Hello all,

Three shopping related questions.

1) Stopped by the fabric market this weekend finally! It was quite exciting. I want to get a business dress made... not a two-piece suit, but a work appropriate wool/cashmere full length business dress like:

http://images.google.com.hk/images?rlz= ... -TW&tab=wi

I saw one stall on the first floor that made a bunch but the prices were steep (around 600 for a dress?!). Has anyone had work dresses made at the lujiabang fabric market? What was the price and quality... Any recommendations? Is it better to work off their models or to bring in your own pictures?

2) Can't seem to find anything here that will fit me (I'm a US medium in clothes)! I feel like a giant here! Where have all you ladies gone shopping? I heard that you can find better success in boutiques-- any recommendations for shoes and clothing? I am hoping for a reasonable price range.

3) All the rain and mud is getting to me. I keep hearing about how great the counterfeit bags are here if you find a good quality one... any recs for where I can find nice bags for good prices? I need a large purse that I can carry around to classes/work and not worry about it being ruined!

Thanks!!

I have not had great success in having clothes made. That said, I am, shall we say, rather buxom, and I just don't think the tailors here have the skill to deal with those kind of curves - the dresses I have bought fit fine everywhere else, but across the bust they are just a train wreck. (Can still wear them, but only if I wear a cardigan over top.)

Shop-wise, the best options for us giant western broads that I have found are the Shanghai branches of the western retailers - H&M, M&S, Next, and sometimes Zara.

Nice bags at good prices is a relative thing. For me I don't care so much about designer whatever whatever and something being a 'good' copy or not, I just see bags and if I like them, and check the stitching throughout and it looks like it will hold together pretty well, then I will bargain to the price I am willing to pay and that is that. Finding 'good prices' is just down to you and your nerves in terms of bargaining, really. The last bag I got was at Science & Tech market, but mainly that is just because it is the one closest to me. Original price from the vendor was 800rmb (ha!ha!); in the end after all the to-ing and fro-ing I paid 120. You have to know your price and stick to your guns about it.

ad 1) I consider 600 RMB for a real kashmere dress, tailor made, not too expensive, especially if this was the original asking price. Some polite haggling out of earshot of any other westerners of chinese could get it down to 400. I do not think you will get customer made tailoring for that price in Wester Europe or USA
If the tailor is good, they know how to measure you and adapt the design to your figure. Just check they measure almost everything and ask for a fitting sessions halfway. That way you can correct any mistakes. You could also try and bring a well fitting blouse/dress with you, so they can see how a good set of curves is supposed to be made. At least they are great at copy here! And if that does not work, maybe upgrading to a more reputable tailor might do the trick. Like we say in Holland: je kunt niet voor een dubbeltje op de eerste rang zitten. (a penny will not buy you first class.) And that is also true for China.

2) Shop wise I agree with Klick. And add C&A and Macy's. Western retailers tend to have some larger sizes available, although it still is a bit of trial and error. If the size is not on the rack, but still on a manequin, ask the staff to remove it. As they tend to put the biggest ones on the manequins here.

3) Bags. There is quality availabe, you just need to look around, check the stitching and material and haggle hard. Again haggling within earshot of other 'tourists' is not helpfull. Without any onlookers it is possible to go to 15% of original asking price (I was not able to get less, but I suspect I am not that good). Otherwise try the legit local brand "Goldfish". (There is a stand that sells them at the Cloud Nine mall at Zhongshan park)

So far my 2cents...

Thanks, guys! I will check out the S&T market... and I'll look around for Goldfish. At the end of the day, I do want something that is of decent quality! I just keep reading all these things about AA counterfeit or B counterfeit... and I have no idea how to tell!

Checked out the S&T market.... made an impulse buy and regretted it the next day. The bag is not too bad, but it def looks fake. Thankfully I was able to haggle it down to 120 (from 400? or 800 if they were offering me "foreigner" prices). I wasn't too impressed with the quality though. Where are all the AAA counterfeit bags?!

I'll look around shopping wise. I need work clothes. Where are the nice "boutiques" that I hear expats talking about?