There are still a few Parisian shops that I love as much for what you can find there as for their atmosphere, and Ultramod, the authentic haberdashery I’m introducing you to today, is one of them. Located on rue de Choiseul, in the centre of Paris (just next to the passage of the same name, for those who know it), it is one of the city’s last genuine haberdasheries; a place that feels like stepping back in time as soon as you walk through the door. I go there from time to time with my mother, especially since my local haberdashery closed a few years ago, only to be replaced by… yet another optician, and we always come out with something interesting!
The shop has remained wonderfully unchanged: antique furniture, marbled-pattern boxes, drawers filled with buttons, but also an incredible quantity of ribbons, braids, pompoms… in short, everything that makes you want to start some sort of creative project! It is a haberdashery full of charm, spread over two levels (the first “floor” is rather small and reached through a narrow passage), where we usually end up spending far more time than planned. And as it feels a little like stepping into Zola’s Au Bonheur des Dames, you naturally want to take your time, enjoy the place and hunt for small treasures.
Ultramod is located in what was once the neighbourhood of milliners and hatmakers, and you can still feel that history today, as old stock sits alongside items that are difficult to find elsewhere, making the shop truly unique. At the time, this was where people came for the materials needed to make hats: grosgrain ribbon, felt, straw, veils and ribbons. The shop later expanded into haberdashery and home decoration.
As I mentioned a little earlier, I particularly like buying pompoms there. It is a tiny detail, but sometimes a pretty pompom is all it takes to add charm to a piece of furniture or a wardrobe door. The shop also has everything you need to embellish a lampshade, trim a cushion, personalise a curtain, as well as all the essentials if you sew. You can also treat yourself to some really lovely buttons that can instantly lift an outfit and make it more original. There are also some very unusual “ribbon-cords” that I use as lanyards and to tell different sets of keys apart. I might also buy one or two metres of ribbon to decorate a candleholder, an autumn or a Christmas wreath, for example.
This is also why I love rummaging around in these old Parisian shops. You find things there that simply do not exist, or no longer exist, elsewhere. They are also part of our heritage, and I believe it is our responsibility to help preserve them. I’m thinking, for example, of Mélodies Graphiques, another address I love for stationery, or E. Dehillerin and its kitchen utensils displayed in a style that is more than a little rustic! Each of these small shops has retained a strong personality and continues to hold its own by offering quality things, without giving in to the temptation of soulless minimalism (and minimal effort).
Ultramod is not a very large shop (so don’t be surprised), but you will undoubtedly find some beautiful things to take home with you!
Ultramod • 4, rue de Choiseul, 75002 Paris