where to go shopping with an older teen

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

We are just in the planning stages for a trip in late May with some family, including a niece who will be 18 and going to France for the first time. During the three days we will be in Paris, I would like to take her for some (moderately priced) clothes and/or shoes shopping (makeup and perfume, I can figure out).

Sad to say, I just don't relate to that fashion segment any longer! So, I'm starting to gather up possible suggestions for either specific stores, or streets/areas, that might be promising for someone of her age and sensibilities. Any suggestions would be welcome!

[Truffaut]

Well, the first suggestions are Zara and H&M. You can find most of the same stuff in the US stores, but everybody in that age group seems to get a kick out of going anyway.

[annettecinca]

Zara and H & M are great for the teens--also add Naf Naf and Promod to your list.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Thanks - I may have to do a separate notebook just for Kelly!

[annettecinca]

Becky--a walking route that was suggested to me when we were on a teenage girls clothing hunt is from Madeleine metro westward along boulevard des Capucines to the Opera area. You'll pass Zara and H&M and many other shops that will appeal to a girl. The Promod shop we visited was on the CE (but there are at least a dozen other locations), and Naf Naf in the Marias (more of them around as well).

www.promod.fr/tops

www.nafnaf.com/

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Annette - this sounds perfect. We probably will have no more than an afternoon devoted to this endeavor, so that would be a great approach.

[Anne]

I second the above, although Promod is considered as being not as "cool" as the other ones .

I will add Bershka to the list (www.bershka.com) : same group as Zara, but specifically aimed at teenagers and very young adults .

There is no shoes chain stores specialized in youngsters, except from Foot Lockers and alike, which are American anyway ...

[Anne]

Another thought . There is another stores chain called Jennyfer : very cheap and low quality teenage girls clothes, BUT their Summer collections usually include T-shirts with humorous inscriptions in French (and some in English too) that are very popular with kids here .
Promod used to make such T-shirts too (better quality), but I think that they had none of them this Summer .

[Happygoin]

Becky, I'm not sure how much difference there is between 16 and 18 yr-olds, but my teen ami loved the shops along rue Etienne Marcel. One of them was Naf Naf as previously mentioned. That's where she got the fancy dress for a (then) upcoming country club dance. She was thrilled with the store. Directly across the street is a place called Strawberries (Bananas, Raspberries?? It was a fruit anyway ) and she bought herself and all her friends wallets, purses and shoes there. Of course, not realizing that the upper part of rue St Denis is the sex district, we walked through it to get to rue Etienne Marcel. What an eye-opener THAT was for her.

[Shoesy]

Correction, Gitte............Teens today know more than WE DO. ;D

[Happygoin]

My teen ami may know more than I did at her age (ok, a LOT more) but she comes from a small town and hadn't traveled at all. The streetwalkers first mystified her. She thought they were just sad-looking specimens dressed weird, until I explained to her. The toys and other stuff in the windows grossed her out completely. After she got over her initial surprise, we laughed a lot at the whole thing.

Not all American teenagers "know everything". Most of them think and act as though they do because it's dorky NOT to.

[Truffaut]

shoesy said:

Correction, Gitte............Teens today know more than WE DO. ;D

I disagree. After all, who do you think invented all that stuff. It certainly wasn't our nearly-virginal parents!!

[Truffaut]

OK, back to the subject at hand. You might consider setting aside a larger chunk of money for a "special" purchase along rue Etienne Marcel between place des Victoires and bd Sébastopol. There are some chain stores like Diesel, but there are also some small stores filled with designs from "les jeunes créateurs." Not inexpensive, but much of it is refreshingly good for younger people.

[holger]

My granddaughter is 21 and a music industry major. There is apparently a shop called Colette, which I am suppsed to find that is carrying a bag called DJ Lancel. I gather it has other items of interest to the late teens and early twenty somethings.

[sistereurope]

My daughter liked Pimki...we went to the one on rue du Commerce, but I think it's a chain. I think that the clothes there would appeal to an 18 year old...

[Shoesy]

Truffaut - Please keep in mind that when I wrote "we" in my post above, I wasn't quite referring to your generation since you are so much younger than I am. ;D Hey, maybe I shouldn't have even included Gitte because she too is youngish.

[Truffaut]

Colette is a very interesting store with a wide variety of goods by different upstart designers. There's another similar store on the north side of rue Etienne Marcel, but I can't remember the name of it.

[annettecinca]

Becky, I forgot about Mango! Add it to the list. There's one on Bl. des Capucines, near Bl. Haussmann.

[jcjflorida]

My daughter who is 16 loved Etam and it is affordable. The one at 73, rue de Rivoli is near a lot of shops that appeal to teens. There is a book called Born to Shop Paris by Suzy Gershman that has good ideas. Have fun!

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Thanks jcj - I had not thought to check the Born to Shop (don't have a current edition in any case).

Thanks all for the suggestions - I shall make careful note (in my Moleskein, of course).