Fabric Market

Late last week, I went to the Fabric Market with my Chinese friend. I was looking to make a gift for our ayi for Christmas as well as attempt to get one of my blouses from my current closet, duplicated.

We had a great day at the market! It was so much fun shopping with a girlfriend and I don't know what I would have done without her to speak Chinese. The fabric market is a daunting place for someone like me, who can't even sew on a button! There were rows upon rows of fabric. There were vendors who also sold buttons, zippers, ribbons, lace and anything else you could think of to accessorize a garment!

What makes this shopping excursion even more challenging is that colors and fabrics we are used to in the States are not available here in China. Different market, different product. In the States, we are so used to going to a store and buying what is on the rack. We hardly notice which kind of "blend" the actual fabric is while on the hanger. If it feels good, we consider buying it. Simple.

Since I wanted my blouse duplicated, it was very challenging rummaging through rows and rows of fabric which consisted of cotton blends that couldn't be communicated with the vendor. The vendors don't really know. They know which items are 100% cotton and which items are "mixed"...that's it. Names like spandex, polyester, and rayon have no meaning. I finally found some material that seemed close to what I already had...but I'm the last person to be sure about that.

This market is like any of the other markets here in China. Negotiation and knowing your product are KEY to a successful shopping trip. Uh-oh. I was in trouble. Good thing I had Christine there to help me! It turns out she is a tenacious bargainer. She also LOVES fabric, so between both of us, we were able to find some really great stuff.

At the same stall I was having my blouse duplicated, I was contemplating another type of fabric for my gift to our ayi. While Christine and I were discussing the fabric at hand, a few more customers rolled in to buy some product. Two of them were a couple of chinese ladies. One of these ladies was older and she was discussing her own potential purchase with her friend. Since we were waiting for the vendor's attention, this lady's interest also drew our attention...so we started talking to her.

This is the point where I tell you how very fortunate I was to be at this particular spot at this particular time. This lady had on a scarf which she was trying to duplicate herself. She absolutely LOVED her scarf! Why? Apparently, she was visiting her daughter who was an expat in London at the time. She had visited the big retail, fancy department stores over there during her visit and bought her scarf there. She said that she paid so much money for it, she was actually embarrassed to tell us how much money she spent on it. But, she loved it so much. This is when we all crowd around her and feel the material of the scarf. It was a basic black and the material was one of those cottons that feels something in between a clothing cotton and a sheet cotton. What she loved about it...and this SO appeals to my own practical and functional nature...is that while it is a scarf, it is also a blanket, a shawl, a head covering, etc. The scarf was a little bigger and would look great with a longer jacket. And since it was black, it went with about everything. And because the fabric was an in-betweener in thickness, a sturdier cotton, it didn't feel too heavy around your neck while it also made for a great impromptu blanket - anywhere. She mentioned that because of the extra length, you could twist it, tie it, and wrap it several different ways...all giving you a completely different look.

Well, this concept seems pretty basic...what's the big deal, right? 1) This lady paid a premium price for this scarf in London. We were at a fabric market where this concept could be duplicated at a fraction of the cost. 2) Since experiencing colder climates than southern California, I see how beneficial a slightly extra layer is either traveling, or with kids who get cold and you didn't bring another jacket for them, or on a weekend excursion where you didn't want to take your entire wardrobe with you "just in case", ETC! Sitting on a bus, or a train or an airplane or sitting on a bench or taking a walk...how many times have I wished I had just one extra little layer to cover me up? Not another formal jacket or sweater...just something a little extra? MANY TIMES! This lady said she has used it in all kinds of instances like the ones I just described. The versatility of twisting or tying it differently for a different look was also so convenient for her. She LOVED her scarf!

Like I said, the pure functionality and versatility of this kind of scarf was appealing...not to mention that I was standing in a fabric market and I could expand this concept to a hundred different "looks" if I wanted to! Yippee! So, we watched her measure out the dimensions of her "beloved" scarf and my friend and I started looking around for material WE thought would be appealing for a scarf like that!

It was so much fun! Since our time was limited, we found about 3 different fabrics we wanted to try for a longer scarf. I also found material for our ayi's present. SO, all in all, it was a very successful shopping trip! Whew! Without Christine, it could have been a very different kind of day for someone like me.

I also want to point out that the fabric markets here have some of the most incredible fabric...anything from the finest cotton to the finest thai silks...and everything in between! But, like always, you really have to know your product. Silks can be passed off as "silk" when they are actually a blend. If you're not careful, you could pay a premium price for very cheap fabric.

Having had a few days to "try out" my new longer scarves, I have to say I, too, absolutely LOVE them! They really ARE very versatile and the fabric I picked out is so...ME! haha I LOVE THEM! We went for a walk today through our neighborhood, and it was chilly, but not enough for a full blown sweater or jacket, especially since we were walking around. We stopped to let the kids play at a park and sitting on the bench I got chilled...it's a very good thing I had my scarf to use as a thin blanket! haha See? I'm telling you...it was obviously popular in London recently...how long before it catches on elsewhere? :)