Galeries Lafayette
40, Bd Haussmann
75009 Paris
haussmann.galerieslafayette.com
wwww.galerieslafayette.com
Personal Shopping Service
I recently posted on Coquette about my shopping experience at Galerie Lafayette in Paris. Chloe and I were armed with a personal shopper, Elodie who helped us find cute outfits for back to school. Some of these French brands I have known very well over the years from my mother-in-law and our many travels to France. Galeries Lafayette is fantastic because it has all the brands under one roof, from luxury kids clothes to everyday affordable ones. It is fantastic one stop shopping in my book. I usually buy Chloe key clothes for the season and they end up being go-to clothing she lives in and dresses up in as well.
At the top of my list is the brand Catimini. They do both girls and boys clothing and the quality is impeccable. (Luckily for us Bay Area folks, they have a store within the Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, CA.) The magenta spirit ethnique cable knit cardigan pictured above also can be worn in reverse and showcases an embroidered deer pattern. Their clothes can take many washes. Also, from all the playground wear my daughter goes through, the dresses really last! In fact, I've passed some of her dresses down to my friend's girls, who are still wearing them years later.
You can't get more French than Petit Bateau. Go for the signature stripes or in my case this time, I found the cutest floral sweatshirt and skirt set. If you have a new baby or know someone who is expecting, I love their baby bodysuits which are made in the softest cotton ever! We picked up a few pants for Chloe here. I find that their pants are durable and I like their adjustable waists.
For kids fashion with a refined element, Jacadi has it all. Featuring prim and proper dresses for girls, handsome shirts for boys, and fabulous outerwear with no fleece in sight, this brand gives elegance to little kids.
Bonpoint (pictured above and below) is another one of my favorite brands. It's filled with rich cotton prints that the crafter in me just wants to scream inside. I sort of want it all in my size, you see. The prices are expensive so pick and choose pieces to get. This season, the smock style shirt and dress is in full swing for girls. Colors featured blush tones, bright reds and oranges as well as grays. That's what I love about French fashion for kids. They are never afraid to give kids color variety aside from the typical pinks and blues that gives French kids an immediate sophistication.
Black, white and red? Yes, yes and yes!
A brand that caught my eye is Lili Gaufrette (pictured above and below) a French girls brand since 2011. Their clothes look extra adorable toddler sized.
Galeries Lafayette features a number of high end luxury kids brands and since Chloe is named Chloé she gravitated towards looking at the dresses here.
Chloe ended up chosing the cutest LBD for her featuring gold piping that she can wear over the holidays. Our one splurge for her Paris trip!
Billieblush is a new UK brand that launched in 2013. They do really fun, whimsical girly clothing as only the Brits can do. I really loved their outerwear that featured muted tones and metallics.
By contrast, their sweaters and tees were very colorful and fun. The prices for this line are moderate for the quality and the beautiful design.
Here's Chloe modeling the navy heart cardigan with red heart tee (and Petit Bateau corduroy pants).
Finally, as if shopping for clothes weren't enough, Galleries Lafayette has enough kids toys, books and crafts sets to keep them busy browsing and playing in the store. We found some great French books for Chloe that day as she is starting to learn how to read in French.
If you are going to Paris soon, take a visit to Galerie Lafayette and take note of the brands I mentioned here. You can also book a complementary personal shopper to help pull items for you to choose from when you arrive in the store. It makes things less overwhelming if you are short on time!
