Unique Shops

Courtesy of Fifi Flowers ©

Only Umbrellas
Madeleine Gély
218, blvd St. Germain, in the 6th Arrondissement.
01 42 22 63 35. This shop right out of My Fair Lady sells only umbrellas, from the sturdy and practical to the frilly and adorable. 

Only Socks

Tabio
15, rue Vieille du Temple, in the 4th. 01 42 78 20 38. Tabio is a shop selling simply socks for both women and men.

Only Antique Perfume Bottles

Belle de Jour
7, rue Tardieu, in the 18th. 01 46 06 15 28. Devoted solely to antique perfume and perfume bottles—the kind of shop you’ll probably find only in Paris.

Only Gloves

Maison Fabre
128–129, Galerie de Valois, in the Palais Royal, in the 1st. 01 42 60 75 88.
Has been making gloves in the Aveyron region of France since 1924. Pick up a pair of orange gloves, or whatever the new color might be.

JB Guanti
59, rue de Rennes, in the 6th. 01 45 48 65 50. 18, rue Tronchet, in the 8th. 01 47 42 61 44.  French girls love Italian style, and JB Guanti is the preferred purveyor of Italian-style gloves. The real attraction here is the huge range of colors. The gloves are lined with silk or cashmere. Enjoy trying to decide between the two! The favorite Parisian pattern is the elegant pois, or polka dot.

Only Cashmere

Eric Bompard
46, rue du Bac, in the 7th.  Prestigious French cashmere boutique Eric Bompard is the destination for pure cashmere for women, men and children. In addition to scarves, sweaters, tights, robes and socks, they carry more unusual items like fine cashmere tank tops, plus leg warmers in a silk-cashmere blend.

Only Paper

Mélodies Graphiques
10, rue du Pont Louis Philippe, in the 4th. 01 42 74 57 68. At Mélodies Graphiques, you’ll gasp at the elegance of the calligraphy by owner Eric de Tugny, as well as his embossed bookmarks, cut-paper cards, quill pens and special desk accessories. Fine classic papers are sourced from France and Italy. Brass paperweights of life-size feathers and butterflies make a tasteful gift for the home office.

Moeti
30, rue Dauphine, in the 6th. Open every day. This paper and card store carries organizers, pencil cases and notebooks featuring playful contemporary designs by French artists such as Sandrine Fabre, Herisson, and Fifi Mandirac. A delightfully colorful boutique showing how French graphic design has been influenced by the Japanese.

Handmade by Monks and Nuns

Comptoir des Abbayes
4–6, rue Fléchier, in the 9th. 01 48 78 49 25. Shop and purify. Here you’ll find many items made by monks and nuns from various regions of France (there are other shops like it around Paris). We love their honey shampoo as well as their smart linens.
For more holy shopping, try:

La Boutique de l’Artisanat Monastique
68 bis, ave Denfert-Rochereau, in the 14th. 01 43 35 15 76.
For more on shopping in Paris, read our post Shopping, Sweets and Sights.