Maje – ma favourite Parisian brand

I thought moving to Paris would be great because I’d improve my French, eat bread all day and spend my life in chic cafés.  I dreamt of strolling through my local park, Jardin du Luxembourg, before stopping for a pot of tea (you can take the girl out of London but…) and a slice of my favourite tarte tatin whilst talking the ‘lingo’ with the locals. 

Little did I know that a fashionable treat in the form of Parisian brand Maje awaited my arrival. I found Maje by complete chance whilst wandering the fabulous floors of Galeries Lafayette and there, under the glass dome ceiling, began our relationship.

Love at first sight

Maje defines Parisian style; minimalist, ultra chic and sensual.  Think Eva Green meets Anna Mouglalis, and suddenly your entire day revolves around the store’s opening hours.  What I like most about Maje is how accessible the label is. Due to the understated style, individual pieces can be dressed up or worn casually, and by a wide range of women.

Whether you’re looking for a rock chick-style jacket, a cocktail dress or the most stunning, people-will-stop-you-in-the-street ensemble, Maje has something for all of us. Clearly I am not alone in my thinking – it’s been picked up by department stores worldwide.

It’s the Parisian ability to wear timeless pieces, carefully put together yet giving such an effortless appearance. Nobody wants to look contrived, and as you browse the racks at Maje, you just know soon you’ll possess that infamous ‘je ne sais quoi‘.

Whenever I go there, which is a little too often, they give me the once over and declare “you’re a 36, let me check in the back” et voilà, dress appears in hand!  The staff seem intent on helping you not only find something you like, but something that works for the occasion.

I often explain that I’m going to a wedding, a ‘leaving-do’ or a lunch, the sales assistant strolls around picking up looks I may fancy.

Personal shopping without the fees. I like it!

Maje is also incredibly unpretentious, which is not what one would expect.  A pleasant surprise. We all know the great (and ridiculously expensive) French brands Chanel, Yves Saint Laurant and Celine but the reality is that we cannot all afford to pay €500 for blouse. Brands like Maje are perfect not only for the style but for the quality and price.

The label seems very comfortable with it’s place in fashion and, to me, embodies not only the typical French traits, but pushes beyond that making the label considerably more accessible to a wide range ages and types.

Having established itself in France, the brand now sells internationally through the likes of net-a-porter.

That’s right ladies, let Paris come to you. Given that American ‘It’ girl Vanessa Traina fronts the 2011 campaign, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of Maje both in France and abroad.

C’est impossible to leave the shop without feeling elegant, fabulous and well, French, so get shopping!

What are your favourite Parisian brands? Share them with us below!