This is NOT a COVER UP . . .

Here’s another very entertaining post from The Paris Corespondent, Shirley Riley. Here are the links to her other two posts.

Guest Blogger – The Paris Corespondent

Paris is a ‘Spatial’ Place

Forgive me if this introductory paragraph doesn’t quite fit the title, but please—if you will—’bare’ with me as I carefully frame both narrative and photos as the topic will soon be ‘revealed’…(again, forgive me for being somewhat obtuse).

It is said there are over 40,000 cafés in Paris—(and yes, I am working hard to visit each one). However, it is not only cafés that appear everywhere. For example, pharmacies (a necessity) seem to be on every corner. Numerous stylish optical shops are all over Paris as chic eyeglass frames and sunglasses are very, very French (and necessary).

Now to the topic at hand. There is another type of establishment of which there is a surprising overabundance in Paris: Lingerie Shops. They are everywhere.

In the US, of course, every typical mall has it’s racy Victoria’s Secret (ho hum) and seamy areas, often near airports, have those tawdry shops—some with the name ‘pantry’ in the title. Neither of these vaguely resemble what one passes by when strolling through Paris. Here it is different—way different. Timeless, elegant, classy and okay—maybe sometimes a little jarring…

Just gazing at these window displays is fascinating. There are many lingerie shops—some well known companies like Simone Peréle, Paloma Casile, and Elam. Others with more exotic and suggestive brand names like Madame Sensuelle, Agent Provocateur, and—just to spell it out: ‘OUI!’

While certainly suggestive, these are not tacky with a ‘back alley’ vibe. In fact, one shop described it this way—(translated): ‘Seduction meets sophistication’ In fact, most every one of the shops I pass is stylish and unapologetically classy, in lovely parts of the city, and offer a certain Parisian La joie de vivre. (On a personal note: I have not yet built up the nerve to actually enter one of these establishments, possibly in the fear of being viewed as not quite the right demographic and being escorted out. [To be completely forthright, I have always had sensible undergarments—although I did once purchase a very sturdy and sensible bra in hot pink. Just sayin’…]

Before going any further….there are shops that promote casual nightwear for men as you see in these two photos. Front windows in these shops show mannequins wearing crisp pin-striped nightshirts and flannel bathrobes: a far, far cry from what is on display in shops focused on the ladies.

Enjoy this pictorial review of what is on offer as one wanders up and down shopping streets in Paris. Timeless, elegant, classy, racy, shocking, amusing…however you see it….ENJOY (Disclaimer: are you over 18…?) 😳

One shop window displays some lovely lingerie along with a candle and bottle of perfume…low key, elegant, slightly racy.

Another adds a little touch of humor with what I see as a smiling ‘happy face’ creation out of underwear. Clever.

Of course, some of the items in the window display of some shops look entirely too complicated to even put on….but are certainly architecturally interesting….Several photos of similar undergarments are included here…but just a select few…

A lingerie shop just down the road from our apartment actually has a guard dog (French bulldog, of course) at the door for added security. As you can see in a subsequent photo, French Security Dog must have gone out on break for a smoke, because someone seems to be in the window fiddling with one of the display models. (It’s hard to get good help these days…)

To me, the most amusing photo of the lot shows a truncated mannequin in the window wearing a minuscule set of black lace. A sign just below proclaims that that shop is completely accessible for those with mobility issues. I myself use a cane, and it is not my intention to be disrespectful, but I do find it hard to imagine anyone with mobility issues being able to actually don the more ‘involved’ pieces of lingerie….

FYI: As an aside, it seems that Boudoir photos are quite the thing in Paris. Even a wonderful mainstream photographer we hired several years ago for a Paris style photo shoot has recently added the option of Boudoir photos. At least I know that anyone deciding to do that has a lot of choices of places to shop!!!

I end this probably way too lengthy blog with a photo of a lovely piece from one of the shop windows—a bright pink and fluffy robe reminiscent of a 1930’s movie—and a piece which actually IS a cover up (unlike all the other bits and pieces!). Oh la la!!

Thank you Shirley, for this very informative and entertaining post! As always, we’d love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment.