Guide to Shopping at Shanghai Fabric Market Thursday, 22 April 2010 09:04 Written by Sue Lawrence

This past weekend I picked up a few items I had made--it was my first time to order things from the fabric market. I put forth the caveat that I haven't done much before, and I also speak Chinese so I don't usually deal with the shop owners in English. I'll just give general price estimates. If I overpaid, well....damn. It's a learning process.

What I learned from shopping:

1. If you're getting something copied, DEFINITELY have them re-measure you anyway and tell them to copy the style/details of the piece you brought, not the fit. The fabrics of the old piece and the new copy probably won't be the same, so they will hang on your body differently and you will need different measurements. Also, the owners may have suggestions on how to alter the copies to fit even better (raising the seat of your pants, shortening seams for the leg, etc).

2. Leave a contact phone number, even if they don't ask. Tell them to call you if there are any problems. That way, you don't wait till your next trip to find out they couldn't finish your dress on time, or they ran out of fabric, etc. And of course, make sure to get their card with your receipt!

3. Do haggle some. You won't get 50% off, but you can knock 40-60 kuai off usually, sometimes more. Try to get a deeper discount by doing multiple versions at one store (buy two shirts, two dresses, etc)

4. Look for shops that have one or two specialties. They are likely to do one thing and do it well, and they are more likely to have a large amount of samples to choose from. The shops that sell a little of everything may not be as specialized.

5. Don't shop by any shops close to the doors or escalators. They see the most foot traffic, and they're much less willing to lower their prices than some shop stuck in a far-off corner!

Stall #195: Angela (Lu Xin Mei); Specialty: Boucle jackets ("Chanel look")

I ordered: a structured light silk jacket for work in the spring

Rating: Solid A. This stall has lots of samples to choose from, including more youthful-looking styles (not just Grandma tweeds). Lots of colors, and the owner was really helpful in choosing a style that would suit me. She even discouraged me from adding needless details that would cost extra--showing which ones would be worth the cost, and which ones would not hold up well. I was very satisfied with the end product--it's my favorite piece I had made this time.

English level: medium. They clearly get lots of expat ladies coming here, and the measurements are relatively simple. It's mostly a pick-and-choose stall, not much "designing". Several English-speakers came by while I was getting measured.

Price: 200-260 RMB, depending on details. Do haggle some.

She will also make skirts or dresses to match.

Stall #284: Alan Zhuge; Specialty: suiting and all associated pieces, jackets (men and women)

I ordered: a copy of a pair of pants, in a new fabric

Rating: A-. It's difficult to find certain stretchy heavy knit fabrics that are used in American separates (not jersey, and not slinky knits). I decided to get a pair of knit pants copied in khaki, but I had to settle for non-stretchy fabric. The pants were copied well (good quality fabric, good sewing), but they hang differently than my other pair. Therefore, they're a little tighter and shorter than I'd like. The store had good service--it wasn't really their fault, they did copy my pants exactly--and they did offer to adjust them for free. But I needed the pants and I didn't want to wait. They let me keep the order form, and told me to come back if I want to lengthen the legs any time. Overall, I'm satisfied--just wished I'd gone ahead and had them re-measure me.

English level: medium. I did see them helping one other expat while I was there.

Price: 180-220 for pants in good quality fabric.

I did like their service and quality, so I will probably use them in the future.

Stall 337, Lian En Hua; Specialty: slinky knit dresses and separates in crazy patterns

I ordered: a short-sleeved, knee length Diane Von Furstenburg-style wrap dress in thin knit fabric

Rating: A-. I love the dress--I wore it to the Dolls Art Afternoon on Sunday. He has lots of samples to choose from, and they're easy to try on before you pick. He has lots of fabrics, too--although they are almost all crazy fun patterns, very few solids. He did run out of fabric for my dress and couldn't call me, so it's not really his fault. That delayed my dress for another visit. But I'm really happy with the finished product. I'll definitely go back to him for more knit dresses.

English level: relatively low. He does a great job, but I only saw him dealing with customers in Chinese and pidgin English. But he has a lot of decent samples, so it's easy to pick what you want without much explaining.

Price:I think around 150 RMB for a dress, less for tops and skirts.

Stall 186, Annie; Specialty: Qipaos and Chinese-style dresses

I ordered: a long short-sleeved qipao for the AmCham gala

Rating: B+. They have lots of styles and good style books if you're interested in Chinese-style outfits. Their fabric selection is good, although most of it is rayon and synthetics (don't go in thinking you're getting "real silk"...the owners tried to pass it off like that though). I was satisfied with my dress, although it does pooch out a bit in the stomach--I'm very much an hourglass so it's tough for such a fitted style. Qipaos are so tight, they usually need multiple fittings if you want them to fit well.

English level: high. They clearly see a lot of foreigners and they're used to it.

Price: around 320 RMB for a long qipao.

Overall this stall was fine. Decent service, decent qipao. Nothing super special. Large selection of fabrics, if you're not looking for highest quality silks.

Overall, a decent visit. My favorite shops were 195 (my jacket) and 337 (knit dress). I did OK price-wise, although I probably could have bargained down. I'm just not a heavy bargainer, even though I speak Chinese .

Shanghaidolls.org Fabric Market Directory

Comments 

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#17 wool and cashmere suit — 2010-07-06 14:26

the suit i was made in shop 105,the fabric and the quality are very good, my friend was made the smoking suit for wedding,that's amazing.
Coats (recommended by Johnson)
Name: Harrison tailor
Location: 1st floor, Stall Number 105
Telephone Number: +86 139 1800 8282 or 133 9111 3583

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#16 wool and cashmere suit — 2010-07-06 14:25

the suit i was made in shop 105,the fabric and the quality are very good, my friend was made the smoking suit for wedding,that's amazing.
Coats (recommended by Johnson)
Name: Harrison tailor
Location: 1st floor, Stall Number 105
Telephone Number: +86 139 1800 8282 or 133 9111 3583
zhujun-105hotmail.com

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#15 RE: Guide to Shopping at Shanghai Fabric Market — cheeky monkey 2010-06-09 07:08

i love No. 143. She did the saree inspired dress which i wore at the Pink Dolls' event. I also had a jumpsuit done. In Black & Pretty. Cant wait to show that off. They specialize in cotton knit fabric. No English. Long ones around 250-350rmb. Short dresses about 200-230 rmb.

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#14 Jeans — FlorG 2010-05-24 12:19

Jeans (recommended by Kylie)
No. 340 I usually pay 150RMB for a pair of jeans. She also made me a denim jacket that she copied from my Esprit one and I love that too. She has lots of different stretch denims and cottons.

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#13 Jersey Dresses — FlorG 2010-05-24 12:17

Jersey Dresses (recommended by Kylie)
No. 344, Li Pan, makes great fake cross over dresses as well as Tshirts. She can make them from jersey or viscose. I love my dresses but they are never ready when she says and so I usually go a couple of days later.

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#12 Leather Jackets — FlorG 2010-05-24 12:16

Leather Jackets (recommended by Kylie)
Third Floor
No. 319, Sally does great leather jackets. She has a great choice of leather in all colours

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#11 Tailors — FlorG 2010-05-24 12:15

Tailors (recommended by Kylie)
First Floor No. 129 Rita and Joyce, they have 2 tailors, one that makes the menswear and the other for ladies. They make great suits, skirts, trousers, jackets and winter cashmere coats. Both Rita and Joyce have good english

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#10 Shiliupu or Lujiabang Lu? — mei_yu 2010-05-11 11:38

stlawren: I personally prefer Dongmen Lu as it has a lot more relaxed atmosphere then Lujiabang Lu. Thats so crowded! Not so many tourists and foreigners at Shiliupu. :-)
But: For summer dresses and T-Xus I think Lujiabang Lu has the wider selection. For suits and jackets I'd rather go to Shiliupu.

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#9 Coats — FlorG 2010-05-10 12:19

Coats (recommended by Rebecca)
Name: Tom Jenny Designer
Location: 1st floor, Stall Number 138
Telephone Number: +86 136 816 24896 or 138 174 09186
shhjennyfasion@yahoo .co.uk

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#8 Shirts — FlorG 2010-05-10 12:15

Shirts (recommended by Rebecca)
Name: Wang Cong Fei
Location: 2nd floor, Stall Number 275
Telephone Number: 13524815837
I normally pay RMB 100 for my shirts and this includes everything - material, tailoring, courier, etc. You can get straight forward shirts made but she also has a book of magazine pictures and you can choose something you like from there as well and she will be able to make it for you.

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