Taking a Stroll Among Paris’ Baby Boutiques

Parisians pick up fashion flair at an early age.

The emphasis in French children’s fashion is on personal style. Tots to teens, guided by their parents’ sense of chic, can choose togs ranging from the classical--items such as hand-smocked dresses for girls and two-piece suits with short pants and knee socks for boys--to the contemporary, loose-fitting ensembles made up of mix-and-match elements in a profusion of patterned fabrics.

Some of the finest quality and most innovative French children’s fashions are not yet sold on this side of the Atlantic. Others, including well-known labels such as Bonpoint and Jacadi, are available in the United States, in better department stores and children’s specialty shops. However, Parisian shops offer a more complete selection at prices about a third less than in the United States.

This city has several clusters of children’s boutiques. Here’s a boutique-hop by district or arrondissement :

On the Right Bank, in Paris’ premier fashion quarter, babies begin their lives in haute style at Baby Dior (28 Ave. Montaigne), the source for Dior diapers (from $40 U.S.), bunting suits (from $80), lacey baby shifts (from $120) and christening gowns (from $150), plus rattles, booties, bonnets, blankets and a tiny stuffed bunny made of real rabbit fur.

Nearby, D. Porthault (18 Ave. Montaigne), best known for fabulous linens, has magnificent layette furnishings and classical clothing for toddlers. Outfits cost about $150 and up.

Caddie Montaigne (38 Rue Francois 1er), a very well-organized boutique for infants to teens, with larger sizes on the basement level, has preppy fashions for the young country club set.

Most adventurous of all are the chic jump suits (from about $68) constructed of parachute material in colorful hues. There are also some very attractive quilted jackets (from about $100) that can be worn for play, as well as for dressier occasions.

Bonpoint (15 Rue Royale and other locations throughout Paris), a chain of high-fashion children’s boutiques owned by two sisters of perfumer Annick Goutal, is chic without being pretentious. The shop coordinates children from head to toe with formal, expensive and well-made clothing, designed to stay in style rather than crash with the latest fashion wave.

This might seem an odd approach since children outgrow clothes so rapidly, but Bonpoint’s make-it-to-last philosophy is quite practical. When you’re paying about $160 for a cotton dress for a 6-month-old, or about $400 for a 4-year-old’s, you may want them to clothe more than one child.

Bonpoint’s little skirts (from about $50), trousers (from about $60), suits (from about $90) and sweaters (from about $50) are ideal hand-me-downs to be shared by several generations of kids with hardly a wrinkle.

Jacadi (17 Rue Tronchet and other locations throughout Paris), also well known in the United States for style and quality, offers dresses with smocking (from about $50) and suits (from about $70) and sports ensembles (from about $50 per outfit) for well-dressed children from newborns to 16.

More moderately priced than those at Bonpoint, the clothes can be dressy, but they’re not so formal that they make kids look like adults in miniature. Shoes, ranging in price from about $10 for leather baby shoes to $80 for dressy styles, are a specialty. Jacadi has a discount shop at 119 Rue d’Alesia in the 14th Arrondissement.

Tartine et Chocolat (89 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore), a chain of delightful children’s boutiques owned and run by Catherine Painvain, has its own line of fashions that are just becoming known in the United States.

Part of the label’s charm comes from the distinct use of fabrics, ranging from the pale blue-and-white signature pattern to quilted floral prints sewn into little suits. Other outfits are covered with splashy, big pink elephants or diminutive white mice or cheerful bouquets of daffodils and irises--light-hearted and lovely fashion that should keep both children and their parents amused.

Prices start at about $80 per outfit, tots to 14-year-olds.

Le Petit Eclaireur (84 Ave. des Champs Elysees, Galerie des Champs, lower level) is a multi-brand boutique for tots to teens, with a fine selection of trendy labels, including Miki House, Tratinette and Marithe & Francois Girbaud’s children’s line. The sales staff is unusually helpful and patient. Prices from about $50 per outfit.

Across the Seine, on the artsy Left Bank, Cacaotine (25 Rue Dauphine) features terrific play clothes, including little denim suits (from about $48) and colorful cotton shirts (from about $28), for kids from infancy to 12 years. The diminutive patent leather shoes (from about $30) are a delight.

Petit Faune (33 Rue Jacob and 89 Rue de Rennes) is a bundle of clothing joy for tots, from newborns to 4-year-olds. The little knit suits with lace collars (from about $70) are purely Pierrot in inspiration.

Pastel colors and soft fabrics, lacey sleepers and cuddly bunting abound. There are also music dolls, music bears and music pillows (from about $40) to sooth stubborn children into sleep. The shop on Rue de Rennes has patterns, yarns and fabrics with which to made these delightful clothes yourself, at substantial savings.

Scapa of Scotland (71 Rue des Saints Peres) offers tots to teens a selection of diminutive versions of Scottish Highland styles by designer Brian Redding. There are little kilts in classic tartans (from about $50), Oxford shirts (from about $26), V-neck sweaters (from about $60) and bow ties. The French love this look for kids.

La Petite Gaminerie (28, 30 and 32 Rue du Four) is a warren of three small storefronts, where kids of all ages are covered for clothes. Infants from newborn to 6-year-olds are outfitted with tiny designer styles (from about $75 per outfit) with Cacharel and other top labels. Gifts for newborns are found at No. 30. Juniors up to the age of 14 can buy school, sport and dress clothes at No. 32, from about $95 per outfit.

Francoise Ezanno’s (4 bis Rue du Cherche Midi) styles are adorable. There are, for example, red quilted coats with Christmas tree linings (from about $85), to be worn with green felt hats (from about $30), as well as tot-size argyle socks (about $9) to be worn with color-coordinated woolen pedal pushers (about $58) with matching suspenders (about $18). These chic little outfits show great imagination.

Boutique Chantal Goya (17 Rue du Cherche Midi), the splashy boutique owned by the famous singer, has little leather coats (from about $170) to be worn with preppy plaid dresses (from $75) and suits (from $90), with matching travel and school bags. The windows of this shop are always attractive and amusing.

In the 16th Arrondissement, the bastion of the “bon chic, bon genre” set, has its outposts of Bonpoint (64 Ave. Raymond Poincare) and Jacadi (7 Rue Gustave Courbert). In addition, Bambolino (51 Rue de Passy) provides wealthy Parisians with clothes just about as smart as any parent would want for his or her children. The range includes everything from play clothes to formal garments. Check out the tiny tux for about $250.

Kesako (36 Rue de Passy) is trendy and offers discounted prices on leather coats (from about $120), knit ensembles (from about $45) and some colorful satin dresses that might dress up the local talent show (from about $49). The shop’s casual atmosphere is appealing.

Le Monde des Enfants (63 Rue de Boulainvilliers) has comfortable play clothes in bright primary colors to cheer any child’s outlook. Jump suits (from abut $60) with flower or polo player prints are particularly chic. The shop even has its label on watches (about $35).

Best of all, agnes b. (17 Ave. Pierre 1er de Serbie, and 3 Rue du Jour in the 1st Arrondissement) features the designer’s comfortable and very popular collection for the family, including the kids.

The loose-fitting layered fashions emphasize wearability and easy care. Lightweight knits with polka dots of various sizes, colors and/or geometric patterns work together in delightful, slightly dizzying contrast.

Black on white and white on black are favorites, with brighter colors often used in the children’s versions of each style. Stockings, scarves and other accessories finish off the look, with children’s outfits priced from about $90.

Prices quoted in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing .