On my recent trip to Paris, the plummeting dollar made the necessity of finding French design at bargain prices paramount. After I lunched at a bistro and paid a whopping $11 for a Diet Coke, the magnitude of the task at hand was apparent—any purchase had to be utterly practical, a wardrobe staple and affordable.

Accessories are great investments in a down economy, so I began on the artsy Left Bank and visited the atelier of Nadine Delépine (nadinedelepine.com), whose original jewelry designs channel a chic Parisian dinner party. While it was very affordable, with no rive gauche dinner parties on my calendar, I moved on to Boutique Gérard Durand (accessoires-mode.com). There, I perused the selection of whimsical tights, ladylike gloves and umbrellas; unfortunately, the thought of St. Louis humidity deterred me from indulging in a Pucci-esque pair of tights.

After hours of walking, I discovered Catherine B. (catherine-b.com), pur­veyor of the largest collection of barely used Hermès and Chanel clothes and accessories in Paris (authenticity is certified). There, I found a dreamy pair of 4-inch Hermès heels in my size. The buttery leather massaged my aching feet, a sign of a truly superb pair of shoes. Although they were deeply discounted, alas, the €300 price was beyond my budget.

I then headed to the right bank of the Seine and continued my hunt at Les Galeries Lafayette (galerieslafayette.com), the grand department store of Paris. I spiraled through the circular pattern of the store—quite like the arrondissements of Paris—until a beautiful white linen short-sleeved jacket with black embroidery beckoned to me. Designed by the French ready-to-wear label René Derhy, the jacket met all of my criteria, including an affordable price (€79/$123). Triomphe!

I recovered from my exhaustive bargain hunt at the nearby Ladurée tea salon (laduree.fr/index_en.htm). As I indulged in its signature macaroons, I reveled in the knowledge that retail tourism in Paris doesn’t have to break the bank after all.