Heri Sisworo
Bandung is known to be one of the center of Indonesian fashion trend. Bandung is the birthplace of not only the fashion style, but also the marketing and fashion culture. The factory outlet craze that sweep Indonesia was started in this city. Then came distro (distribution outlet) which also became trendy. The rise of those outlets had a greater impact the booming of creative industry in this city.
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The key is simple actually; the creative people of Bandung combine quality and affordability, things that rarely goes hand in hand in fashion world. While you can shop for expensive high end fashion elsewhere in the world, you can get trendy clothes with an affordable prices. That is possible because Bandung is home of many textile factories. Just check out some of these places.
Cihampelas
Cihampelas is one of the most visited destinations in Bandung. This street is the birthplace of factory outlet, a store that sells a branded product way below the usual price because of several reasons. The most common reason is that the items being sold are export leftovers, thus they can be sold way below normal price. Today, Cihampelas is ‘just’ a fashion heaven with a more diverse range of clothes being sold.
Gang Tamim
Just as the name implies, Gang Tamim is an alley in Bandung. This alley is known to be the center of denim trade in the city. You can buy denim cloths of any type and make them into any style of fashion you like. That is why apart from cloths merchants, there are also tailors in this alley.
You can have your denim custom-made by the tailor here. Normally the tailors need a couple of days to finish your clothes. If you don’t have time to wait, you can have them ship the item to you.
Pasar Baru Trade Center
Many consider Pasar Baru Trade Center as the first modern market in town, built during the colonial era. However, many of the merchants here sell their item in a traditional way; with a negotiable price. You can and should haggle the price when buying clothes in this market. It’s not only fashion and textiles here, but you can also find new gadgets in this market.
Knitted Clothing Centers
There are several stores in Bandung that specialize in producing and selling knitted clothing. All of the products they sell are handmade by local craftsmen/women. The products ranging from headdress to shoes! You don’t need to worry about the quality as it is comparable to branded knitted clothes.
Some of the knitted products from Bandung has been exported to many countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and several countries in Africa. And we don’t need to remind you that the price is unbelievably cheap.
Cibaduyut
Cibaduyut has long been known as the center of shoe-making industry in Bandung. Initially, this place is famous for its leather shoes. However, the products varies in the last few years.
Many world-class apparel brands contracted their production in Indonesia, that make local shoemakers getting more knowledge and skills to make more modern styles such as sneakers and sports shoes. You can also negotiate the price in Cibaduyut.
Cigondewah
Cigondewah is the textile center of Bandung, meaning the merchants here only sell fabric, usually in a large quantity. Instead selling by size, the merchant usually sells by weight! However, you can still buy fabric just enough for a piece of clothes if you want to.
This market is especially popular among aspiring designers who hunt for the best material. Most of the fabric sold here are local-made because the quality is better than the imported ones.
All in all, Bandung is the city if you want to buy trendy fashion items. The stores here follow trends, they have good quality items, and their price is reasonable. The abundance of choice might make you feel a little bit overwhelmed, so it will be better if you have set a budget and preference before fashion shopping in this city. Next
