Where can I find a inexpensive dress in Paris?

September 7, 2008 2:58 PM

I have just moved to Paris and am not at all familiar with the area. I am in need of a black dress for a wedding that I am in at the end of the month but can't find anything for a reasonable price. If anyone knows of a good place to find nice dress for 200EUR and under I would greatly appreciate the help.
posted by Vanna79 to clothing, beauty, & fashion (6 comments total)

have you tried h&m or zara?
posted by lia at 3:03 PM on September 7, 2008

Claudie Pierlot, Comptoir des Cotonniers..? I don't know how much these things cost in Euro.. Comptor des Cotonniers might be comparable to.. hmm, maybe Banana Republic here but much better made? I don't know how fancy your wedding is, though, you wouldn't find a gown there..

You could go to Printemps Haussmann, or Le Bon Marché (giant department stores) and just wander through different sections and see if there is something you like.
posted by citron at 3:46 PM on September 7, 2008

Cosign on Zara, by the way.. they're more trendy there..
posted by citron at 3:47 PM on September 7, 2008

My first stop would be the Galleries Lafayette, which is a big general department store near the Opera on Haussman. The Galleries have high end to low end stuff, and lots of brands that you would find in boutiques rather than in department stores if you were shopping in America.

Another good place to go is Rue du Commerce (metro Commerce) in the 15th arrondissement. It is a street with lots and lots of shops- mostly chain, but not all. The prices range from super cheap (Monoprix and Cameliau) to fairly expensive, although I don't think there is anything super lux.

You will find the stores that other people have mentioned (Zara and Comptoir de Cotonniers) on Rue du Commerce. You will also find Comptoir de Cotonniers and other similar brands in the Galleries or any of the other department stores. There are more interesting boutique-y things around Montmartre, the Marais, and in the 10th and the 20th districts (the 10th and 20th will be a little more edgy, and you should know where you are going before you venture there if you are not familiar with the area), but I can't remember exactly where they are or which ones would have wedding-suitable black dresses. Someone else might be able to help you out.
posted by ohio at 4:13 PM on September 7, 2008

My wife bought a nice dress for a wedding at Mango (warning Flash)- which I know has branches in Paris (there is a list & map here)
posted by mattr at 4:33 PM on September 7, 2008

Comptoir des cotonniers might have a really nice black dress but it might be pricey.

I've had really really good luck with the Galeries Lafayette house brand, which is called Avant-Premiere. It's knockoffs like Zara and Mango but much more reliable in terms of quality. Go to the big Galeries on the Boulevard Haussman, not the one in Montparnasse. There's a Mango and a Zara a short walk away right next to the Opera (if you are facing the Opera on the Boulevard des Capucines, they're on your right). There's also Printemps right down the street from the Galeries, which is another huge department store.
posted by chelseagirl at 5:26 PM on September 7, 2008