The Shopping Blahs

I don't know about you but all this talk about the world economy being in the crappers and that we should all be bracing for the Depression of this century is really killing my natural urge to shop. How can I get psyched about Fall boots when I see that my mutual funds have dropped 1/3 in value? Mutual funds! Anyway, I've instituted a self-imposed temporary shopping ban on non-essentials. I've been good so far since I've been back from vacation in China. The only exception I'm making is gift buying, which actually is an essential if you think about it. Just because the economy is bad doesn't mean that my best friend should get coupons for her birthday. I always feel doubly satisfied when gift shopping because you're doubling the happiness. I enjoy the giving and the recipient enjoys the gift! Also, I feel justified in buying clothes for my one year old son since he now needs a warm coat for winter. But these are just small doses of shopping fun in the grand scheme of things. Up next, I will look into retailers who are deeply discounting because of the state of the economy. Maybe there is a silver lining after all.

To Fake or Not to Fake

As you probably know, copyright laws are loosely enforced and rarely followed in China. That's why you can find an abundant of pirated software, music, movies and of course fashion. One of the most popular knock off items is designer handbags. Manufacturers will meticulously copy designs and sell the imitations at a fraction of the price. This Gucci large hobo retails for $1350 USD and you can get a high quality knockoff for around $50 USD. In China, knockoffs are everywhere so that everyone is guessing "is she or isn't she", faking it that is. However, if you bring one back to the US, no one will guess that it's a fake. So now the question is, if only you know it's a fake, would you fake it? My rationale around that is people buy designer bags not for function or really for the style alone. They're status symbols. They're aspirational. The longing is a part of the experience. Buying luxury items is the ultimate retail therapy. Trying to pass off a knockoff as genuine really diminishes how rewarding it feels to own one of these coveted bags. On my trip to China, my cousin gave me a well-made knockoff of this Gucci hobo and I reasoned with myself that I will use this bag in public as a shopping bag and if my friends see it I will tell them it's a fake. That means that strangers will probably think that I'm carrying a real Gucci but I'd be truthful to my friends. So I guess I'll be half fakin' it then?

Shopping in Shanghai

I just came home from 10 days in Shanghai, the New York City of China. In a city with 20 million inhabitants and many more tourists, it's no surprise that it's a shopper's paradise. The current exchange rate between 1 US dollar and the local currency, the RMB is about 1 to 6.8. So for a US tourist, you get a lot more for your dollar. In Shanghai, you'll find many multi-level department stores. These stores are clean, brightly lit and air conditioned with up to date fashion but I found that they're for browsing only and gauging prices. A cute trench coat will go for about 30USD, which is not bad but not much of a bargain. You'll also see many recognizable interational brands like DKNY which will cost you about twice as much as what you would pay in the US. So definitely avoid the name brands. On the street, you'll find many small, privately owned boutiques. Some are filled with "local" styles with flowers and glitters but there are definitely a lot of stylish boutiques emulating US or Japanese fashion. I checked out prices at these boutiques are they're also in about the 30USD range. But I found that they were too spread out to efficiently shop. My sources in Shanghai told me that these boutiques get their inventory from the wholesale district of "Qi Pu Road" anyway, so that's where I wanted to go!
The Qi Pu Road area has about 4 department store sized buildings. Each floor is lined with stall after stalls of all kinds of clothes and accessories. The floors are only loosely organized by category. The scene was quite daunting but also exciting. This is the jackpot of bargain shopping. Luckily, my resourceful cousin took me straight to the floors with the modern and western styles. I was not disappointed. We found knock off brand name pieces for $10 - $15 USD. There are a few gotchas. Since this the wholesale district, the sellers are less willing to haggle overprices. Sizes are also limited, as in, one size fits all. Now, I'm a US size small on top and size 2 on the bottom and I found the tops snug. So I guess if it doesn't fit, you're just out of luck. Other than that, if you had a good pair of walking shoes, a knowledgable guide and a hunger for bargains you can spend a whole week in the area and get great finds.

On a side note not related to shopping per se, Shanghai is a great place to get pampered. We went to a clean, tranquil, beautifully decorated (and legit) spa where we had our private room for two. We were greeted with a waitress offering tea and food (complimentary!) then changed into comfy cotton pajamas for our massage. Seventy relaxing minutes later, we sank into our own loungers, drank our tea and nibbled on yummy snacks. Did I say that the snacks were free and we could hang out for as long as we wanted? And all this for about $20 USD! There are many spas offering full body massages and foot massages in the area and they're highly competitive, hence the free extras. I also got a one hour foot rub for $10 USD, again with tea service and your own TV. If I didn't have family obligations on this trip I would have had a massage everyday! Another favorite pass time on this trip was getting my hair washed. This is where you sit in a salon chair and the hair washer person pours just the tiniest amount of water on your head to combine with shampoo and work up a lather. He continues to do this until your head is totally soapy and foamy but he does this expertly so that you're not dripping with water. Then you're rinsed off and a stylist blow dries and styles your hair. For this level of pampering, the price ranges anywhere from $1 USD to $6 USD. You can't beat it.

On Vacation

I'm currently on vacation in China. I'll be doing some shopping here for sure and will be posting when I get back.

Steal This Look: the Grey T-shirt Dress

Diane Kruger, Kristin Cavallari and Rachel Bilson in grey t-shirt dresses. I don't know if I'd go for this exact look but I love dresses and this look seems casual, sexy and comfy.

Riller & Fount Jenny Kimino Mini Dress - $165 at Singer 22

Bilali Exclusive Tank Dress $155 at Net a Porter. I don't know how it's justified that you can charge over $100 for an elongated t-shirt but I guess that's the going rate nowadays.

Steal This Look: Black Lace on White

Paris Hilton, Taylor Momsen and Rachel McAdams all wearing black on white lace dresses.

Jessica McClintock cocktail dress - $145 at eDressme

Jessica McClintock Blace lace halter neck dress - $120 at eDressme

Dolce & Gabbana Lace Mini Dress - $695 at Neiman Marcus

Steal This Look: Solange's Blazer

Solange Knowles in an Emporio Armani jacket, skinny jeans and layered necklaces.

Smythe Checked One-Button Blazer - $630 at Saks

Nygard collection Mini-Square Jacquard Jacket - $64 at Dillards