Chic vintage boutiques in the Marais

The second-hand market has always had its fans. There is, however, vintage and vintage. From the sweatshirt sold by weight to the rare restored piece, there is a world of difference. It is second hand fashion, which today meets environmental concerns. Above all, it's a way to create unique looks at a good price.

In the book “Authentique vintage”, Marjorie le Noan (EPA éditions), recounts the different eras of fashion. The 1950s saw the acceleration of mass production. After the war, the baby boom marked the return of women home, dressed in full, flowered skirts.

The 1960s and 1970s put the psychedelic, futuristic style, inspired by the conquest of space, into orbit. The 1980s, dedicated to the technological revolution, saw the appearance of satellite TV, computers and camcorders.

This translates to eccentric and minimalist. And fluorescent mania is in full swing. We then enter the era of maximalism. The 1990s saw the transition to the new millennium, to an ultra-connected society thanks to mobile telephony.

“Today, the vintage that is making a comeback is that of the 1990s and 2000s,” notes Isabelle Thomas, style advisor and self-image therapist.

The watchword is oversize. We want bombers, crop tops, colorful track jackets. We look in the men's wardrobe, looking for a tweed jacket, a cap, a leather. Cowboy boots are making a comeback, with clogs, denim jackets, upcycling, customization.”

But let's not forget the 1950s and 1970s which never really disappeared. On the other hand, the 1980s with the shouldered jacket are well out of the picture.

For Isabelle Thomas, “you have to shop around in second-hand boutiques while respecting your style and having fun.” What matters above all is the quality of the garment, the fabric, the composition: “The materials in vintage are more beautiful except those from the 1970s which included a lot of acrylic. There are also cheap, fake second-hand items made in China.”

And pay attention to sizes because sizing has evolved over time: a 40 from the 1970s is a 38 today.

So, are you ready to hunt? Here is our selection of vintage shops in the Marais:

Two entrances serve this store opened in 2012 by Bonaventure, who was already shopping for vintage in his younger years. Out of a taste for research and because, according to him, ready-to-wear offers poor value for money and encourages overconsumption.

A student of commerce and sales management, he preferred to find a beautiful piece of clothing to clean it and put it on a hanger. To renew his stock, he then traveled to Berlin, Brussels, Milan, visiting people's wardrobes and the racks of second hand boutiques.

At his home, we find pieces from the 1980s and 1990s. Lots of leather, leopard, crocodile. Yamamoto, Gaultier, Mugler. This is where we find an Isabelle Marant belt for 120 euros. An Escada embroidered suit at 1 euros, but also Balenciaga, Versace with these sublime leather pants size 300, at 36 euros.

By digging carefully, we find pieces from Nicolas Guesquière's first fashion show for Vuitton. From Azzedine Alaïa with its tubular mesh lines. Stylists come to help themselves at Nice Piece, as do Kim Kardashian, actor Timothée Chalamet and American actress Marcia Cross. It is also the haunt of American bloggers.

In this former shoe store, Didier Barroso, who worked for a long time in art galleries, left a tangy and timeless mark in 2020. The light mirror and the pink Baby Doll sofa make you want to play fitting. The strength of the place is these pieces by great French designers found in private homes (everything goes to the dry cleaners) in France but also in Tokyo, in Mexico, and the value of advice.

A lifelong fashion fan, Didier offers a Ted Lapidus jersey jacket, a brand that has disappeared, or a safari jacket that suits your fifty years like the Chacok dress with straps, ideal with hoop earrings, gladiator sandals and a basket on your arm, for the twenty year old girl.

He tells you how to mix a 1980s Mugler suit jacket with denim shorts and sneakers. We come here often because there is only one size per model. Asians and cinema people have found their address there, where you can find a Courrèges jacket for 650 euros, a Courrèges knit for 300 euros or a Saint-Laurent silk shirt with Lavallière for 300 euros.

Summer and winter are mixed to satisfy a cosmopolitan clientele. What Didier recommends above all: clothes with which you can move on a scooter, shoes with which you can take longer steps.

A pop-up shop for eight years, at the time of the fashion shows, this former art gallery displays over 60 m2, new stock from major houses such as Dries Van Noten, Maison Margiella, Comme des Garcons, Lemaire. The first pop-up, during the Covid years, was a great success.

Of Vietnamese origin, Tao first worked as a brand agent. With a large address book, he began selling nine of his past collections in a minimalist, Japanese style. It also offers pieces that have appeared in magazine fashion series or are intended for the annual clearance sale.

An address next to the Picasso museum which attracts models, photographers, architects, producers or simply regulars of the neighborhood.

In January 2024, with his experience, Tao added a string to his bow. He collects fabrics from major fashion houses and launches his own unisex brand Tao Dang. Its Inside Out collection, in earthy colors, can be worn inside out and right side up. The jacket costs 550 euros, shirt from 250 to 280 euros, pants from 390 to 450 euros. Sizes range from 36 to 44.

He plans to open corners in Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong and collaborate with Vietnamese artists to promote local crafts. We sign straight away.

Dominique and Odile opened this consignment store in 2023, with the idea that there was none on rue de Turenne, an essential axis in the Marais. Why M82? M. for Mister, because it all started with a men's locker room. 82, because it is the address number. In this 28m2 space, we are surprised to see shirts, sweaters, shoes and accessories that women can easily steal from their companions.

If men's fashion dominates, there has also recently been a women's corner. And above all, lots of jewelry, Dominique's passion. Here we love luxury, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Berlucci, etc. But also something new. Here we find patchwork jeans from the Berlin brand Fade Out.

The jeans are 390 euros. The playful Atelier Eveil designer coats, with the back sewn on the outside in a patchwork of costume fabric, are 500 euros. The Main Label wool tank top costs 160 euros; the small Prada bag, 450 euros. The duo travels to private homes to clear out closets and provide makeover advice. Dominique and Odile take 30 to 50% of the sale price.

Alice, granddaughter of an eyewear maker in the Ardennes, opened this store in 2023 but was already selling vintage online. The strong point of this brand: optical and solar frames from unsold store stocks, restored, before putting them back on the market.

We change the glasses, we polish, we renovate the small tools, the branches, in the adjoining workshop. 600 references await you in a long boutique, also vintage with its chairs inherited from your grandfather's store and Mugler hand mirrors. The pairs are found one by one.

There is no shortage of treasures: frames from the 1930s, small, round; “oversized” Seventies frames with curved lenses, or the 1980s with Patrick Kelly, the designer who is a fan of dice and buttons. Count on 130 euros for a pair from the 1980s, rectangular, narrow or 1990s. But also a sublime pair with oversized cream white frames at 436 euros. You can customize your frame, change the lenses. The address works with mutual insurance companies. We will see more clearly and eco-responsibly.