Shopping in Buenos Aires, Argentina

So if anyone has been reading my posts so far, you may have noticed I have little to naught to say about the city I was born in, which is metropolitan Buenos Aires.

I have seldom blogged about Buenos Aires' food and restaurant environment, but not about fashion.

There's a reason for this though -

I hate the fashion in Buenos Aires. Absolutely hate it.

... ok,  ok, maybe there are SOME things that I like, and because I'm a very positive person, I *will* tell you some good things about it. But first, the bad aspects.

1. It's boring.

Right now, big pumps are all the rage. Thick heels are preferred. This could mean nothing, as in I've seen them in fashion magazines all over the world.

But in Buenos Aires, once something is "in", it's THE ONLY THING that is in. You dressed in anything but that, and you're an idiot.

For instance, I think thick heels look weird. Not bad, just weird. So they shouldn't be any weirder than my over-the-knee Liz Lisa boots, right?

Wrong! If I go out with thick heeled-pumps, nobody will bat an eyelash at me. But wear something out-of-the-norm and you'll have everyone staring and calling you names! Yipee! How grand.

At least it's an easy, one-way ticket to getting everyone's attention. Even if it's unwanted.

Just to show you how boring it is, take a look at Falabella, a department store. Although not precisely Argentinian-born (it's all over Latin America), the Argentina locals have been really dull lately. The only good thing about Falabella is that the price in amazingly low. In that sense, it kind of operates like a fast-fashion shop, think Forever21 or H&M. The home decoration selection is also good, so I won't be bothering Falabella too much. The clothes were awful this season, but in the rest it's the best shop in Buenos Aires.

2. It's unoriginal.

Once something is in, all the big brands (which we don't have many of... I think I can easily count them with my hands and toes) do it. They do exactly the same. Most brands don't have any... er... branding identity.

When you shop, say, DIESEL, you know you're buying grunge, rebellion, distressed jeans and all-around "cool" looking clothes. When you shop Betsey Johnson, you go for fun prints, an eclectic style and lots of girly ruffles. You know Angelic Pretty won't sell anything but cupcakes, unicorns and teddybear-clad clothing.

But when you shop Paula Cahen d'Anvers (a schmancy "posh" Argentinian brand) you don't know what to expect. They just accommodate themselves to whatever is cool at the moment.

I understand some brands do this. For example, Forever21 isn't exactly a trend-setter. They follow trends, and are always changing. This is OK, because Forever21, as a brand, knows this.

But Paula doesn't know what the f*** she wants. She has no originality. She tries to sell 40 dollar tank tops that look like they have been worn already. I am not kidding you on this. 40 dollars for a white tanktop with nothing on it. Seriously????

Right now Paula has been having a "cowboy" sort of phase. But it changes every single season. Trends come and go, but these clothes don't even have a distinguishable "oh, that's Paula" feel to them.

Here we have the Paula window display. Guys, just, wtf is this. Sweaters and sweatpants of all colors tied in little ribbons? Is this how we are supposed to go out to the streets?

I had never seen a more horrible display in my 20 years of life. And also, WTF? Weren't they having like this cowgirl theme for the campaign? Just WHAT is this? Pajamas?

3. It's expensive.

Clothes in Buenos Aires' shopping malls is very expensive. Really, tremendously expensive. We are talking about 350 dollars for a pair of pumps or boots!

The most I ever paid in Japan for a pair of shoes was, full-price, 100 dollars. And the level of comfort and design of a Japanese brand's pair of shoes is nothing like the Argentinian.

Argentinians do clothes just like they do everything else. Cheaply.

So we are talking about 300 dollars for a pair of boots from Blaqué, a leatherwear store, only to have the heel fall off upon 2 weeks of using it. I am not making this up, this happened to a friend of my mom's!

Argentine brand Paruolo. Not only did this boots cost like 1200 pesos (like 300 dollars), they are EXACTLY like Jeffrey Cambell's famous Lita booties!

At least if you're going to be this bland, try copying something not so well-known. A basic pair of Litas is 170 dollars, more or less, right? So Paruolo basically wants me to pay ALMOST TWICE THE PRICE for a COPY.

Jesus Christ.


... but wait, there ARE some good things I can say about Argentinian fashion, alright?

Of course. Against the norm, there are many other brands who stay true to their style and don't give a crap about trends.

Following fashion is OK. But you should always stay true to your brand concept. Even though Liz Lisa sells more pastel and white in summer and more brown and red in winter, and even though the trends may change every season, Liz Lisa still is and always will be "retro girlish". This is what defines them. They don't dare disappoint the concept which justifies all their fashion choices.

So let's take a look at some Argentinian brands that have wicked style and aren't afraid to show it.

LAZARO came up with a lovely collection this winter, pairing up with flor torrenti. I love ribbons! LAZARO's quality is really a high standard, and they always make eclectic leather designs.

Jackie Smith, although really dang expensive, is precious in it's attention to detail. They specialize in colorblock style handbags, but also sell some beautiful flats to go with them. Striking, contrasting colors are a staple for them.

Las Oreiro is an amazing outwear and formalwear shop by Uruguay's own Natalia Oreiro (and also her sister, I think). It's a shame she doesn't really count as a redeemer for Argentine fashion, because after all she's Uruguayan. I think that's the reason she has such great taste, haha. Caplets, cinched waists, little black dresses and lots of velvet and bows are always present in her designs. 

Another kind-of-expensive brand, Jazmin Chebar is the queen of quirky. Pops on color and crazy patterns are everywhere. These "engraved" little purses I took a picture of are so darling! I like this brand because it dares to dress in coral and turquoise even in the rainiest day of winter.

Although not exactly a fashion brand, Magneto (nothing to do with X-men's) sells different goods, toys and school supplies. The cuteness of the whole store is just too high.

So there you have it!

I hope you enjoyed knowing a little more about my country and place of birth :)

Buenos Aires is still a beautiful city nonetheless. But it's a city of contrasts. We have fashion as much as we have poverty on the streets. These pictures were all taken in posh high-end shopping malls - Dot baires and Paseo Alcorta to be exact - and represent the places only a minority of our population can, or will, access to.