Les soldes

That would be the French word for "the sales" or "sales." France still has strict regulations about when stores can mark down their prices, unlike the anarchy I experienced in the US back in December: Boston's Newbury Street was pretty much marked down the week before Christmas, and New York's Soho was marked down the week after.

Here in France, "les soldes" begin mid-January. There is a mad shopping frenzy that takes over major metropolitan areas during the first week. I remember a mom who dropped off her kids at school here in Lyon in the morning, jumped on the TGV to Paris for the day, and came back in time to pick up her kids at school at the end of the day. She had shopping bags hanging from both arms like a victorious bargain warrior showing off her booty.

When you go to a consignment shop during the "soldes," and they are having a solde themselves, you are really in bargain heaven. Hence, the acquisition of a Zadig et Voltaire blouse, normally a color I would not have chosen, but bargain

warriors can't be too choosy. Besides, sometimes you have to let the color choose the person, which more often than not, happens in consignment shops.