ย I went to London and Paris with a clear objective: Buy a Celine bag at a better price and perhaps a couple more special pieces that are a better deal overseas. The shopping from vintage shops in London’s Shoreditch to Paris’ Ave. Montaigne was just incredible! Here’s a full breakdown of what I bought:
Luxury Goods
The only thing I knew for sure is that I wanted a Celine bag (either the Triomphe or the bucket 16 bag) and possibly the small size belt. I checked these bags out in London in person and waited until our Paris day trip make the purchase.
Just for transparency sake (and I couldn’t find full breakdowns of what things actually cost there), the bucket 16 bag (the bag I purchased) is $2750 USD plus tax in the U.S. and in France, it was $2100 euro (tax already included) and the small triomphe belt was $430 euro (this costs $590 USD plus tax in the U.S.) Plus, I received a $300 credit from the VAT refund when I left France, so some serious savings.When I came back through U.S. Customs, I owed $100 in taxes (you’re only allowed $800 worth of goods tax free per person and you pay for anything after that, but still plenty of savings.)
In Paris, I also bought Hermes cologne for Rob.
In London, I bought the Louis Vuitton passport cover. It cost me $304 USD and in the U.S., the cost is closer to $400. I really wanted one of these and was looking into buying a used one, but for around $100 more in London, I got a brand new one. You don’t get a VAT refund on purchases in the UK, but I was still happy to save what I saved!
My Vintage Find
We shopped London’s Shoreditch neighborhood, popping into several vintage shops and one had a sale: 20% off the entire shop and as I dug I found beautiful jackets and coats from labels like MaxMara and when I stumbled upon the plaid vintage Celine, I knew I had to have it. It was just $160 USD! I wore this jacket (see below) to dinner on the second night in London and instantly dressed up my jeans. I can’t wait to style this casually with a white tee, jeans and sneakers.
Other Items!
I also bought a coat, this 14K gold ring from Mejuri and some souvenirs like a gold key chain and a London mug and a few boxes of these biscuits!
In Paris, I bought a couple skincare products from City Pharma. The prices are considerably lower on brands like Caudalie and Avene and they carry products you don’t see in the U.S. Many employees spoke English here so it was easy to shop and ask questions. Highly recommend shopping there if you’re in Paris!
