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Clothing Shopping in Bogotá

For fashionable clothing you have the usual choices you might experience anywhere else. Large department style shopping malls; UniCentro, Metropolis, and several others usually found in the North of the city where most of the foriegn money resides, as well as the more middle and upper class Colombians. Some of these malls are larger than their typical counterparts in the US, and have a wide range of shopping opportunities. Of course, these venues are more costly, because a lot of what they offer is imported. US and European brand names are prevalent.
For work-a-day clothing, these same malls may offer what you are seeking, but there are any number of outlets selling clothing and shoes all over Bogotá. Some are more exotic than others. Some of the previously mentioned food stores offer selections of clothing and shoes at somewhat better prices than the malls, but again most of their offerings are imported and therefore more expensive than possibly is necessary.
Speciality shops that offer one kind of clothing or apparel are to be found everywhere in the city. Names you might recognise like Louis Barton, Aquele, and others, are available. A shirt and tie combination at Barton, is around $26,000. pesos, with a large selection of colors to choose from. Shops selling levis and other brands of bluejeans, have prices ranging up from $20,000. pesos. Sweaters for $20,000, a pair of dress shoes for $35,000 a nice suit for $90,000 are just a few examples of prices I have noted. Shoe stores abound and the prices for sporting type shoes are far more reasonable than they are in the US.
In the north of the city, I have seen block after block of what would be called Boutiques in the US with what appear to be designer clothing being offered. Since I am not a boutique person I can only tell you they looked expensive, if exclusive in their offerings. Definately for the beautiful people and club crowd.
If you are a standard Colombian size, which by the way are indicated using European standards, and not the US standards, for example, my size 11.5 shoes are size 46 here. My size 18.5 X36 shirts are also a size 46 here. I suppose there are equivalent charts available somewhere, but I haven´t seen one. The size difference I have indicated, I found in a very old guide to Bogotá.
If you are not a typical Colombian size, good luck finding anything that will fit off the rack. Fortunately, there are plenty of tailors here that will make nearly anything custom you might need or want. I haven´t had anything made yet, but I have lost a lot of weight here from all the walking we do, and have had some of my expensive suits resized to fit. The average cost to have them fit better than they ever have, is about $20,000 pesos. As I wear out my everyday clothes, I´ll have to see what it takes to have a pair of chinos made. Since I clock in at 6 feet 4 inches, I dwarf most Colombians, and can´t hope to find clothes to fit on a rack somewhere. I have yet to find a speciality shop dealing with tall people´s clothing. If any other tall person has found such a tienda in Bogotá. please let me know.
Tie shops are cheap and plentiful with a good selection of passable ties. I donated all mine when I left the US, and don´t intend to buy another one ever again. But if you need one, they are available for as little as $5,000 pesos. They are generally better quality than you would find in the US for that price.
One little bit about umbrellas. If you like to stay dry, you will probably need one here since at certain times of the year, it rains frequently. Clouds full of rain can appear from behind the Andes on the prevailing eastern winds on the most beautiful of sunny days. Warm and sunny one minute and pouring the next. Suffecient quality umbrellas are availablefrom street vendors for as little as $5,000 pesos, but if you want a really good Italian made umbrella with double ribs, you usually can find one for $20,000 pesos. A word of warning though. . .don´t wait until it´s pouring down to buy one. The prices jump at least 50% or more depending on how hard it´s raining. Smart Colombians! I´ve taken to looking around to see how many local people are carrying their umbrellas when I leave the house early in the day. If they are carrying them, I go back and get mine. If not, I usually feel comfortable going without. However, We were once caught in a downpour that lasted more than an hour, hiding under the overhang of a building along with several Colombians getting drenched. So they don´t always know what the weather will be. I hadn´t seen anyone carrying an umbrella that day, but usually they are right.
LaloG

By LaloG on Jan 17, 2005, 10:44 in Friendly Talkzone.

william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 10:48:

Carry that umbrella 24/7 I have about 5 umbrellas because of not carrying mine and having to buy a cheap street one just to not get completely soaked.

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LaloG says on Jan 17, 2005, 10:53:

I stopped buying the collapsable kind, because they are left in cabs or on buses too easily. The big ones usually come with a nylon sheith with a strap for throwing them over your shoulder to keep your hands free for other things, like fending off the kidnappers etc :-)

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glacierdaz says on Jan 18, 2005, 14:29:

Costly Clothes Are you kidding??? Clothes here in Colombia are of very good quality and are really inexpensive compared to North America. Sure Unicentro is trendy, but it is still cheap compared to the USA or Canada. Try the BIMA factory outlet on Autopista Norte for some good deals.

see ya

D

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lpdiver says on Jan 19, 2005, 18:57:

Yeah I am going to find clothes in Colombia. They just laugh. I am very tall and somewhat fat...

"cook some rice!"

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jack73534 says on Jan 19, 2005, 20:50:

test

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