You think it’d be easy to get free money from the government — but not. Claiming VAT refunds in France can be confusing AF — but the good news is nearly everyone’s confused, which means that there’s a lot of let’s say “gentle instruction,” from retailers and customs officials accustomed to dealing with people who don’t understand what’s going on. There are a ton of restrictions and exclusions, and the amount returned will vary on a bunch of different factors (not least how you want your money refunded, with cash coming at a slightly disadvantageous rate) — but know that if you stick with it, you’ll save about 12% on many of your big purchases. And note that if you’re buying luxury French brands, the savings can really add up — for example, the same exact pieces from Louis Vuitton can be 30% cheaper in France than in the U.S. Get shopping! What is VAT? VAT is an acronym for value-added tax. One of the ways governments make money is by taxing goods. In the …

I’ve been living with Annabel Simms’ books nearly as long as I’ve been living in Paris. She’s the author of several guides to exploring the city from is outer limits and beyond, into the glorious French countryside, rife with forgotten castles, unexpected vistas, appealingly decrepit train stations, and much more. I’ve had a parasocial relationship with Annabel since I first bought An Hour from Paris, which includes detailed itineraries for 20 day trips outside the city (but easily accessible via a dense and generally well-run public transportation network.) Another book of hers, Half an Hour From Paris, earned a new edition in July and covers destinations including the Parc Saint-Cloud, Malmaison, and the Chateau de Vincennes. For all these reasons, I was incredibly excited to chat with Annabel over Zoom about her life in Paris — she in her 25 meter square apartment in Paris, me in Iowa City. Anyone dreaming about coming to Paris to start a new life should keep reading to see how she decided to, and succeeded, forge a new life in France, following …

Sezane bags are excellent, stylish and well-made. Here’s what you need to know before you buy one — especially if you’re buying it from overseas. Sezane has a collection of ten leather bags (the Claude (love), the Milo, the Romeo, not to be confused with the Romie, the Mara, the Marcel, the Abel, the Victor, the Gabin, and the Farrow) in a variety of colors and finishes), as well as a collection of small leather goods — wallets and that sort of thing. Generally speaking: What I love about Sezane bags is how classic they are. Like many of the best French goods, they stick with the tried and true. There’s nothing wildly outré here; I can’t imagine Emily (as in Emily in Paris) ever carrying one into Saveur, unless she was cos-playing a Parisian It girl. Buy it once, use it ’til the stitching gives out — these are bag, in my opinion, made to last a long time. What I don’t like: Compared to similar bags from similar brands, I find them a …

Sézane’s annual summer sale is about three days from feeling extremely picked over. There’s like one piece of jewelry left. Tops are suffering. Dresses are hanging in there, so that’s where we’ll start. Note: Sézane organizes their sale pieces by size — it didn’t seem practical to sort through everything by size, so I just picked the size in the middle rather than focusing on the ends (32 or 48). If you’re coming to France in the very near term, don’t buy anything from the US — the same pieces are remarkably cheaper in France, so it’s like built-in Archives all year long. Note: The shirt above (which looks amazing from the back, iffy from the front (but amazing from the back) is the Katy (available at the moment from M-XXL for $50). I have this shirt and I love it — just get a size down, because that cotton stretches out. Ania top, was $100, now $70 I’ve tried this on and it’s incredible, just very body conscious — it stressed me out too much, but …