Exclusive Travel Feature: For centuries people have flocked to the City of Light to find out what the Parisians are wearing and visit the flagship stores of the famous high fashion brands that grace the pages of Vogue, but although Paris still hosts the top fashion week in Europe and debatably the world, it is no longer actually necessary to go to France to dress French.

While back in 1947 it may have been difficult to purchase Christian Dior's "New Look" anywhere other than Avenue Montaigne, nowadays Dior, as well as virtually all French fashion labels, has locations in many world capitals and can be readily ordered off of the internet. Even mid-level brands such as Sandro and the Kooples are internationally accessible.

Furthermore, French fashion isn't as French as it used to be.  The German Karl Lagerfeld carries on Coco Chanel's iconic line, while the British Phoebe Philo designs for Céline and Belgian Raf Simons is responsible for the Dior runways.

Even so, there are still reasons to head to the three main avenues for making the most of a shopping pilgrimage to Paris: a slight discount, couture and vintage.

Monetarily, it is unlikely that any discount on luxury items in the French capital can offset the airfare and accommodation expenses, but saving money shopping relies on a series of calculations. Most high end labels have a unilateral pricing policy, which allows for little fluctuation in price depending on the country; you should first go online to see how much more expensive the piece that you would like is in your home country. 

From there you would need to add up currency exchange and custom fees.  Chances are that these costs in addition to an overweight baggage charge will have you spending more to buy the piece abroad than in your home country.

The Parisian store may not carry unique items, but there are craftsman in the city that can be commissioned to make one of a kind pieces.  The furriers, perfumers, and dressmakers of Paris are still some of the world's best and their prices reflect this.

The truly unique finds are tucked away in its many little vintage and second hand stores. These shops hold treasures from the time when Parisian fashion could only be found in Paris.  Depending on how upscale the boutique is, you can easily spot stunning pieces.  The vintage shopping in the Marais and Pigalle will be cheaper and require a longer time to search through the racks to come upon a diamond in the rough. 

In the more posh 16th arrondisement, the stores will be impeccably organized and lined with luxurious fabrics and expensive labels.  This being said, there is nothing better for a fashion enthusiast than coming across a silk Yves Saint Laurent chemise from a time when Yves was designing the clothes and the logo still had a Y in it.

Going to Paris may no longer be about finding the latest fashion, but it is still a decadent experience. No matter how many Louis Vuitton stores open up in malls and airports, somehow the clothes look best in the windows of the Hausmanian buildings. 

The Parisian streets are what make shopping in the City of Light unique, even if Abercrombie and Fitch also now stands on the Champs Élysées.

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Angela Waters is a correspondent based in Berlin, Germany. She studied at the American University of Paris and is now working with journalists across the globe as part of international journalism organization, Associated Reporters Abroad (ARA). Since the age of four, she has been collecting stamps in her passport and finds herself torn between flying to her favorite places and taking a train headed for somewhere new.