La Naissance des Grands Magasins 1852-1925, Le musée des Arts décoratifs

 

Yesterday was the 1st day of the big department store show at MAD and I was there when the doors opened.

Are you a devoted department store browser (different from a shopper)

How to Buy a Paris hat

The week before Christmas some friends came to Paris. I offered to show them some fun shops.

Chris is French so I knew she'd love this imaginative hat shop in the 6th. Remember I showed you this hat Christmas tree?

Marie Mercie 23, rue St. Sulpice 75006
Both Chris' husband and I said we were too intimidated to go inside.

Naturally Chris marched inside like she owned the place

I followed behind.

Her husband wandered off somewhere.

Chris says this shop is what the French call 'fantasia'.

And full of fantasia it is.

A lovely retro yet contemporary bow hat.

Did the designer see this bow Bonbon perfume? bows are everywhere in French design.

I was busy taking in all the wonderful designs.

The amusing display setups.

Like visiting someone's apartment that happens to be full of hats.

Designer Mercie is good friends with artist Hippolyte Romain. He designed her business card.

Meanwhile Chris asked, "Do you have a hat for me?

Immediately the vendeuse picked out the perfect sculpted beret-style hat for her.

I was oooing and ahhing with enthusiasm.
"This is the perfect hat for you.To a T...Utterly chic...bla bla bla".
Chris was pensive. Especially when we heard the price. She decided to think about it. We met her husband waiting outside. Then went on browsing more shops leaving him to go to the jardin Luxembourg.

Pastry shapes that look perfect for hats. I'm not the least bit intimidated going into patisseries like elegant Gerard Mulot. I got the boule de neige(snowball) filled with meringue and red fruits. I wish I was more intimidated.

When Chris returned home her husband had a surprise. The hat! He said the vendeuse wasn't the least bit surprised when he popped in and asked to purchase the hat Chris liked. She said she wore the hat all night till they went to sleep 😴 

French Girl Friends

I've read in How To Find Your Inner Frenchie self-help books that French girls are not so chummy with each other.

That they're more competitive than bosom buddies. I checked this out last trip.

From what I can see they're just like us.

When French Girl talks about her girlfriends, it's something sacred, a religion. Though we've known each other 4 years and I've stayed with her and brought her NY bagels and Essie nailpolish (it's cheaper here), we're not exactly 'girlfriends' the way she is with her French girl friends.
I'll always be an extra-terrestial/E.T. c'est la vie

French girlfriends go shopping together just like we do.

They wear identical outfits and have the same hairdos just like us.

They yackity-yack on the Metro while eating like we do.

They goof around after they've 'won' free macarons at Pierre Herme on Jour Du Macarons.

They browse together and call it 'licking the windows'/leche-vitrine.

They kiss-kiss/bisous bisous more then we do. But we give hugs.

Sharing macarons is a universal among girlfriends.

I like this little video of two French girl friends chatting away. I'm not sure of every word and the subtitles are in Spanish Portuguese Catalon! but the actions are the same the world over are they not?

BONJOUR FRENCH AMIES!