Shanghai Fabric Market: Tips and Prices tagged: , , ,

Shanghai Fabric Market: Tips and Prices

Posted by Mike in China Living, Shopping

About a year ago, one of my friends made a trip from the United States to Shanghai. He didn’t do this for the cultural experience. He didn’t do this for the sight seeing. He didn’t do this to practice his Mandarin or Shanghainese. He definitely didn’t do it to relax. He did it for the Shanghai Fabric Market.

My friend was going to get married and wanted to have wedding dresses and suits made for about 10 people. He had the option of having this done in the United States, but he would actually save money by traveling to and shopping at the Shanghai Fabric Market. This trip cost well over $2,000, but the savings turned out to be a few hundred USD per person.

While his case was extreme, there can be a lot to be gained from getting tailored clothes at the Shanghai Fabric Market. Let’s take a look at some things you should know about the most popular fabric market in Shanghai.

Shanghai Fabric Market / South Bund Spinning Material Market Location

  • 399 Lujiabang Rd
  • Nearest Metro: Nanpu Bridge (Line 4) — 5 minute walk to fabric market

shanghai fabric markets

General Prices

1) Tailored Shirt: 60 – 80 RMB.

Before returning to the United States after my Summer Internship in Shanghai, I purchased about 5 tailored shirts from 399 Lujiabang Rd. A couple of the shirts had buttons that fell off and fabric wasn’t quite as nice as the work shirts I typically buy from Express. However, the fit was good and they did last about 2 years. For value, I would give these shirts an A. For quality, I would give these shirts a C+. Make sure you choose the proper fabric. If you can, test out some sample shirts to see how they feel. You can choose the types of cuffs you want (and then buy cuff links outside of the market) as well as what collar you want.

2) Men’s Suit (includes pants and jacket): Roughly 300 RMB.

Again, during my time in Shanghai in 2008, I purchased two suits. One was made of quite bad fabric and was only used sparingly. The second become one of my favorite suits. Watch out for quality of suits and lining. I would recommend getting the suited double lined because the fabric can be very thin. You may need to negotiate at different rates based on the quality. Use 300 RMB as a rough estimate of what you should pay.

3) Woman’s Coat (cashmere lined, waist length): Roughly 400 RMB.

It is possible to go slightly lower, but you need to time it right. With the Shanghai Expo going on now, along with the influx of foreigners, the prices will likely be on the high side until the end of the Expo. Choose you quality wisely.

4) Woman’s Dress (high quality, found from clothing magazine): Roughly 250 – 300 RMB.

This is where things begin to vary. Recently, my friend brought a Japanese magazine to get quoted for a dress she fell in love with. Her dress was very specific to design and required some additional stitching. She also chose the best quality fabric she could find. The lowest price she was offered was 330 RMB. However, this was during a weekend on a Sunny day. While she is Chinese, she was also dressed fancy (therefore, exhibiting the ability to spend). A lower quality dress on a non-peak day could be had for about 250 RMB. The fancier you get, the more you will spend.

5) Men’s Coat (hood, thick fabric, mid length below belt): Roughly 400 RMB.

These are the types of coats you will see in magazines or on display at the various vendors. Choose the style you want and be reluctant to pay any more than 400 RMB.

Shanghai Fabric Market Shopping Tips

  • Read the tips I wrote for the following articles: Shanghai Fake Markets: Locations, Negotiation Tips, Rankings and Shanghai Fake Market Prices.  These tips apply for fabric markets as well.
  • Check out my ultimate Shanghai Fabric Market Tip that will save you 20% off of your best negotiated price. I would say about 99% of all foreigners don’t know about this trick. Note, this is only for members, but you can become a free member by signing up for my newsletter.
  • Dress down. If you look like you have a lot of money, it will be harder for you to negotiate.
  • It doesn’t matter if you speak English or Chinese, but try to act as though you live in Shanghai. If they think you are here for the Expo, it will be harder to negotiate. There are two primary reasons for this — 1) you will never give them repeat business, so you are less valuable and 2) you won’t have time to complain and ask for a fix if things don’t look right.
  • Buy a magazine that has different styles before you enter the market. Choose an outfit you like and ask them to make the exact outfit. Give them the picture that you are asking for. This will give you more variety in the items you can get.
  • Negotiate how much you should pay upfront vs. at the end. Obviously, you want to put down as little upfront as possible.
  • It is best to go during non-peak days. Weekday afternoons (during work hours) are best.
  • Shop around. Get a price from one vendor and try to get lower at the next vendor. The vendors are commodities — they are all the same and they all give their orders to shared seamstresses. Unless you are trying to build a relationship with one, you might as well use one to get a general price, use one to try a low-ball price, and then use a third one to get a proper price. With this, make sure that the quality is the same when you shop around.
  • Make sure you give yourself a few days beyond the agreed upon date of completion to have alterations made. It is their job to make sure what you ordered is acceptable.

Pictures of the Shanghai Fabric Market (or South Bund Spinning Material Market)

Below are some pictures I took in the Lujiabang fabric market. I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos. They were taken with my iPhone (yes, I am able to use my iphone in China).

shanghai fabric market

shanghai fabric market

shanghai fabric market

shanghai fabric market

shanghai fabric market

shanghai fabric market

Conclusion for Shanghai Fabric Market Shopping

You can get some high-quality clothes made at the Shanghai fabric market that fit you better than the products found in the store. Rather than paying a high premium for a brand, why not have a piece of clothing made at the fabric market instead? For those in Shanghai for the Shanghai Expo, get value on your plane ticket by getting some clothes in the Shanghai Fabric Market before your return to home.

Ready to go shopping? Don’t forget to read my Shanghai Fabric Market tip that will quickly save you at least 20% on any negotiated price you find at this market. It is password protected, but simply sign up for my free newsletter below to get the password instantly.

Any other suggestions or corrections? Leave a comment.