Rouje is all the things Sézane is not, or at least not since its big redesign: flirty and ultra-feminine, the Parisian It Girl Sézane no longer seems to want to be. If you need something to wear on a date, and don’t mind a low-to-mid three-digit price tag, Rouje is an incredibly solid bet.
QUICK COMP 🇫🇷
- The Gala bag is $505 in the U.S., 375€ in France.
- The Charlotta dress is $405 in the U.S., 295€ in France.
- The Lys jacket is $520 in the U.S., and 395€ in France.
If you’re interested in our take on the season’s best pieces at Rouje, see here — but in the meantime, let’s explore a key question: Is Rouje cheaper in Paris or in the US?
If you’ve seen their website, which promises free delivery “over 300$,” you’ve probably correctly guessed that it is, indeed, cheaper in France. But let’s do the math!
For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll be grabbing: the Gala bag ($505), the Charlotta dress ($405), and the Lys jacket ($520) (seen in that order below). Total: $1430, with free shipping.
Now let’s turn our head to the French side. There, the Gala is 375€, the Charlotta is 295€, and the Lys is 395€. That’s 1065€, or by today’s exchange rate, $1189.
TOP PICKS
- The Charlotta is the ultimate Rouje dress, patterned or solid
- The Filippa dress is equally killer
- See all Rouje picks
As always, we have two additional factors: one additive, one subtractive.
On the bad side: We must assume that most U.S. purchases in France are subject to some sort of conversion fees, either via a U.S. credit card or cash withdrawal — in this case, we will assume a 3% conversion fee. That’s $35, and it brings our total in France to $1224.
On the good side: This purchase is easily over the VAT minimum of 100.01, so we can subtract our 12% from the purchase price (not inclusive of conversion fees). On a 1065€ purchase, that’s 127€, for a total of 1192€.
A last look at the math for shopping Rouje in Paris:
- Total goods: 1065€
- Plus 3% credit card fee: $35
- Minus a rebate of 12% of 1430€: 127€
- Cost of bags: 1065€, or $1189, + $35 (credit card transaction fee) = $1224
Minus VAT rebate of 127€, or $141
Total cost of bags in Paris: $1083
To recap, the U.S., buying online, was $1430. But it’s not that simple right now, is it, thanks to the chaotic tariffs currently applied to our international purchases. Those tariffs vary depending on the sort of material and the country of manufacture, can range from 0% – 36%, and are generally higher for women’s clothing than men’s. Amazing. According to Rouje: “All duties are included, with no extra fees upon delivery.” Some tax was added to certain delivery addresses, but honestly I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, since in all cases it was less than regular sales tax. Because these taxes were relatively mall (under $40), I’m going to pretend they don’t exist.
All that means our our online delivery total is $1430 — which means we save 24% by shopping in France.
Quick, Rouje-themed FAQ:
Is Rouje a French brand?
Yeah? It’s co-owned between Jeanne Damas and CEO Jerome Basselier, with financial backing from Partech, a French venture capital firm.
Is Rouje a luxury brand?
Despite those prices, it is not. To me it feels on par with J. Crew or Anthropologie — maybe a half-step up, at most.
Is Rouje good quality?
Rouje quality can be hit or miss…but the vibe is so right.
Rouje versus Sézane
Until recently these brands were playing a lot of the same waters. Sézane has grown up since then — the uber-feminine frills are gone, and Rouje has them in spades. Rouje is doing something Sézane doesn’t want to. I’ll definitely spend more money chez Sézane, but if I need a dance-y, flow-y, Provencal-y dress, Rouje is the place.
