SHOPPING IN SEOUL/ WHERE TO SHOP IN SEOUL

ALSO DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE "TOP SHOPS" WHICH TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHERE TO GET THE GROOVIEST FASHIONISTA GEAR IN SEOUL!

MYONG DONG Myong Dong is crowded with trendy Japanese tourists on a shopping/sauna holiday. Thus, the clothes you will find in Myong Dong are influenced mainly by what the Japanese are wearing. The fashions tend to be young, brightly colored and deconstucted. Nothing fits quite right, but it's cheap anyway. There are loads of sports shops and sporty clothes (good for a hip hop night on the town.) Myong dong has brillant accessories such as scarves, earrings, shoes and especially sunglasses! Some of the popular shops are pictured above and below.

ITAEWON Itaewon can be a bargain hunter's paradise! Itaewon is a good place for shoppers who like to dig through piles of junk to find hidden treasures. If you are looking for designer clothes which were manufactured in Korea which are slightly irregular and therefore rejected for export, this is the place to get it. The prices are phenomenal. Laundry, BCBG, Marc Jacobs, DKNY and Catherine Malandrino are some of the brands on sale here. Bear in mind that some of the clothes are from last year's collection and some of them don't fit well. You can always have them tailored. Nike, Adidas and the other sports shops on the street have good casual and workout wear and they have Western sizes available in footwear. The stalls on the street also sell good hats and imitation handbags. If you want fake Louis, Chanel or Tod's bags, follow the guys on the street that are saying `kabang`/ handbag. They will take you to an unmarked shop and bring you goods after you peruse the catalog. It's best to go in pairs and not by yourself, just to be on the safe side.

APKUJONG Apkujong-South of the river (Kangnam) is fashionista territory. It`s the land of upscale Department Stores, funky cool boutiques and Luxury Brand Name Goods shops. There are so many ways to squander a fortune here. There are three main Dept. stores. The Shinsegae is at the Express Bus Terminal Station near the JW Marriot. If you go here, you might as well check out the Kangnam underground shopping mall at the B1 of the bus station. There is also the Hyundai Dept. Store at the foot of the Donhgo Bridge. They just opened a Tod`s and a Stella McCartney there. Then there is the Mecca of shopping which is known as the Galleria. If you continue past the Galleria heading towards the Cheongdam Sagori, you will run into the Luxury goods shopping area. Here, you`ll find Prada, Gucci, Armani, Louis etc. Good Luck! You better hope your credit card comes out alive!

TONGDAEMUN Tongdaemun This market is for advanced fashionishtas only. My favorite place to find cutting edge stuff is Doota B/1. I have seen things I wanted at department stores, gone to Doota and seen a perfect knockoff of it for a fraction of the price. Doota's appropriate motto is `Fast and First`. There are alot of treasures waiting to be unearthed here, but you need to have the patience to find them. Upstairs has cool accesories, the shoe dept sells alot of the same shoes as the Galleria dept.store except it`s one third the price. Of course the quality is not as good and the styles are not nearly as cool as overseas. Sometimes, it's a hit and miss. I've been there a few times and found nothing at all that i liked. Then, there`s the Chunghap Sijang a.k.a Dongdaemun Chain Store. If you want to make your own pillows, curtains, clothes and jewelry, this is the place to find your supplies. You can find every kind of material under the sun from fleece to fake fur, to pleather, to silk, spandex and chiffon. There are even tailors and sewing ladies who make stuff on the spot! The sewing ladies in B1 can make pillowcases and table runners, and the tailors near the hanbok section on the ground floor can make more intricate stuff. The tailors don't speak English unfortunately. 5th floor of this market sells beads and chains for necklaces. If you are crafty, you can make anything you want. This place is a great source of inspiration for the seasoned fashionista.