Shopping for Kids

verbaudet pink baby clothes

verbaudet pink baby clothes

It’s fun to figure out the kids clothing scene here. I stop into every little shop and boutique I can find. Some are familiar brands like Jacadi and Zara. Others are new-to-me.

Saturday we picked up June’s cozy little ensemble at a store called Verbaudet. It’s my favorite shade of pink — so muted it’s almost peach. I also window shopped at Cyrillus, which seemed so French to me — stripey boatneck tops and neutral colors. I love it all. Readers have been telling me I must visit DPAM (apparently it’s like a French Old Navy), but I haven’t happened upon one yet.

Any other not-miss stores I should know about?

57 thoughts on “Shopping for Kids”

  1. For basics and under garments at a value price point you can not beat Bon Marche. Clementine’s extensive collection of petit bateau underwear and undershirts (her full time uniform in tropical Kenya) came from the multi-story location in the latin quarter.

  2. Gabrielle,

    For basics and underwear, visit:
    C&A
    Petit Patapon
    Petit Bateau
    Mothercare.

    DPAM is my favorite store here, (I live in Portugal). Ialso buy my kids clothes at Zara and H&M, they’re unexpensive and hip!

    Neck&Neck has very good quality and a classic style.

    Printemps is also good and as lots of different brands.

    I also love Jacadi and Verbaudet as you said, but Jacadi is a bit expensive… maybe not so in paris, but in Portugal it is!

    You also have:
    Tartine et Chocolat
    Bonpoint – they have an outlet at 42 Rue de l’Universite, 75006 Paris
    Catimini – 15 rue Tronchet 75009 Paris – Metrô Madeleine
    Clayeux
    Kiddys Class (wich is Zara just for kids)
    Bebeconfort, (not all Bebeconfort have clothes but is good for babies-stuff)
    Gocco, (it´s spanish but I think they have parisien stores, I loooooove it)

    If you find a ZARA HOME, go inside! They also have clothes and baby gear.

    xxxxxx
    Pureza

  3. Petit Bateau is a stable. You can even get a point card and receive discounts and such.
    There are funkier shops like Petit Pan, Wowo…
    The higher end brands like Bonpoint, Bonton are a lot more interesting during sale periods (which you unfortunately just missed. The next one will be in July). Even if you are not going to buy, it’s fun to just visiting their beautiful flagship stores. Go to the Bonpoint rue Tournon and the Bonton blvd Filles des Calvaires. But, like someone said there is also a stock store for Bonpoint.
    I also love children’s lines at stores like Loft Design by and Comptoires des Cotonniers and Zadig & Voltaire (though a bit pricey).
    Check out a few French e-boutiques that are available in English for a round-up:
    http://www.littlefashiongallery.com
    http://www.noeuf.com
    http://www.smallable.com
    Also there are consignment shops where you can find good deals like this one I read about here: http://bodieandfou.blogspot.com/2011/01/scene-in-parisian-shop.html
    Don’t forget shoes. French shoes are so cute! Little June should take her first steps in French shoes!

  4. I love Sergent Major.

    I just discovered your blog in the last couple of weeks and I am LOVING your dispatches from France. My in-laws live in a tiny village in the Champagne-Ardenne region. We visit them every other summer but we had decided for a variety of reasons not to got this summer. Your blog has inspired me to rethink that decision.

  5. in Caen, you can find petit bateau, Catimini, Natalys (all rue St-Pierre), Okaïdi (rue de bras), http://www.coudemail.fr/ (rue froide). le Printemps have a really nice corner for kids (last floor), les galeries lafayette, Sergent major, DPAM,
    One of my favorite is the clothes corner in Monoprix ( you may love the food corner too !)
    a nice store for kids (toys and books) : les lutins de st-Sauveur (place St-Sauveur).

  6. I agree with Zara for kids and Monoprix (not sure if there’s one near you but they offer free home delivery if you sign up for their free fidelity card and buy more than 50 euros worth, you can even buy groceries online on their website).
    Beware with DPAM, as with Old Navy you get what you pay for in terms of quality.
    I really like Okaidi – not haute couture but cute, functional, reasonably priced and good quality (my two year old will ONLY wear leggings so her three pairs from Okaidi are in heavy rotation and they’ve helped up very well).

  7. Zara.
    Promod, esp. for blouses and jeans. (no kids section though)
    Galeries Lafayette is the French equivalent of Macy’s or Harrods.

  8. DPAM is the best! I miss living over there and have enjoyed reliving the adventure thru your posts. Also, you can get some great things at the local Carrefour.

  9. I just realised that DPAM is the same as Du pareil au même. I live in Brussels and they recently opened 3 stores here, which are doing quite well I think.
    H&M and Zara are great for low- to moderately priced basics. As far as H&M is concerned, I tend to like 20-30% of their collection (the rest I find too tacky or cheap looking).
    Okaïdi is great – the quality is good and the prices are reasonable.
    I like Petit Bateau for undergarments and pyjamas, but find their clothing to be very expensive.
    Cyrillus has a great on-line store. Ask for their fidelity card. They usually have mid-season sales and special discounts for cardholders.

  10. H&M!!! They may not have one in your little town, but I’m positive they have one in Paris, I promise it’s worth it…wonderfully priced, and oh-so-cute…..take a shopping trip :)

  11. Natalys (www.natalys.com) We went into their store in Paris and I wanted everything – the baby furniture – the gear – the adorable clothes – and their maternity wear was the best – I was I hadn’t felt like I was “jinxing” a future pregnancy by getting some – now that I’m pregnant, I wish I had stocked up!

  12. I happened upon a store called Berlingot when I was in Paris and pregnant. It was expensive but they have clothing embroidered with names to show you how it would look and the boy’s name was always Louie.

  13. We just moved back to the states after 2 years in Bordeaux. I dressed 2 girls and a boy there and miss the clothes soooo much. Our favorites:
    Monoprix
    DPAM- so many cute bright dresses for the girls
    Petit Bateau – classic, well made
    H&M fun more disposable clothing
    Zara – good for dresses, boots
    Jacadi – splurge on dresses, coats, shoes
    Pom d’api for shoes

    You should go to COS and Sandro for you!
    Verbaudet
    Okaidi

    Of all these, Monoprix may be my favorite for cute, quality and not too expensive.

    1. Just moved to Bordeaux from the States 4 months ago…thanks for all the great suggestions..I have 3 girls..so love to shop for clothes!

  14. Monoprix and Petit Bateau are absolutely great to dress kids (and mummies as well). And you can find them in medium sized cities such as Caen and Rouen and the delightful Deauville. For a sweet date, go to Trouville “les quatre chats”. (and I love your blog !)

  15. Is Caen the closest big city to you? Surely, there is DPAM as well as all these stores nearby…

    Hey Katherine – where are the DPAM stores in Brussels? I have only seen them in France…?

  16. If you hop over to Paris, you simply must visit Alice à Paris.
    9, rue de l’Odéon, 6ème.
    Lovely style and quite affordable.

  17. I agree with DPAM. I first “discovered” it on our first trip to Paris pre-kids. It was my favorite store even then :)
    Lucky you to have one nearby. I keep dreaming of franchising one here in the US….

  18. Yes! Those are all great children’s shop, and Du Pareil Au Meme (DPAM) is definitely a must! Cyrillus is my favorite along with Jacadi. Also, one that is very inexpensive and sometimes has a few good finds is Kiabi-usually found in Centre Commericals. In Brittany where my inlaws live, there are often Braderies or Marches when it gets warmer where they pick up all sorts of nautical clothing and jackets for our baby for great prices.

  19. lets start, even though I have no clue which brands you can get in the us:

    Petit Bateau
    Armor Lux
    Catimini
    COS (for you as well)
    GAP has a different collection in Europe
    IKKS
    Bonton
    Bonpoint
    Comptoir de Cotonnier (for you as well)
    Finger in the nose
    Monoprix, a supermarket with their own label Bout’chou to find in the bigger stores… love their knitwear
    Zara Home has georgous PJs
    Rose Desbois

    (normally I dont like to do that but if you have time, have a look at my blog… I write a lot about French kids clothes)

  20. Jacadi!!!!! By far. I live in London and this is the only French store we don’t have here and I do miss it. Best!!!! I always get aidan’s coat from here. Going to bordeaux in June and I’m stocking up

  21. I also love Monoprix (I recommend getting their loyalty card as there are sometimes special offers on children’s clothes – especially around September – also special offers on school supplies/makeup/food etc. they send news by e-mail and the reduction can be impressive for two children – can’t imagine for six). I buy a lot from Vertbaudet, they have excellent clothes, but I only buy from their website as they regularly send promotions of 20-30 percent off… and they have they really good giveaways/gifts, this month it is a princess/knight costume as France is getting ready for carnival – have you seen the doughnuts ? They are usually only on sale at this time of year. I tend to wait to buy from Vertbaudet depending on their free gifts/postage. Their bedroom furniture/bed linen is also good value and well designed but I doubt you are in the market for that..

  22. The minute I saw June’s outfit I recognized Vertbaudet. Beautiful picture!
    Great for basic clothes like onesies, pajamas…

    Loved Petit Bateau, Sergent Major and Berlingot for the quality.

    Great online deals at vente-privee.fr (almost got crazy with the prices!).

    Shoes at http://www.petitspasdegeant.com

  23. I don’t have a lot of first hand experience shopping in France for kids, but our French friends sent wonderful gifts to our little girl from Alice a Paris (already mentioned) and Repetto Baby (I was familiar with their shoes but did not know that they also made clothes). I also found that the quality of Zara’s clothing tends to be better in Europe (and they have Zara Baby and Zara Home there!). If you have a chance to go to Portugal, make sure to buy clothes for the kids there – they use the softest cotton and have wonderful designs (check out “Boneca de Sabao” (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boneca-de-Sab%C3%A3o/114231644497?v=wall) and Mariazinha (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mariazinha/126617857363659)).

  24. Shop for Cyrillus online – even better – wait for the sales when things go for >50% off. But the popular styles go fast.

  25. Petit Bateau first came to mind (I’ve even seen them at Costco here in P-town!)
    I loved DPAM, H&M, and C&A for their disposable clothing.

    Oh, btw, you may already know, but be sure to plan a trip to Paris (and perhaps they do it in the country too….not sure) in July and/or January. They have two BIG shopping events that last nearly the whole month. The sales go lower and lower as the month goes on. You can find some killer deals by the end, even the chains like GAP (which seems to carry different stuff). So if you can, hold off until July, bcse you’ll save a lot of $$.
    http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/twice-yearly-sales-in-paris.cfm
    And then August hits and it’s a ghost town bcse everyone vacations for the entire month. Restaurants shut down and people flee. It’s kind of strange. So vacationing in Paris is good and bad during that time bcse fewer shops are open but on the other hand, you’ll have the city “to yourself.” I am sure it’s not that extreme everywhere bcse the whole country does it, so people have to go somewhere! Maybe out of the country?

  26. DPAM looks soooo cute, great color palet, but I always find myself very disspointed a couple of months later, the quality is really bad.

  27. Coucou,
    I am originally from Canada but living in Amiens, France with my husband and nine month old son. For higher-end shopping I would suggest IKKS, Catimini and of course, Petit Bateau. For more reasonably priced items try Z – http://www.z-enfant.com and Tape à l’oeil – http://www.t-a-o.com

    Shopping in Paris is a whole other story!

    Enjoy your stay in France.
    Bonne journee,

  28. Monoprix…it’s the Target of France:) Very affordable, yet cute clothes and shoes for kids….really cute pajamas! Also DPAM….adorable skirts and blouses and french coats for kids..lovely!

  29. Funny to read people complaining about DPAM quality. I may have been lucky but in the past they had a store here in Brazil and I bought lots of things to my eldest (16 now) I saved almost everything and my youngest (now 6) is using all the dresses, coats and stuff her older sister used 10 years ago! Not many things last that long in perfect shape (I even sell the pieces she outgrows in a second-hand shop).
    I’d say, go for it!

  30. Oh, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Catimini. Some of their stuff is a little out there, and all of it is very expensive, but that which is cute – is so stinking adorable. LOVE!

  31. I don’t know if they have children’s clothes at this store but you have to at least window shop at Promod! It has to be my most FAVORITE store in the whole world! I would love to fly to Paris for a day and just go to that one store!
    Enjoy it for me! :)

  32. We use to live in the Haute-Savoir and I really miss the children’s shops. Of course I loved Jacadi and Catimini, but they are super expensive. A few that weren’t mentioned that I loved because they had good quality and price are Sargent Major, Petite Boy, La Campaigne Des Petites (my spelling may be off a bit), Confetti and a brand called Bout’ Chou which I got at the Monoprix. Orchestra also is good, but they tend to run very small. I like DPAM’s designs, but the clothes were junk and didn’t hold up or fit well. They were a great place for tights. French kids shoes are just awesome and there are great shops everywhere so you will have no problem there. Why are there no children’s shoe shops anymore in the states?

    Have fun! I loved shopping there!

    Oh and look for the annual “truc” sales that each community has. It is like a big consignment sale and you can get some fabulous deals. They will be twice a year, fall and spring.

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