taiwan :: taipei :: shopping

[Kasper]

here's my review of some of the stores

the Complete Studio:

reading about it, i thought it would be extremely hard to find, turns out the entrance is huge and it's on a real big street. nice interior. they have a good selection of Visvim shoes. they didn't have any visvim clothes, i'm not really into most of the other label they carry except for Soph which they only had a few pieces. too many t-shirts, but overall good store.

TuanTuan:

really nice store, althought i don't understand their buy. at least 90% of the guy's stuff seems to be either t-shirt or polos, which i think it's a shame because of the labels they carry (maybe 80% of the stuff is CDG). Price point is ok. Overall, i found it disapointing because of the lack of interesting pieces.

the Lanvin and MMM stores at Sogo sucks real bad, especially Lanvin. i'm actually pretty sure Lanvin is licensed in Taiwan cause they almost only have suits of which they have a trillions different model and styles and it's almost too cheap to be true...

plus the sales peoples apparently have no idea that Lanvin makes sneakers...

i went to UC yesterday and wanted to know if they had received the gore-tex like jacket with the chukkas and the salesmen barely spoke any english so i'm not sure if it's already sold out or it hasn't been received yet? the winter stuff is 50% off, not too much left though.

i'm gonna ask again just for luck, anyone could recommend a good tailor or a nice store for dress shoes please

[Kasper]

alright, some more reviews

TuanTuan:

went back again and they had an alright run of N(N) although it's freakin scary how skinny it is. but i still stand by my original comment that they have way too many t-shirts and not much of anything else.

Undercover:

found a salesperson that spoke better english, apparently, they don't get all the pieces (meaning they don't get the best ones sometimes), which sucks. last time i was there in december, they had all the good outerwear, but it seems that for S/S, there's lot of stuff they won't get. she was really hot though so i ended up buying a t-shirt pretty much just cause of her (and it was 40% off...)

Jill Sander:

the men store is pretty cool, really good selection although again, they only have the skinniest size (guest it's normal given the local population), but still, it sucks when you are a fat white boy...

Lanvin at Mitsukoshi:

they had the sneakers there as well as a few pieces, but i stand by my original assesment that there's someting fishy as with Lanvin price point, suits shouldn't sell for 1G.

Y's:

the store at mitsukoshi is mostly women stuff, but the one at Sogo had a lot of mens clothes. i might have bought a real nice M65 made of real thin material if they would have had my fucking size...

45rpm:

the sogo store is womens only. there's one around ximenging but i had forgotten to bring the map when i got there and i don't care too much about 45rpm so i didn't go back.

MMM at Sogo,

again, i think the selection of mens clothes is wack, except if you're are looking for german trainers which they had quite a few.

Issey Miyake at Sogo:

they're opening a mens store, but only on the 18 so i can't say how it is, all the other store i've seen carry women stuff only.

Eslite book store:

they have an amazing selection of fashion mag from around the world (and all the japanese ones). they had a sick picture book of hedi slimane pictures and work selling for only 5 $. i got volume 3, anyone knows if it's possible to get volume 1 & 2 somehow.

anyway, i still think that taipei shopping situation is a bit disappointing, especially considering the amount of luxury brand stores in town. but i am sure it is getting better.

[azn8oi]

the only thing i want to cop in taipei is 蚵仔煎 (oh ah jian)

[azn8oi]

Thanks for your review though, Kasper. Will you still be in Taipei half a year from now?

[Kasper]

Thanks for your review though, Kasper. Will you still be in Taipei half a year from now?

nah, i'm writting this half drunk from the lounge in vancouver (24 hours plane ride sucks btw), was only there for a week and half. our negociations ended a little earlier than expected so i had chance to go explore the city a bit more yesterday afternoon before my flight.

[herpsky]

hope your new job is treating you well

[Kasper]

hope your new job is treating you well

it's alright, friday is my last day there.

friday will also most likely be my first day being a banker ( i really hope they give me the week-end off as i'm fucked with jet-lag, but don't hope so)...

Welcome B.A.L.L.A. status!!!

bye bye social life...

[slight]

So far, from what I've seen, Taipei shopping really is depressing... excibit A represents the attire of 90% of the male population. At least the food and women are the silver lining

[Akura]

Seriously forget about the shopping when you are in Taipei. Hit up Shi -Lin night market, there is a metro that takes you directly to it. Food is AMAZING!! So many drink stands that will blow your top off. Go to the clubs it is all you can drink open bar status! Luxy is for rich dudes and gold diggin ass bitches. So stay away from Luxy! Go to Room 18. The women you could fuck forever if you don't mind

[super]

I just hit up a ton of stores in the Jhongshiao E road area.

Undercover:

They still have that 40% off sale going on but not much is left save for a few tees. Lots of new stuff in but it's too much $ for me. I just picked up a t-shirt but it was still like $65 after discount. Nice service and very interesting interior.

D.W.A.R.P:

This place stocks Neighborhood, Mastermind Japan, Number (N)ine, roen, etc. I guess prices are fair but it's worth checking out for their in house label inspired by the above brands. It's a lot cheaper and looks very interesting. Here's their webshop:

http://tw.user.bid.yahoo.com/tw/show/auctions?userID=lazyvitti&u=:lazyvitti&clf=7

summit:

went here attempting to checkout some eternal denim but the store is closed for remodeling.

Graniph:

Tons of tees. I spent like 30 min just flipping through the different tees and there was a shit-ton of people in the store. Copped a nice shirt for 800 something NTD.

Sense Organ:

A small botique stocking japanese brand Devilock if you're interested in that. Shit is on sale at 40% off.

Faith:

This place has japanese repro stuff and a lot of denim. located right next to Leftfoot and it's super small. Store is owned and run by sufu member zk0425

I went a lot of other shops nearby but those are the ones I remember at the moment. Many of the other stores in this area are either reseller shops, local streetwear shops, or not really worth checking out (skate clothing, homo fashion, ugly american things). Look around for "PS Underground" as I heard they have Lad Musician, CDG, etc.

This chinese forum has a lot of the shops in this area well documented with addresses; check it out even if you can't read chinese cuz it has a nice shopmap:

http://www.kenlu.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14988&page=3

And then further south on Ren Ai road..

The Complete Studio:

To update Kasper's report, CLS just got a large shipment of visvim stuff. They have a ton of shoes on display from both the Folk and G-Line including Lhamo's in every color. I think I spent a good 10 minutes fondling them Lhamos; they're sooo B.A.L.L.A. There were also other FBT's but I didn't have 10k NTD to blow. There's a good amount of Visvim tees, LS t-shirts, shirts, jackets, pants, bags, etc in stock. Their house brand is also pretty interesting as well as the NexusVII stuff. Otherwise the other stuff they stock is kinda boring (ex sophnet)

Bape:

Worth checking out just for fun as it's right across from CLS...I like the new location and new interior

45rpm: I didn't get to check this out but just FYI, it's pretty close to BAPE and CLS on An He road. Check the 45rpm site and look on your map.

FYI, print this map out or get it at the MRT:

http://home.trtc.com.tw/INFO92/Lmap.asp?SID=091

I also went to Ximending but it was kinda disappointing as there wasn't really much worth checking out except for some mildly interesting local brands.

Hope that helped

[azn8oi]

thxtxhthxhthxhthx

[jsn]

the only thing i want to cop in taipei is 蚵仔煎 (oh ah jian)

oyster cakes yes? win!

[todesengel]

anyone know a good place to pick up cell phones in taipei? Is there an equivalent to HK's Sin Tat or are most shops just spread around?

[slight]

Think the electronic market around zhongxiao xinsheng is your best bet... otherwise there are plenty of small cellphone stores to be found around gonguan, shilin and shi da.

Alternatively you could always give Nova a go... near Taipei Main Station.

[nictan]

I just hit up a ton of stores in the Jhongshiao E road area.

I went a lot of other shops nearby but those are the ones I remember at the moment. Many of the other stores in this area are either reseller shops, local streetwear shops, or not really worth checking out (skate clothing, homo fashion, ugly american things). Look around for "PS Underground" as I heard they have Lad Musician, CDG, etc.

This chinese forum has a lot of the shops in this area well documented with addresses; check it out even if you can't read chinese cuz it has a nice shopmap:

http://www.kenlu.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14988&page=3

And then further south on Ren Ai road..

The Complete Studio:

To update Kasper's report, CLS just got a large shipment of visvim stuff. They have a ton of shoes on display from both the Folk and G-Line including Lhamo's in every color. I think I spent a good 10 minutes fondling them Lhamos; they're sooo B.A.L.L.A. There were also other FBT's but I didn't have 10k NTD to blow. There's a good amount of Visvim tees, LS t-shirts, shirts, jackets, pants, bags, etc in stock. Their house brand is also pretty interesting as well as the NexusVII stuff. Otherwise the other stuff they stock is kinda boring (ex sophnet)

Bape:

Worth checking out just for fun as it's right across from CLS...I like the new location and new interior

45rpm: I didn't get to check this out but just FYI, it's pretty close to BAPE and CLS on An He road. Check the 45rpm site and look on your map.

FYI, print this map out or get it at the MRT:

http://home.trtc.com.tw/INFO92/Lmap.asp?SID=091

I also went to Ximending but it was kinda disappointing as there wasn't really much worth checking out except for some mildly interesting local brands.

Hope that helped

any directions on how to get to PS underground? i'll be going to tw in august. thanks

[slight]

any directions on how to get to PS underground? i'll be going to tw in august. thanks

From memory, get out at Zhongxiao Dunhua exit 7, walk right as you exit along for a couple of metres until you see the fried chicken place on your left.

Take a left and walk down the alleyway.

Take the second right and keep on walking until you come up to PS: Underground... it'll be on your left.

OR you can just consult the map linked to earlier.

[super]

Back in Taipei, working here for a month and a half.

Went to Eslite bookstore on Friday. Gotta say, Eslite is probably the most balla bookstore I've been to. Very nicely designed interior and lots of other baller merchandise in addition to the books.

Tuan Tuan

This place is on the first floor of the Eslite bookstore, nicely designed and friendly staff. The stuff there was pretty disappointing though. They mostly stocked women wear and the mens stuff was all CDG which was also equally disappointing. Most of the Mens CDG stuff was 50% off in case thats your thing. So far, Tuan Tuan is a "meh."

Off to CLS next week!

[azn8oi]

I'm arriving Aug 18th. See you then?

[m1sterko]

my friends in taipei and he wanna know hows the nightclub life in taipei? any good clubs where young folk go? 18 year olds??

[nictan]

I'm arriving Aug 18th. See you then?

im leaving on the 9th aug!!!! but will be gone on the 16th though. will be staying at cosmo.

hmm. anyone knows abt other places of interest to visit other den shopping grounds? i know of shilin night market. any other places that are fun or the likes?

[Kasper]

im leaving on the 9th aug!!!! but will be gone on the 16th though. will be staying at cosmo.

hmm. anyone knows abt other places of interest to visit other den shopping grounds? i know of shilin night market. any other places that are fun or the likes?

going up Taipei 101 is pretty fun and the view is gorgeous and you'll go around there anyway. we went hiking and to a hot spring at yangmingshan national park and it was really fun, if you have a chance, i would definitely recommend it (and it's not very far from downtown, maybe 45 min). CKS memorial is pretty impressive as well. i was really disappointed with the national museum thought as i thought it was way too small...

taxis are dirt cheap btw

[todesengel]

More opinions on stores:

The big green SOGO on Zhongxiao (MRT zhongxiao fuxing I think) has Y's and MMM, stock of both is pretty good. A few other brands in there as well. avoid the sogo across the street as there's nothing there of interest.

The Complete Studio has a really nice selection of Visvim and a pretty good amount of Soph and Tenderloin, as well as some nice collab head porter bags. Selection is a little light in the jackets department but it's like 36 degrees during the day here so that makes sense. Staff is super nice and very helpful.

Faith is maybe the smallest legit store I've ever been in but they have a nice selection and are the official stockist of Real McCoy's. A few odd pairs of flatheads and denime (though only in 1 or 2 sizes) and some killer boots. Guy working there was really nice.

PS Underground is cool if gothninja is your thing. They had a fucking ton of N Hollywood when I was there, including most of the runway tees and sweatshirts. No N(N), but a few other japanese brands. Awesome magazine selection too.

Undercover was a little disappointing. Mostly print tees and accessories, though they had a few light knits and one hideous and obnoxiously branded goretex jacket. Only thing I was tempted to grab was that yellow backpack from SS08. Store is very cool.

Eslite is pretty awesome.

Other stuff to check out at night:

Shida night market - Smaller than Shilin and more focused on food.

Ximending - Fun to walk around for an evening, I guess this is the younger and trendier district. Lots of food.

[kurisu1945]

is the complete studio still there??

last time i checked (being late 2007) they were closed... or have they relocated ?

tuantuan sells really expensive CDG as a stockist...

UC tees there are reasonable, but it can also be found at UC taipei...

there's also some hiphop street shops called:

Underpeace - japanese resellers that sells bape, fenom, neighborhood, head porter etc.

JP SHOW - same.

Apery - same, but got Stage, branded with Show Luo and Alife tees.

pretty much all the cool stuff aint selling in taiwan..

coz kids up that joint are coughing n sniffing celebs' big time.

[Persia]

Heading to TW for three days. Please recommend shops and spots.

[todesengel]

Complete studio was open as of two days ago, it's across the street from Bape off the roundabout on Renai road. Check that chinese store map for exact location.

More store stuff:

Store called Secret Service around the area of PS Underground sells a ton of cheap mondays and some Ksubi denim. Only time I saw these brands in Taipei.

Jil Sander has a great selection and friendly staff. They also stock a ton of Dior Homme. Prices seemed significantly higher than what I've seen in the US, but there was a 30% off everything sale when I was there.

R by 45RPM was disappointing, but I guess if you like this line then check it out. Don't expect much in the way of denim.

Girl at the YSL next to Jil Sander tried to convince me that I would fit into size 42 sneakers when I usually wear 45-46.

[yusu2415]

LOL!

that's so tw, once this chick tried to sell me a massive gun shaped bling bling... i told her it was too big... so she then tried to sell me a smaller one...

yer man, one of my jap fdz are there right now =/ he complained about all the sneakers being the same everywhere... So no luck in finding sneakers there

its pretty much the stuff they'll have in HK and JP. So if u're there, dont sleep on those Shi Ling Night Market food.

Recommend:

Look for the YMCA near Taipei Main Train Station, opposite to the YMCA, there's a sweet meat bun place for 12NTD each? you better ask for spice, i'll slap u if u dont

[nictan]

Complete studio was open as of two days ago, it's across the street from Bape off the roundabout on Renai road. Check that chinese store map for exact location.

More store stuff:

Store called Secret Service around the area of PS Underground sells a ton of cheap mondays and some Ksubi denim. Only time I saw these brands in Taipei.

Jil Sander has a great selection and friendly staff. They also stock a ton of Dior Homme. Prices seemed significantly higher than what I've seen in the US, but there was a 30% off everything sale when I was there.

R by 45RPM was disappointing, but I guess if you like this line then check it out. Don't expect much in the way of denim.

Girl at the YSL next to Jil Sander tried to convince me that I would fit into size 42 sneakers when I usually wear 45-46.

jil sander stocks dior homme? wheres jil sander in tw?? im looking to get some dior homme stuff when i go in two weeks time. thanks!!

[ken shinoda]

my friends in taipei and he wanna know hows the nightclub life in taipei? any good clubs where young folk go? 18 year olds??

LUXY

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UUXn5tj_1lU

[Yardsale]

I'll be there for two weeks starting next week! Found your post helpful, todesengel

[azn8oi]

next thing youre gonna tell me is that youre of tw/ch descent. i thought you were a 韓國人 the whole time.