Bagatelle

Lord & Taylor

2011-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We at bagatelle loved this modern homage to the company's signature rose motif. A heavy, almost watercolor paper-like stock, the bag is strong and sturdy so it naturally put us in mind of another strong rose, that stage mother of all stage mothers, Mama Rose.

OK, it's a stretch, but what else would give us such a great excuse to acknowledge the fabulous and fully-justified on-stage wig-out of one Ms. Patti LuPone in January of 2010? Just as we applaud this bag we applaud the Broadway diva's public upbraiding of the thoughtless, selfish, and downright stupid theater-goer dumb enough to snap pictures while one of the all-time greats of the theater was singing her heart out. Well done, Ms. LuPone--this bag's for you!

Bloomingdale's

2011-10-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing excites Mlle Bagatelle more than when a quiet day at the mall turns into a quest for a really incredible bag. Experiencing just such a day a few months ago, MB spotted a fellow shopper with this masterpiece and before long she found herself peering beneath a bathroom stall to see exactly from whence it came (ahhh, the things we'll do in the name of art).

Turns out this fabulous psychedelic, 60s-inspired bag came from the "Juniors" section of Bloomies and was NOT easy to acquire. With only a few of these beauties left at her station the sales associate was reluctant to give one to someone buying something from another department. In fact, when asked for it the look she gave basically said this, but really, we can't blame her. When a bag is this fabulous you really should guard it with that level of determination.

Vosges Haut Chocolat

2011-10-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

So we're taking a break from London today because we can't wait to show you these incredible masterpieces*. These racy, tongue-in-cheek beauties reminded us so much of this racy beauty and are from Vosges Haut Chocolat, a Chicago-based company that makes some of the best and most unusual chocolate you've ever had in your life. They even make a bacon/chocolate range of products as well as...get this: a salt/chocolate combo! As if that weren't enough they also hold "Yoga and Chocolate Weekend Workshops" for all you yoga lovers.

*It's a little early to start forecasting, but we're thinking this is a definite contender for the Bagatelle Museum's Bag of the Year.

V.V. Rouleaux

2011-10-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

With all those wonderful hats and fascinators one needs for the British social/wedding season it's no surprise that a place like V.V. Rouleaux exists. In addition to their incredible selection of ribbons, this fabulous London-based business stocks every kind of pom-pom, tassel, feather, fringe, cord, and bobble you can possibly imagine. It reminded Mlle Bagatelle of her childhood and all those Saturday trips up to New York's trim center where she would spend hours going through boxes of this kind of thing at places like this and this; only here no one was yelling "Little Girl! Don't touch that!!!"

Biba

2011-10-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Two recent trips to London have Mademoiselle Bagatelle completely U.K.-wonky so what better bag to showcase than this?!?

As someone who grew up in the 70s MB is extremely excited to see this house get back in the fashion game (now if only they would bring the original New York Fiorucci store back). It's a looong story but in a nutshell, the Biba name was essentially purchased by House of Fraser, a British-owned department store and as far as we can see, every effort is being made to keep the integrity of the brand in tact. Having recently visited the Biba department at H of F, we here at the museum are happy to report that stylistically things look very much the same. Black walls, gold accents, and of course, all with a strong nod to the art deco/art nouveau styles. While we've heard and are sorry that the brand's original creator, Barbara Hulanicki, is extremely unhappy about this new iteration of her company, we have to admit that we're thrilled to see the Biba name alive and thriving.

Aubin and Wills

2011-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

An English, more industrialized version of J.Crew, Aubin & Wills is where you go for trendy, but not-too-trendy basics like striped t-shirts and khaki capris. Like the store's inventory itself their packaging is simple, classic, and really holds up (literally and figuratively).

Mary Quant

2011-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is not a vintage bag. Mary Quant maintains a make-up only store front just off King's Road in London which Mademoiselle B had the pleasure of visiting recently. A big admirer of Miss Quant's, MB was very excited to see this iconic British brand still hopping.

By the way, we here at the Bagatelle Museum recently saw a collection of very Quant-inspired celebrity-designed dresses for a label like TopShop or H & M in the $600 range. For the life of us we can't seem to remember who the celebrity was--if you can tell us, we'd love to solve the mystery!

Sherry-Lehmann

2011-10-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

Given Mlle Bagatelle's penchant for France, it would not be unreasonable to assume this bag is from the land of wine and cheese, however this is only half true. Wine, yes, cheese, not so much.

Interestingly, this lovely, portable little masterpiece is actually from famed liquor store Sherry-Lehmann and is probably more than familiar to most New Yorkers. In a nod to tradition, the 77-year-old institution still stocks something called "The Can-Can;" a tin of the same Toulouse-Lautrec painting that appears on the bag (Troupe de Mlle Egalantine), filled with four bottles of wine and something called a "Toulouse-Lautrec gift box." I have no idea what that actually is but I'm almost certain I want one.

Lilly Pulitzer

2011-10-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Is there anything or anyone that says summer like Lilly Pulitzer? The go-to designer for sorority girls, Junior Leaguers, and socialites the world over for more than 50 years, Lilly is still churning out pink and green cardis and capris as if the world were just a giant fairway. A cross between Trina Turk and Al Hirschfeld (think of the hidden "Lillys"), Pulitzer reminds us that it's always tee time somewhere.

Versace

2011-09-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

It's virtually impossible for Mlle Bagatelle to look at these vintage Versace bags and not be instantly transported back to 1992, the year the late designer introduced the black and gold "bondage" look, and, coincidentally, the year MB first set off for Paris and was pretty much the only girl on the streets of the city NOT wearing black flared pants with gold buttons up the side. (Why? you ask? Please--MB couldn't afford dinner that year--forget pants!)

A small Versace obsession started after our curator saw the Versace retrospective that year at the Fashion Institute of Technology; both with the designer and with the idea of enrolling in F.I.T.'s Museum Studies program. Who wouldn't want an excuse to wear white gloves?

Calypso

2011-08-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

Every now and then Mlle B will walk into a store and think that if she just changed her entire aesthetic to something simpler her whole life might follow. If she just ditched the black turtlenecks and vintage tweeds and Hollywood Regency living room and switched to natural fibers and linen and smooth woods, all kinds of things would fall into place. Little else feeds this fantasy like Calypso. Their gentle hues and breathable fabrics make you want to set fire to everything you own* and spend the rest of your life in their breezy tunics, keeping nothing more complicated in your home than a couple of their exotic dhurries.

*OK, maybe not "set fire to," but at least sell on Ebay.

Shanghai Tang

2011-08-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

In New York, a city in which mohawks are considered conformist, you have to work pretty darn hard to turn heads, which is why Mlle B found herself walking down Madison Avenue with a wry smile the day she acquired these beauties. The riot of color combined with sheer scale caught the eye of many a New Yorker that day and who could be surprised? Note if you will, the bag in the top picture which in real life is the length of a small coffee table and even has cord handles running underneath it. A lovely chat with one of the sales associates revealed some other, easy-to-miss subtleties, for example: the building that composes the main design is actually part of the famous Shanghai Bund complex and the letters above it read, from left to right, Shang hai Tang. Also, there's a teeny tiny little thank you printed on the inside of every bag. Nice. Yes, like the shop it advertises, this bag could be looked at again and again and still there would be something new to discover.

Oh no JLo Typo

2011-06-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

It was at a farmer's market in the Ukraine that Mlle Bagatelle spotted this gem and thought to herself: "How funny is that? Jennifer Lopez on a shopping bag and her name is spelled 'Jenifer'! With only one n! Now, that is really funny! What could be funnier than that?!?!?!"

Two stands down she got her answer:

This. This is much, much funnier.

Descanso Gardens

2011-04-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks Mlle B has been scouring seed catalogs and bulb sites for what she hope will be her best garden season yet (NOT like last year when NOTHING bloomed) and, in the hope of being inspired, spent a cold Easter Sunday at Descanso Gardens, just north of Los Angeles. Inspired she was by the lilacs, the camellias, but most of all by this simple, clean, happy little green shopping bag with orange tissue peeking out like a blossom breaking through the top soil. Reminiscent of Vera scarves (her favorites), this bag made MB want to spend the day on Ebay hunting down white wicker furniture for the garden and gingham jumpsuits to spend the season in. Cocktail, anyone?

On another note: did you know they make black tulips? Amazing.

Lulu Guinness Tissue

2010-09-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Mlle B just gets in the mood to look at something unapologetically girly and when she does, there are few better places than the Lulu Guinness store on Bleeker Street in New York. (Actually MB is always up for a stroll on Bleeker; especially in the fall or around Christmas. Great street, that.)

At the moment Miss Guinness is going in for street scene handbags which MB loves because they remind her of the decoupaged handbags her grandmother's set was so fond of. Strong and sturdy they were like carrying around miniature toy chests (MB knows because she forced her grandmother to give them to her when she was a teenager and wouldn't be caught dead in anything that couldn't be labeled vintage). So glad Lulu is bringing back this staple of WASP culture even if she is using fabric rather than shellac.

Sonia Rykiel

2010-09-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Next to online shopping, perhaps the greatest advance of the 21st century thus far is the introduction of major league designers on the shelves of lower-priced stores. Never in a million years did Mlle B think she would ever see the likes of Isaac Mizrahi at Target or Vera Wang at Kohl's, but, like men landing on the moon, the incredible happened. Last spring H & M brought us knitwear queen Sonia Rykiel and along with her, one hell of a bag. Available only to customers who purchased something from the line, it's a sturdy, brushed matte burgundy with fabulous rubber handles.

Incidentally, it's pretty much impossible for Mlle Bagatelle to look at this bag and not think of the incredible late Malcolm McLaren, creator of what is arguably Mlle's all-time most favorite album, Paris. Released in 1994, it features Ms. Rykiel in a duet with M.M. called "Who the Hell is Sonia Rykiel?" and was used as the background music for Catwalk, the "Goodbye to All That" documentary about what would be the last days of the supermodel era. If you haven't seen it remedy that immediately.

Takashimaya

2010-03-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

Perhaps because of or in spite of the sheer number of stores in New York, only a select few of the city's shopping bags act not just as ambassador for their brands, but signature. Never was this more true than in the case of Takashimaya. The only three-sided bag in Mlle Bagatelle's collection (in fact the only three-sided shopping bag MB has ever seen), this stunner makes you not only want to see the store but get to know whoever is carrying it. Like the bag, the goods here are truly one of a kind. Take for example, the cashmere wrap with the magnetic closure. Or for that matter the bottle cap umbrella. (Last year they carried a small can of fake snow that MB literally couldn't stop playing with.)

As enviornmentally conscious as they are fashion conscious, I'm told that once they work their way through the existing bags the following batches will be made from stone. Wanting to do what she can for the environment, Mlle Bagatelle vows to make it her personal responsibility to help them get rid of all their current bags by spending too much money there next time she's in town.

By the way, if you think this one's impressive, you should see their large-sized tassle version; a bag so incredible that Mlle Bagatelle's AARP-year-old college professor mother almost climbed into a city dumpster for it when she thought she might have seen the top of it peeking up through the garbage. When given this information MB told her to stop making excuses, toughen up, and get back out there and get it.

A little post-script to this post: sadly, just weeks after this writing this grand and always exciting store closed it's doors for the last time. Purchased for something like $140 million, it seems this retail space is destined to go the way of the "Going Out of Business" rug/capodimonte emporiums that fill the space between two-level delis.

21 Restaurant

2010-03-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

You know that game* where everyone is supposed to say what movie they would take to a desert island if they could only take one? Well, high on Mlle B's list would be Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 classic about L.B. Jefferies, a photojournalist who, after being sidelined by a skiing accident, is forced to spend a long, hot New York summer totally immobile with nothing to do but spy on the neighbors. Among the many wonderful scenes** is one in which Grace Kelly, as James Stewart's high society girlfriend Lisa Fremont, orders dinner from 21 for the housebound Jefferies. It comes direct from the restaurant on a silver tray, complete with waiter Karl. To a teenage*** Mlle Bagatelle, few gestures could have seemed more glam, which is why, when she saw this bag, she knew it had to be part of the collection.

Incidentally, these bags aren't just for leftovers. 21 Club offers a variety of interesting merchandise that make much better, much less cliche gifts for the folks back home. I'd make this my first stop long before I hit the souvenir shops on 5th avenue sandwiched in between all those "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS" places.

*I know this is slightly off topic, but why do some people insist on ruining this game by either saying something pretentious like "Probably the BBC production of I, Claudius. Either that or the Arturto Toscanini concerts. " or something obnoxious like "That's stupid. How could you watch a movie on a desert island?" Just play the damn game!

**OK, again, off-topic, but as long as we're talking about Rear Window, is that scene where Raymond Burr looks right into the camera when he realizes Jefferies is on to him not the scariest thing you've ever seen? I want to check my locks just thinking about it. Sorry, this was the only version of it I could find.

***Last thing--just for the record, Mlle B was not a teenager in the 50s, she just saw the movie for the first time as a teenager.

Zitomer

2010-02-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

You would not believe how fast Mlle Bagatelle had to run to catch up with the woman who was walking down Madison Avenue with this bag to see where it was from (why is it always the over-60 society set I have trouble catching up with? Seriously, those girls can walk!).

Anyway, I did and the minute I realized where it was from I had a good laugh. Zitomer is to drug stores what Cartier is to jewelry. A New York institution if ever there was one, this is a good, old-fashioned, stocked-to-the-gills pharmacy where you're just as likely to find Miss Dior as you are to find nail polish remover. (In fact, when you Google it, it comes up as a "department store.") A favorite of the Upper East Side set for over 50 years, it's a place MB could spend hour after hour.

Fendi

2010-02-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

Fendi always makes Mlle Bagatelle think of PETA protesters which makes her think of fur which makes her nostalgic for this commercial for the Ritz Thrift Shop; a commerical that played virtually non-stop during her childhood and which she absolutely loved. A sort of upscale Salvation Army for fur, this store must have supplied half the women in 1970s New York with fur coats (before they had to worry about being ambushed by animal rights activists hurling fake blood). Like lots of girls growing up then and there, Mlle Bagatelle could recite the copy by heart and knew just when to pause, caress the collar, and charmingly say, "Oh, thank you," to the imagined narrator.

And speaking of the Ritz Thrift Shop, looks like there's another commercial from 1969 with which Mlle Bagatelle was unfamiliar. Airing a few years before the iconic "Oh, thank you," spot, this one doesn't have quite the refinement of the subsequent ad. The voiceovers* in this are hilarious, especially "Mr. K" saying "...and for some glamour in your life..." You'll see. (Love the way his New York accent turns "Somali leopard" into "Somali lepud." Ah...my people.)

Also, don't miss the change in wallpaper. They clearly shot both commercials in the exact same part of the store using the exact same mirrors but changed the wallpaper at some point in the years between shoots. While the first one seems to be a mylar tree theme and the second seems to be more of a camouflage pattern, they're so similar it makes you wonder why they even bothered.

*I don't want to speak out of school, but doesn't the narrator sound a LOT like Mr. K? Hmm? Also, you have to love that the "Oh, thank you" woman walks in on what looks to be a warm, sunny day wearing only a light jacket and comes out wearing a fur coat.

Sotheby's

2010-02-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

This past winter while on an unexpected trip to New York, Mlle Bagatelle took a trip up to Sotheby's to preview the Audrey Hepburn auction (how could she not?) and, against her better judgment, took a teeny tiny peek at the bookshop. While the goal may have been to leave without purchasing some 90-pound book that would impede that day's shopping, MB knew it would be a lost cause when she saw a customer walk out with this incredible, impressionist masterpiece with pleather handles*. Well done, Sotheby's for not only improving upon your previous bag but for pretty much hitting it out of the park. This was like carrying around a little piece of artwork all day.

*Luckily, there was a small, photo-rich catalog of the sale that weighed no more than say, oh, a paperback copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Which, incidentally, happened to be one seriously juicy catalog. Luckily, Kerry Taylor Auctions which produced the auction in association with Sotheby's has posted in full on their site. Having a life-long obsession with both tweed and stripes, Mlle B can't say how tempted she was to bid on Ms. Hepburn's tweed coat and/or sailor top. Probably would have had they come with the promise of a shopping bag.

Jonathan Adler Redux

2010-02-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

They say it's never a good idea to meet your heroes, but after my very recent experience at the Jonathan Adler store on Greenwich Avenue in NYC, I'm here to tell you, whoever said that must have had some pretty sorry heroes. Last night, after popping into the Jonathan Adler store quite by accident, I met him!!!! (No, you can't touch me.) Yes, that's right! I met Stephen Moss!!! (Who did you think I meant?)

In a nutshell, Mlle Bagatelle had been perusing the lacquer salad tongs, hip menorah candles, and even hipper menorahs for quite a while before deciding on a small stocking stuffer for a friend. As the cheery associate at the cash wrap was ringing up her purchase, MB specifically asked for one of the store's special Christmas shopping bags. (Having accidentally missed out on them last year, MB has felt somewhat unbalanced--sort of like the feeling you get after reading that Sarah Palin's book has just made the New York Times' bestseller list. And I mean, the TOP.) After explaining to him the reason behind her request, this man, who incidentally has the kind of happy aura that makes you want to go to his house to drink a little of his water said, "You're kidding! You won't believe this, but the designer is actually here tonight!"
"The designer?" MB muttered in disbelief. "Of the bag?"
"No, of the Chrysler Building.*" said the associate. "Yes, of course of the bag! Just a minute--I'll introduce you!"

Well, you can only imagine Mlle Bagatelle's excitement! After a full year of admiring this bag (a year during which she developed an almost scary willingness to do bad things to get it), here was the actual designer! If Vermeer himself had walked in to the Metropolitan Museum of Art that afternoon as MB was gazing at "The Milkmaid," she could not have been more shocked, but there he was in the flesh--Stephen Goss, graphic designer, there for night to get a feel for how the stores ran (and thrill its patrons beyond words). Modest, soft-spoken, and with manners that make Opie Griffith seem like Don Rickles, Mr. Moss seemed genuinely touched and flattered that I had such admiration for his work. (At least I think that's why he kept putting his hand on his heart. Either that or he has some sort of arrhythmia that needs to be checked out.) The first honest-to-goodness shopping bag designer MB has ever met, he shared with me the fact that I'm actually the second shopping bag collector he's met; the first being a friend from grad school to whom he promised to pass on my information.

Those who grew up in the era of carpet murals on airplanes and string art in every room will certainly appreciate the moxie of Mr. Moss' designs, not to mention the clever homage to Mr. Adler's work (compare the shapes hidden within the swirls and paisleys to Mr. A's ceramics and you'll see what I mean). Like the philosophy of the store's founder, the designs are fun, bold, and full of whimsy and I can't tell you how much MB wishes she had thought to have SM autograph one.

So, Mr. Adler, whatever you've been putting in the company Kool-Aid and martinis (and whatever etiquette book you have them reading**), keep doing it. My experience at your store and with MG in particular, has made me a customer for life.

*No, he didn't actually say that--I just got a little carried away.
**Seriously, this group does it right--I had occasion to speak to the staff at the SOHO store and they are equally as accommodating.

Tory Burch

2010-02-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

Usually, anything trendy sends me running in the other direction, but I have to admit a weakness for the whole Tory Burch esthetic. Her sleek orange and brown, orange and olive, orange and purple, orange and magenta, orange and gold boutiques remind me of the bachelor pads so many of my parents' friends had in the 70s. Formulaic, maybe (geometric wallpaper, lacquer and lucite as far as the eye can see, gold accents and one giant white statement piece which was usually the couch), but timeless nonetheless, the minute I walk into one of these boutiques I'm suddenly back in a high rise overlooking the East River, overhearing my parents and their host discussing last night's David Susskind show. In fact, she is so on the money with her interpretation of understated 70s glam, that one almost can't help but be reminded of this designer's iconic designs.

Speaking of that designer, did you know he designed his own coffin? And I thought I was a planner! If you have the same inclination but lack the skill, these talented artists can help you create just the right box for the afterlife.

Alice Lefrancais

2010-02-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Somehow it seems more than appropriate that the address on this ribbon is 35, rue Godot de Mauroy because I've been trying and trying to find Alice Lefrancais at this address and I've come up with absolutely rien. Mlle Bagatelle bought this at the Clignancourt flea market so it could be some kind of sample made by a ribbon company, but there were yards and yards and yards of it and I'm not sure whether that makes it more or less likely to be the case. (I thought maybe it was a reject since "rue" is, as far as I know, not capitalized.) Regardless, in keeping with the Godot spirit, and until I figure out what this is really from, I've decided to invent stories about Alice Lefrancais. At the moment, she's a 19th century romance novelist, but that could change. In fact, if you have a better story, let me know--if it's really good we'll post it here.

Anat B.

2009-12-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

This generously donated bag puts Mlle Bagatelle in mind of so many butterfly-related things it's hard to know where to start but she'll try.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, MB has to mention the incredible (dead) butterfly collection at the legendary taxidermy/gardening store Deyrolle in the heart of Paris. Yes, she's already mentioned the store before, but how can she not when they have such an incredible collection.

Then of course, there's the equally impressive collection of (dead) butterflies at the Musee des Papillons in Fuveau, France. There's something about the sort of DIY quality of this museum that she finds simultaneously creepy and fascinating at the same time (like maybe the butterflies aren't the only (dead) collection here).

Thirdly, there's the famous "Monarch Migration" during which thousands, if not millions of butterflies find their way to or from Mexico and the U.S. never having made the trip before. I hear they're charging the butterflies for a second bag this year. (You're beautiful--I'm here 'til Thursday!)

Finally, she would be remiss without mentioning the classic movie Papillon starring Steven McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. (Judging by the vehemence with which they've called this mistake to the viewer, it seems to MB that someone on YouTube waited a looong time to tell the world about this little slip-up, n'est-ce pas?)

Anat B. Bag 2009 appears by generous contribution from Mr. and Mrs. B. Johnson of Manhattan Beach, CA.

John Derian

2009-11-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

Every time I visit the John Derian store on 2nd street in NYC (which, by the way, has to be the world's coziest-looking store at Christmastime), all I can think for weeks afterward is that all I really want from life is to sit down with a bunch of magazines, some type of lovely adhesive*, and a pile of plates and spend the rest of my days découpaging. Unfortunately, with Mlle Bagatelle's patience level all would be lost in the first hour with the realization that all those beautiful images would have to be cut out with little tiny scissors and tremendous precision. Luckily, Mr. Derian's store is to découpage what Tiffany's is to diamonds so there's no need for me to try this myself. According to the website, they also do custom découpage which is a very, very dangerous thing to know.

*By the way, whatever happened to rubber cement? Do people still use that? And paste? Do kids still use paste? Tell me they do. I remember when I was a kid and went to Paris for the first time I bought lavender-scented paste and it made me feel insanely glamorous. Of course, I also remember having a crush on a little boy in the 1st grade whose name was Elmer because it reminded me of the glue. Not sure what to make of all that.

Diane von Furstenberg

2009-09-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

When I was in school, I had a theater professor who asked us to define the meaning of tragedy. After much pointless, repetitive, and highly predictable discussion, we came to the weary and unavoidable conclusion that most tragedies have to do with situations and experiences that could have been avoided had it not been for some ill-fated action on the part of one of the characters.

CUT TO: THE BAGATELLE MUSEUM MANY, MANY YEARS LATER

This, my friends, is a tragedy. Like the Venus de Milo's broken arms or Steve Wynn's Picasso, this Diane von Furstenberg bag is a piece of art that can never really fully be restored to what it once was. We here at the museum have come to accept that and can say nothing except:

Oh, the humanity!!!

Prada

2009-09-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the Devil may wear Prada*, but apparently so do a number of angels as evidenced by this literal silver lining. I have to admit that the Prada bandwagon is one I've never jumped on, but I have to give big points here for a number of reasons: the heavy-duty embossing, hidden handle attachments, and sheer durability (seems to me this would hold up about as well as one of their real bags).

Also, if you haven't seen the exhibit that won't die, "From the Waist Down," be sure to check it out (I'm SURE it's coming to a city near you--it started in 2006 or something like that and was shown again as recently as this year in Seoul. It's the become the fashion equivalent of Riverdance.) It's essentially a collection of Prada skirts that spin around and (if I'm remembering correctly) are helped along by the use of fans. It's well worth catching when it comes to your town.

*I'm not putting a link in here because for some reason the Prada site keeps shutting down my computer. Knowing me, it's something I'm doing wrong, but just in case, I'm leaving it out.

Christian Louboutin

2009-09-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mlle Bagatelle has to admit to having been a liiiittle let down at first by this overly simplistic card from shoe genius (does that make him a shenius?) Christian Louboutin. "Where's the whimsy?" she thought. "Where's the 'Oh, no he didn't?!?' Where's the 'Is that a shoe or a step ladder?'" And while we're at it...

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE RED?!?!?"

And then an emotionally drained MB turned the card over and saw this:

Just goes to show that good things come to those who wait.

Au Nom de la Rose

2009-09-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Even though the edible rose petals* I bought were for moi-même, I couldn't resist saying "yes" when the girl behind the counter asked if they were a gift. After tying a perfect white rose to the handle she then took what must have been a good ten euro worth of multi-colored rose petals and tossed them into the bag, so I stopped right there on the street to take a snap just in case I couldn't get home before the roses died. I bought this early on a gloriously sunny morning and had I been carrying around a giant bouquet of flowers all day, I could not have gotten more attention. It looked more like a prop than a purchase. One of the great regrets of my life is that I didn't buy the bright green hat box they sell but it can't be packed and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit in an overhead compartment.

*At least, I think they were edible. What else would you do with crystalized rose petals?

UPDATE: In a previous post I declined to give the web address as I felt their site was not on the same level as their stores. I'm happy to say that someone at ANDLR has had an epiphany and the site is vastly improved, so you now have my permission to use it.

Deyrolle

2009-09-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

The smell of the dreadful 2008 fire that almost extinguished this over 180-year-old taxidermy company still lingers in the air, but don't let that stop you from a visit. Part natural history museum, part zoo, and part science lab, the rooms of Deyrolle overflow with mounted butterflies, ostrich eggs, giant bears, seashells, and just about every other natural curiosity you can find, and even as someone who has less than no interest in nature (I grew up in New York--my idea of nature is a hot dog cart), I still enjoyed myself here. At least, I enjoyed myself a lot more than the kid who kept screaming about how he wanted to leave because he was afraid the animals would come back to life. (I hope my standing behind a mounted deer head and whispering "Help me, little boy! Get me down from here! Help me! Please!" didn't have anything to do with that.*)

To be honest, I thought this bag was a little dull considering how legendary the store is, but I have to give them points for the Thin Mint color scheme as it's always been a favorite of mine.

At the moment, you can still see the smoke patterns on the windows outside, but considering that virtually all of France has contributed to its restoration, I'm sure it'll be only a matter of time before the building is spic and span. I did my part by purchasing two overpriced shells that I could have easily found at Pier One, Pottery Barn, any random store in any random Chinatown, or even, say, the beach, but I'm just too darn altruistic for that.

*Of course I'm kidding! What kind of person do you think I am? It was an elk, not a deer.

Can à Suc

2009-09-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the French is that to them, everything is essentially Play-Doh. No matter what you give a French person, they'll find a way to turn it into something prettier and more interesting. Take sugar for example. Give the French some sugar and before you know it, they've turned it into a big green frog or Eiffel Tower replica or Neil Sedaka statue that's so beautiful, you won't know whether to drop it in your coffee or get a memory box for it. From stackable sugar tablets to whimsical little hearts that literally sit on the rim of a coffee cup, Can à Suc really does some fantastic things with sugar and just about everything they make makes a great gift for the party giver in your life.

On another, much less healthy sucratorial note, some part of me desperately wants to go to one of these meetings.

Ladurée Business Card

2009-09-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

What else can Mlle Bagatelle say about Ladurée that hasn't already been said?

Well, how about the story behind this little baking angel who's all but hidden in the wreath above? There's more to it than this, but in a nutshell, the angel was painted on the Ladurée ceiling by famed painter Jules Cher é t whose posters you're almost certainly familiar with. Back in the early 90s, before the big push to commercialize the business, this little angel was essentially the company mascot and one of the few things the store sold (other than pastries), was a little gold angel pin. For reasons I don't quite understand, the little guy isn't really included in much of today's product line, but considering how over-exposed the brand has become, I'm not sure that's such a bad thing.

La Maison du Roy

2009-09-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

As it is for most thinking, feeling people, your passion for 18th-century France is probably immeasurable and hard to satisfy. Well, you're not alone. Appropriately nestled in a Passage Jouffroy storefront*, La Maison du Roy is to damask and compotes what Bed, Bath, and Beyond is to mattress covers and cinnamon-apple room spray. Like the century to which it pays tribute, the store is dramatic, fun, and endlessly entertaining.

*Yes, I know the passage wasn't built until the 19th century and no, I didn't get mixed up about what 18th century means. I just think that somehow it feels right at this particular location.

E. Dehillerin

2009-09-05T20:15:00.001-07:00

For the best in "cooper-lined pots" for "hobby cookers," E. Dehillerin is the place to go. Now, I'm not a hobby cooker and I'm not in the market for cooper-lined pots, but I can never resist a visit to this legendary kitchen supply store. Like a lot of really great old businesses in Paris, they have no interest in sprucing the place up (case in point: the filthy walls that lead to the basement level. They look like part of the orphanage set for an Annie road company.). It sure ain't Sur La Table, but it's still well worth a visit.

K. Jacques de St. Tropez

2009-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's not snazzy, but I just love this card from K. Jacques St. Tropez. Plastic and just under the weight of a credit card, it, like the company it represents, has a slightly 60s, Courrèges-y feel to it. Supplying the French with sandals since 1933, this is where the Jet Set stocks up every summer. And do yourself a favor--don't gasp at the prices or spend time comparing each sandal with similar versions at Payless or Old Navy. Just go with it and remind yourself that they don't have Payless in St. Tropez (although interestingly enough, there are dozens of nearby trailer parks).

On another note, if you were wondering what Mlle Bagatelle would like for Christmas, she would not send back or re-gift the new Courrèges book were she to receive it.

I'm just saying.

La Pompadour

2009-09-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

So help me, I was going to make a joke about how La Pompadour was the place to go for the latest in Parisian Bar-Mitzvah wear, when what do I see on their website, but this:

"DES CONSEILLERES VENDEUSES QUI VOUS AIDERONT DANS VOS CHOIX POUR VOS MARIAGES, BAR-MITZVAH, CEREMONIES DE TOUTES SORTES."

No, I'm not kidding, no, I really didn't see that before I (almost) wrote it, and yes, I can make a joke like that because I'm half Jewish.

Rite-of-passage joke aside, this is a place I NEVER EVER miss going to when I'm in town because it's truly the last of a dying breed. If you had an idea in your head about what an old-school Paris boutique was, this is it. While the fashions may leave something to be desired by anyone under the age of 210, the store itself looks like whatever store would have been next to the umbrella store in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

By the way, do NOT miss the "Ceremonies" page. If you've ever wondered where Imelda Marcos got her clothes, wonder no more. (I'm still trying to figure out where she got her furniture. When I do, I'll let you know.)

Chantal Thomass Redux--2009 Winner Best Bag of the Year!

2009-09-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

You can't imagine Mlle Bagatelle's horror when she arrived in Paris this summer to discover that the Chantal Thomass boutique would be closed until just days before she was set to depart. When the store did finally open, Mlle. B. ran in as if finishing off the end of a particularly grueling marathon. Had she known that the new bags looked like this, she probably would have broken a window to get one.

Tell me this isn't the most fantastic bag you've ever seen? As if the faux quilting weren't enough, Mlle B. let out an audible gasp when the salesgirl sealed it with this quilted harlequin sticker. Yes, CT has outdone herself this year and for her imaginative creation, MB is calling this the winner of the 2009 Bagatelle Museum Best Bag of the Year! Based on nothing but her own opinion and careful but limited research conducted in only the cities she, herself, has visited, Mademoiselle Bagatelle and the Bagatelle Museum are happy to announce this very important honor. Congratulations to Miss Thomass on this very exciting achievement!

Chez Julien -- 2009 1st Runner Up Bagatelle Museum Best Business Card Award!!!

2009-09-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Now this is what I call a card! A stunner of a restaurant, Chez Julien is now owned by the same group that owns the ultra-trendy Hotel Costes and is a great place to go for a splurge lunch or dinner. In spite of almost being run over by a car there (note the "service voiturier" mention), Mlle Bagatelle is a good enough sport to name Chez Julien 2009 1st Runner Up for the Bagatelle Museum Best Business Card Award!!! Yes, it's hard to stay angry when a place produces a card as glorious as this, and if you're going to be run over by a voiture, at least you'll do it in style here. Congratulations to Chez Julien on this (almost) win!

Cassegrain

2009-09-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what was going on at Cassegrain, but the last time I was there, the place was a bit of a mess. Drawers were open, greeting cards that looked like something you might find at a sub-par local craft show were in baskets on the counters, and the whole place looked like it could have used a once-over with the vacuum.

Hopefully, this was just an August inventory I stumbled upon and not a sign that one of the town's premier papeteries had hit the end of its retail rope just a mere ten years short of its 100th birthday. It would be a shame if that were the case, because few do paper as well as Cassegrain. It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but the "C" engraving on this business card is about an inch deep and the gold is so bright you need sunglasses. OK, I'm exaggerating, but the point is, they do it right, and if you're going to splurge on one really, really great French thing, this would be a great place to do it. Open drawers and hokey greeting cards aside, it doesn't get more elegant or more French than Cassegrain.

Maison Fabre -- 2009 Winner Bagatelle Museum Best Business Card Award!!!

2009-09-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our curator has to admit to a pang of guilt upon seeing this card as, in an effort to get it, she inadvertently startled the sales associate who was taking care of paper work behind a partition in this small but charming store. (So much so that he actually put his hand on his heart and had to calm down for a minute before saying "Bonjour" back.) Housed in the stunning arcades of the Palais Royal, this was a favorite window licking venue for Mlle Bagatelle as she strolled the grounds every night on her post-dinner constitutional.

Although it looks like something between a cloud and a cartoon bubble, this sturdy, cardboard-thick card is actually a glove, which, interestingly enough, is what this store sells. For its innovative design and above-average quality and not out of the least bit of guilt for the above mentioned incident, Maison Fabre has been named the 2009 Winner of the Bagatelle Museum Best Business Card Award! Congratulations (and sorry, again) to the Maison for this prestigious honor!

COS

2009-09-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

It's probably only a matter of time before European-based COS shows up in American malls, ready to give predecessors like Zara and H&M a run for their collective money, but for now, it remains only on The Other Continent, thus making this ribboned bag a lot more exotic and exciting. There are actually several different versions of the COS bags with several different grosgrain ribbon/bag color combos, but alas, I never bought anything big enough to get anything but this one. I did try to convince myself that I really, really needed a dress they had on sale for 39 euro, but that became somewhat hard to do when I tried it on and found I couldn't move my arms.

Chantal Thomass Business Card and Perfume Sample Card

2009-09-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

OK, I promise. This is the LAST Chantal Thomass post for 2009. I won't go on, but I'll just say that this is CT's newest business card and perfume sample card and that this boutique is historically (and by historically, I mean since I started going to Paris on a regular basis) the best boutique in all of Paris and if you don't go there, you haven't really seen the city, but you do what you want. I'm not your mother.

Ladurée Tissue Paper

2009-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of every excursion Mlle Bagatelle takes abroad, she makes a point of taking all the remaining currency not used on the trip and splurging on something she would otherwise never have purchased--usually in a rushed panic at the duty-free airport shops. Well, this time, after much soul-searching about the morality of shopping at a Ladurée outpost and whether or not that could be interpreted by the retail Gods as a silent endorsement of the seemingly exponential swelling (and therefore cheapening) of the brand's name, she decided that these particular Gods would most likely always judge on the side of making, rather than not-making a purchase (that and it was either spend the money, or walk around Charles de Gaulle airport for another three hours weighed down by 14 euro worth of remarkably heavy coins.) It wasn't until she was in her airplane seat* that she peeked into the Ladurée bag holding her newly purchased plastic tote, and saw it wrapped in this lovely, whimsical tissue. Had she known this in advance, she would have dropped the morality schtick like a hot macaroon.

Incidentally, Mlle Bagatelle took KLM this time (against the advice of her boss at the travel website she works for who called it "The Greyhound of the Skies") and had a great experience. You should try it if for no other reason than to witness all the passengers wrapped in their blue blankets. The color blue they use is identical to the color of blue of these and it looks like an entire airplane full of people wearing them.

*Of course she kept it with her during the flight! These bags are art! You wouldn't shove the Mona Lisa in an overhead compartment, would you?

Maison de la Truffe

2009-09-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

You know how when you have some kind of important meeting coming up (say, a job interview, or tax audit, or parole violation hearing), and you spend a few minutes the night before rehearsing a few stock reactions so that you can go to the meeting feeling like you know what you're going to do in advance? Well, you might want to do that before you go to Maison de la Truffe because the prices are so high, that it's almost impossible not to yell, "WHAT?!?!?!" when you see them. Now, I realize that expecting a store that sells truffles not to have high prices is a little ridiculous, but that said, by the time I left I was thinking that I might get out there with the pigs next year and try to find some truffles myself.

It's a good thing that in addition to the truffles they also sell things like olive oil and blinis, otherwise this post might have looked like this:

Charvet

2009-09-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Had the SATs included words like "bespoke" I probably would have ended up at some sort of accelerated program at Yale, but alas, the powers that be determined that "dogmatic" and "myriad" were a tad more practical. Clearly none of those (rightfully) underpaid test writers had ever been to Charvet, the famous French shirt maker which has been around since 1838 and has clothed luminaries from Gustave Eiffel to Cecil Beaton to De Gaulle to Yul Brenner. (I know--you, like a lot of people, were wondering where Yul got his clothes. Well, now you know.)

Today the store on the Place Vendome is a wonderous if unnervingly quiet candy shop of cuff links, bow ties, collars, handkerchiefs, and white shirts. It was only a one-floor ride to the women's section but I cannot begin to express the palpable awkwardness that filled the elevator like invisible but deadly carbon monoxide as the salesman and I rode up together. Out of desperation I started telling him about the Charvet shirt I found at a Manhattan consignment store. The look on his face made me think that perhaps the shirts might have serial numbers or something and that the minute I was out of the store he was going to track down the original owner the way they track down Academy members who give away their screening copies of Crash to nursing homes.

Ladurée

2009-08-15T13:30:00.001-07:00

Mlle Bagatelle has such mixed feelings about Ladurée these days. On the one hand, she's sad that between all the Ladurée kiosks and product lines, one of her favorite places in the world is becoming, dare I say, McKnown, but on the other hand, that sea green and gold still delights her eye and the framboise macaroons still delight her palette. For the moment, she's decided to go with the commercialism and stay loyal until they come out with a happy meal.

Since we're on the subject, let's pay homage to Sofia Coppola's fabulous (yes, I said it--fabulous) use of Ladurée in her fabulous (yes, I said it again), movie, Marie Antoinette. I don't care that the French booed it; the eye candy factor here is off the charts.

Repetto

2009-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, if the background looks a little different this month, that's because our curator, Mademoiselle Bagatelle is in Paris and is using, shall we say, a temporary exhibition space.

So, when Mlle Bagatelle arrived last week and saw someone in the metro carrying this beautiful ribboned bag from legendary ballet shoe maker, Repetto, she knew she had to have it in the permanent collection. Upon her arrival at Repetto, she realized that with a mobbed store and an even more crowded caisse, the chances of just being able to request one without buying anything would be pretty slim. Finding a Repetto workout top on sale for 12 euro, she decided to make her life easy and just expense this one. When given the cute little bag with the mouse, she asked the nervous sales girl for one of the others. When the salesgirl explained that the ribboned bags were for shoe purchases and the mouse bags were for all other purchases, our curator explained that she thought that was a great rule...

...for other people.

I think you can see how this ended.

Tiffany Boxes

2009-07-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

And the Bagatelle Museum's word of the day for Sunday, July 19th is...

"Bridesmaid"

Yes, this is the result of standing up for people at their weddings over and over and over again. (OK, one of these boxes came from a coked-up boss who once took the staff out to dinner and then suggested we all share a single bowl of soup, but otherwise, this is what you get when you're willing to wear teal-colored taffeta and spend a solid 24-hours wrapping white Jordan almonds in pink tulle for someone you barely know who had a fight with a cousin who "always resented me" and went back to Seattle.)

Here's a little trick to doubling your Tiffany box count: usually, if she's any kind of friend, the bride will give you Tiffany money, which a) comes in not only a box of its own, but a pouch as well and b) means you can pick your own gift. Try to pick something that can be engraved or embossed. When you drop it off at Tiffany's to have them do the engraving and/or embossing, give it to them without the box it came in and have them send the finished product to your home. When it arrives, it will come in a new box and before you can say "Elsa Perretti" you'll find you've amassed quite the collection.

Jacques Torres Chocolate

2009-07-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

I just love the yellow-orange-brown color combo of this Jacques Torres box (sorry for the little tear in the corner).

I'm not much of a chocolate gal, so how about a little travel tip for you instead: Mr. Torres is from a town in the south of France called Bandol. If you're in the area, it's one of the few places (other than St. Tropez) where things are actually open on Sundays. It's not the most spectacular place in the region, but if you've been sight-seeing for a few days and need a place to just cool it on a Sunday, this is a good choice.

Hermés

2009-07-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

If Mlle Bagatelle seem a little off, it might be because she just lost an ebay auction for five little hard-to-fine Hermés twilly boxes. They went for about $12 and she considers the loss to be sheer negligence on her part. All she can say is: it will never happen again. At this point, she just has to be grateful for what she does have and accept that there are some things in life that cannot be changed. She's going to log off now--she has to go read this book and try to make some kind of order out of the chaos that is now her life.

Marie Belle

2009-07-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

One ice cold January day last year I ducked into the Marie Belle on Madison just as it started snowing and after just a few moments, thought I might actually stay forever. I'm not a big chocolate girl, but the humor and whimsy of this place reminded me so much of all the little places in 1970s New York where one could pop in on a bitter cold day for fantastic hot chocolate and even better people-watching (Rumplemeyer's, Serendipity 3, etc.), that it won me over. In addition to the ambiance, they get major points for a killer color scheme and packaging that makes the product almost secondary.

Lord and Taylor

2009-07-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a Lord and Taylor box with the company's signature rose on it. When I was growing up, I thought that it was "Lord and Tailor," meaning the clothes the store carried were so incredible, that the guy upstairs was involved in their design. (OK, so I didn't know how to spell Taylor--so shoot me.)

It's a little known fact that the Pledge of Allegiance is still said every morning by L & T employees as well as any customers who happen to show up early so if you're an early bird, you might want to check out that phenomenon.

Editions Au-dela des Limites

2009-07-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is from a print shop in the passage Jouffroy that I don't think exists anymore. If you're not familiar with Passage Jouffroy, it is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all the passages in Paris. (The "passages" are basically 19th-century shopping malls that are scattered all over the city.) It's especially beautiful at night so try to check it out after the sun goes down. If you need a place to stay in the area, Hotel Chopin is a charming little hotel at the end of Passage Jouffroy that has one seriously great benefit: when you are a guest there, they give you after-hours access to the passage.

Carolina Herrera

2009-07-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

The designer of choice for Renee Zellweger and other starlets, Carolina Herrera once came to the store I was working at in Los Angeles (years and years and years ago) to promote her new perfume and somehow I ended up with a bunch of this.

Pineider

2009-07-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

This was from a letter set I bought at the Pineider store in Florence, Italy along with a little book in which you're meant to record all the books you read. In business since the 1700s, Pineider has some of the finest stationery in the world. For some reason, I've never been able to get myself to use a single piece of it.

Diptyque

2009-07-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just think--if only you had paid more attention when they broke out the candle-making kits at camp, you, too, could charge the equivalent of a car payment for a 3 oz. candle meant to evoke the feeling of being at the shores of Santorini. Yes, at only $60-plus or so, it's easy to see why Diptyque candles are such a big hit. If only I could figure out a way to charge as much for lanyards and unicorn string art.

Snarky comments aside, Diptyque is well-worth visiting and they do make the best scented candles on the planet. John Galliano "designed" one for them last year that smelled so incredible for a moment I thought I might actually have to buy it.

By the way, always ask for samples of their creams--they're very big on that and they make great little travel sizes.

Nadine Delepine

2009-07-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but Mlle Bagatelle hates having to go to more than one store to pick up tiaras and Russian dolls, so when her tiara/Russian doll count is getting low, she always stops by Nadine Delepine to replenish her stock in one shot. An adorable little shop on an adorable little street, it's well worth the effort to stop by.

If I'm remembering correctly, and I'm pretty sure I am, the store that used to be here before Delepine (and this would have been about 17 years ago), carried an incredible selection of Schiaparelli items: stationery, jewelry, perfume, etc. I used to spend hours looking in the window of it and as a result became Schiaparelli collector (albeit a somewhat lazy one--only about three or four pieces in the collection to date).

Somehow it seems fitting that Nadine Delepine pays a lovely, if inadvertent hommage to Elsa in using such vibrant shades of pink in her work.

F. Cador

2009-07-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Not since the surge in gladiator sandals and square shoulders has Mlle Bagatelle been so upset over developments in modern life. Cador, the stunning salon du thé which had not only the best, most authentic people watching in all of Paris, but the best croque-monsieur on the planet, is no more. It was sold to some giant chain that's decided to paint the once gilded walls a dull blue and I'm thinking of making an appointment with a voodoo mistress in my neighborhood to see what she can do about it.

Postcard Bags

2009-07-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

These little postcard/souvenir bags are further proof that for the French, even the most modest objects can be made pretty. My favorite is the top one with the Jacques Prevert poem, Paris at Night. Here's an interesting little video someone made of it.

Kazé

2009-07-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't just a bunch of crushed paper--this was how a little purse I bought at this charming Japanese-themed store came wrapped. (Sorry about the souvenir bag in the background--this is from my scrapbook and I can't get it out without ripping it.) The charming woman who (I think) owns the shop, wraps everything like origami and it makes you want to buy even more there.

Speaking of origami, check this out. If I tried to do this I'd have a nervous breakdown the likes of which had never been seen by medical science.

Victoire

2009-07-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is from the Victoire boutique in Paris. Since I've already written about the boutique for the shopping bag, here's a little history on the Place des Victoires which is what the etching is on this card. The history of this beautiful little roundabout is a comedy of errors if ever there was one. At one point, the building of the area's buildings was so behind schedule that they just painted buildings so there would be something to show for the unveiling. At another, there was a statue of a nude general. Gotta love those French.

Chantal Camps

2009-07-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Literally all I remember of this place was that it was on my way to class at the Sorbonne and I only know that from the address. When I typed Chantal Camps in Google, all I got was this and it got me thinking: if American children make ash trays at American camps, what do they make at French camps? Real cigarettes?

Pluss

2009-07-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is the card that started it all. I had been in Paris about three weeks at that point and was still hopelessly lost 90% of the time. I was walking around one day after school, trying to find my way back to my dorm, when pounding, toxic rain started coming down. (OK, it wasn't toxic--I was just trying to give the feeling of confusion and desperation I felt and that seemed like a good way to do it.)

I ducked into the nearest store (which, as you can see from the card, was a maternity shop), and asked for a business card, thinking that at least that would give me an address and some kind of clue about where I was (I was still so mixed up half the time I didn't know whether I was on the Right Bank or the Left). When I saw how incredible the card was (it's about three inches high and wide in real life), I decided to make it my business to collect all the great business cards (and eventually shopping bags) I could find.

Sentiment aside, I've never really understood the cabbage reference here. Is the point that the cabbage is like the mommy's tummy? Do cabbages get pregnant a lot? Don't know and don't really care. If it weren't for this cabbage, who knows what direction my life would have taken.

Absinthe

2009-07-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

In all honesty, I don't really remember this boutique, but it sure sounds great.

If this is Absinthe is too tame for you, you might want to try this kind.

Le Meditérranée

2009-07-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

The dorm I stayed in when I first came to Paris was just a few blocks away from this restaurant and sometimes when I passed by in the late afternoon or early evening, I would see them setting the tables with brilliant blue paper table cloths. One night as they were doing this, it started to pour out of absolutely nowhere and the rain made the ink from the tablecloths run all over the place. Beautiful deep blue ink, just like the color of the Mediterranean. It looked like the tables were crying.

I didn't know it then, but this is quite a famous restaurant, started by a friend of Jean Cocteau and frequented by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Charlie Chaplin. Its walls are covered with murals by Berard and Vertes, the latter being one of my all-time favorite French artists (he did all the Schiaparelli ads). There's more art to be found in its guest boo k so be sure not to miss it.

Business Cards--Full Pages

2009-07-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

These are full pages of business cards from Mlle Bagatelle's old Paris scrapbooks. They've been in there so long they can't be taken out; plus she doesn't really remember all the stores enough to comment on them, so she thought she'd just show them like this. Enjoy.

Bell'occhio

2009-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bell'occhio is arguably one of the absolute best stores in this or any other country and no, I don't think that's an extreme statement. Whether you need a clam-shaped box or 4500 feet of red and white twine, this is your place. Just look how many times Martha Stewart mentions them on her site.

Hermés

2009-07-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

To give you an idea of just how coveted this ribbon is, consider that I paid $3 for these two stupid little pieces at a NYC flea market and the woman acted as if she were doing me a huge favor. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them--if you have a suggestion, send it my way.

Hermés

2009-07-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

After weeks of trying unsuccessfully to lighten up a dark, cabin-like room in my house, I decided to give up, invest in lots of chocolate brown paint and go on the hunt for orange accents. Now, what I once referred to as "The Cold Room" is "The Hermés Room." (OK, so what if I have an orange and brown vintage TWA blanket instead of one of their famous "H" throws? I don't see anyone complaining on a cold night.) Needless to say, since making that decision, I've been on the lookout for Hermés bags and I'm happy to say, I've found more than my fair share. (I'm also happy to report that I've found a couple of real Hermés scarves which I plan on framing and putting up on the walls.) This summer, I'm going to sacrifice some of them to make lamp shades (can't take credit for that--I saw it in a magazine).

On another note, as much of a fan as I am, even I'm a little creeped out by this. Why does it make me picture lots of orange crocodiles with bad attitudes?

Lanvin

2009-07-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time faves, this is a Lanvin shoe box that I found in a very upscale thrift shop in New York. When I bought it, the woman at the counter said, "Oh, you should have been here a few days ago--I just gave a friend an old Lanvin dress of mine!" So naturally I said, "What do you mean you gave it to her?" and she said, "I mean I gave it to her. And she was about your size, too."

What?!?!?!?

What was her point? That if I had been there, she would have given the dress to me instead of the friend? Or that she just felt it was something I might want to witness? It was like saying to someone: "Oh, you should have been here yesterday when I gave away a million dollars!"

Anyway, if you can get yourself to Paris, do not miss seeing the re-creation of Ms. Lanvin's bedroom at the Musée des Arts Decoratif. If you can't, check out this book (which might be just about my favorite design book ever), which features it on the cover.

Kate Spade

2009-07-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

A long, long, time ago in a life mercifully far away, I worked for someone who was so controlling she wouldn't let us use the office bathroom (no, I'm not kidding). Once, instead of paying me for work I'd done, she gave me a gift card to an expensive department store that someone had given her. While unfair, that card was one hell of a fun little thing to have and I'm happy to say that among the goodies it yielded, were several pairs of Kate Spade sunglasses. Each came in its own little box like this, just like expensive candy, proving that shopping well is truly the best revenge.

60s Box

2009-07-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I wish I knew what came in this watch-sized box from the 60s. I found it in a consignment shop and it immediately evoked images of the country club my grandparents belonged to when I was a kid. Daisy flip-flops, yellow mylar wallpaper, skorts with turtles carrying golf clubs--you get the idea. I'm hoping that this housed some great piece of apres-golf jewelry like an owl pendant or seahorse. If only the damn thing could talk.

La Maison des Lices

2009-07-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the bag isn't much and the name choice is rather unfortunate when untranslated, but since the store is so great, I've decided to include it. There are actually two La Maison des Lices stores in St. Tropez (one of my all-time most favorite places on earth); one carries a lot of cutesy dish towels and fun tea sets and the other has furniture and things like toilet brush holders.

The one with the toilet brush holders carries mostly natural-fiber stuff and always prompts me to consider doing an entire life re-vamp. Every time I walk in there I always think: "Hmmm, maybe I'll just toss everything I own and from now on only buy things that are made from recycled fishing nets and grey stones gathered on the shores of Mauritius. Yes, that's what I'll do! And then I'll start listening to those world music CDs issued by Putumayo and making my own butter from soybeans, orange rinds and old Papa John's boxes. Naturally, I'll wear only earth tones, do breathing exercises, and re-name my dog something that has Hebrew origins and means something like 'Keeper of light.' Thank goodness I found this store!"

You don't think I'm getting ahead of myself, do you?

Chanel

2009-07-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Oh, Gabrielle! What would the world be without your pin-on camellias, your weighted jackets, your quilted bags, and most importantly, your incredible packaging? In the poubelle, that's where. Yes, the world is a much better place because of you.

Since we're on the subject of the great Mademoiselle Chanel, I can't help but use this as an opportunity to remind everyone of what this great house has also given to the advertising world. Yes, two (one, two) of the best commercials of all time were for Chanel No. 5. According to Youtube, they were both made in 1979, but I distinctly remember the second one airing in the early '80s when I was in junior high. My friends and I would act it out as a joke; one would sing "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" as the other one said the dialog. (We sure knew how to have fun, didn't we? Unfortunately, we were too young for drugs at that point and too well-raised for respectable, time-consuming truancy.) I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Bakery Wrapping

2009-07-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

I got this adorable little baguette wrap in a patisserie in Toulon, France, a city that in my opinion is unfairly maligned. It was one of those bizarre storefronts that looks as if it could potentially be anything from a shoe repair shop to a dry cleaners you later find out is a front for an international drug cartel, but they had the most incredible breads and pastries. The little characters and the color scheme reminded me of Holly Hobbie.

Speaking of Holly Hobbie, did you know there is a Holly Hobbie convention? I didn't, either, but I'm now obsessed with the idea of going. I was only ever minimally into HH (it unnerved me that her face was always hidden by that bonnet. It was like she was in a 1800s witness-protection program or something), but I would think the people-watching at this would be incredible.

I also had no idea that she was re-launched (or re-incarnated--I'm not sure which. Does anyone know if she died?) in 2006 as a sort of hip, Miley Cyrus-type tween who dresses like a cross between Jimmie Walker, Mackenzie Phillips and Mushmouth from the Cosby Kids. (Apparently there's also some kind of new pig duo named "Toots and Puddle." Um, OK.) Before you know it, they'll be giving Betsy Clark skull and crossbones tattoos.

So, anyway, yes, Toulon is under-rated and I would suggest going there.

Au Nom de la Rose

2009-07-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not posting the website for au nom de la rose because it makes it look like a 1-800-FLOWERS-type store where you might find something like this and it's actually anything but. Yes, it's become a chain, but if you want something really pretty to bring to a dinner party in Paris (since it's considered bad manners to bring wine), this is the place to go. It's also the perfect place to go if you want a great Parisian-looking family photo as it's become the store's signature to have piles of colorful rose petals all over the ground outside their storefronts.

Au Nain Bleu

2009-07-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Even if you don't have children, I dare you to spend less than a few hours (what am I talking about--days) at Au Nain Bleu. Although for some reason their website is about as interesting as the "Explanation of Benefits" page of www.BlueCross.com, I promise this store is well worth the trip.

Christian Dior

2009-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Like school colors, Christian Dior's grey and white color scheme is as much a part of the company's signature as The New Look. Fittingly, the collection of the house is now designed by genius and imaginateur supreme, John Galliano, who, in my humble opinion, is pretty much the most inspired and most interesting designer on the planet. (That doesn't sound too hyperbolic, does it?)

Barney's

2009-07-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that as someone who grew up in New York, I've never really adjusted to the idea of Barney's (oops, sorry--that's the old spelling) Barneys, as a pricey store in which one could find domino sets for $795. When I was growing up, Barneys was a men's store and I vaguely remember a commercial in which one man after another pulled up to the store in a taxi in the early morning hours to get in line for their famous sale.

For me the best thing about Barneys (at least the one in New York) has to be the Simon Doonan windows. He does at least as much with make-up sponges as Michelangelo did with marble and while I'm sure he was a riot at parties, the big M doesn't seem to me to have Doonan's humor.

Narciso Rodriguez

2009-07-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

Known primarily as the man who designed Carolyn Kennedy's wedding dress, Narciso Rodriguez is also a really talented designer (if anything ever happens to my NR gold coat I'll probably hold up a 7-11). I have no memory of what this was from.

Mystery Ribbon

2009-07-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I wish I knew what store this was from. I bought it from a woman selling incredible ribbon at an impromptu flea market that was under an elevated metro in Paris. I've never really been able to read the name on the label. Auzoumc Foly? Suzounc Toly? I don't think I'll ever know. The best I can do is offer a current-day look at the address, 372 rue St. Honore.

Jonathan Adler

2009-07-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

As a serious devotee of the Adler-designed Parker Palm Springs Hotel, it seemed only fitting that I have one of these in my collection (so it's a good thing a really fabulous friend bought me some Adler dishes and let me keep the bag). Like me, you've probably asked yourself why there doesn't seem to be a designer out there who appreciates both Liza Minnelli and 70s needlepoint in equal measure. Well, much like an answered prayer, the design Gods solved this age-old question in 1966 with the birth of Jonathan Adler, Valley of the Dolls-lover and hero to all grew up with mylar wallpaper and endless macramé. If you're in the market for a jar in which to keep your Prozac (no, I'm not kidding), or a pink and orange Union Jack pillow (I know, I know--who isn't?), he's your guy.

I think Jonathan would want me to take this opportunity to say that last Christmas I was lucky enough to see Liza in concert at the Palace theater in New York. People in the front row brought flowers and when she sang New York, New York there practically wasn't a dry eye in the frantically clapping house. And oh yeah, she sang Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as an encore.

Nothing to do with the bag. I'm just showing off.

Trina Turk

2009-07-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

The first time I visited Palm Springs it was so hot that I was still on the freeway when I lost the will to live. Thank God the PS Trina Turk boutique is one of the first stores you hit on the way into the city, otherwise who knows what might have happened. Not only did the Werstler-designed boutique restore my sense of purpose, but it confirmed for me that the 60s/society/drinks by the pool/Slim Aarons lifestyle I had watched my grandparents live in 1970s Florida was not only not dead, but still alive and there for the taking. Yes, in Trina's world, all those tunics and long gold necklaces I'd been collecting could finally have their day outside the confines of my closet. You can only imagine my delight when I discovered that, like me, Trina is an admirer and collector of vintage Vera scarves. (So I cried a little--don't judge.)

The only place on earth I'd rather be than this boutique, is her store in Los Angeles. Like the smell of the Paris metro or the sound of the New York Philharmonic tuning up, I'm afraid the experience is something that can't be explained.

Bergdorf Goodman

2009-07-05T13:58:00.001-07:00

"Myself, I just want to be put into an old Bergdorf Goodman
pasteboard box, such as they use to deliver dresses
and that's that."

-- Edna Ferber, 1961

I couldn't agree with her more. I anything ever happens to me, just put me in one of these glorious silver boxes and be done with it.

Employing my own "Always have everything wrapped no matter how small." rule, I've managed to amass quite the little collection of BG boxes. Most of these came from bottles of astringent or soap or some tiny trinket.

By the way, the prologue to Gene Wilder's autobiography, Kiss Me Like a Stranger, has the most lovely passage about walking out of the neighboring Plaza hotel. In it, he briefly mentions the BG men's store as well as the fountain that's stamped on the newer boxes. I would highly recommend the audio version of it; whatever they've used as the background music is really charming and he, not surprisingly, does a brilliant job of reading it.

Souleiado

2009-06-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

As you can probably guess from this card, this is from the French fabric company Souleiado. To say that this store and its trademark patterns are ubiquitous over there is like saying there are a few Gaps in the United States. This card reminds me of the patchwork patterns Gloria Vanderbilt designed in the 70s. (Met her once--kind and fun and surprisingly vulnerable and relentlessly interesting. She talked about how she was starting to experiment with painting with glitter on glass and it sounded so interesting that all I could think was, "Gee, I wonder if Gloria would let me come over and let me paint with her sometime?")

Un Apres-Midi de Chien

2009-06-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry about the other cards in the picture. These have been in my scrapbooks so long there's no way to take them about without destroying the cards.

Even though the name of the store (Un Apres-Midi de Chien) and the card evoke images of a young Parisian woman out walking her dog, the real translation is "Dog Day Afternoon". Oddly enough, when I asked if they had something appropriate for armed robbery, something breathable that would work in a humid New York summer, they simply shrugged and rolled their eyes. Guess a lot of people try that joke.

Au Vrai Chic Parisien

2009-06-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

When I arrived in Paris in the summer of '92, virtually every shop was going through some sort of 1950s/rockabilly/American Graffiti-type phase and this store led the pack. As I remember, even the mannequins looked like the cast of Happy Days. Like penny loafers and poodle skirts, this fun little store is no longer.

Au Bain Marie

2009-06-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that the original Au Bain Marie, which this is from, is no longer in existence, but luckily, there is some version of their store on line. Even if you're like me and don't cook (I'm currently in the middle of splattering my cookbooks with gravy from Marie Callender's to fool my about-to-visit-mother into thinking I've been cooking), you'll love the site. It's a little hard to follow and seems like a work in progress, but they've got some interesting stuff up there.

I'd write more, but I need to go hold my wooden spoons over open flames to give them a nice, used look.

Nic et Pouff

2009-06-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect example of just how far this sickness can go. This is a store I had/have no interest in whatsoever and yet, I felt the need to go in to see if they had a good card.

For some reason the little people in this card remind me of these little people.

J Pinturier

2009-06-13T18:04:00.002-07:00

OK, now here's a great little story. Years ago I was window shopping (and by window shopping, I mean looking through the window at people shopping) somewhere on the rue Cambon when I spotted an elderly woman carrying a hat box. She looked and was dressed just like Bette Davis when Davis started appearing on the late-night/early morning talk show circuits waaaayyyy over-accessorized ("What's that, Bette? You say you want to bring your purse on stage with you? And your stole? And your hat has a what? Hmmm. We'll be happy to hold all that backstage if you like. OK, OK! No worries! You can take it all with you if you really want to. What? Who said you looked like The Riddler?!?!? Oh, they're just jealous!!! Yes, of course we would tell you!"). Anyway, the hat box had a great-looking signature on it so naturally, as most people would, I tried to catch up with her. I got the address off the box and found a building with no storefront, but a giant three-dimensional sign of the signature.

Tentatively, I entered the building and started climbing the stairs of what seemed to be a private house. Just as I started to knock on the door, a man opened it and I came within a split second of pounding his head with my fist. He seemed thrilled to see me and started putting hats (crazy, wonderful, whimsical hats) on my head before I even knew what was going on. This went on for about fifteen minutes and probably would have kept going had I not started to worry that he thought perhaps I was a scheduled client of the house. Sheepishly, I said I had to leave, asked for a card, thanked him and left.

L'Heure du Bijou

2009-06-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

I wish I could remember anything about this store but I can't. I just included it because it was so much fun. Obviously, it was just made using rubber stamps, but still, I think it has a lot of charm.

Au Panetier

2009-06-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

One of the city's oldest boulangeries, Au Panetier is known for the wood oven depicted in the graphic. I think I'm remembering correctly when I say this is what they use to handle the baguettes with. For some reason it's always looked to me as if that isn't fire in the oven, but the top of one of these.

Chantal Thomass

2009-06-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here the doyenne of ultra-frilly lingerie and umbrellas that look like they were spun from a cotton candy machine uses her own iconic bob silhouette as logo. If you haven't been to her boutique in Paris, run, don't walk.

Annick Goutal

2009-06-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is from the Annick Goutal parfumerie and has the weight and feel of a fairly sturdy coaster. The embossing on this is so deep it that in person it looks as if it were chiseled. Even though the Goutal boutiques and products have become almost disappointingly ubiquitous in France, I still can't resist a quick look in when I'm there.

Perfume Store

2009-06-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

If this hadn't been in my scrapbook for such a long time and wasn't permanently stuck to the page it's on, I would have taken it out and checked the name of the store. I vaguely remember picking it up in a store in the Palais Royale arcade, but don't remember which one. As you can see, it's a little perfume sample that I never actually used. (I thought it was so elegant-looking that I just couldn't get myself to open it.) At the time, I was very into perfume; now all it takes is a sprite walk through the cosmetics section of a department store and I'm mad into the Claritin. That said, since perfume plays such a vital part of the country I call home (I just call it that--it isn't really my home), I leave you with this fun article on the subject.

Jullien Cornic

2009-06-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

It's certainly not elaborate, but I've always thought this was one of the most stunning business cards. The lettering always reminded me of something Aubrey Beardsley or Edward Gorey might have come up with.

Incidentally, did you know that Edward Gorey loved the Mary Tyler Moore show? Somehow that seems as incongruous and strangely refreshing as if Marilyn Manson were a devotee of Gimme a Break.

Ines de la Fressange

2009-06-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure whether the Ines de la Fressange boutiques were casualties of the economy or the fickleness of its founder, but sadly, these whimsical (and shockingly pricey) stores are no more. Luckily IdlF is now the spokesperson for shoe legend Roger Vivier and stars in a series of fun videos about what to do and see in Paris. (Tap the lower, right-hand corner to see Ines' Paris tips.)

Elle

2009-06-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

Mlle Bagatelle arrived in Paris just weeks after the Elle store (now closed for many years) made its debut in the (once bohemian) St-Germain-des-Pres area. A serious, serious, devotee of the magazine, this is pretty much the way she acted the first time she shopped there.

Florent Monestier

2009-06-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is from the first store I ever entered on my very first day in Paris. It's a lovely place and one I would definitely recommend checking out (although I was there last about eight years ago). The picture above is ribbon from their packaging (I'd purchased a little print there for a the daughter of a friend I was having lunch with and they wrapped it up beautifully). Whenever I'm in town and need a nice, understated hostess gift, this is where I go.