CHEAP CLOTHES SHOPS IN PARIS AND FRANCE? CHAIN STORES? TATI? HELP!?

Beware! If you live in United States, then you might be disappointed by French prices. Clothes and shoes in France are way more expensive than in United States; owing to VAT (tax on goods and services) whose rate is close to 20%, and to heavy taxes on employment and business; to the point that French tourists who go to the United States for vacation or else later regret to have brought their clothes with them from France… About Tati, then. The main and biggest Tati store is located Boulevard Rochechouard, 18th arrondissement, in Paris downtown; an area where live and go African immigrants, mostly. Tati’s founder is African immigrant himself, and the name of the first store he created has been chosen after his aunt’s nickname. Tati stores address to the above mentioned pool of customers, exclusively, and that’s why prices in this store are cheap, as all clothes you’ll find in therein are. So, be aware that those products are designed and made for poor people and immigrants, and in accordance with their taste in most instances! Perhaps, it is not exactly what you had in mind… At some point during the late 90’s, Tati attempted to hire a designer and to get over its reputation of clothe maker for poor immigrants; but the attempt proved to be a failure. Actually, people who buy clothes in Tati’s store avoid telling they bought them there. But you’ll see all this by yourself. P.S.: I got your additional info, and so I provide you with further recommendations. The best bargain you could find about clothing and good brand is known in France as “magasins d’usine” – which you can translate as “factory outlets.” These stores are all located at Troyes, in Aube (about 2 hours south-east from Paris), and are run by a company named McArthur Glenn. McArthur Glenn act as a middle company of a sort that builds open shopping malls where nearly all brands you could look for open a store (H&M, Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi’s, etc, etc.) There you can find top of the range clothes made by authentic good brands for an advantageous price (say, about from 30 to 70% down the normal price). However, beware not to go there at the wrong time, or all you’ll find will be good quality stuff for the normal price! Good bargains can be expected during sale times only, and there are 2 or 3 or these sale times annually; no more. This periods last for a few day during which the place is over crowded by people who come from everywhere in France and from abroad. Look for “McArthur Glenn” and “Troyes” and “Pont Sainte Marie” and you might find further information about the right time to go there. One last thing: better getting there the first day of the sale period the morning as people stampede to be thre first and best served... The outlets begin opening from about 9 to 10AM. Bear in mind that those outlets are not very close to Troyes railways station, in case you don't come with a car.

Camieu, Nim, Pimkie, Etam, Jennyfer, 3 Suisses are more your things and your price range. They are chain stores and have shops almost in every town centre in France. Others like Zara, Naf Naf and Morgan de toi are a bit expensive. There are also shops like Babou, Macdan, Foiefeuille which sells cheap clothes and undergarments and all daily household products. Their branches are less than the clothes chain but you will find them in big cities. Tati is a very low quality store. Clothes you buy there will last you about a few times wearing. Then they are either split or zipper worn out or shrink after a few times washing. If you have time, you can go on line to buy from a Catalogue shop ( similar to your Littlewood or Argos ) called La Redoute. They have reasonable price clothes there and they have a few shops in France but mainly do online shopping. You can have a look at their site : http://www.laredoute.fr

Actually there is an outlet mall you can go to by train - RER A - to Val d'Europe. I believe you can catch a bus to the outlet or the train may stop there. There is a whole large mall with all kinds of French shops and then there are designer shops around it as well. You can take the train easily; it goes past Paris Disneyland and then go shopping! Got lots of unique things there last year and not too expensive.

Actually, in my opinion, second hands are the best but Tati is something like that...