3 shops where you buy smart fashion of Paris

Paris has become more expensive over the last three years because of the appreciation of the Euro currency. Die hard fashionistas have had to wisen up and be smarter in the way they shop. Some best-kept-secret shops offer bargains you cannot pass on decently.

Expensive? A matter of area, mostly

Family travelers with Paris notice retail prices paid for similar merchandise vary from one district to the other. This is especially true for restaurants and clothing. As far as the latter goes, discount shops tend to cluster around certain micro-areas which couture designers and upscale clothiers carefully avoid. Paris is a shopping mosaic.

Say, you are on the Boulevard Saint Germain, in the upper part of the Saint Germain des Prés district. Designer clothing stores, sidewalk cafes et restaurants abound in this area. Draw nearer the river Seine and your footsteps lead you where the art galleries cluster together. Walk a bit to the east, towards rue de Buci, the clothing stores become less expensive.

Turn southwards, and from the church of Saint Germain des Prés, take Rue de Rennes, walking towards the Montparnasse Tower. About 200 yards in the Rue de Rennes, your path crosses the Rue Du Four upscale which is lined with more expensive brands. Continue on up the Rue de Rennes, and you will arrive at the Saint Sulpice metro station. On your right side (west of where you are when you face the Montparnasse Tower), the apparel shops in the surrounding streets offer attractive bargains.

Sales, Sales, Sales in Paris!

In yet another district, close to the Madeleine Church and the Opera Garnier, large department stores found a home on Boulevard Haussmann some 110-140 years ago. Le Printemps department store was constructed there in 1865, and the Galeries Lafayette followed suit in 1893.

Department stores offer a very convenient way of shopping for fashion: thousands of upscale items can be found over acres of floor space. This includes apparel, accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, watches, shoes, and other goodies. A great selection, but bargains are far and between except during the sales seasons.

The latter are tightly regulated business in France. There are two seasons, winter and summer sales. Their starting dates are a matter of administrative decrees, and each of the two seasons last six weeks only. The Parisian winter sales season starts at the end of January, the summer one begins in late June.

Shopping at designer Depot

But outside the sales seasons, shoppers looking for bargain-basement prices irresistible and clearances must look elsewhere. It is my experience that the best bargain prices on clothing offered in Paris are found at designer Depot.

Though it has become a brand name in North America, a designer depot is in fact a form of commerce. People like you and me bring in clothes we don't want to wear anymore, and get a little money from the shop owner who will resell our garments for a little more money to other people.

I can see already a few eyebrows raised, their rightful owners objecting that designer depots are glorified thrift shops or consignment stores only. Not so in Paris.

Parisian designer depots are usually owned and managed by ladies with a flair for fashion. A number of them have a professional experience in the fashion industry, and if invited to do so, most of them can tell you right away which dress fits you well.... and which makes you look like you dressed with a potato bag skirt.

Parisian fashion retailers have removed an educated eye, and owners of designer depots are no exception to this rule. And so it goes for the quality of the merchandise they buy, though to each owner her own style. They offer items which have seldom been worn more than one season by their original owners, and are in almost perfect condition.

Style is a keyword here. In 'designer depot', there is 'designer'. Thus the selection of brand names you can find in any of these treasure troves depends on the style the owner prefers: classic, bourgeois, up and coming, boho, ethnic, and so forth. It is a fascinating business to enter a designer depot, and hunt around for a killer little skirt or dressy pants made by A-list designers, and sold for 20% of the regular retail price.

That's the address, silly!

Now not all designer depots were created equal, and where you go shopping for practically-perfect-in-every-way designer clothes is the true measure of your inside knowledge of the city.

I would like to recommend you three 'petites Indirizzi' [the French for 'best-kept-secret places'] I selected amongst host of others.

For those of you, ladies, who like the classic look, 'Priscilla' is the shop for you. Priscilla is lady who owns the place. She reveres signature names such as Yves Saint Laurent, Max Mara, Kenzo, Christian Dior, and Sonya Rykiel. Her prices range from €60 for a skirt, to €75 for a jacket, to €130 for a lady's suit. Priscilla advises you to rummage around, and come to her place with an open mind. The shop is located at 4 rue Mouton - Duvernet, in the 14 th district. The nearest metro station is Mouton-Duvernet. Its opening hours are between 4: 00 pm and 7: 00 pm on Monday, and between 11: 00 am and 7: 00 pm from Tuesday to Saturday with a one-hour break at 1: 30 pm.

My next address, 'Le jupon Rouge', is situated at 9 rue de Rochechouart in the 9th district. The owner, Tania, describe here designer depot as 'colorful, ethnic but not hippie, and certainly not classical in style'. Tania offers a selection of up and coming French designers such as Bali Barrett (to fencing-style vest for €45, cashmere blend cardigans for €45 to €100) and Vanessa Bruno (wool jackets, €90). She also carries more established signatures such as Agnès B (her signature black jacket is offered at $50), and vintage Ungaro blouses for €45. Ladies looking for shoes can fall for pairs of Stephane Kelian low-cut boots (€100), Repetto Cuban ballerina shoes (€40), or vintage low-heel horse-riding boots (€40-70). Tania opens her doors from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10: 30 am to 7: 30 pm with a one-hour lunch break at 1: 30 pm.

In a totally different style, Griff-Troc is the designer depot you need to lose yourself into when you want to go chic-chic - chic. The owner, Beatrice, chose to specialize in perennial, classic basics in perfect condition. Chic has a heftier price tag, of course, but on the upside Griff-Troc offers brand names for 15-30% of boutique prices. On the shelves at the time I wrote this article, Beatrice had a Chanel suit for €1000 (vs. €5000 at Chanel's), a brand new Chloe bag for €800 (instead of €1200), several astounding evening dresses priced between €1200 and 1500 € (Chloe, Dior, D & G, Valentino), and Hermès silk scarfs on offer for only €150. She maintains a full selection of bags, jewels, and fragrances. Chic classic never dies, who cares about whether your Chanel suit is this season's or not? The busy boutique is located in the posh section of the 17 th district, at 119 Boulevard Malesherbes. The nearest metro stations are Villiers and Monceau. Its opening hours are between 10: 30 am and 7: 00 pm, from Monday to Saturday.

Opening my address book for you

I will come back to you with other names and addresses in future articles on this topic. I personally enjoy these shopping boutiques, and based on the number of smartly dressed women I spot there, I am not alone in the belief that such bargains cannot be let pass. Till then, I salute all unrepentant fashion shoppers!

About the Author:a known author on Paris, Phil Chavanne has helped many travelers on their way to the French capital. Useful advices and many get exclusive tips on Paris at http://www.Paris-Eiffel - Tower-News.com, a free guide featuring information about Paris hotels, interesting shops, and great sightseeing opportunities.

6 fashion tips for gardeners

Clothing and skin cream is far from its Begonias potting or dig a hole to a row of potatoes. But the clothes they wear is important for their protection in the garden. Here are six simple but effective solutions to the various dangers of gardening...

1. from the top, it is necessary to protect the head. Body heat escapes through your head and cold should wear a hat. A fabric gardening 'crazy' Hat or buy a simple cap on high street.

And in the summer, should pay more attention to the head. The Sun's rays are not only hot, but that it actually burns. We know this, but it is easy to forget that you want to bask in the Sun after months of cold and grey. Invest in a legal mantella. Not only help to protect from the Sun, protect from drying the hair and skin.

2. maintain a comfortable old jacket or short coat, preferably with enough, especially for the garden pockets. When working, they don't need to worry about dirty marks. Leave them there, everything is part of the uniform gardener Designer!

3 Appropriate pants... keep a couple of old couples especially for gardening. Used jeans heavy heavy. A good pair of Burberry is useful in humid climates. In fact, in humid climates, imitate it all gardening is invaluable. There is always the plantation so that rain and a waterproof hat, jacket and trousers stuffed in a pair of boots will remain dry and pleasant!

4 protect the hands. For light work, installations of potting or pinch the tomato, just a pair of disposable plastic gloves or a pair of rubber gloves kitchen. For heavy work pruning roses, Thistles and nettles, with heavy gloves or gardening suffer weed.

5 see toes! Invest in a pair of boots covered with steel toe and use them! If you're Pottering greenhouse or doing a bit of weeding, a simple pair of wellington boots do or even sandals, it allows in time. But once you take a large instrument, it is necessary to their caps of steel toe. If they are not used to them, these boots may feel heavy and cumbersome, in principle, but stick with it. If they are doing the heavy lifting, you need heavy boots.

6 and finally, we must protect the skin. Provided that you are woking in the garden, rain or Sun, moisturize all exposed parts of the body. Training make a nice healthy glow, but the wind and the Sun dry skin half a chance.

And that is why we have, it does not dream of a stylist, but these 6 tips fashion garden will make your life much more practical and more secure for the average home gardener. Happy gardening!

Biography: Linda Gray is a freelance writer and spent over ten years, creating a family organic garden in a hectare of land. Linda shares her experience and expertise to take a cup of tea http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com!

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16 Tips for fashion for big girl

Women who want to stay well. Want your way to embellish and elegant at the same time. Big girls also want clothing that gives its thinness. Every woman can look good if she knows some tricks to help it better.



1. The black is not the best color for a great girl. Black trousers, dresses, skirts and other garments of size are not necessarily more slimming and figure flattering on the woman's body. A dress is so appealing about the relationship, total and high style fashion as it comes to color. You should try something of color that make young and lively. Choose flattering colors and combine them with black.

2 Templates of large, if you like bold prints is better than small that emphasize the large size. If you are high, is called extraction a larger impression. If you're small, keeping print smaller to avoid overloading your dress with pattern.
The strips of vertical lines is better that strips of horizontal lines, because it provides slim vertical lines. Remember, the choice of clothing I think vertically, horizontally, not! Buttons bold in front of a jacket, a necklace of vertical stripes and long are forms of "vertical thought". These tricks to draw the eye up and down, not from one side to another.

3 Blouses must not mouth on buttons. Don't worry your size, choose clothes that fit and it will be fine. Clothes that are very tight makes it seem bigger, not smaller.

4 avoid too much and tissues (such as spandex!).Sticky, heavy fabrics are outside - cling to the sides abnormally rather than flowing as it should. Using similar to store billowy parts gives the illusion of a larger, heavier. Choose fabrics skim the body and are too loose or too tight. Clothes that show each fold of the body is not flattering.

5. Full figured bra is essential for a great girl. Do not insert a good bra connection meat cuts on the back or shoulders. Bras are too small to cause collisions and ugly indented. All these problems can be solved through the purchase of the correct size, plus size bra. Get steps to correct bra size every 6 to 12 months, as weight can vary, less and less useful Bras last year.

6. do not buy more clothes too small or the wrong size. Worry about how clothing fit and flatter your figure and smaller.

7. great big tits girls to avoid cut low, camisoles and ultra blouses jackets cigars which give vulgar. Halternecks are flattering, her breasts were not leaked in the front.

8. In addition to the dimensions of petites avoid tops, jackets and sweaters ranging below the hip. Peaks that are below the hip in a turnover Petita will begin to decrease leg look even more. A top or a jacket that stores only hip bone will lengthen shorter legs to their full potential.

9 for corsets, bustiers or not you should choose them too short and had fitted elastic tubes. Instead, try a line styles that fit in bust and flare out to hide the belly.

10.3/4-length sleeves and slightly better connection shirts styles is a great girl. If you have the hourglass figure. You can highlight this area with a hip belt.

11 ladies accessories can make or break the dress, elegant, perfect. Simple clothes can be announced with feminine accessory in bold. However, please be careful not to go. Each piece must have a fire apparatus.

12 Pants should not closely creasing in the back of the leg. Straight cutting, flatfront and Pocket - less styles. The waistbad should not be too hard to avoid "top of cake". Avoid jeans and trousers with tilt, do look good on any women, plus size or thin. A number of minor or any figure that is complemented with the form of a conical ice cream cone pant legs.

13. low life is beyond clothing and make your jelly belly go all on the belt is not enough.

14. the skirt must end in the past the knees and must fit around the rear so it does not seem to "gonna tent". Skirts must hang without problems or hugging the bottom of the bottom.

15 avoid tight clothing, revealing with superscripted or mini, it is not suitable for a great girl. Instead, kept elegant dresses and crosses a line can easily walk and hide.

16 avoid styles of clothes without form and size. Clothing without form hides his body every good and bad. Choose clothing styles that accentuate the area of your body and look good. And who does not like. For example, if the shoulder is beautiful, wear a halter-top or a dress. If you feel that their weapons are a part of the problem, you should avoid clothing with balloon. If you have a short neck, choose lower necklines v, stretching the neck visually. Avoid Fragoso, too high collar and collarless shirt collar. They resemble the head rests directly on their shoulders.