Please tell me where I can buy clothes for the ladyfriend

Taiwan Where Can I Find...?
1

I don’t know if this is the right forum, but here goes…

I’m not a shopper, so, though I’ve been in Taipei for a while, I have no idea where I should go if I’m going to get the ladyfriend a Christmas present. I’m looking to buy her the sort of jacket she said she liked when we were in Sweden last year for Christmas (and I didn’t have money to buy anything). I’m going to take my chances and see if I can find she same style here.*

So, is there, um, an area in Taipei where I will be surrounded by women’s clothes stores?**

I’m completely lost.

*To be more specific, the jacket was what I think would be considered like an old pilot’s jacket, worn-looking leather and one of those fluffy collars.

** I’m not looking for those little cheapy cheap stores that are everywhere, nor am I looking for Louis Vuitton. I want mid-range. Something that will last, but won’t cost me a whole month’s pay.

2

Sounds like Hsimenting would be the place for such a thing. Other than that, I have no idea what you mean – Taipei is pretty much nothing BUT women’s clothes shops. Poagao doesn’t call them “estrogen malls” for nothing.

3

Sogo, ShingKong Mitsukushi, etc. I’m not a big shopper myself but I would guess the biggest concentration of department stores is the Taipei 101/Warner Village area. Many buildings full of stores selling women’s clothing there.

4

I saw a jacket something like what you describe at Timberland, in Shin Kong. I think it was something like NT $10,000.

5

Add Breeze Center to the list, and along Zhongxiao East Rd., between Fuxing and Guangfu.

6

[quote=“rmaguir”]
So, is there, um, an area in Taipei where I will be surrounded by women’s clothes stores?[/quote]

Pick up a map of Taipei.
Throw a dart at it.
Go where the dart lands.

Seriously, for something like you describe, it wouldn’t hurt to try the night markets, Ximending, or Gongguan.

7

This is what you look for I guess, but I did not spotted it in these fine malls. Try the night-markets , including Shilin.

8

I just managed much of my Christmas shopping at the new Global Mall in Chung-Ho, situated very close to Ban-Chow on Chung-Shan road (A block away from Taipei County police station.)
I recommend the place as it’s not too expensive and has a great variety of shops and styles. There are loads of fur collard coats there too inmany different styles. I was looking for a coat for the wife as well. It’s worth a day’s browse there, and even if you go with the girlyfriend, then they have some reasonable restaurants and coffe shops and a cinema.

9

Your lady friend might be thinking about the “Buzz Rickson’s” 50’s style air force jacket that became popular from the William Gibson novel, Pattern Recognition. I hear the Japanese ladies really go for that stuff and it’s pretty popular now. I don’t know where you can buy it but you can order it online. Not leather but cool nylon. USD$ 450.00!

Ah, you said leather. Forget I wrote anything. Nothing to see here.

10

[quote=“ceevee369”]This is what you look for I guess, but I did not spotted it in these fine malls. Try the night-markets , including Shilin.
[/quote]

That is what I’m looking for!

Hot Damn! The collar on the one we say was white fuzz, but I don’t think it matters that much…

11

Leather jackets in Taipei aren’t cheap. In the $6K range you’ll only get a plain black jacket at Costco, without a furry collar. If you can find something like that for $10K you’re probably doing well. BTW, if she doesn’t have AC and lives in a humid, hilly area, the leather may get moldy easily, depending on how it’s treated. Sealing it in a plastic bag with large dessicant bags during the summer months may help.

12

http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/eastmanleather/topic/topic-9604-1.stm
Buy it online. The real thing, and it’s only US$400, which is DAMN cheap – that’s only NT$13,000. Last leather jacket I bought here cost four times that much.