Over the weekend, we honored the ancient tradition of going post-Christmas shopping, setting out for the leather market in Haining, a couple of hours’ drive from Shanghai. We really didn’t know what to expect, and I thought it might be akin to the yarn market — outdoor stalls, cats and kids roaming throughout.
No way. The snowy parking lot was jammed with cars and buses. It’s a huge, modern complex. Where to begin? Bags and clothing?
The shoe wing? 
Reviewing all possibilities on the map, we thought maybe we should check into the hotel.
Opting for Pelage Finery (only the best for my guys),
we headed to the escalator.
So many shops, all with different stuff in almost-familiar brands!
Son Christopher got a Piraida leather jacket for his new life in California,
and John got a Gabbanie (not modeled),
while Alex selected a bag, shoes, and a belt.
Here I am, keeping toasty in a down-filled “Mexican” jacket.
Time flies. I was forced to forego the fur wing, only getting a quick look at some of the more outlandish fashions,
And sadly, we didn’t set foot in the Bundesrepublic Deutschiand.
(We are certain that there was no Bundesrepublik in 1828, and pretty sure that there never was a Kaiser Abdul Hamid!)
But there’s always next year! By that time, the high-speed train will be up and running and we could make Haining in 20 minutes.
A friend commented off line that I left out critical information — how were the prices? So I’ll comment on my own post! Serious shoppers in China should always follow the rule: Know Thy Merchandise! (We didn’t.) At first we were disappointed that things didn’t seem really cheap. Then I started to notice how very buttery soft some of the expensive jackets were….. Jacket prices ranged from the sales racks of 500 RMB to 5,000 RMB. (Fur lining obviously adds to the price, too.) Belts were about 30 RMB each, and my son picked up his very nice brown dress shoes for around 100. And as for that 5,000 RMB price — that’s after serious bargaining, which we had to do for everything. I think that the marked price on that item was 18,000. When a Chinese man bought a jacket identical to the one my husband was looking at, my son actually followed him out of the store and asked what he paid; he wouldn’t tell precisely, but said “No more than half,” whether of the tag price or the shopkeeper’s opening verbal price, we weren’t sure. The scantiest of post-shopping research (checking prices at Zara and H&M) makes me feel like we did okay. At least we hope we paid the expat price, not the stupid expat price! Now somebody will probably tell me otherwise….