Paris treasure hunt; The elusive allure of les Parisiennes can't be copied just by shopping chez the big-name houses.

Byline: Tina Isaac

Frenchwomen may never get fat, but what makes them even more enviable is that they really know how to shop. What women the world over really envy is a Frenchwoman's innate chic, which is less about possessing style secrets than living a philosophy. The most stylish ones are as choosy about all areas of personal expression as they are about food, and their secrets can rarely be sourced on the Avenue Montaigne or the Faubourg Saint Honore. From fashion and accessories to greetings and gifts, God is in the details. The good news, at a time when fashion has gone global, is that you can find that elusive French allure at those little neighborhood boutiques that keep the capital's creative culture so vibrant. It's simply a matter of minding one's shopping diet.

Chic Frenchwomen, it turns out, don't particularly like buying vintage. "It's too secondhand," says Marie Keslassy, owner of Fashion Vintage (15, rue Clement Marot, 8th). "Vintage has come to mean anything from the local depot-vente"-that's a consignment shop-"but for me it means forties to eighties, max." In apparent contradiction to its name, her anti-consignment boutique features current looks by Narciso Rodriguez and Easton Pearson and mint vintage pieces sourced at auction, such as a black velvet YSL peplum jacket or loden cape (both mid- to late seventies). Splurges such as a timeless Alaia redingote and a sixties Chanel couture shift (with belt and foulard, very Jackie O) are mixed with lighter-priced cashmere knits and slim black jeans by the Italian brand Ninette.

There are only a handful of samples inside Egle Bespoke (26, rue du Mont Thabor, 1st), but createurs haute-mesure Philippe Le Blan and Regis Decour offer men's custom shirts in 2,500 fabrics with detailing from classic monograms to laser-engraved buttons special-ordered from South America. They will happily make (or copy) women's shirts, too, and they do custom jeans in six washes for both sexes (from $230). At press time, the duo was polishing plans to showcase shirts by recent graduates from Parsons, Central Saint Martins, and the Chambre Syndicale, to be produced for no more than ten clients per model (from $150).

Designing distinctive embroidery and offering handmade finishings such as Buddhist prayer beads, gold bells cast with the lost-wax method, and carved rock crystal from craftsmen in Nepal and her native Philippines, Rose Anne de Pampelonne transforms tunics in linen, pashmina, silk chiffon, and satin into resortwear. All that artisanal detail means that quantities are small, but de Pampelonne has a growing society following for dresses that range from $400 to $1,000 (for the Nocturnal Naga silk-satin dress with a pearl-and-Swarovski-crystal snake). The designer receives in her Paris home by appointment only (sales@atelierfr.fr).

In just two years, self-described "baroque minimalist" Jonathan Riss, a.k.a. Jay Ahr (2, rue du 29 Juillet, 1st), has gone from De Beers Diamond International Award winner to fashion designer. His sole focus is the dress, mainly for after dark-although he does the occasional detour into black angora sweaterdresses for day. Simple, fluid columns and silver or gold minidresses inspired by Bianca Jagger and Anita Pallenberg capture the nouveau-disco trend without sliding into kitsch. For brides who want extra gala mileage, Riss does a custom ...