Delving into fashion’s back-catalogue chimes perfectly with Parisians’ love of timeless fashion and effortless chic.

Fashion is one way into Paris’s heart. The hunt for good vintage is a serious pastime for Parisians.

The locals keep it relaxed and sexy without too many embellishments — perfecting classic looks that get them noticed, not mocked, in the street. There’s a cultural fear of ridicule here that informs what they wear and how they wear it. Nobody wants to look “overdone” or like they tried too hard.

Fortunately, there are hundreds of vintage boutiques dotted all over, lovingly curated and offering myriad unique luxury pieces to achieve the ultimate Parisian silhouette.

Undoubtedly, the finest is Didier Ludot whose namesake shop at the Palais Royal gardens is the institution of vintage haute couture. Ludot, a legend in the world of vintage, is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of fashion and presents museum-quality dresses from the 1920s to the 2000s, such as a Dior lavender Louveciennes dress from the winter 1957 collection, a Schiaparelli silk twill dress from the summer 1938 Circus collection, a 1960 Chanel black sequin mini dress and 1960s Valentino gowns — Ludot’s favorite. Prices can reach the thousands and gowns from the shop have been worn on the red carpet by celebrities including Julia Roberts, Demi Moore and Reese Witherspoon.