By Puja Gokarna
Irresistible and affordable: every woman’s dress-me-up dream! And in magical Mumbai, the fondest dreams come true. Mark these markets on your shopping map.
1. Fashion-Shopping in Mumbai: Colaba Causeway
It’s a narrow stretch with a wide range of shopping delights! The sunlight is comfortably off your shoulders, and temptation is waved in your face. The clothes are an Indian take on the Hippie and Bohemian cultures, and the accessories sing of bling.
No trials at such markets, but a drink at the nearby Café Leopold or Café Mondegar will tell you all you need to know about what the clothes and accessories look like upon wearing.
2. Fashion Street, Churchgate
True shopaholics (deliberately) forget to pack enough. Enter Fashion Street! Sure, this is a range of very regular gents’ and ladies’ wear. “But at those rates, they’re practically a giveaway,” argues Aparnaa Kalbag, a local shopaholic. “Amateurs might want to practice their bargaining skills here, before trying their luck at Colaba causeway or any of the other markets with shopkeepers, who are tougher to crack” she adds.
3. Fashion-Shopping in Mumbai: Mahatma Gandhi Market
Prepare for the eyes to boggle: the sheer range of dress material colours and patterns is staggering. It’s one of the locals’ favourite haunts during the festival season. Your bags may grow heavier as you wade the lanes, but your heart is going to cry out three magic words – I love Hue!
4. Hill & Linking Road Markets, Bandra
These markets are the very definition of loot. The trendy, branded and fake branded clothes are all here, sold by the dozen, below market price.
You could also find bags, accessories and footwear to go with that new dress you bought from here that you just changed into, before remembering what it is that you were looking for.
5. Fashion-Shopping in Mumbai: Manish Nagar Market, Andheri West
Entering this market might give you a feeling that it’s an echo of Hill Road and Linking Road ones. But prepare to be surprised: a patient search is sure to yield some rare finds. Bargain away to high glory, and success (and chic) will be yours.
6. Lokhandwala, Andheri West
Speaking of trendy, this is an entire stretch of glass-door shops with jazzy music and mannequins sporting what you want –western, traditional and fusion. There’s no bargaining to be done here, but wait till you discover that tiny lane called ‘Kamdhenu Shopping Centre’ and the shops that extend to the end of the street from there.
7. Natraj Market, Malad
The Colaba and Bandra lovers don’t know much about this market. But it’s got colour, mirror, shell, tie and dye, block prints, embroidery, flowy chiffons, traditional, bridal, and what have you! How can you not shop here?
8. Milan Shopping Centre, Ghatkopar
Being a locality of Gujaratis, it can’t get more traditional than this shopping zone in Ghatkopar. The festivals are all lined up and an hour of looking around is going to dare your self-control: Lehengas, ghagras, sarees, and salwar suits range from ones that your mom will nostalgically smile at to ones that your friends will gasp at.
