Shopping experts, I have a handbag question....

Hello...

I am heading to Paris in about a month! YAY, first time. Are there any French handbag brands that you can recommend that would be 400E or less? I would love to have a French handbag as a souvenir.

Thanks in advance,

Michelle

|||

Lancel - they have a store 43 rue de Rennes, Paris 6

or

Didier Lamarthe , 107 rue de Provence, Paris 9

|||

Look at Le Tanneur, Pourchet, Longchamp, Lamarthe, Hexagona, ....

|||

Except for Longchamp, those are all new to me! Thanks so much, will look them up!!

|||

If you go to les Galeries Lafayette ou le Printemps on blvd Haussmann, you can check out many French labels in those stores. Avoid the %26quot;boutiques%26quot; w/in the stores, however, (several designers like Chanel, Dior, LV all have boutiques w/in those 2 department stores) b/c it will be hard to find something in the 400 euro range. Once you get into the department stores themselves, you%26#39;ll see the setup that I%26#39;m trying to describe... Happy shopping!

|||

I would also recommend a swing through the handbag section in Printemps. I%26#39;ve found their sales staff to be friendly and helpful. The good thing about buying in department stores vs. boutiques is that often you can get the 10% tourist discount and the VAT refund paperwork prepared for you right in the store.

|||

There is a brand called Sequoia that I really like. The bags are very simple, not overly embellished. When I bought my Sequoia bag a couple of years ago, I thought the price point was similar to Coach. The bags are not trendy, but are simple and made of yummy leather. The store that I know is in the 6th on rue St. Suplice. Near lots of other great stores. One of my favorites is Antik Batik. Kind of cool beaded, ethnic tunics, bags, dresses, shoes, scarves.

|||

I just purchased 2 bags in April in the Marais on Rue de Rosiers just a 5-7 storefronts up from L%26#39;as du Falafel. First, I purchased Felix (the designer names the bags) in orange and LOVE IT. Then a few days later, I went and purchased Antoine in brown. I love my bags.

|||

I bought a bag (and wallet!) from Lancel on my first trip to Paris in 2007. I had never heard of the brand, just walked into their gorgeous store on the Champs Elysees and fell in love with their style/design. If you aren%26#39;t staying near the Champs (they have other stores in Paris but the flagship is on the Champs) you can check out their website and get an idea of what their designs look like before deciding if it is worth making a trip to the store.

I LOVE that it is something that I can%26#39;t buy at home in the US. And I even got a nice VAT refund! My bag still looks brand new and I have used it quite a bit. Such great quality...always makes me remember my trip to Paris! The saleswoman who helped me was a lovely Asian woman named Wenting (pronounced just like it is spelled). She spoke excellent English but still let me stumble around with my French. :)

Enjoy!

|||

Thank you all for the WONDERFUL suggestions! I have been wearing google out, looking at these bags. I am so excited to get a handbag or 3 while I%26#39;m there. ;) I can%26#39;t wait to shop in Paris. Especially since, if you do some research, you can actually still get a %26quot;good deal%26quot; even with the weak dollar.

|||

Also take a look at the Gerard Darel handbags. They are almost impossible to find here in the States but are really popular. I have one I bought 4 years ago and it is in amazing condition. I like Vanessa Bruno handbags as well.