Marchés aux Puces: Through the Looking Glass…

…and into a different era, traipsing through wonderland, and losing oneself in a maze of priceless artifacts and antiques. That would be just another Saturday at the Marchés aux Puces, or the Paris flea market. Looking around, I came upon more than a few stalls that had curated specialized fashion pieces–everything from decades-old handmade lace from Le Puy en Velay (very pricey!), to vintage designer ballgowns from the last century, to beautiful crystal perfume bottles, to gloves and chapeaus of every style since the early 1900’s.

I’ve always loved exploring flea markets, ever since I was a teenager. It’s like going on a treasure hunt, unearthing interesting things that we may never have known we wanted until we found them. I guess it stems from the fact that, more than retail therapy, shopping/browsing at flea markets offers a glimpse of another time and an interesting side story, but unlike a museum, we have the option of taking a little piece of history home with us.