Are French Luxury Goods Cheaper in France?

My aunt visited Paris a decade ago, and the answer back then was most certainly yes. Tourists lined up outside the Louis Vuitton store on Champs-Élysées, like they do today. The rumor was that back then, the French government controlled prices to incentivize tourists. If you were visiting from the U.S. or other parts of Europe, French luxury goods were less expensive in France (there were few Mainland Chinese tourists back then - quite a contrast to today).

Before my trip to Paris last summer, I googled relentlessly to see if this was still true. I found limited, and very confusing, information. I still can't tell you how involved the French government is with the price of a Birkin bag (especially because you can't even buy a Birkin bag these days, in France or anywhere else, but you sure can burn one if you've got $100,000 to spare...) but I can give you insights from my personal travels.

In August, 2011, the Euro/USD exchange rate was 1.43 USD for every Euro. At the time, French luxury goods in Paris were priced exactly the same as they were in the U.S. or Hong Kong (I've found through personal experience that prices in the U.S. (including tax) are exactly the same as they are in Hong Kong (even though there is no sales tax in Hong Kong), this makes sense since the HKD is pegged to the USD and I doubt Chanel is looking to create an intentional arbitrage situation), except that you got an additional 12% back as a tax refund at the airport. This meant that luxury goods were still cheaper in France, but only by 12%.  

I just left Paris for Moscow yesterday, and the exchange rate currently is 1.22 USD for every Euro. Thanks to the European economic meltdown, French luxury goods are significantly cheaper in France than in non-EU countries - at this moment. If you hop on a plane to Paris tomorrow, you can probably make up the cost of your flight on one Chanel 2.55 bag alone. Aside from the drop in the Euro, nothing suggests these fashion houses are in the habit of making less per unit in France. Give them a few weeks and I'm sure they'll adjust their prices to make everything even again. There's still the 12% tax back, however, and that's not an insignificant number considering the prices of some of these items. 

So where should you absolutely not purchase luxury goods? Mainland China, where import taxes make foreign goods nearly 30% more expensive and...Moscow. So it looks like I'll be sticking to caviar and vodka. Still, not too shabby.   

Here was my favorite luxury item from this trip to Paris - aside from the classics, of course.

Louis Vuitton Sevigne PM (1460.00 USD, 1070.00 Euros)

The French are Coming!

I promise I will stop with all of the Paris/France related posts, but this news is just too exciting.  Maje and Sandro will open Soho locations in mid-October!  If you can't wait until October, Bloomingdales has already started carrying both lines.

(49 Rue Vieille du Temple)

(50 Rue Vieille du Temple)

When I was in Paris, it was slightly overwhelming trying to figure out where to shop.  Boutiques were scattered throughout unfamiliar neighborhoods and everything looked to-die-for just because I was on a vacation high.  Taking advice from Camilla, I narrowed in on a few stores.  Maje and Sandro were two of my favorites, along with the Kooples, a store that sells matching clothes for couples (weird concept, super cool and edgy clothes).   My only purchase at the time were these pants from the Kooples (which, attention petite girls, fit me perfectly without alterations), but with the opening of Maje and Sandro in New York, I can buy all of the items I continue to pine for after returning stateside.  

Short Fit Leather Effect Jeans with Zip (135.00 Pounds)

 (191 Rue Saint-Honoré)

New York vs. Paris

It's true that you always want to move to the places where you vacation.  Never before, however, had I felt such a strong urge to drop everything and move than when I was in Paris.  The feeling eventually passed, and as I've settled back into normal life, I've realized that there are so many things I'd miss about New York.  Paris and New York are both incredible cities with so much to offer their residents, yet so different in their quirks as illustrated by Vahram Muratyan in his blog Paris versus New York: a tally of two cities. 

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

 Whichever you prefer, make sure you keep le ticket with you at all times or you may get a fine from the SNCF.

 I think pigeons are worse.  Rats can't fly. 

Pistachio macaron vs. red velvet cupcake?  Now this is a tough one...

I'm not sure how I.M. Pei would like having his creation compared to a retail store, but they do look similar...

I've never been to the 3rd or Williamsburg, but I imagine those who have can attest to the accuracy of this image.

What the Cool Girls are Wearing

I think French girls are so cool.  They look so...effortless.  Like they rolled out of bed looking totally fabulous.  Since I spent only one week observing what Parisian women wore, I can't claim to be an expert (or even very accurate) but I noticed a few trends: leather motorcycle jackets, cross body bags and chunky ankle boots.  All of these items lean towards casual, so I thought it would be fun to interpret them in a way that could work for a Professionelle.

McQ Leather Vest-Inlay Jacket (1565.00)

I love how feminine this leather jacket looks.  The cut softens the edge of the leather and the cropped length would work well for petites.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Naples1 (250.00)

The buckles on these boots give it that biker chick look but the shape of the boot is very refined.  I would wear these with patterned black tights.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Harbridge Saddle Bag (228.00)

I actually saw this bag in the window of the Macy's on Nicolette Mall in Minneapolis.  Paris inspired, but found in the Midwest.

Alexander Wang Leather-Front Blazer (895.00)

It's so hard to find a leather blazer that doesn't look outdated.  I love how modern this looks, yet it still feels classic.

Alexander McQueen Tab and Buckle Heel Bootie (1225.00)

Now this boot is going to take some attitude to pull off at work, and perhaps a very conservative outfit to balance the shoe.  I absolutely love navy suede for Fall.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Jane-On-A-Leash Crossbody (228.00)

I'm so glad Marc Jacobs finally made some Marc by Marc Jacobs bags without that awful gold plaque.  This bag makes the perfect day to night purse.

An American Professionelle in Paris

Bonsoir Professionelles!

Je suis très désolé!  I have been in France for the last two weeks and had every intention of blogging during my entire vacation.  But alas, it's my last night in Paris and I'm just getting around to writing my first post.

This has been the most incredible trip.  It began in Burgandy, for Peter and Lisa's beautiful wedding.  Next, my dear friend Yun Ah and I traveled to Provence and Nice before heading to Paris.  Unfortunately, Yun Ah had to return to work, but I was incredibly lucky to have three fantastic local hosts (Chiawen, José and Camilla) to show me the city of light.  In fact, the title of this post is inspired by Chiawen's blog, A Chinese-American in Paris.  Since I know of at least a few Professionelles who will be traveling to Paris in the next few months, and also because the French are très chic, I will be sharing with you a series of posts inspired by my trip.

It's past 1am here, and I have a flight to catch in the morning, so this first post is actually a re-post from a fabulous blog Camilla introduced me to: HiP Paris.

The above illustration is from this great post about how to pack for Spring in Paris.  It translates very well for those who are traveling to Paris in the Fall.  I generally consider myself a fairly sophisticated traveler, and for the most part, our trip has gone off without a hitch, but I really could have used this post before I left New York.  As I was planning this trip, I used travel websites like Trip Advisor and Airbnb (can't wait to use Approved by Friends for my next trip!), I consulted friends who had been to the places we were going for recommendations (thank you to the Ulterior Epicure!), but for some reason, I didn't think to check out local blogs for inspiration.  If I had done so, I would have packed at least one pair of pants and many layering options for the unpredictable and varied French weather!

With that, I'm off to bed for now.  But once I'm back stateside, I will be posting my observations about what Parisienne women wear to allow them to look so effortlessly chic, reviews of the stores Parisienne women actually shop in, whether French designer goods are really cheaper in France and why, after only two days, J'aime mon carré!

Bonne nuit Professionelles!

P.S. please excuse any mistakes in my French as I am using the ever so accurate Google Translate.