By: Angelica Cabral
When I went to Japan over winter break I was ecstatic at the chance to go to the legendary shopping areas of Harajuku and Shibuya. It definitely lived up to expectations and I found lots of great items that I probably wouldn’t be able to buy in many other places in the world. So, when I found out that I was going to get to go to Taipei and Taiwan, I jumped at the chance to check out the fashion scene there too.
There were classic tourist type of malls that featured big name brand stores like Versace and Burberry, but I wasn’t all that interested in those since I can’t really afford $450 sweaters even in the states.
One of these types of places was Taipei 101, the 5th largest building in the world, which included a mall and observatory deck.
I was already planning on going up to the observatory deck so I took a look around the mall as well, even though most of the stores were pretty expensive. While inside I found the stunning dress below.
Photo: Angelica Cabral
I liked this one because while it felt like something I could find in America, it was very regal and seemed influenced by the kind of clothes royalty would wear, while also having a 1920s twist when it came to the outline and shape.
I found that a lot of the style seemed to have Western influences as well. This was evident even in the smaller shops.
I checked out a smaller mall right next to Taipei 101 where I found cheaper clothing, although it was still in the $15-$50 range; I had my converter handy at all times to convert the price, of course.
While a lot of the clothes were minimalistic in design, the phrases on them were fairly bold. For example, one of the shirts said “Mexican Muse” on it.
I did pick out some stuff that I liked a lot, like a crop top that just had pictures of vegetables on it and this sweater below that says “& White”.
Photo: Angelica Cabral
At first, a lot of the shops there seemed like they were simplistic and along the vein of what you could find in Gap. But, once I went inside I found clothing that was modest but also very unique.
I always look for things that I couldn’t buy in the states whenever I get the chance to go shopping in a foreign country.
I ended up with a shirt with a cymbal monkey on it that said, “Franky the Monkey is wondering…If a vampire and a dinosaur will fight, who will win?” from a brand called Pull and Bear.
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