the south bund: my new closet

I went to the cloth market last week in the South Bund, where all the tailors are located, and IT WAS AMAZING. Originally, the errand was to pick up a shirt my mom wanted copied, but it turned into a shopping excursion – not the normal kind, but the kind where you wander a boundless pit where all your fashion dreams come true. The possibilities are endless! You can get traditional silk chi paos made, business suits, formal dresses, winter coats, fur coats, leather jackets, you name it. I got fitted for a wool/cashmere blend cape for the winter, and it was so fun trying on all the different styles, getting measured, and picking out the color and cloth for it – all for about $60 USD! It’s dangerously addictive, and I already know quite a portion of my paycheck will – happily- go to the tailor’s. It’s so much fun, and the price to get it done in the states would be exorbitant. The dangerous thing about this process is that I have to go back this week to pick up my coat, which inevitably means that I will once more need to ponder if I really need a replica Chanel suit for my life to be complete (the answer is YES! - which will then lead me to return the following week to pick it up, and then the cycle will start again). Which makes me very excited.

A sign that I’m slowly assimilating to Chinese culture is the fact that I don’t mind bargaining anymore. Enjoyment is an overstatement, but I have to say that it adds an element of thrill to shopping, and then there is nothing like the elation when you score yourself a pair of black flats for about $10USD. 450* yuan for a leather belt? No way, I’m not paying anything over 150! I have a feeling that the shock of American prices when I go home force me into becoming a miser – but no worries, you’ll be able to find me luxuriating in my closet, eating Poptarts and barbecue (the latest in my list of things I miss. Goodness, I don’t even eat Poptarts at home!).

*note: the exchange rate is about about 6.5 yuan to $1USD, and Wilson is now the proud new owner of a sleek black belt, which I scored for 120 yuan! 

camouflage

I've done it. I caved. I went to the Galeries Lafayette today and bought a winter coat, and its charcoal grey. I now blend in with the Parisians... 

Dressing room photo- classy.  

After the barely-above-zero weather I experienced last week (in October!!), I am now anticipating need to prepare myself to survive the elements. 

Coat shopping is almost as bad as jean shopping- you try on so many that they all start to look the same. And its so hard to find a coat that fits right! Most of them are so long that they drown me and make me look even shorter- not what I need. Another thing I had to be careful of was not accidentally falling in love with a coat that was cotton/polyester blend- the goal here is staying warm- in addition to being fashionable. Definitely something new. At home, I can throw on whatever appeals to me, and material comes in as a secondary factor, if at all. 

The Galeries Lafayette- Think NYC Macy's, or Harrod's.

This place covers 3 city blocks right behind the Opera house (one block each for womens, mens, and home), has its own entrance underground directly out of the metro, and is connected by bridges over the streets. I went through all the floors just to have a look, and they have everything. And the majority are luxury goods that are ridiculously priced. The children's department was ridiculous- I never knew there was Escada, Chloe, Dior, or Burberry for kids (and the list goes on, including lots of ostentatious frippery I would never let my kids wear)- it costs just as much as  the adult versions (but is wayy cuter). I'd expected to see all the luxury brands, but seeing it for kids just really surprised me. Would you buy a 360Euro Burberry coat for your 8 year old? The children's department was definitely emptier of shoppers than the others, though.  

After being told by my friends that I was so easy to pick out in a crowd because of my bright red coat (Salon du Chocolat: "I just look for your red coat when I get lost"), I decided maybe a change wouldn't be a bad thing. I still love my red coat, but I've started to feel really self conscious in it. Try standing in a metro car full of people in blacks and browns. It's like on top of being a foreigner, my clothes are practically announcing it before I open my mouth. I know its stupid to care, and I wish I could be nonchalant about it, but sticking out like that does not do much for my self confidence when I am in a foreign country trying to adapt- especially when any given 7 year old can speak better French than I. Anyway, I'm glad I found a coat I like that will keep me warm, and even happier that its not the same old pea coat you see on everyone in Paris. I am officially prepared for the European winter!! 

EDIT: or not...according to some cold-climate experienced friends, I now need to start looking for a hat and something that will cover my ears. And apparently, earmuffs are not fashionable anymore.

Ugh. For the record, I am now really sick of shopping and am at that point where I will throw on anything to keep warm, even if it makes me look like a kitschy cottonball. Forget fashion. Who needs fashion when you have body heat to conserve? 

Jeans

picture credits

I bought 3 pairs of jeans for $60 today! My old ones ripped and I was dreading the chore of finding new ones. On top of the great deal I got, it was even better knowing that it took me all of 30 minutes to get that errand crossed off the list. I normally hate jeans shopping, so this totally brightened my day (The time it took for me to get the jeans thrills me, rather than the jeans I actually purchased. But they're cool too.).

Shopping for jeans is always so tricky- they're too long, too wide, too skinny, too flared, too low, the pockets are all wrong, the color is weird... the list goes on. I like mine straight-legged. Not flared, but not skinny. Which makes it all the more painful looking through all the skinny jeans that are all the rage. If I wanted jeans that fitted like that, I'd buy myself tights.

The whole name-brand jeans thing always baffled me. You can see my fashion-conscious sister rave about the great deals she gets on Hudsons, Sevens, or RocknRepublic jeans... and then there's me. I go for the ones on sale at Charlotte Russe- because they fit and I don't have to get them taken in at the hem due to my shortness. I like finding a good deal as much as the next girl, but if it looks and feels perfectly fine, why bother upgrading to a $150+ pair? As they say, if the shoe fits, wear it(even though they're not top of the line designer ones)!

On another great note: I GOT AN ITOUCH TODAY!!! Late birthday present from the sister, but I'm not complaining. Playing around with it, but no wifi at home, so I'll have to wait to load apps.