Alright, lets talk about shopping. Males, you can probably just excuse yourself from this post because to be honest I haven’t really been in search of the perfect male clothing stores. Ladies you can keep reading and for the men who wish to keep reading please be my guest. On a personal fashion note, my styles range any wear from chic to edge and if you know me you know I love to wear BLACK. Something I’ve come to notice about Brazilian clothing and styles is that it’s all about the colors. Sometimes when I’m in a clothing store, I feel as if I’m lost in a rainbow and in search for a pot of gold (in my case gold being anything black). I am trying to expand my horizons and venture into some colorful clothes but for me its been a struggle.
What have I found so far that I like? One road. Rua Oscar Freire. Here there are blocks and blocks of stores, boutiques, and brazilian designers along with international brands. Two stores I’ll mention that I thoroughly enjoy are Animale and Rosa Chá. Animale offers clothing that has more of a classy look (lots of black more chic clothing) while Rosa Chá is known for their bikinis however the bikinis are not what drew my attention. It was more of their hippie chic clothes that caught my eye (I do believe NYC has opened a Rosa Chá so those of you stateside should check it out). Additionally, John John Denim is a good store that features edgy clothing which is right up my alley and really in style right now. I also took the time to check out Riachuelo which is a department store and Arezzo which is the leading footwear company in Brazil. Riachuelo seems to have really affordable clothing with lots and lots of colors. I did purchase a few items outside of my color scheme in this store so it was a big stepping stone for me. Arezzo has every type of shoe you can imagine, some handbags, and accessories too. Though I will say they are definitely known for their shoes. Personally, I think the heels are the best they have to offer, really stylish, but on a negative note if your going for quality when it comes to shoes, you can’t beat italian brands.
I did pull a typical American girl move. I went to American Apparel and Forever 21 being that those stores are two of my most frequented stores in the U.S. But hey I’m happy I can find those stores here in Brazil! Kind of a big deal.
Outside of Rua Oscar Freire there are tons of other shopping options. The city is so big, the options are pretty endless. This road just happens to be one of my favorites. Malls are also popular here in Brazil. I usually go to Shopping Higienópolis which is quite dangerous because it’s right next to my house and has something like 7 different floors of stores. I will admit, sometimes when I’m coming home from school (YES I do actually go to school here) that I get off the bus a stop early just so I can cut through the mall to get home. I’m trying to break that awful habit though.
Basically, São Paulo offers a lot in terms of fashion. Yes, the styles are different here, I see lots of bell-bottoms and sometimes I’m convinced that I’m in an episode of That ’70s Show but you don’t have to follow the trends you see and pretty much anything goes. It’s a big city with lot’s of diversity so you can find just about anything that you’re looking for in terms of styles. The list goes anywhere from top notch designers such as Chanel, Valentino, Prada the whole way down to homemade clothes sold on the side of the a street at a street market.
On that note. Go out, do some shopping, and if “Gostou? Compra!” (you like it? buy it!)
-Sincerely, Tish
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