Les Soldes de Paris

Wednesday started the sale season in Paris, which is a big deal here. I’d like to say that I’ve been good at taking a back seat in all the chaos but this is suppose to be a full, well-rounded experience. So I set out with one main goal: to find the perfect purse.

I found out there were sales during French class. When asked what I was doing after class I said in elementary French that I was going to buy a bag; I didn’t know the word for purse so I guessed bag was a decent substitute. My teacher proceeded to talk for a good five minutes about waiting until Wednesday but to look over the weekend. So I came home and told John that I was told to hold off and just window shop until the sales began.

People go crazy for these sales. France has major sales twice a year: once during the summer and once during the winter. All retail stores seem to participate in reductions up to 70%, though I think 30%-50% is the average. The summer sales last for six weeks, though I read that by the end of the first week most of the “good stuff” is gone. Sadly, there is no restocking so though by the end of the sales you may find better deals, you run the risk of not finding what you want. Most Parisians seem to look what they want before the sales start. It sounds crazy but it makes sense; the lines for the fitting rooms must have been 20 people long!

In hopes to have the full sale experience, John and I window-shopped for a purse before the sales started. We must have looked at over a hundred bags. John was not only a good sport for doing this with a smile but also gave great advice on what looked good and what didn’t. I was quite impressed with his taste. We found a great Lamarthe purse that I fell in love with. Come Wednesday, John went to the store when it opened (I was at class) just incase they would sell out. Luckily I got the last one. Thanks, John! Today, I went walking around Rue de Rivoli checking out the sales, on my own. Now it makes a little more sense; if you wait until the sale season to buy your clothing it’s much more affordable to dress like a true Parisian (very nicely). Though I think it’s safe to say that I will stay away from stores for a while. It’s too chaotic, even for me!