Supplemental
Shopping in KL
November 2011
Before I get started a while ago I made a post on Trip Advisor talking about my experience buying men’s clothing in KL, the holiday I just had this November 2011 was lot’s of shopping, dining out and some sightseeing. I make no apologies so truth be told I went to KL for the shopping, so if that’s not your thing you’d probably be best to close this now.
Still there?
I think the thing that draws me into the shopping in KL is the range of brands we simply don’t see here at home. My own label whoring comes from certain brands that I have long coveted, most of these coming out of the late 80s and 90s, with a taste for British casual and some ready to wear classic American Ivy brands.
So, where did I go shopping, what did I get, what did I think was cool?
Lo Yat Plaza – bought a cover for my Motorolla Xoom, a Saitek RAT 7 mouse, a Logitech G510 keyboard and a Razor Goliath mouse pad, they’re gaming peripherals. For my handset I bought a Kingston 32Gb MicroSD and a sim card from Digi to make phone calls to the other guys while there.
I think the thing that draws me into the shopping in KL is the range of brands we simply don’t see here at home. My own label whoring comes from certain brands that I have long coveted, most of these coming out of the late 80s and 90s, with a taste for British casual and some ready to wear classic American Ivy brands.
So, where did I go shopping, what did I get, what did I think was cool?
Lo Yat Plaza – bought a cover for my Motorolla Xoom, a Saitek RAT 7 mouse, a Logitech G510 keyboard and a Razor Goliath mouse pad, they’re gaming peripherals. For my handset I bought a Kingston 32Gb MicroSD and a sim card from Digi to make phone calls to the other guys while there.
The Pavilion – We went to Tony Romas for lunch on the first day and I came back to the food court later that evening to enjoy some random Thai chicken dishes with noodles. Checked out Topman, Pull & Bear. Watched a mate buy up t-shirts from Sub. I bought chinos from Brooks Brothers then up one floor bought x2 classic mesh polos from Ralph Lauren. At Parksons looked at underwear by Calvin Klein and Armani but settled on a twin pack of Byfords. I also bought socks by Paul Frank.
I looked at a pair of Oxfords by Churchs and also a pair of loafers, they were well expensive but so very well made. I visited a Lacoste kiosk inside of Parksons and saw Benetton polos as well, both were not available in my size. On my last day I went to Tangs and bought a Benetton suitcase. They were well stocked for Fred Perry and Super Dry.
I looked at a pair of Oxfords by Churchs and also a pair of loafers, they were well expensive but so very well made. I visited a Lacoste kiosk inside of Parksons and saw Benetton polos as well, both were not available in my size. On my last day I went to Tangs and bought a Benetton suitcase. They were well stocked for Fred Perry and Super Dry.
KLCC Suria - I bought straight legged tracksuit pants from Nike, more Byfords from Parksons, I also bought Carolina Herrera classic for men as a gift set. I bought a nice short sleeve shirt from British India. Went into Bally and lusted after a pair of classic loafers, only RM1600, I wish. The food court was excellent. I had Nasi Lemak and then went for a bowl Japanese torri kage chicken with a large glass of A&W Grape. I bought cigars from Davidoff, Primeros and and some G2000’s, we smoked most of Primeros but i’m saving the G2000’s for special nights.
Fahrenheit 88 - bought a pair of this seasons New Balance sneakers. Skipped the Casio G-Shocks, and window shopped a relocated eyewear store hoping to find Cazal or Champion sunglasses.
Fahrenheit 88 - bought a pair of this seasons New Balance sneakers. Skipped the Casio G-Shocks, and window shopped a relocated eyewear store hoping to find Cazal or Champion sunglasses.
Sungei Wang / BB Plaza – I bought a pair of Clarks Wallabees. Hunted around for eyewear with a friend who got a 2 for 1 deal on polycarbon frames with next day pick up. I skipped Bata even though I saw some cool shoes for work and yet while at Hush Puppies I couldn’t find any I liked. I got lost a few times. But mostly got tired and got bored of the same thing repeated and spread out on every floor and in the end I gave up.
Lot 10 – went into Isetan, bought Issey Miyake L'eau D'issey for men as a gift pack set, went into Birkenstock and looked at Bostons in anthracite but then went downstairs and looked at Timberland decks which were on sale, but in the end decided against both and then headed downstairs to eat at a Bavarian shop, drank a Lowenbrau then hopped over to Isetan grocery store to load up on grape Fanta and Red Bull. I skipped Debenhams, mates went there and bought shirts. For some reason skipped Uniqlo and walked on towards Farhenheit 88, along the way got a deal on a 90 minute full body massage with 30 mins of foot reflexology at some fish foot spa which was located inside the Piccolo hotel.
Sunway Lagoon – went to shopping centre before going into the theme park and got food poisioning by some dodge chicken from the crooked colonel (KFC). They said you could get a towel inside the funpark but I bought a brand new one from inside the mall. I also ate a fresh soft pretzel that was delicious. All in all the mall wasn’t that great and neither was the funpark. For me it was awful I got sick a mere 45mins into our day. It was my mate who bundled me into a taxi so I could go throw up in the comfort of my own hotel room. God bless you Nathe wherever you are.
SOGO – is a little bit away from the main malls but I will always go there from now on, it was so well laid out for a department store, 7 floors of...well everything. I looked at luggage, Clarks wallabees and aftershaves. I went into the sports section and bought a long sleeve gingham shirt by Columbia, it’s a trifle hipster. I did go to the worst pay toilet i’ve ever experienced, a nice golden hue of yellow coloured the porcelain and I hover bogged with a dodgey stomach. I laughed at the silliness to it all and used a bum gun to wash my rissole.
1Utama - I visited Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, but ended up buying a nice polo top from British India, I’d not really looked into British India before but I went back there and bought a short sleeve shirt while at KLCC Suria. Went to Tamiya to check out hobby stuff, could have bought heaps but didn’t.
China Town – Ok if you don’t want to be hassled I would advise you think of something that they don’t have and ask for it at every stall until they leave you alone. I asked about the simplest of things, a towel. They had nfi what I was asking for. I saw a courier bag by Supreme that I liked and the worst most heavily monogrammed Burberry short sleeve shirt in existence, it was so tragic & yet cool at the same time I wish they had one in my size.
1Utama - I visited Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, but ended up buying a nice polo top from British India, I’d not really looked into British India before but I went back there and bought a short sleeve shirt while at KLCC Suria. Went to Tamiya to check out hobby stuff, could have bought heaps but didn’t.
China Town – Ok if you don’t want to be hassled I would advise you think of something that they don’t have and ask for it at every stall until they leave you alone. I asked about the simplest of things, a towel. They had nfi what I was asking for. I saw a courier bag by Supreme that I liked and the worst most heavily monogrammed Burberry short sleeve shirt in existence, it was so tragic & yet cool at the same time I wish they had one in my size.
Mid Valley Mega Mall – we hit The Gardens first, looked for shoes at Mizuno and Campers, then we headed into Mid Valley Mega Mall. I went to City Chain, I bought an Ellesse sports watch, it has some weight to it dangling off my wrist, jet black n’ blingy. I bought a pair of Sebago’s from Isetan. Went into Robinsons and missed out on a Timberland shoe clearance by minutes, I tried on some loafers I liked but I didn’t get these on the account that the colour was awful. My mate bought a suitcase, Quick Silver t-shirts and DeConstruction sneakers from one of the sports stores. I went to a hobby store and bought a MAK Hornisse, a Japanese sci-fi kit i’d been chasing all year. I checked out Marks & Spencer and decided that as cheap as it was it still reminded me of Target stores back home.
Times Square - I walked around Borders looking for anime and other paper backs. On the upper floors I looked for hobby kits on one of floors on the way back I found some nice t-shirts by Echo Park. I also hit the 7-11 here it supplied us with beer, cigarettes and Pringles.
This year I skipped out on The Curve and The Mines shopping centres. I had been told by other Trip Advisors that after going to the aforementioned malls I really wasn’t missing that much.
Sadly I missed out on seeing Star Hill Gallery, the girls went to Sephora and a SaSa store at Lot 10 and then they went into Star Hill afterwards and said it was great.
Times Square - I walked around Borders looking for anime and other paper backs. On the upper floors I looked for hobby kits on one of floors on the way back I found some nice t-shirts by Echo Park. I also hit the 7-11 here it supplied us with beer, cigarettes and Pringles.
This year I skipped out on The Curve and The Mines shopping centres. I had been told by other Trip Advisors that after going to the aforementioned malls I really wasn’t missing that much.
Sadly I missed out on seeing Star Hill Gallery, the girls went to Sephora and a SaSa store at Lot 10 and then they went into Star Hill afterwards and said it was great.
In terms of department stores - Isetan, Sogo, Tangs, Parksons were my favourites.
I’d gone to Jusco & Metro Jaya the year before and thought it was ok but not brilliant.
There seemed to be a lot of Nautica and Timberland being sold in every department store we visited. It was everywhere.
I’d gone to Jusco & Metro Jaya the year before and thought it was ok but not brilliant.
There seemed to be a lot of Nautica and Timberland being sold in every department store we visited. It was everywhere.
The British cut down department stores like Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Harrods were a joke. They are meant to embody the larger department stores from the UK but when they were presented in such a small form it was just disappointing, you can’t appreciate it.
Larger speciality stores like Topman proved to be interesting, on the same scale I went into Zara at KLCC but did not go into Uniqlo in Farhenheit 88, I dunno why I didn’t but I doubted i’d find something in my size.
For boutique outlets, Ralph Lauren was expensive, but I found a couple of things I liked and bought some basic mesh polo’s as staples for the trip. It wasn’t like last year when I found a jacket and a golf shirt so in comparison it was slightly disappointing. Lacoste was limiting as was Tommy Hilfiger.
British India was fantastic, I loved the shirt I bought and even the polo I bought on a whim was pretty dam good too. I think i’ll be buying British India in the future.
The best swag, in no particular order, the Ellesse sports watch, the Sebago decks and the Wallabees.
I like my Benetton suitcase as well but if I wasn’t rushed to buy a case I would have waited until coming home and saved up and bought that Mandarina Duck case i’d really wanted.
The Carolina Herrera and issey miyake l'eau d'issey aftershave packs were such good finds, i wish there were more of the Carolina Herrera stuff I like but I appreciate seeing it in stores all the same.
On the flight home I bought from the inflight duty free cart, I bought a kimono for my mum that had hand painted artwork on the hem and cuffs of the kimono. I also bought 2 one litre bottle of Chivas Regal and almost bought a 50ml bottle of Gucci Guilty on a whim, but had second thoughts.
Regrets, well I wish I could have bought more stuff, I didn’t get a lot, but what I did get was purposeful, I bought on a day to day basis, it became fun, going out to buy tomorrows underwear and socks. I liked wearing the ankle cut socks by Paul Frank with my New Balance kicks, I dunno why I bought these socks but they were fun. The deal on the Byford twin packs was such a steal RM39 and these are nice thigh hugging boxer briefs. I mean with the walking we did and the humidity you don’t want thigh chafe, these or Calvins are the trick to getting around that.
It would have been cool to seeing different sunglasses that we can’t already get here, last year I was wowed by the Porsche Design sunglasses, but really wanted to see Champion or Cazal, Cazal is German and the re-issue 70’s sunglasses have been on my radar long before first learning of their existence when Hip Hopin’ through the 80’s.
I also wish I found more of japan sci-fi “Maschine Krieger” stuff, it’s hard to come by on a global scale. Tamiya was ok but paled in comparison to how well stocked it had been the year before. It bothered me to see Lyle & Scott being sold in F.O.S in such a horrible obvious extortion of that brand, it was so ugly and so fake it hurt. Oh and if I never see anything branded with Angry Birds for as long as I live I’m sure I’d die happy. Sadly, I also did not see Abercrombie & Fitch anywhere, I’ve long wanted one of their polos.
I don’t regret not buying a suit. From what I have been told Hong Kong and or China is supposed to be pretty good value for my dollars. Though if I ever have my way i’d like to be wearing a suit by Zegna, maybe then i’ll slip into a pair of Bally’s at the same time, I know if I had tried them on like the store attendant had wanted me to, I would have bought them.
Larger speciality stores like Topman proved to be interesting, on the same scale I went into Zara at KLCC but did not go into Uniqlo in Farhenheit 88, I dunno why I didn’t but I doubted i’d find something in my size.
For boutique outlets, Ralph Lauren was expensive, but I found a couple of things I liked and bought some basic mesh polo’s as staples for the trip. It wasn’t like last year when I found a jacket and a golf shirt so in comparison it was slightly disappointing. Lacoste was limiting as was Tommy Hilfiger.
British India was fantastic, I loved the shirt I bought and even the polo I bought on a whim was pretty dam good too. I think i’ll be buying British India in the future.
The best swag, in no particular order, the Ellesse sports watch, the Sebago decks and the Wallabees.
I like my Benetton suitcase as well but if I wasn’t rushed to buy a case I would have waited until coming home and saved up and bought that Mandarina Duck case i’d really wanted.
The Carolina Herrera and issey miyake l'eau d'issey aftershave packs were such good finds, i wish there were more of the Carolina Herrera stuff I like but I appreciate seeing it in stores all the same.
On the flight home I bought from the inflight duty free cart, I bought a kimono for my mum that had hand painted artwork on the hem and cuffs of the kimono. I also bought 2 one litre bottle of Chivas Regal and almost bought a 50ml bottle of Gucci Guilty on a whim, but had second thoughts.
Regrets, well I wish I could have bought more stuff, I didn’t get a lot, but what I did get was purposeful, I bought on a day to day basis, it became fun, going out to buy tomorrows underwear and socks. I liked wearing the ankle cut socks by Paul Frank with my New Balance kicks, I dunno why I bought these socks but they were fun. The deal on the Byford twin packs was such a steal RM39 and these are nice thigh hugging boxer briefs. I mean with the walking we did and the humidity you don’t want thigh chafe, these or Calvins are the trick to getting around that.
It would have been cool to seeing different sunglasses that we can’t already get here, last year I was wowed by the Porsche Design sunglasses, but really wanted to see Champion or Cazal, Cazal is German and the re-issue 70’s sunglasses have been on my radar long before first learning of their existence when Hip Hopin’ through the 80’s.
I also wish I found more of japan sci-fi “Maschine Krieger” stuff, it’s hard to come by on a global scale. Tamiya was ok but paled in comparison to how well stocked it had been the year before. It bothered me to see Lyle & Scott being sold in F.O.S in such a horrible obvious extortion of that brand, it was so ugly and so fake it hurt. Oh and if I never see anything branded with Angry Birds for as long as I live I’m sure I’d die happy. Sadly, I also did not see Abercrombie & Fitch anywhere, I’ve long wanted one of their polos.
I don’t regret not buying a suit. From what I have been told Hong Kong and or China is supposed to be pretty good value for my dollars. Though if I ever have my way i’d like to be wearing a suit by Zegna, maybe then i’ll slip into a pair of Bally’s at the same time, I know if I had tried them on like the store attendant had wanted me to, I would have bought them.
To summarise my shopping, you don’t have to be a label whore to enjoy well made clothing. I look for clothing that is going to get used week to week for my wardrobe, I call these items ‘staples’.
Then I look for how well made that garment is, take the hand stitched Sebago’s as an example.
But again the best things I found weren’t on my shopping list, things that I only happened to find by accident. Even the second time around there’s a lot of ground to cover, know that a lot of stuff you will see i s going to be deliberately repeated and laid out exactly the same from mall to mall, except for the little differences. Trust me it’s these little things that make all the difference between you buying something which is special and stuff you can find everywhere else.
But really - trust yourself, when you get that tingle, and you know it’s special or a cool must have, get it. Because the downside, which is more often than not, is this – You won’t see it again.
So in conclusion whenever our crew of shopaholics weren’t getting massages, enjoying fine dining and drinking cocktails by the hotel pool we shopped hard, KL shopping makes me feel like a superstar and the shopping in KL is such awesome fun.
Then I look for how well made that garment is, take the hand stitched Sebago’s as an example.
But again the best things I found weren’t on my shopping list, things that I only happened to find by accident. Even the second time around there’s a lot of ground to cover, know that a lot of stuff you will see i s going to be deliberately repeated and laid out exactly the same from mall to mall, except for the little differences. Trust me it’s these little things that make all the difference between you buying something which is special and stuff you can find everywhere else.
But really - trust yourself, when you get that tingle, and you know it’s special or a cool must have, get it. Because the downside, which is more often than not, is this – You won’t see it again.
So in conclusion whenever our crew of shopaholics weren’t getting massages, enjoying fine dining and drinking cocktails by the hotel pool we shopped hard, KL shopping makes me feel like a superstar and the shopping in KL is such awesome fun.
But don't take my word for it - Go find out.
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