Classic clothing “souvenir“ from Paris?

When I think of dressing "French," very classic pieces come to mind. Clean lines, neutral colors, and exquisite fabrics and craftsmanship. A silk blouse? A classic blazer?

Or go the scarf route as mentioned above. A classic silk scarf is never a bad option.

When we went to Paris years ago we had so much fun looking around in their department stores. They had stuff that we don't have here. Another nice thing besides a scarf would be a nice summer piece of lingerie. Something you can feel beautiful in. Something that will remind you of your trip every time you wear it.

yes - lingerie is a great idea.

After reading the OP, I was going to respond with this very item, but thought to read the responses first. Which was a first for me. 😂

I was going to suggest a mariner sweater, because they are so quintessentially French. But if you’re not into that, an Hermes scarf is a nice idea. Go to the flagship store on the Rue Faubourg St. Honore…it’s beautiful and it will be a lovely experience. Do you wear perfume? A lot of houses have French exclusives you can only buy in Paris.

I suggest Galeries Lafayette for shopping. It is a huge department store with a wide range of prices, and not too terribly far from the Louvre. You could get any of the above-mentioned items there.

Opened this thread to say "scarf" but the peas have already covered that! I like the idea of some nice silk PJs though and wishing I would have thought to look for that when we traveled to Paris a dozen years ago. (LOL, I got a scarf.) I looked for perfume to buy but didn't really find one I loved enough to purchase (I'm picky about scent). We also had pretty limited shopping time.

While that's one of the first stops I make in Paris, the OP did give a budget of $100-200. Other than perhaps a twilly or a 45 scarf the scarves are going to be above her set budget.

tampascrapper - I used to live in Paris so here are a few places where I would shop for more affordable clothes.  One caveat though, the sizes tend to run smaller than you are used to here (narrower cuts especially through the arms/bust).  When I last visited in 2019 I wore a US XL and had a very difficult finding anything that fit.  Hence my sizeable collection of handbags and Hermés scarves. 

Le BHV (Marais) - great all around department store that even has a hardware department!  Fun souvenir are the French metal address plates that are in the hardware department.  Great shoe and ladies clothing department on the upper floors.

Le Bon Marche (7th)

Monoprix - the larger stores will have clothing that is affordable.  Also a great place for affordable souvenirs to take back home.

Galeries Lafayette (Hausmann) - Wide variety of clothing lines.  I love the cashmere sweater line, Eric Bompard, they carry.  

Printemps (Hausmann) - a couple of blocks from Galeries Lafayette, they also have some affordable clothing lines.

La Samartaine (1st) - Didn't have a chance to shop there yet as it was still under renovation.  I hear it is worth a visit just to see though.  There will be clothing departments there.

Other shops that we like are Massimo Dutti and Mango.  Both orginated in Spain, but have great European styled clothes at affordable prices.   

 I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.   Paris is a special city!

Another place if you are into used/vintage clothing.
My DD was 20 at the time so she was into it.
It's called Kilo shop and you buy clothes by the weight which was unique. 

Exquisite craftsmanship, handmade, beautiful silk that's a higher quality than many other brands. There is some designer name caché in there, but it is worth it. They are the types of scarves that you hand down to your daughter.

As for cost, it will depend on size. 90 cm carrés (most common size) currently start at 460 Euros. The 140 cm shawls are 960 Euros. A twilly (5 cm x 86 cm) is 180 Euros. This is a really versatile size and makes a great keepsake. The 45 cm squares are 210 Euros. Keep in mind that you can claim a VAT refund, which the sales people at Hermés will help you with. Just have your passport on hand.

To see the range of scarves, check here: Hermés France Website (in English). You can compare prices with the US website here: US Hérmes website

I bought one at Heathrow before flying on to France - but because the strap on my trusty old carry-on tote finally gave way after serving me faithfully for so many trips. So I have a souvenir of the airport!

In your budget I would highly recommend the vintage shops and thrift stores. Croix Rouge has a few locations and is fantastic. I picked up a gorgeous silk blouse there for less than 20 Euros. It's fun especially when you find the right treasure

This is totally not what you asked, but my favorite souvenir from Paris was a set of placemats. I moved last week, and I tossed (or donated) every set of placemats I owned except those! They weren't from anywhere special - just a shop I wandered into while walking around. I would definitely keep your eyes open for something that just calls to you.