A Classic Returns: Picardie Glasses Reappear In Stores As Bistros And Cafés Restock

Is it weird to get too attached to a drinking glass?
Well, we have been known to obsess over lesser things, for sure.
A few years ago, brasseries, design aficionados and lovers of arcane French stuff were beside themselves when the famous glass company Duralex ceased production of its famous Picardie tumblers (and everything else they made) due to financial troubles.
Designed in the 1920s and made of durable tempered glass by the 30s, they are suitable for hot and cold beverages. The curvy, stackable tumblers are nearly unbreakable, and when the do shatter, it's in a million pieces, avoiding the danger of jagged edges. Practical, comfortable to hold and pretty, they are the perfect glasses, and were considered a classic example of 20th Century design.
Part of their appeal has also been their low price, but in spite of their democratic charm, Picardie glasses had been staples at upscale stores like Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma and The Conran Shop (but also at Target.com) for years, until recently.
The Shophound managed to score a boxfull in different sizes when C&B closed out of them, figuring that they would eventually be collectors' items, while while anyone trying to replace their stock was forced to turn to eBay, expensive internet resources like Replacements.com, or make do with clumsy, chunky "substitute" styles.
No longer!
Last weekend we spied a whole shelving unit full of the glasses in various sizes at Bowery Kitchen Supply in the Chelsea Market and promptly grabbed some of the largest 17 oz. coolers for a whopping $4.50 each. "We just started carrying these", we were told by a clerk, unaware that there was a colony of drinkware fans pining for their return. Still made in France, they were exactly as we had remembered them right down to the stamp on the bottom.
At Design Within Reach's Tools For Living store in SoHo, two sizes are now available in sets of six for $25, and the sales staff told us that they can't keep them in stock, and a new American company, Duralex USA, has been set up to handle distribution.
Our kitchen shelves can rest easy now, knowing that our little link to the cafés of Paris has been restored.

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[Tara Steffen]

Thanks for your interest in Duralex Picardie glasses. Please check out our website www.duralexusa.com or visit our fan page on facebook Duralex USA Fans.