Bonjour ça va ?
Fashion week (and winter—it’s now très froid) has landed in Paris so I thought I’d continue last issue’s theme and dive a little deeper into la mode and how to consume responsibly and sustainably in France.
As an HSP (highly sensitive person) working in fashion, I lose many a night’s sleep over the uncomfortable grind between fashion and the environment. The apparel industry contributes to 10% of global annual CO2 emissions and it’s estimated that a whopping 85% of textiles end up in landfill each year. It’s these kinds of statistics that keep me up at night, spending hours and hours researching how I can be a more responsible consumer. Whether you like it or not, most of us (I presume) must wear clothes every day so consuming ethically and sustainably is really a responsibility that falls on all our shoulders. However, I am very aware that it is not easy to do so (thank you greenwashing)—a lack of education means that most people opt for convenience over consideration. Luckily for you, part of my job is to sort fact from fiction so my goal with this issue is to make it as easy as possible for you to indulge in Parisian fashion in the most sustainable way possible.
Last issue I listed some of my favourite vintage stores in Paris and I’ll reinforce that buying second-hand is the best way to buy responsibly. I will add that even if you are buying second-hand, please try and avoid polyester and other textiles made from plastic. Every time you wash them, they release microplastics into the ocean. It may seem like a pain to read every garment label, but I think such care ensures that we shop more thoughtfully and truly think about what we buy.
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Le Marché des Puces de Saint-Ouen
The true mecca of vintage fashion is located just outside la périphique at the Marché des Puces de Saint-Ouen. Here, you will not only find the crème de la crème of garments but also furniture, jewellery, and all kinds of memorabilia and knick-knacks. Since la rentrée, I’ve made it ritual to venture out to the marché each weekend and I highly recommend making a day trip out of it.
The Marché is subdivided into several smaller marchés all located along the Rue des rosiers (not to be confused with the street of the same in the 4th arrondissement that is full of falafel). Each marché has a different focus and price point.
Be careful: surrounding the more formal market, there is a rather grimy flea market where you can buy fake Malboro Reds and other junk. This is also where you are sure to be pickpocketed so try and avoid it if you can. I’d recommend catching Bus 85, which takes you straight to the Rue des rosiers, rather than the metro.
My favourite of the smaller marchés are as follows:
Marché Paul Bert - Serpette: This is the market featured in Midnight in Paris and, as a result, it can be teeming with tourists. It is the ultra-high-end market where you’ll find many a museum-worthy piece. I would advise you to ask before taking photos as people may accuse you of stealing the designs.
There are several highly curated fashion stands where you can find some pretty good deals on vintage designer fashion. If you’re in the market for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, or Hermès bags (the golden trio in terms of resale), then I’d advise checking out these stands.
Marché Dauphin: This market looks like an office building with a strange spaceship plonked in the middle of it but it’s where you can find lower to mid-range vintage clothing and memorabilia (think records, music posters, photo books, etc). It’s divided into two levels with most of the vintage clothing stores on the top. There’s one stand that I spend far too much time at as they have absolutely exquisite lace nightgowns from the 1920s and 1930s that I just can’t get enough of at the moment.
Marché Vernaison: This is the real bric-a-brac part of the larger market but it’s where—if you have the time and patience to sort through piles of junk—you’ll find the true treasures. This is where I buy all my vintage table and kitchenware as there are stalls just overflowing with crockery, cutlery, and table linens
The markets are énorme and you’ll probably work up an appetite trawling through the labyrinth of pre-loved goods so I recommend making a reservation at the restaurant Bonne Aventure for lunch somewhere in between. It’s super fresh farm-to-table fare at cheaper-than-Paris prices but be sure to make a reservation as I can guarantee that many other people will have had the same idea.
Marché Saint-Ouen is really the best of the best when it comes to Parisian markets but each arrondissement also holds a brocante several times throughout the year. The most awaited is that of the 3rd arrondissement as all the big vintage dealers show up but it’s worth checking out this website for others as they’ll always have a treasure or two.
The next big dilemma in the fashion cycle is what does one do with their clothes once they tire of them? In an ideal world, you’d only buy things that you keep for life but that’s simply not possible especially when it comes to things like underwear and socks. Just like with household waste, there are three big Rs.
Resell, reuse, and recycle.
Resell: I have made a non-negligible amount of money off the resale market so keep this in mind as motivation to take proper care of your clothes and to only buy brands that hold their value (i.e. not fast fashion). Online is the way to go these days and my preferred platform is Vinted as they take a low-to-no commission. I sometimes use Vestiaire Collective but the commission is high and it’s unfortunately become a way for scammers to palm off fake goods so I’ve gone a bit cold on it.
Reuse/donate: There are plenty of charity shops called Emmaus across the capital where you can donate your used clothes and homewares (and scour for treasures). I would urge you to make the extra effort to go to these stores in person to drop off your goods rather than rely on the Ecotextile or charity bins that can (seldom) be found throughout the city. These bins often overflow—which means that clothes end up polluting the environment and waterways. I’ve also read far too many horror articles about how these clothes never actually end up going to charity but are rather shipped off to developing nations where they destroy the local economy. Please also make sure that the goods you are donating are still in good condition as charities often do not have the capacity to sort through garments—anything soiled or damaged will most likely end up in the trash.
Which is unfortunate because most textiles can be recycled!
Recycle: So, here’s where it gets tricky as you can’t simply put soiled garments in your household recycling bin (at least not in France). They need to be taken to dedicated textile recycling facilities which are near impossible to access locally. But here’s the good news: a lot of major brands will now take your dirtied textiles off your hands! Towels, undies, socks, sheets, sneakers—everything you didn’t know what to do with and probably just chucked in the bin for it to end up as landfill. Yes, it may take an extra effort to drag rubbish bags to these stores, but most brands will offer you a reward for your effort in the form of a discount. Here are the retailers that I know will recycle your garments for you:
H&M: Probably to repent itself of its sins, the fast fashion giant will take all your used clothes and textiles (but not shoes) to be recycled—from any brand, not just H&M. They’ll offer you a voucher for 15% in return. Note: they only accept two garbage bags full at a time.
And Other Stories: another member of the H&M family will also recycle your used clothes and textiles for you. Again, from any brand. They’ll give you a voucher for 10% off.
Patagonia: A leader in sustainable fashion, Patagonia will take apparel from their brand back, repair it, and resell it.
Nike: The sporting empire will not take all your used goods, but they’ll at least take your old sneakers and activewear (from any brand) to be donated or recycled. More details on what they accept here.
Run Collect: This organisation will also recycle your old running shoes. A list of participating stores can be found here.
I’m still looking for an organisation/brand that recycles shoes (aside from sneakers and runners) so if anyone has any leads please let me know!
Although this advice is targeted toward those living in Paris, the underlying principles and sentiments are universal. I’m pretty sure that most of these retail giants offer similar recycling schemes in their stores throughout the world. It may take an extra bit of effort and time spent Googling but there’s never going to be any long-term gain for our planet without a bit of short-term pain for us.
There are few things I enjoy more than a good old chin wag over sustainable fashion so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to know more/share any insight. I’m always on the lookout for emerging designers who create in respect of our planet so if you know anyone, send their name my way!
A la prochaine !
This newsletter is un oeuvre d’amour so if you enjoy my writing, please consider Buying Me a Coffee. It’s a wonderful initiative that allows people to support creatives, like myself, with a small donation at the price of a coffee!