt, a fine-knit jumper (wool, cashmere, cotton), a slightly loose blazer, a beige trench coat and a straight coat for winter.
• A narrow palette: navy, black, grey, beige, camel, off-white. Colour comes from one detail (a red lipstick, a scarf, a bag), rarely from the whole outfit.
• Cut over logo: Parisians rarely show off brands. A well-fitting, well-kept piece counts for more than a visible monogram.
• A deliberate touch of nonchalance: a half-tucked shirt, rolled-up sleeves, undone hair. The idea is not to look too put together.
• French classics: the striped Breton top (Saint James, Petit Bateau), ballet flats (Repetto), white leather trainers (Veja), the trench coat and a leather bag without a logo.

To see these codes taken to the extreme, the street during Fashion Week is the best place to watch: our guide Paris Fashion Week without an invitation explains where to stand.

What to wear by season

• Winter (December to February): long wool coat, thick jumper, scarf, leather ankle boots. It is rarely very cold, but damp and wind make themselves felt.
• Spring and autumn: trench coat season, with a denim jacket or blazer and a jumper knotted over the shoulders. Dress in layers: temperatures swing during the day and showers are frequent.
• Summer (June to August): linen or cotton dress or trousers, a light shirt, flat sandals or canvas trainers. Very short shorts and flip-flops remain rare in town, especially in the evening and in churches.

Shoes for cobblestones

A day of sightseeing in Paris is mostly done on foot, through metro corridors, up staircases and along the cobbled streets of the Marais or Montmartre. Thin heels get stuck and smooth soles slip in the rain. Parisians wear plain leather trainers, loafers, ankle boots with a low block heel or ballet flats with a thick sole. Bring shoes that are already broken in: this is not the time to try out a new pair.

What looks "touristy"

• Technical hiking or sports clothing (neon windbreaker, zip-off trousers, trail shoes) worn in town.
• A beret paired with a Breton top: each is worn in Paris, the two together look like a costume.
• A backpack worn on the front, neck pouches and souvenir caps.
• Beachwear in town, and very bare shoulders and legs in places of worship.

A sober outfit also has a practical advantage: you attract less attention from pickpockets, who quickly spot visitors in a crowd.

The department stores on boulevard Haussmann

This is the simplest starting point: every price range under one roof, from affordable ready-to-wear to luxury, with an on-site VAT refund desk.

• Galeries Lafayette Haussmann: 40 boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris. Monday to Saturday 10am to 8.30pm, Sunday 11am to 8pm. Metro Chaussée d'Antin-La Fayette (lines 7 and 9), RER A Auber. The dome and the rooftop terrace are free to visit.
• Printemps Haussmann: 64 boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris. Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday 11am to 8pm. Metro Havre-Caumartin (lines 3 and 9).

The two stores face each other: to decide which one to prioritise if you are short of time, read our comparison Printemps or Galeries Lafayette. Further south, La Samaritaine (9 rue de la Monnaie, 75001 Paris, metro Pont Neuf, line 7), which reopened in 2021, is open daily from 10am to 8pm and focuses mainly on luxury and beauty.

Left Bank: Le Bon Marché and Saint-Germain

Calmer than boulevard Haussmann, Le Bon Marché (24 rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris, metro Sèvres-Babylone, lines 10 and 12) is the department store where local Parisians do their shopping. It opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7.45pm and Sunday from 11am to 7.45pm. Its designer selection is more curated, and its food hall, La Grande Épicerie, is worth a detour.

Around it, Saint-Germain-des-Prés lines up ready-to-wear boutiques, shoemakers and leather-goods makers between rue de Sèvres, rue du Cherche-Midi, rue du Four and rue de Grenelle. It is also the area for upmarket consignment stores: Chercheminippes occupies several shops between 106 and 114 rue du Cherche-Midi (75006), open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm, with second-hand designer pieces sorted by department.

The Marais: designers, concept stores and vintage

In the Marais, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, rue Vieille-du-Temple and rue de Sévigné gather French ready-to-wear brands and designer boutiques. The area is part of an international tourist zone: most shops open on Sundays, which is a busy day. Metro Saint-Paul (line 1) or Rambuteau (line 11).

Further north, in the Haut-Marais, the concept store Merci (111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, metro Saint-Sébastien-Froissart, line 8) mixes fashion, homeware and a café in a former factory. Vintage shops cluster around rue de la Verrerie and rue du Temple; a little further west, towards Étienne Marcel, Kiliwatch (64 rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris) is a large vintage store open Monday to Saturday. Our selection of vintage and thrift shops in Paris lists more addresses.

Luxury: avenue Montaigne and rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré

The couture houses have their windows in the 8th arrondissement, along two axes. Avenue Montaigne (75008, metro Franklin D. Roosevelt, lines 1 and 9, or Alma-Marceau, line 9) lines up the major houses between the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées and place de l'Alma. Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré (75008, metro Concorde or Madeleine) is home to, among others, the Hermès flagship at number 24. Entry to these boutiques is free; some regulate access at busy times, with a queue on the pavement.

Charonne, Oberkampf and Sentier: designers in the east

Between Bastille and Ledru-Rollin, rue de Charonne and rue Keller bring together designers and small labels with a neighbourhood feel. Isabel Marant has a boutique at 16 rue de Charonne (75011), open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 7pm and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. The Oberkampf area (metro Oberkampf, lines 5 and 9) is mostly about vintage and affordable second-hand shops.

For accessible French brands, Sézane has its showroom, L'Appartement, at 1 rue Saint-Fiacre (75002 Paris, metro Bonne Nouvelle), open Wednesday to Saturday. Maje, Sandro, Claudie Pierlot, Ba&sh, A.P.C. and Rouje have boutiques in most shopping districts and in the department stores: expect to pay over €100 for a jumper and several hundred euros for a jacket.

Vintage shops, consignment stores and flea markets

Second-hand is part of Parisian style. Pay-by-the-kilo vintage shops and the big vintage chains suit small budgets; the Left Bank consignment stores offer designer pieces at a fraction of the new price. At weekends, the Saint-Ouen flea market (metro Porte de Clignancourt, line 4, or Garibaldi, line 13) also has dealers in vintage clothing and accessories. Opening hours, haggling tips and other markets: see our guide to flea markets and brocantes in Paris.

Summary table: where to shop for your style

Information and opening hours checked in September 2026.

2027 sales: the legal dates

In France, sales are regulated by law: two four-week periods a year, on the same dates for every retailer in a département. In Paris, the 2027 winter sales run from Wednesday 6 January to Tuesday 2 February 2027, and the summer sales from Wednesday 23 June to Tuesday 20 July 2027. The crossed-out reference price must be shown next to the sale price. For tips on making the most of them, see our guide to the sales in Paris.

VAT refunds for visitors from outside the EU

If you live outside the European Union, are 16 or over and are staying in the EU for less than six months, you can reclaim part of the VAT (20% on clothing). Conditions set by French customs:

• Minimum amount: more than €100 including VAT spent in the same store or store group, over three days at most. Purchases in two different shops cannot be added together.
• In store: ask for the tax-free form when you pay, showing your original passport. At Galeries Lafayette, the advertised refund is 12% of the amount, excluding bank fees.
• When leaving the EU: have the form validated by customs at your last point of exit from the EU (in France, at PABLO kiosks, notably in airports), before the end of the third month after the purchase. Keep the items new and within reach, as they may be checked.

Practical tips

French sizes

Women's clothing follows French sizing: a 36 is a UK 8, a US 4 and an IT 40; a 38 is a UK 10, a US 6 and an IT 42. Shoes use European sizes. Cuts vary from one brand to another: try before you buy.

Sundays and closing days

Outside the tourist zones, most shops close on Sundays, and some small independent shops on Mondays too. Paris has twelve international tourist zones where shops may open every Sunday: Champs-Élysées-Montaigne, Haussmann, Saint-Honoré-Vendôme, Les Halles, Le Marais, Saint-Germain, Rennes-Saint-Sulpice, Montmartre, Maillot-Ternes, Beaugrenelle, Olympiades and Saint-Émilion-Bibliothèque (Bercy Village). On public holidays, opening hours change: check before you go.

Paying and returns

Contactless card payment is accepted almost everywhere. Keep your receipts: an exchange is often possible, but shops are not legally required to give a refund for in-store purchases.

Going further

For a full day in the area, follow our complete guide to the Marais or the one to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. And if you visit Paris at the end of the year, the department store Christmas windows pair well with an afternoon of shopping on boulevard Haussmann.