Best Vintage Shops in Paris

I have honestly been to my fair share of vintage shops in Paris. Being the fashion capital of the world, gives Paris an advantage of variety when it comes to clothing and shops. There are vintage clothing stores in every arrondissement in the French capital. Some of these second hands shops are worth visiting and some are not. 

Good Parisian vintage stores can be like finding a gem in a sandstorm. With the popularity of Paris and “vintage” fashion for so many reasons, some of these shops can be overpriced, overwhelming and picked through. 

Before I move on, let me just give further information on the differentiation of vintage shops. There are consignment shops and there are second hand shops aka thrift stores. Consignment shops are vintage stores that have already been sorted through, organized and collected by the shop for style and mark up. Second hand stores are vintage shops where donated clothes are not necessarily sorted through or organized and are usually sold lower than market price. 

What I have noticed in Paris is because it is a known fashion capital, there are a lot of “vintage” stores. What I have also observed is that many of the stores are labeled as “second-hand” stores, but they are in fact consignment shops. The reason I say this is because the stores can be very aesthetically pleasing, but the clothes are very over priced for my taste.

In the States, when I venture to a thrift/ second hand store, I’m expecting clothing prices to be as low as possible. I don’t anticipate paying more than $20 for a decent article of clothing. In Paris, second hand store clothing prices can be anywhere from €10- infinity and beyond. For consignment shops, the prices are astronomical in my opinion. My favorite rainbow wool blazer that I purchased at a thrift store for $6 would cost me over €100 at a Parisian consignment shop, so be aware. It takes some time and patience sorting through used clothing to truly find a deal, even more so in Paris. 

During my latest visit to my favorite city, I perused some consignment and second hand shops trying to replace a lost broach of mine. I enjoyed visiting some of my favorite shops and decided to pass on the experience and information to you. 

I have compiled below a list of my favorite vintage shops in Paris. I share my wheres and whys to visit each shop. 

I hope when you get a chance to visit Paris you get the opportunity to do some non touristy shopping and get your hands on some great recycled fashion finds.