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Ever since Yves Saint Laurent arrived in the 1960s, the Rive Gauche has been synonymous with iconoclastic style. Trendsetting stores line a jumble of streets in the 6e arrondissement, and exciting boutiques await between Place de l'Odéon and Église St-Sulpice. In the 7e arrondissement, don't miss Rue du Bac and that jewel of a department store, Le Bon Marché. St-Germain-des-Prés is also known for its chocolate shops.
The candles made by Cire Trudon have illuminated the great palaces and churches of Paris since the 1600s. Nowadays their products provide the atmosphere for tony restaurants and exclusive soirées. The all-vegetal, atmospherically scented wares come in elegant black glass, pillars of all sizes, or busts of clients past—like Napoléon and Marie-Antoinette.
A Paris mainstay since 1961, Diptyque's flagship shop is famous for its candles, eaux de toilette, and home fragrances in a huge range of sophisticated and subtle scents like myrrh, fig tree, wisteria, and quince. They're delightful but not cheap; the candles, for instance, cost nearly $1 per hour of burn time.
Artist and illustrator Marin Montagut's whimsical boutique near the Luxembourg Gardens is filled with hand-painted porcelain, glasses, paper boxes, globes, notebooks, and just about anything that is decorative and useful. His tea towels and silk scarves, which feature original illustrations in cheerful pastel colors of the gardens' famous green chairs, or a map of the gardens themselves, are perfect souvenirs for lovers of the Left Bank.
