Monday, May 5, 2008Beijing
Everyone told me to have custom clothes made while in China—even my grandmother, who brought home beautiful suits from her trip to Hong Kong and Japan.
Found a guy’s name in a travel guide. Found a taxi near the Pearl Market. Found the right biulding in the right district.
Found a miracle worker.
Here’s how you find him:
1. Take a taxi to the Yashow Market at 58 Gongti Bei Lu in the Chaoyang District.
2. From the front entrance, walk straight ahead; take the escalator up to the third floor.
3. Turn right at the top of the escalator; walk to the end of the aisle to stall 3066 (they’re well marked).
4. Ask for Sunny. He’s a young guy with near fluent English (amazing, since he’s self taught, using reruns of American television shows like “Friends” for fine tuning).
5. Describe what you want made. Look at his fabrics. He’ll measure you, negotiate the price, then let you know when to return for a fitting.
I really wanted matte finished silk for the blouses Sunny would sew, but his silks had the traditional sheen to them. Based on my description of preferred style, he told me how much silk to ask for, then let me go source that out elsewhere:
1. From Sunny’s stall, head back toward the escalator.
2. At the top of the escalator is a large silk shop. That’s your place.
Negotiate hard on this one. They’ll dig their heels in, but that’s part of the dance. They’ll offer a number on a calculator, which you refuse, you type in your counter offer, then they do, then you do, and so on.
You should negotiate with Sunny too, but not as hard if you buy your silk elsewhere.
Can’t wait until my fitting tomorrow morning.....
(Photo credit: farm1)
Posts
