stephanielogar

A Complete Guide to Vintage Shopping in Paris

December 1, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Making your life easier one step at a time…

In my last post I walked you through my tricks of the trade for vintage shopping, but what’s the point of these tips if you can’t actually use them? So I’ve decided to making a guide for the best vintage and consignment stores in Paris, France. Even though I have only been living here for a little over a month, I’ve already found a plethora of shops and markets that I adore and I know you will too! In this guide I will not only list my favorite stores and what products they offer, but also their locations and price range.

I am so lucky to be living in one of the best cities for vintage shopping. Paris is packed with all different types of vintage and consignment stores with a wide selection of products. I want to share my two favorite lower grade vintage stores, two luxury consignment stores, and one flea market.

Shop #1:

Marché Vernaison
Paris Flea Market
99 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen

Marché Vernaison is a large flea market that features antiques, fashion, art, and restaurants. It is a very open space, however they provide maps to navigate between the different vendors. Here you will find all different types of vintage and consignment ranging from now-name brands to designers including Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Dior. This market is the perfect way to get the full vintage and consignment experience all in one location. What’s also great about this market is that you can make it into an all day affair and stop and get lunch at the local resturants or shop for art and antique pieces as well! The price range is very wide for this location, one could easily spend less then 10 euro or up to 500 euro on an item. It all depends on what exactly you are looking for. I highly recommend checking out this location if you live in the Paris area and want to get the full vintage experience.

Shop #2:

Kilo Shop
69-71 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris

Kilo Shop is a large chain vintage/consignment store with multiple locations throughout Paris. KiloShop is one of the largest vintage shops I’ve visited so far. Each of their locations have two floors completely covered in racks and piles of clothing for men, women, and children. What makes Kilo Shop unique compared to other vintage stores of the same caliber is that most of the clothes do not have price tags on them. Instead, Kilo Shop bases the total price of your items on their weight. They even feature large scales and price charts to weigh your clothes and see how much it will cost. Kilo Shop is great store to visit for your average bargain shopper because you can really get a lot of items for a little amount of money. I would consider Kilo Shop a more lower-grade vintage shop, however, I highly recommend checking one of their locations out!

Shop #3:

Le Dépôt Vente de Buci
4 Rue Bourbon-le-Château – 75006 Paris

Le Dépôt Vente de Buci is located in the St-Germain area. Some of the designers featured within this store are Versace, Chanel, Moschino, Lagerfeld, Lacroix, and Saint Laurent. This would be considered a high-end/luxury consignment shop. You will easily be able to tell the difference because of how they are organized. Compared to Kilo Shop this store would seem very empty. Le Dépôt Vente de Buci is a relatively small store and only carries a small amount of product at a time. However, what they do carry is awesome. If you are looking for vintage designer pieces this is the place to go. The price range is decent, you definitely have to be willing to spend at minimum 100-200 euro if you want to get something nice, but they are open to bargaining for a better price. I was lucky enough to find a beautiful, camel color, wool coat from MaxMara that was a very fair price. If you are interested in more designer vintage shopping, this is the place!

Shop #4:

Kiliwatch Paris
64 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris

Kiliwatch is a second-hand shop that specifies in street fashion and carries both emerging designers and well known name brands. Kiliwatch has been around since 1996 and has been providing ready-to-wear itemsthat are inspired by or from designers such as Christian Lacroix, Paul Smith, Jean-Paul Gauthier,and Isabel Marant. As far as price range goes, Kiliwatch is more expensive, on average, than Kilo Shop, however significantly cheaper than Le Dépôt Vente de Buci. I would consider this store to be more of a “digging” type store because of the variety of brands and products you will find, ranging from no-name labels to high-end designers.

Shop #5:

Citizen Concept Store
22 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris

Citizen was actually the first consignment store I came across when I first moved here! Citizen Concept Store is definitely one of the more luxury stores I have listed today. Their products range from custom Comme des Garçons Nike sneakers, to one-of-a-kind Givenchy fur capes. You can really find a lot of unique designer pieces here and the staff is incredible. Citizen carries brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Givenchy, Comme des Garçons, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. Some of the shoe brands they offer are Golden Goose, Adidas, and Nike. While I would consider this store to be on the pricer-y side of the vintage market, I highly recommend at least checking this place out, even if it just to play dress up!

I hope that you guys can benefit from, at least, one of the stores I have listed. It may be odd that I love vintage shopping so much, but I promise once you’ve dipped your toes into this form of shopping, you’ll love it too!

-Virginia

Trends We Love

Trends We Love: Tracksuits

November 25, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Looks like you don’t have to be a runner to look the part.

In a previous post I talked about how athleisure is making its way to be the biggest trend of the year, and apart of that trend is the tracksuit trend, and I have one word to say about it, YES! The tracksuit trend is everything we could want in more. It’s practical, it’s colorful, it’s fashionable, and many of them are very affordable.

The tracksuit is very reminiscent of the early 2000s when our biggest trend setter was Paris Hilton. She was the queen of Juicy Couture matching tracksuits, she had one in almost every color. I am so happy this trend is coming back into style. We can thank our lovely trend-setting models Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Kendall Jenner for bringing this look back and making it look oh so cool. Now workout brands such as Adidas, Nike, and Puma are all making their own unique and colorful versions of the tracksuit.

What’s so fun about the track suit this time around is how slick you can make it look. I’ve even seen people pair their tracksuits with booties and accessories to dress-up their outfits, or wear the classic sneakers and hair-up for a more causal look. This past year major designers including Gucci and Valentino have decided to try their own spin on the tracksuit and debut it on the runway, and we should expect more high-fashion brands to join in and do the same.

The tracksuit is a very gender fluid look. Meaning that is adheres to both the male and female body. There are even children’s tracksuits which looks absolutely adorable. If I had to pick my favorite trend from this year it would be the tracksuit. There really is no other trend that works for all types of bodies and genders. The best part about this trend is that it is super affordable. Many times I find myself struggling to keep up with the trends because of costs, and because most trends are started by high-fashion brands and celebrities the costs can be pretty pricey. The tracksuit is an exception to this because the classic sports-gear brands, who’s prices are much more affordable, are also making cool and hip tracksuits so that everyone can buy in on it.

Go to your local mall or pick up your computer now and check out a tracksuit for yourself!

-Stephanie

Fashion For Thought

Ski Jackets in the Summer?

November 22, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Are you a on the black diamond or the beach?

Here’s a fashion for thought: ski jackets in the summer. What exactly is this trend, if it even is one? I’ve been scrolling through my Instagram in the recent months and can’t help but notice one trend that I simply cannot shake, and that is celebrities wearing puffer (or winter) jackets in 60-70 degree weather. I have one simple question, why?

I grew up in a state that got pretty cold during the winter months and while it was fun to get bundled up in fun winter jackets I definitely could not wait to take them off once the weather warmed up. So Im shell-shocked to see people such as Kim Kardashian taking on taking on the town in a winter puffer coat with spandex shorts. It is obvious it is not actually cold based on the rest of Kim’s outfit, so why is she wearing a coat suited for skiing?

Believe me, I am all for setting trends and pushing the boundaries but this one seems a little too “out there” for even me. First, I really am interested to know if this look is even comfortable, giving the fact that it is not snowing nor even that cold, so I can only imagine she must be a little hot under there. Secondly, and maybe I am the only one who thinks this but a heavy puffy coat and spandex shorts just don’t seem to go together for me?

I did a little more digging to see if I could find any other celebrities trying out this trend, and while I didn’t find any offenders quite as bad as Kim, I find a few others that could be contenders. In particular, the photo on the left where Rihanna is wearing an extremely oversized puffer coat and almost nothing else under.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the puffer jacket just as much as the next person, but there is time and place for these coats, and summer in California is simply not the right time.

-Stephanie

Fashion For Thought

How Paris Has Changed My Style

November 21, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Saying goodbye to the old Stephanie…

I’ve been wanting to switch up my style for quite some time now, I just didn’t know exactly how I was going to. I’m not the biggest fan of change, and when I feel comfortable in something I tend to stick to it, but moving to Paris has changed that side of me. It wasn’t an overnight transformation. I’ve been living here for over three months now, and I am still discovering what does and doesn’t work on my body and my style. But there is without a doubt a significant change in how I dress now compared to how I used to.

At first, I didn’t even notice that my style was changing. I figured I was just gravitated towards clothes that fit the current weather situations. Which now looking back seems a bit silly, but I really didn’t notice. It wasn’t until my family came to visit me the other week that I really noticed my style had change. I attribute a large part of this change to the Parisian culture. I never have considered myself to dress poorly, and I usually am relatively covered up most of them time in different jackets and sweaters, but I’ve begun to really adapt to the culture and climate here and with that so has my wardrobe.

When I am shopping I find myself going for long wool coats, blazers, scarves, and tights, items I never usually would buy. I noticed that now I dress a lot more practical than making a statement. Don’t let me steer you wrong, I still keep up with trends and want to have a signature style, but I am just more aware that somethings are useful in my closet especially while I am living here. I haven’t worn a pair of shorts since mid-August and I don’t see myself wearing any in the near future. I stopped buying shoes with heels and started buying shoes with more comfortable soles, still very stylish, but better for all the walking and commuting I do on a daily basis.

My style, while it is still unique in my own eyes, blends in more with my fellow Parisians. I no longer feel like I am sticking out, or that it is obvious I am American. I really feel like I finally belong here, not just mentally anymore, but also physically. It’s an awesome feeling and I am grateful that a city had the power to make such a interesting change on my style.

With only less than a month left in this beautiful city, I wonder if I will keep up the changes that I have made back in America, or if I will re-adapt into my old ways of dressing. What do you guys think?

-Stephanie

All Things Vintage

Why You Should Save Your Grandmother’s Purse

November 17, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Don’t be so quick to throw her valuables away!

Sometimes the best presents are already in your very home. Cliché I know, but it’s true! If you are lucky enough to have one or both of your grandparents still alive, they probably have a few vintage items laying in their closet that would totally still be in style today. More often than not grandparents always have hidden gems or keep sakes that could not only be really cute and useful, but also could be very valuable.

Before I left the United States I spent the day with my mom’s mother. She needed help cleaning her house and getting rid of a few items she didn’t need or want anymore. I happily offered my services because it could really potentially benefit both of us. After shifting through mostly junk or donation items I came across a small Gucci purse that she told me was over 30 years old. While the purse wasn’t necessarily my style, when she offered for me to take it, I did not even hesitate.

You never know what you are going to find in your own home so always keep an open mind and always save your valuables! Even if you don’t like them in the moment, you may like them later in life. If you don’t want something for yourself, save it and pass it on to your sister or maybe even your kids on day!

I’m so grateful my grandmother decided to save her valuables. I now not only have a designer bag for free, but also a wonderful memory of my grandmother.

-Stephanie

All Things Vintage

The World of Vintage: Online Edition

November 14, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

Just when you thought shopping couldn’t get any better…

Are you sick of reading our posts about vintage shopping? Well, we are certainly not! We are just beginning to skim the surface, but in order to final take the plunge into the true world of vintage we need to talk about online consignment stores. Yes, you heard that right, there are online consignment stores. So now you don’t have to spend hours digging though piles and racks at vintage stores (even though we strongly encourage that you still do)!

Online consignment shopping is essentially the same process as regular online shopping, just not as organized. Similar to how a luxury consignment store would be, online vintage stores feature clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories. Most of these sites organize their product buy the type of item or by the brand. So if you are shopping for something specific you’ll be able to locate it at a much faster rate.

We picked out our top four favorite consignment stores to share with you guys today:

The RealReal

https://www.therealreal.com/

Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/

LXRand Co

https://www.lxrco.com/en-US

ThredUp

https://www.thredup.com/

We have found these websites to have the best selection of products for the best prices. Our personal favorite is The RealReal. We have had the most luck on finding the exact items we want, in the sizes we need, and for the prices we are willing to pay for. The RealReal is also super convenient when it comes to their shipping process. They handle ever item with great care and wrap or box everything so delicately.

Sometimes it can be tricky ordering used items online because you don’t truly know what kind of shape it is going to be in. Luckily these websites have thought of it all and provide multiple different pictures of each products, along with descriptions of them and how much they were used, and the exact condition that it is in. And you want to know the best part about these sites, they have sales! How often can you go to a vintage store to find things on sale, not that often! These sites do however, especially during the holiday season, so its the perfect place to pick up some presents for yourself or your loved ones.

We truly don’t know where our wardrobes would be without these sites, and we hope that you guys find the same luck that we did!

-Stephanie and Virginia

Fashion For Thought

Athleisure: Blurring the Lines Between Lifestyle and Sports

November 8, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

This gives the term “comfort over style” a whole new meaning…

Merriam-Webster defines athleisure as “casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use.” Often also referred to as “sport leisure” athlesiure clothing has taking the fashion market by storm and we don’t see any signs of it slowing down.

“I often get asked whether the bubble around leisure will burst anytime soon, and the answer is no,”

said Matt Powell, senior sports industry advisor at NPD, in the report.

“Athleisure rules the runway, and the line between what is an athletic shoe and a casual shoe continues to blur. Brands and retailers must continue to feed this trend.”

We once lived in an era where workout clothes had only one use: to workout in. However, that is no longer the case. Maybe we can credit the initial start of this trend to work-out brands such as Lulu Lemon and Alo Yoga who revamped the classic workout clothes into stylish and chic sets. But this movement stretched much farther than just that. In the past few years the fashion world has seen a significant shift in what are considered causal clothes. For example a few years ago when you think about casual street wear basic items such as a t-shirt, jeans, sweater, or jacket come to mind. If you were to ask someone today what they think about casual street wear I can guarantee some of the answers will be athleisure.

Athleisure wear includes yoga pants, jogger pants, sweatpants, gym tanks, sports bra, hoodies, zip-up sweaters, sneakers, and slides, to name a few. All the items that would be consider apart of “athleisure” have actually been around since the mid 1970s, with the work-out mania began. However, its popularity to be worn as casual clothes did not spike until the more recent years.

Fashion magazine, Vogue identifies athleisure a rising trend which comprises of style, comfort, and function. They believe this becayse people are looking for clothes which they can wear to the gym as well as look great in them on the streets. Athleisure has merged urban, sports and fashion which resonates a different lifestyle, creating almost a cult if you will.

We can credit the instant hype of this trend to celebrities such as Kanye West, whose company Yeezy’s athleisure lines sell out within hours, and Instagram influencers who regularly post in their latest athleisure fits.

However, while this trend is widely accepted and worn all throughout the United States, in fact the Athleisure sector has increased 42% in last seven years reaching the total market worth $270 billion, according to Morgan Stanley, I cannot say that it receives the same amount of attention in Europe.

I too have bought in to the athleisure phenomenon, and before moving to Paris I bought a few cute matching sets to wear around the city when I wanted to dress casual. It took only a week for me to realize that this fashion choice was not very common amongst my Parisian counterparts. The first time I sported my new athletic outfit on the streets I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb. Everyone around me was dressed very presentable, in pants or skirts and jackets. And while back in the states what I was wearing would be considered very socially acceptable, in Paris I felt as if I was almost offending the people around me.

So maybe the hype about athleisure is more relevant to the United States than Europe, but because all good things do take time, maybe it’s craze just hasn’t reached to Paris yet. Time will only tell of course, but for now I’ll stick to wearing my athleisure around my apartment.

-Virginia

Trends We Love

Trends We Love: Tiny Sunglasses

Featuredby stephanielogarLeave a Comment

I’m beginning to believe that 2018 is the year of the 1990s. Each month presents itself with new trend that has a very similar theme all relating back to the 90s. The trend that has been circulating the media is now tiny sunglasses! The term bigger is better is no longer in style, so throw out your large bug-eyed shades and say hello to tiny frames.

Or should we not?

The tiny frame trend has only just begun to blossom and already receiving mixed reviews. For young and hip celebrities this trend seemed like a no brainer, but according to actresses such as Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling if you give in to tiny sunglasses, you will regret it. These responses are probably a result of how quickly small shades fell out of style in the 90s as well. So how does one make the decision of whether to buy into a trend that has a clearly segregated opinion.

Dr. Vanessa Brown, professor at the School of Art and Design at Nottingham-Trent University says in her quote about the trends of sunglasses,

“One thing you can guarantee with fashion is that when things have reached an extreme aesthetically, they’ll swing the opposite direction.”

What she means by this is that, for example, as soon as glasses grew so big and bug-eyed that they were covering your whole face, that’s when small shades started popping up on celebrity faces and infiltrating your Instagram feed.

Stella McCartney, Adam Selman, and Roberi & Fraud were among the first brands to start buying into the tiny sunglasses trend, but did they jump on it too fast?

It’s hard to say for two main reasons:

Tiny sunglasses do not necessarily look good on every face type, so don’t go throwing away all your sunglasses immediately. Try on a few new smaller pairs and see how you feel first.
As mentioned above, even though this trend is all the rage right now, we really don’t know how long it will really last.

So before you jump to any conclusions on whether you are for or against this trend just think about what sunglasses work for you best and then go from there. I personally love the small sunglasses trend, because I have a smaller face and head I have always found these shades to be more flattering even before the trend look flight, but others may disagree. For now, I’m living in the tiny-frame trend for as long as I can!

-Virginia

Trends We Love

Trends We Love: The Trench Coat

October 28, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

From the war grounds to the catwalk, we love this timeless piece.

Let’s talk trench coats. The trench coat is one of the oldest jackets in fashion history and yet it still remains on of the most staple pieces in every man and woman’s closets. No matter how frequently styles and trends change the trench coat has somehow remained always in style. Let’s take a look why…

It all started way back over 150 years ago during the Great War. This was roughly the first time trench coats were introduced to Army officers who were in the trenches, given the reasoning behind it’s name. A lot of the decorations that still remain on the trench coat, i.e. the buttons, the belt were all created each with a specific purpose pertaining to what the military needed it for.

But it wasn’t until 1856 when Thomas Burberry, the founder of the well-known and loved brand Burberry, started playing with the trench coat idea that it turned into the iconic fashion piece we wear today. He started out designing from a waterproof twill fabric that was also breathable that was called “gabardine.” The jackets he was making for only for men at the time, but as time past and the wars ended Hollywood started referencing the trench coat as a symbol for detectives, gangsters, and femme fatales in their films.

It was from there that trench coat really started to take flight and soon after many major designers were including a trench in their collections. Burberry continues to be the leaders in trench coat production; creating styles for men and women that evoke a sense of fashion prowess and impeccable taste.

The trench coat is now often referenced in Europe especially. London and Paris being the two main cities where one can often see a lot of trench coats on the streets. However, trench coats are still very much popularized all over the world. What I believe is the reasoning behind the long-lasting love for trench coats is how little work has actually been done to change the overall look of the trench. It truly is a timeless piece which makes it so sought out by so many people.

Today we can find different brands experimenting with brighter colored trench coats instead of the classic tan/neutral look that gained them their popularity. These small but significant changes are what also help keep the coat trendy and still in style with the constantly changing fashion climate.

-Stephanie

All Things Vintage

Why is Vintage Fashion So Popular?

October 21, 2018December 12, 2018by stephanielogarLeave a Comment

What’s all the hype about?

If I have not made it obvious or not by now I am a big advocate for vintage clothing. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I went into a normal retail store to buy something other than a basic t-shirt or socks. That may seem crazy to some people, but really there is an entire culture much like myself, who base their wardrobes almost entirely on vintage clothes. I wanted to research this concept further and see why exactly vintage shopping has gained so much popularity over the past few years and who is responsible for this increase.

The first major contributor to why the idea vintage stores and clothes has been heightened recently is largely because of celebrity endorsement. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner are at the forefront of promoting the buying and wearing of vintage items. They often post about it their finds on social media or speak publicly about who their are wearing at social events. Similar to most trends, they eventually trickle down and soon everyone is wanting to shop vintage, “because Kendall Jenner does it.” There is also a whole other side of the spectrum which explains that celebrities choose to wear vintage in order to stand out more and not be so similar to their friends and other celebrities. And because trends are always coming full circle it puts these vintage-wearing celebrities ahead of the trends, i.e. making them a trendsetter.

The second factor as to why vintage shopping has increased so much is because it allows the opportunity for self expression. Just as celebrities want to be different, normal people do as well! By shopping vintage instead of fast fashion stores such as Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 you are getting unique pieces that really no one else can get. What’s awesome about vintage stores is that they rarely stick to one sort of vibe (or theme) so there really is something for everyone. You can completely change your whole style everyday if you wanted to by wearing vintage clothes. What’s also awesome about shopping vintage is that each piece of clothing, accessory, or shoe you buy has a history and thats something you definitely can’t get at Zara!

Lastly, recycled (vintage) clothes are good for our environment! I never really thought about it in this way until now, but just like plastic is good to recycle, so it clothes. At one point someone, somewhere spent their time making that shoe or pair of jeans and by you buying them instead of letting them go to waste you are capitalizing on an opportunity to save the environment, one shirt at a time.

Wow! All this talk about shopping has gotten me in the mood to do a little digging around some stores myself, and now knowing the benefits to vintage shopping will only make my experience better!

-Virginia