Clothes shopping in Saigon

I came here thinking that this was going to be a haven to buy cheap clothes, thinking that since everything seems to be made here nowadays, these clothes should be easy to find. This has not exactly been the case. The thing is that clothes made here for stores like Forever 21, Gap, or Northface are not sold here. Everything is shipped out to the U.S. and European countries, making it difficult and frustrating for people like my young cousins to find. What they do have here in abundance is clothes made here or imported from China.

And these clothes are...to put it lightly, not exactly my style. To put it bluntly (because who cares), they are tacky and borderline fugly. Too much crazy patterns, sparkles, ruffles, and of very poor quality. They're the clothes you find in those empty stores in that corner of Great Mall no one goes to named Diva or Fashion House. You pass by those stores thinking no one in their right mind would waste their money there, but you do see them at Grand Century rocking their outfits with an admirable level of confidence and high stiletto shoes. That is basically Vietnamese fashion in a nutshell--A crazy assortment of tackiness and a fierce sense of confidence that their outfit is the hottest to ever hit the block. I seriously saw a woman, in 100+ degree weather walk around Saigon in a long black velvet, low v-neck jumpsuit with white pleather 5-inch stilettos. Hair highlighted golden brown, a thick mask of makeup painted on her face--she was certainly a wonder to behold. How she managed to wear that thick jumpsuit in this awful heat left me confused, but her ability to walk around like the hottest shit around with makeup melting off her face is really admirable. I wish I had that self-confidence.

But, totally off-topic. Back to shopping. SO, I've been around to all different kinds of places trying to find some nice, cheap clothes. I've been to newly built malls with brand-name stores that sell American brands for inexorbitant prices (they have Papaya over here and a dress that would cost about $15 bucks over here cost $100 over there...ridiculous!) and outside markets that also charge a ridiculous amount (because I'm a foreigner) for some ugly, tacky clothes. I almost gave up shopping in Vietnam until my cousin, Vy, showed me two places for foreigners to shop for some cute and cheap finds.


Place #1--The Russian Market (Cho Nga)
I didn't know that Vietnam is home to a pretty sizable Russian population here (and in Russia), which is a remnant of Russia's Soviet Union past and its influence on Communist Vietnam, especially during the early days. The Russian Market represents this influence. Most of the sellers here have some connection to Russia, either having lived there and returned back to set up shop or they have relatives over there who send them merchandise from Russia. The merchandise sold here is made in Vietnam, but exported to Russia. Somehow (and possibly through illegal means), these merchandise got into the hands of these sellers and sold to Vietnamese (and Russian) locals living here.

What makes this market special is that it sells clothes more fitting to the Western style. The material of the clothes here is thicker and of better quality. This mall is a good place to shop for coats, especially real Northface (which are made in Vietnam) and Abercrombie and Fitch coats. Brand names are sold at a third of the price. I saw the exact same coat I bought from Abercrombie a few years ago for $150, sold here for around $30 bucks. Same coat, material, quality, and everything. The clothes here are also not that bad. I also bought a dress shirt for around $5. Bargaining is key. Pay only about 60-70% of the asking price.

The mall is relatively new, tucked away near a freeway, out of the touristy area so not much people know about it yet. Go there for deals on coats.

Place #2-Saigon Square
This place is shopping central for foreigners on the lookout for cheap clothes, knockoff designer purses, and shoes. Located near the center of the city, it was actually the home of the Russian Market a few years ago before the government moved the Russian Market to its new location. This place is just awesome. Sure, most of the "brand-name" are fake (and if real, it is stolen), but they sold very cheap. One thing on fake brand name clothes sold in Vietnam to keep in mind--I was told that companies like Gap that come here often have their designs sold to local sewing factories, who make the same thing with very similar material and sell it to foreigners at very low prices. Fake, then, doesn't mean bad quality. It's basically the same design and material, just not made by the company itself.

Like the Russian Market, it is set up like an inside flea market. For the claustrophobic, it can be a bit much. There are a crazy amount of people scrambling inside, most of which are tourists from Singapore, Philippines, and Malaysia, grabbing Kipling bags and bargaining over piles and piles of clothes. What I like about this place is that it not only has a good selection of cheap clothes, but the sellers here are a lot nicer than the ones catering to locals. Sellers catering to locals are awful and often yell at you when you bargain and don't buy. The ones here are a bit more patient, offer better customer service, and don't curse you when you leave their stall empty-handed.

Bargaining is also key here. The prices are generally cheap--$5 and below for shirts, shorts, and jeans. A bit more for designer knock-off purses and electronics. It is best to walk around and get a few for the prices of a certain item you like at more than a few stalls since they all basically seling the same merchandise.

So glad that my cousin showed me these places. I certainly know where to waste my Vietnamese money at now.

Russian Market
225 Ben Chuong Duong Street in District 1.

Saigon Square
At the intersection of Le Duan and Hai Ba Trung, right in downtown Saigon