Culture Shock! China - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, 2nd Edition

106 CultureShock! China

back for connoisseurs. Because selling fakes is illegal, most

are located down a small alley, up rickety stairs, through

someone’s kitchen, and in a well-lit back room with shelves

jam-packed with luxury badges.

Shanghai’s famous Xiang Yang market has been disbanded

and re-emerged in smaller clusters of shops throughout the

city. Beijing has its Silk Market and the Russian market. The

best way to identify the current location of these shops is to

ask at the concierge desk of any of the main five-star hotels

or to scan any of the lifestyle websites listed in the Resource

Guide at the back of this book.

Local Designers and Custom Tailoring

Shanghai Tang has made its mark in red silk on the fashion

industry. It is a precursor to the original designs that we will

see coming from China in the next ten years. In the streets,

alleys, artists blocks and funky small malls, China’s designers

are experimenting with lines and fabric that are beginning

to catch the attention of the world.

One of the luxuries enjoyed by China visitors and residents

alike is the quality custom tailoring that can be had for

a reasonable price. There are tailor shops in many hotel

compounds frequented by expats, like the JW Marriott and

Portman Ritz Carlton in Shanghai, and the Kempinski Hotel

and Holiday Inn Lido in Beijing. Listings of tailors that offer

English-language service are also listed in local lifestyle

magazines. Qualified tailors

can also be found at local fabric

markets and fabric chains like

Silk King.

The safest bet in having new

clothes made is to take your

favourite jacket and skirt in to be

copied in new fabric. A good tailor will be able to measure and

design a suit according to a photo or your style guidance.

Children

There are three choices in shopping for children. The first are

traditional stores located in shopping malls or along main

At the tailors, allow adequate time
for fitting and alterations. A good
tailor will measure you the first
time you visit and then have you
back at least twice for an initial
and final fitting.