Paris deserves its reputation as the world’s most romantic city. No other place radiates such timeless beauty and style. Best discovered on foot, every turn reveals a picture-perfect scene: bustling cafes that ooze easy charm, historical landmarks, grand boulevards and beautifully designed squares and gardens.

For good reason, the city’s many visitors tend to become reflective in Paris, probably because the past seems so much more vivid and substantial than the present. It’s an alluring nostalgia, but also perennially new — both golden and grey. Somehow the city manages to remain immune to its own abundant clichés, as relevant today as it was centuries ago. Paris is always a good idea. We know this, but what exactly are her secrets? What gives Paris her chic?

Vintage therapy

Fashion is one way into Paris’s heart. The hunt for good vintage is a serious pastime for Parisians; delving into fashion’s back-catalogue chimes perfectly with their love of timeless fashion and effortless chic.

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 favourite. 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.

Another of the finest vintage stores is Thanx God I’m a VIP, located in a less salubrious quarter of the 10th district. This large store is a favourite among local stylists and fashionistas in the know. The shop takes the vintage boutique concept to the next level by offering an impressive up-market collection of most major labels, including menswear, all organised along colour lines.

Those looking for a rare investment piece go to Odetta, tucked away in a quiet street of the exquisite historic district of Le Marais. This little gem has a wonderfully curated collection of day and evening wear, specialising in ’90s iconic designer brands such as Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Comme des Garçons.

Only a short distance away is La Mode Vintage, which stocks the very best of French couture: Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès and Jean Paul Gaultier. (You can even find a Courrèges dress originally owned by Anglo-French style icon Jane Birkin.) La Mode is the most popular vintage boutique for Paris “It Girls” – cool model-types such as Jeanne Damas and Lou Doillon.

Dining on les terrasses

Nobody watches the world go by better than the French. The outdoor terraces that spill out of Paris’s countless bars, cafés and restaurants are the city’s lifeblood — a front-row seat; a place to see and be seen. It’s been this way since the café society of the roaring ’20s, when writers such as Jean Cocteau, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald strolled the Paris pavements, and the café culture still thrives today.

Moreover, the latest al fresco venues are reconnecting with those heroes of the past by transforming Paris’s historical locations into lavish new terraces — at iconic swimming pools, classic cinemas and grand old train stations.

For example, Piscine Molitor recently reopened, having once been the city’s finest poolside terrace, built in 1929. The venue now hosts the city’s hippest and most luxurious parties, including a new Dive and Drink event on the first Wednesday of each month. It’s an extraordinary sight, when come rain, hail or shine, the poolside lifeguards teach the beautiful people “the art of diving.”

Alternatively, for something even more elevated, visit the Paris rooftops. Le Perchoir has three lush rooftop terraces in different corners of the city — the newest sits on top of the historic Gare de l’Est train station and is an impressive neo-industrial glasshouse filled with abundant green foliage. Le Perchoir’s other terraces are located in Menilmontant (the childhood home of Edith Piaf, with 360-degree views of the city and an unmarked “speakeasy” street entrance); and Le Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville, whose views feature the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.

And finally, for the hipster elite, or those who appreciate an Egyptian vibe, go to Le Louxor — the oldest cinema in Paris and the only one with a bar. Its exotic terrace has spectacular views of Sacré Cœur, but with one small catch: you need to see a film to gain entry. Just make sure it’s a vintage black-and-white one.

Snapshots of noir et blanc

A quintessential Paris photo is invariably a moody black-and-white one – dark, with heavily diffused lighting and long shadows. This defining aesthetic was pioneered by the great French photographers of the early 20th century – Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai and Jacques Henri Lartigue. However, Le Baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville (The Kiss at Hôtel De Ville) is perhaps the most iconic photograph ever taken in the City of Light. The image of a young couple kissing in a busy street was taken by photographer Robert Doisneau in 1950 and has become an internationally recognised symbol of young love.

That said, Paris is not a static picture. The city is always moving, in a series of fleeting moments and magical surprises. Photos are easy to take here, and the monochrome format is also perfectly suited because the city is built with cream-grey limestone that refracts light differently at various times of the day.

Experience these many tones through the lens firsthand with Focus on Paris, which operates private black-and-white photography tours during the day and night, including Antique Paris, Middle Age Paris and The Light Century. It’s a unique way to appreciate the history of the city while receiving expert photographic advice.

Another must-see is the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, located in an elegant building in a small cul-de-sac in Montparnasse. Cartier-Bresson was a master of the black-and-white format, and his exacting composition and unique perspective on Paris street life blazed a trail for those who followed. The Foundation offers a limited number of rare original prints for those who want to take a piece of HBC away with them. You could also head to Polka Gallery in the Marais, which has an exclusive collection of original Raymond Cauchetier pictures, who mirrored the nouvelle vague film directors Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and Jacques Demy during the 1950s.

The famed Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, re-opens in 2017.