If you’re in Mumbai, you CANNOT miss street shopping! If you like a bargain, and you’re not looking for quality then he are some tips for you!
It’s where you get everything cheaply, and believe me, it’s all very cheap. Have you ever heard of Pepe London sweaters at 300 rupees ($5 approx)? Well, you will, in Mumbai.
In my opinion you can get some awesome stuff at Linking Road or Hill Road in Bandra. Fashion Street, in my opinion, does not have fashionable clothes (I know it sounds absurd, but it wasn’t what I had expected. They didn’t have clothes that I liked). Also I thought Fashion Street would be huge, but it’s not. Maybe 10 stalls long.
Also, when you exit almost every station, you will get clothes, shoes, hand bags, pooja accessories, makeup, etc.
Cheap stuff = bad materials used = bad quality
I bought a tee shirt, a year ago. I know that in T shirt terms this was a long time ago. Anyways it was for Rs 200 at Andheri. I wore it once and I looked so good that day but after washing it, the neck line got ruined, it became colour faded and I couldn’t wear it again. Also, when shopping, they often don’t let you try on the clothes. Because they know, when you do try them on, they won’t really fit properly. But, there are stores that do have a trial room, and I obviously prefer them.
A tee shirt I bought recently, at Hill Road, Bandra. I liked this top, and I bought this at 300 rupees. But it doesn’t fit properly. It’s thin and the neck line is broad. I bought those feather earrings for 50 rupees, I love them. And that necklace is old. But a friend and I bought two for only 150 rupees.
I bought a pair of sandals a year ago, and I remember I walked in them for a day, and I got a shoe bite and they were really uncomfortable. Often, the heel breaks off or the sole comes off and you need to visit the cobbler frequently.
The top layer, or the bad handle starts to peel off, after regular use. It looks bad, and so I had to stop using it, although the bag is really nice, and I like the print.
The only thing I do like is the jewelry and nail polish. They are really cheap. You spend around 125- 1250 rupees for earrings at Aldo, or any other branded shop, but on the streets, you get them at 25-100 rupees. And they look almost the same. But the necklaces are heavy, if they have diamonds or stones and they come off really quickly. You get nail polish at around 25 rupees which is pretty good. I’m not sure about the quality but if you don’t use it too frequently, it should be fine.
The handbags look good when they are new. I like the cloth handbags, but they can’t really hold weight. If it’s fake leather then the material starts to peel off. The zipper can sometimes be really bad. And it stops working after…well you really can’t predict when it would break off, but it does.
The best place for pooja accessories is Dadar, in my opinion.
You also need to have good bargaining skills. They will quote almost double the price. I suggest asking for 40%- 50% of what the person says and then try going up if they don’t listen. But, if it is a fixed rate shop, then you obviously can’t haggle.
Street shopping is good, if you’re going to use the stuff once or twice, and if you can bargain. It must be on your to-do list when in Mumbai because it’s really fun.
And as for quality, what can you expect when you don’t really spend much?
Jewellery, at Colaba
Looking for dresses at Colaba.
Trying out black pumps! I didn’t buy them though, I couldn’t walk in them!
My friend looking for dresses, inside a store, at Bandra, Hill Road.
This is a common sight outside almost all stations. All these slippers, shoes, sandals, all lined up.
Inside a store in Bandra, Hill road. They did have a trial room.
Handbags!
A variety of tops alined
Go on – shop till you drop!
About Priti Kairam
Priti Kairamkonda is a graduate in Electronics Engineering from the University of Mumbai. She has just stepped into the professional corporate world, working as an associate procurement analyst. Priti enjoys blogging on various topics and experiences ranging from ‘street shopping in Mumbai’ to ‘the culture shocks she felt after moving to India from Canada’. Graduating Elementary school with honours in Maths and Art, she loves craft and painting.
@pritikairam
