Shopping: La fripe in Paris

Second-hand clothes! The joy of dépôt-vente shopping, wading through vast vats of jumble and friperie, to find something really cool, classic or even ‘vintage’.   The second hand rag trade—la fripe, as it is known in France—is a fine example of the side of Paris that is unusual and interesting and rather tattered around the edges. There are various possibilities. Flea markets (marchés aux puces) are good fun if you don’t mind a lot of rummaging, and there are often vide-greniers where people turn out their attics onto the street to hock their sundry bric-a-brac (1940s telephones, obscurely shaped culinary items and endless boxes of cheap clothing included).   There are also nearly new shops, dépôts-vente, which have in recent years become more and more popular with local women searching for one-off or designer clothes, bags and shoes, which don’t have the accompanying one-off price tag. Consequently, there is now an enormous selection of dépôts-vente, or nearly new shops in Paris, where you can find every sort of fashion for every budget and taste, and in a civilised, (that is, indoor) environment. People come from all walks of life; students looking for baggy bargains rub shoulders with well heeled women searching for evening dresses and suits by the likes of Chanel and St-Laurent. (Chanel, Hermés and St. Laurent are all fairly common currency amongst the upper level of fripiers; see the section on where to go.) It’s also a good place to find that rare breed—the new designer—who doesn’t equate new with extraordinarily priced for a few triangles of cloth.   People buy second hand goods for the simple reason that you can get great clothes and pay half the price, or less, especially when you’re not too bothered about following up-to-the-minute fashion trends. But there is also an increasing demand for clothes that look ‘aged’, clothes that have ‘seen another life’.  This, along with kitsch and vintage, makes up what has become one of the most important trends in fashion in the past 10 years.   “It is a reaction against the uniformisation of society, an opportunity for people to develop an individual style,” one dépôt-vente owner told me. Pride at having found something you know won’t be in Zara’s shop window, you might say. Since the early nineties, which saw a 1937 Levi’s jacket sell at auction for 43 000 francs, vintage itself has become one of the biggest collectible markets worldwide. The internet has made it very easy for more and more people to dip into the market and start hoarding up large collections to sell at a later date. According to one shop owner talking to le Monde back in 1999, “People are looking to recreate the atmosphere of films and cult series.” And then there’s also the hand-made feel to the clothes, for it’s not just that vintage clothing has associations with a more formal, classy, innocent era or because it evokes a sought after image of a TV fashion hero; it’s also the cut, the fabric, the pattern, the feel, the detail, the downright quality of the piece that is so exciting.   So whatever your preference, dare to be unique.   Where to buy it:   N.B. This is in no way a comprehensive list and is merely an indication of what is available.   Picsouille3 rue Perrault, 1er. A large selection. Emphasis on modern clothes and accessories, some designer stuff.   China and glassware also available. Prices generally reasonable, (trousers from 10 euros.)   Embellie11bis rue Vauquelin, 5ème. A fabulous, almost theatrical shop, which boasts an eclectic collection of stuff but prices can be expensive. Labels such as: Chacok, Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, Miyake, Yamamoto, Fiorucci, Chantal Thomass. New designers such as Nathalie Garcon.   Eileen53, rue Monge, 5ème. Frankly, this shop is a bit of a mess, and rummage is the operative word, but prices are amazing. You never know.   Générique68. rue du Cardinal Lemoine. 5ème. A tiny den crammed with filled with bargains on every shelf/ spare centimetre of floor.   ChercheminippesRue du Cherche-midi. 6ème.Totally amazing – this is actually 5 shops spread out in one street. Two are for women’s clothes (one is really haut de gamme), one for men, one for kids, and one for interiors. Prices in the women’s everyday section are very good.   Le Jupon Rouge19è, rue de Rochechouart. 9eme. Good quality stuff but can be pricey. Also have a good quality seconds range (fins de série). Good selection of shoes.   Asphodele44, rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 9ème. Old and interesting items, including umbrellas, jewelery etc. Some designer stuff.  Prices variable, generally on expensive side.   Troc Mod230, Avenue du Maine, 14ème.The closest thing you’ll get to a charity shop in Paris.   Dept Vente Kléber72, avenue Kléber, 16ème. Lovely selection of clothes, but at 16eme prices.   Troc Bébé128 Rue de Crimée, 19ème. An enormous selection of clothes, toys and electrical goods (all are tested) for babies to age 12.   Debut28, avenue Laumiere, 19ème. Good selection and very reasonable, also features clothes and china by new designers.   Atout Griffe39, avenue de Laumiere, 19ème. Good, if small, selection of second hand stuff.   Vintage stuff only:   Come On Eileen16/18 Rue des Taillandiers, 11ème.A legendary shop, everything from the 30’s onwards.   Le Belle Epoque10, Rue de Poitou, 3ème. Serious vintage bargains.   Having graduated last year from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, in French and European studies, Hannah Crown is now living and working in Paris before going back to do a masters in radio journalism in the UK.  A busy university student, she was involved in Aberystwyth student media: student radio in particular in her first two years as deputy programming manager and on the news team; while also playing the rôle of Ophelia in a university production of “Hamlet” up in Aberystwyth Castle. (Lots of fun but required thermal underwear!) She then spent a year at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg as an Erasmus student. Currently, she’s working in a French press service, doing a bit of translating and contributing articles to Bonjour Paris, and getting as much French jazz as possible when she has time.