Home improvement need not always drain your bank account. Having moved into my apartment just last July 2 and was having a headache with the DHL delivery (our box was a month and a half delayed) I needed to make an unexpected shopping run to buy some basics for our apartment. I needed just enough to survive till our much awaited linens, cutlery and utensils from the Philippines (all of which were divine quality since they were all practically gifts from our wedding). I was already on my way to Walmart at Wanda Plaza Wujiaochang (given they were famous for bargains) when I discovered a hidden gem right below called Enjoy Easy.

It was thrilling to find “IKEA-looking finds” at very budget-friendly prices (take a look at the pictures for some examples. You can literally spend hours just looking through their different things for the home that are literally almost all below 30RMB. Mugs, plates, cute coasters, jars, buckets, storage boxes, cooking utensils hooks... You name it, they probably have it.

As a relatively new person in Shanghai, I have recently discovered the Fabric Market and I wanted to share my experience in this site as an addition to the great article that Sue wrote a couple of months back (if you haven’t read the article yet, make sure you check it out is full of very good info).Visiting the Fabric Market can be an exhilarating experience; no matter you are a tourist just passing through or a resident of Shanghai, visiting this place will always be a fun experience. If you are one of those people who prefer to shop their clothes of the rack, probably you won’t go back for a second time, on the other hand if you are one of those people who loves designing your clothes or that you always wish that the clothes were a little bit more or less... (like me), I promise you will be going back.

Not so long ago while chatting with Rebecca, who was the first Doll to recommend me different stalls in the market, mentioned to me that she goes there every other week. I personally thought that it was too often (yeah!!!), that was before I got the ‘flavor’ of the Fabric Market, now I know better and I have been going there more often that I care to admit.

What I really love about the Fabric Market is the opportunity of play ‘fashion designer’ for the day on a safe way, after all you won’t be doing the clothes and if they can’t do it, they will tell you.

As women, we all know the important role that shoes play in a lady’s life. Shanghai can definitely be a heaven for shoes shoppers IF you got little Cinderella feet.

I’m a 1.77 meter tall girl with US10 size shoes and soon after arriving to Shanghai I discovered that buying shoes was not going to be an easy task for me. My first encounter with the ‘shoes problem’ was in a little shoe store in Shaanxi Rd., where before even asking an employee looked at me and said: ‘No, we don’t have size 40’. The response got repeated over and over again in Parksons Mall: ‘No we don’t have that size’.

I cannot tell you how discouraged and inadequate I felt that day. Obviously there is always the solution of ordering shoes from the US, but this option didn’t attracted me that much not only because I will end up paying a lot in shipping, plus the waiting time plus the fact that you should try your shoes before buying them because they can ‘seriously hurt’.

I was committed to get my shoes and I decided to not give up, so after doing some research in different expat sites in the net, I discovered about the ‘custom made’ shoes option.

Coming from the US, a highly industrialized country, getting ‘custom made’ shoes has never been an option for a ‘working girl’ like me because of the extremely high price tag. In Shanghai the story is quite different and getting ‘custom made’ shoes although not an extremely cheap solution is definitely in the ‘affordable’ section.

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!

Shopping is a favourite hobby for many of us, but for the rest it can be just, plain hard work.  Here are my top shopping tips that should get you through your Spring shopping unscathed.

1. Make a list before you go shopping.  Look in your wardrobe and see what you have and what you need.  What colours and styles do you have?  What item of clothing are you always missing when it comes to putting an outfit together?  Always make sure that a new buy will go with at least 3 items that you already have in your wardrobe.

2. Make a budget.  How much money are you happy to spend on each item?  Are you looking to buy an investment piece or some smaller fashion items to update your wardrobe?  When looking to buy an investment piece such as a wool coat, suit or leather goods always buy the best quality that your budget allows.

3. Wear makeup and shop on a day that you feel good about yourself.  If you are looking in the mirror and not liking what you see, it doesn‘t matter how fabulous the new clothes are, you won‘t like them because you don‘t like you.

There are several places every newcomer to Shanghai has to know. One of this places is Avocado lady's shop (also known as Arugula lady and Basil lady). I got to know about Ms Jiang Qin from the first issue of Time Out Shanghai and since then grocery shopping has never been the same again. Her shop at 274 Wulumuqi Rd is one of the only places in the city to buy cheap, fresh avocados (10 RMB), a rare find. Her store looks like nothing special from the outside, but the good import foods at incredibly low prices have made this woman famous.

Ms Jiang is a real entrepreneur and a smart cookie because she knows her laowai market very well. She has all those products that the other vegetable sellers don’t, such as fresh arugula, basil, frisée, blocks of parmesan, and balls of fresh mozzarella for only 17 RMB.

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After lingerie line, Sonia Rykiel, presents knitwear collection for H&M, which will hit the stores on February 20. Rykiel, known for her knits, brings adorable sweaters and accessories from her French boutiques to the public with this collection, her second with the Swedish retailer.I had a look at the collection on the official website and I doubt it will become “must have” item for me.. Expect to see the signature stripes, a mass of knitwear and cutesy shaped skirts and accessories. The collection is very cute but in a mature way, but the best thing about these collaborations is the price! We can pick up a piece of designer wear for a cheap and affordable price, maybe not 100% cashmere treatment, but we have the style, colors, shapes and the label on it!The ultimate accessory from the collection is the UNICEF bag by Sonia Rykiel pour H&M, which shows the commitment of H&M, Rykiel and customers to helping children in the cotton producing areas of India. Thirty per cent of the proceeds from the bag will go to the project.

Since V-day is coming-up, and because I co-own a sex shop here, I thought I'd take the time to talk about what's available in Shanghai and where you can get it. As I'm obviously biased, I welcome you to take my advice with a grain of...MSG.

In the review: Buccone's, Oh! Toys, G-Le, Amy's Bedroom and of course that sex toy market. There are also some recommendations for Valentine's shopping with someone special.

Image credit: krazydad

Being from Australia “hate” is not a strong enough word for what I feel about Shanghai winters!  I absolutely despise being cold and cannot understand how or why people seem to rejoice when winter finally arrives in this awesome city!  I am forever striving for different ways to keep myself warm and comfortable and in my quest for this I made a great discovery of a tiny little hole-in-the-wall shop that I can only imagine in four months time will be empty of what is going on in there now and will start selling watermelons or other summer goodies that will make someone a quick buck! 

The current owners, or renters, of this shop are making puffer jackets in all shapes, sizes, colours and styles.  All of these jackets are made to measure and great quality and the price is also nothing to complain about.  There were three Shanghai Dolls buying at the same time, which I think helped with the price and the fact that I also told the woman that I know a lot of expat women in Shanghai.  One of the many great things about getting one of these jackets made to order is not only that they fit you very well, but that you can also choose your own stuffing.  We ended up choosing the middle price one, which is so warm that I quite often find myself sweating and needing to wear way less layers from place to place.

Just read about the interesting move from Hermes in China. This spring our favourite "orange" brand plans to launch a new brand especially for the Chinese market, which will be called Shang Xia. Shang Xia translates roughly as 'topsy-turvy' or 'upside down' and it’s the first time in Hermès' history that they have launched a luxury brand from grassroots level.

Shang Xia will include ready-to-wear and decorative arts inspired by Chinese culture and traditions of craftsmanship. These are to be made using Chinese raw materials and artisanal know-how.The objective of this move is to offer cheaper products, as well as capitalising on the growth of the luxury market in the country in 2010.

A smart way to keep warm this winter, besides locking yourself in the bathroom and sitting under the heat lamps, is by getting yourself to a Uniqlo store and buying some of their HEATTECH products.  This clothes range utilises a special type of fabric that comes from Japan and is designed to pull the heat out of your body, while being super light-weight and comfortable.  I was a bit of a skeptic when I saw the product and felt how thin it is, so I only bought one of each type to try, but after trying them I went back to buy all the other colours! 

They have a few different types of products ranging from tank tops (79rmb), long sleeve tops (99rmb), skivvies (99rmb) to leggings (99rmb).  I suffer badly with the Shanghai winters and I only wish I knew about this product the last few years I have been here. You can check out the product range here.