Spice Girlish. Everyone and I mean everyone (men included) wears platform shoes, Mothers, Grandmas (I haven't seen too many Grandpas yet). You don't have to follow this trend if you don't want to and I believe that platform shoes work very well here because the average height of the Marseillais is not very high.
Where to go shopping, that all depends on your budget. If you're looking for Chanel and Cristian Lacroix then you'd better get in your car and zip off to Aix-en-Provence. If you want local creators and designers then you have everything you need in the rue de la Tour, 13001 or on the cours Julien. In Marseille you'll normaly have a walm welcom in the shops or you'll not even get a look while the shop assistants a very busy nattering away about what they did last night and what so and so said!
You should maybe start at the Centre Bourse, where you'll find some boutiques, have a look in the Nouvelles Galleries, then head towards the rue St-Ferreol, this is a pedestrian street, filled with all the usual clothes shops, go right up to the prefecture (at the end of the rue st-Ferreol) and the around abouts, Im sure you'll find what you were looking for. For an upper class look you need to hit the beginning of the rue Paradis.
Hats and shoes are all to be found in the same areas.
 
 

any questions, comments - send me a message