The guide books say: Don't miss the two biggest yearly sale seasons in France--July and January. Everything of every name brand is from 40-50% off during the first 2 weeks and additional 20% off during the last 2 weeks of the sale months.
Soldes means sale, and the word is in EVERY shop window. Unlike the US, sales in Paris don't begin the day after Christmas. Instead, they make a huge event out of it a few weeks later. January 12 was when they started this year, and people had been telling us about it a week or so before that. They said it was excellent, and that we wouldn't believe our eyes.
So, I tried to go shopping today. Still expensive. While the discounts are great, the prices to start with are also great. A $600 coat with 40% off is still expensive, and I don't really NEED clothes. It's just that everyone has made such a big deal of the sales thing -- all of the stores are open late, and they are MOBBED! People travel here just to go shopping.
I guess i'm not much of a shopper. I've bought a few small pieces of jewelry over the month we've been here. I might keep looking for a coat, since in a week they're supposed to lower prices again. As an example, I saw beautiful cashmere sweaters for 150 euros, which was half price from 300 euros. But 300 euros is almost $400.
--Aimee
Soldes means sale, and the word is in EVERY shop window. Unlike the US, sales in Paris don't begin the day after Christmas. Instead, they make a huge event out of it a few weeks later. January 12 was when they started this year, and people had been telling us about it a week or so before that. They said it was excellent, and that we wouldn't believe our eyes.
So, I tried to go shopping today. Still expensive. While the discounts are great, the prices to start with are also great. A $600 coat with 40% off is still expensive, and I don't really NEED clothes. It's just that everyone has made such a big deal of the sales thing -- all of the stores are open late, and they are MOBBED! People travel here just to go shopping.
I guess i'm not much of a shopper. I've bought a few small pieces of jewelry over the month we've been here. I might keep looking for a coat, since in a week they're supposed to lower prices again. As an example, I saw beautiful cashmere sweaters for 150 euros, which was half price from 300 euros. But 300 euros is almost $400.
--Aimee
See our photos on Flickr!
About me
- I'm off2paris
- From Paris, France
- off2paris at wonky point org
- My profile