tie‘1l_\e elothex and pipe xhopx are lirinl} in the minorit}. \\ith enough and el11thex. xh11e and record xt11rex 1111 hand to keep exen the i1111xt ainhitionx xhopper happ}. Start t'roin the interxeetion 11l'll11igl1t and .-\xl1|111r} Streetx then head all the 11:1) 11p to the edge 11t'(i11lde11 (iate Park for delightx of a more natural kind.

.-\lth1111gl1 thexe are |1_\ 1111 111eai1x the onl} plaeex l11e\ereixe )11111' retail p11\\erx. \\ith .\'11rth lieaeh and lla_\ ex Valle} ttlx11\\11t‘th a look. San l‘raneixeo‘x 1111i1|11e xt) le llltllxk‘\ the extra flight hotirx 1111) oil. l'iu' lily/1M .\1'1' \t'ti'tt‘.(hurl/117'»1Mil/1.

Juliet’s gems

VERONA

Bext knou 11 11.x the xt11i11ping ground 11l. xtLtt‘—et'11xxed l11\et'x. Romeo and Juliet. \erona'x x11phixtieati11n tnoxt definitel} e\te11dx to itx xhopping \Htl'ex. She 111a} he .\lilan'x little retail xixter httt the hext thingx eoine in the .xiinplext ot [illL'lxitgL‘\. .\ gentle 111i\ 11l‘l)olee 1k (iahana et al ttti.\ed \\ ith .xtnallet' lahelx. \erona‘x tna/e ot haek xtreetx and anarex ix ideal for thoxe looking for a lei.x11rel_\ \\eel\end \tander. l’rett_\ inneh an 11ndi.xe11\ered gem in the .xhopping arena. the l’iana Bra ix a .xt}ll.xh area lined \\lIli eatex attd .xhop.x: an eleganee \xhieh heliex itx hi.xt111‘} ax a loeal li\extoel\ tnarlx'etplaee. liroin the Bra. enjo} a xtroll tip the Via .\la//ini paxt the fashionable xhopx. ineltiding a range 11t'_ie\\eller_\ and ehoeolatierx. l)i.xtinetl_\ Varied in both itx dexignx and it.x eolourx. there‘x that ‘t‘rexh oil the eatnalk' t'eel prett} 11111eh ex‘ei')'\\'l1e1'e you look. \xhile i1ieel_\ laeking the pretenxion ot it.x litiropean eotinterpartx. [infill/"elm .1'1’1' lt'll'll'J’flUt/tl.('(’.l(k.

122 THE LIST '11P».

Old fashioned opulence SINGAPORE

Situated 1111 the xonthern tip of the \lala} peninxnla. Singapore'x geographieal loeation and 11111ltit11eeted ettltnral eontraxt inalxe it priine pickingx t‘111'('hinexe. \lala} and Indian inaterialx. Split 11\er xe\eral areax. Singapore ix ideal if _\1111 l1a\e eaxh to I1111'11. l‘or high \tl‘L‘L‘t lit‘11\\xltlg head [11 Orchard Road; top tipx ineltide liar liaxt l’la/a. l’la/a Singaptira and the l’roinenade tor e\e1‘_\thing from high xtreet lahelx t11e11tting edge independent x11n1ething 111111'e opulent. the ('11l1111ial Singapore area ix a good option; look out l‘11t' Rttlililex (‘it_\. Ral't'lex Shopping .'\reade and him l.i1n Square l'11r eleett'ieal g1111dx and xhoex. Look out [1111 lot the \\ide range 11l' .-\xian ‘iexxellery Indian dexign. preeiottx and xenti-preeionx xtonex. diainondx and gem xet

dexigltet‘x. l"11t‘

‘ieuellei‘y Bartering ixn‘t real|_\ a

gixen hut 'xpeeial eoneexxionx' are made. l"11t‘ x11ltte httt'tleot'e authentieit}. ('hinatou 11 and Little

India are l111xtling teeding gronndx tor the xhopping enthnxiaxt. ('heek ottt the latter for the hext x1111 material ~Singapore hax to otter. ax \\ ell 11x an 111‘1‘11} 11l're11x111111l1l_\ prieed art xtallx.

lt' _\1111're happ} t11e\pl11re tinrther afield. _\1111 ean eonihine xhopping \\ith a little 11l't-tl1e—l1eaten traek xightxeeing ttx \\ ell. 'l'he x11l111rhan xhopping eentrex otter a \aried range ot iteinx troni hranded to eleetronie. \l11xt xhopx are open than llan1 to 0pm and the larger areax 11l‘ 'latttpittex and liixhan are eaxil_\ aeeexxihle l1} .\lRl. .-\l'ter xtlelt it helt_\ tl11xe 11l‘ retail tlter;1p_\_ it xeeinx 1111]} right to drop into the int'an11111x Ral't'lex Hotel and

enihraee a \llL‘illx} Singapore Sling eoelxtail. llead ttpxtairx to the '11111nl\e_\ ntitx‘ har to etnhraee the \\lltllL‘ e\perienee. l'ill' Hie/1M \1'1' 11'11‘11'.11/1111/11.1"11.1111.

Oldfavouites

From the sophisticated offering of the French capital to Jimmy Choo shopping in the Big Apple. the old ones are still the best.

I New York Bloomingdale's.

Saks. M£t(:‘~,'s, vafari‘,“s at: stars (:11 the silver screen that haw 711111111 a tende' place 1'1 the head 11? all 819 Apple toxevs. Wit“. numerous areas to choose term Fifth Avenue for first vate opulence and credit card 1.11s1ntee11-1tion. the t test Village for second hand clothing. Broadway Avenue for ti‘fllllSll'Ofltll (:l11)11:(;-s like tJttian Outfitters it's not beyond posslnlity that the retail whores among us might simply overlook a trip to the Empire State Building in lieu of a weekend of hardcore shopping.

I Paris From Haute Couture shops on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore and Avenue Montaigne to an array of cutting edge footwear.

bags. and leather goods on Rue du Cherche-Midi and Rue de Grenelle. Paris abounds With possibilities. Parisian department stores are exceptional, and Printemps and Galeries Lafayette can be found side-tJy-Side on BOulevard Haussmann 1n the Ninth Arrondissement. La Samaritaine. located between Les Halles and the Pont Neut. is a five-storey pleaSure dome for those With money to burn.

I Milan And finally. the self- proctaimed fashion capital. Via Montenapoteone hosts the atelier- showrooms of Gucci Versace. LOuis Vuitton. Prada and Valentino. to name but a few. For more affordable wares. the main streets dedicated to fashion are Corso Vittono Emanuele. Corso Buenos Aires. Via Tome and Corso d1 Porta Ticmese. In Corso Vittorio Emanuele there are label shops. such as Max Mara. Moreschi. Bruno Magli and Pollini. Cerso d1 Porta Ticinese. a continuation of Via Torino. takes you right up to Piazza XXIV Maggio. and is a great shout for high street selections: Diesel, Miss Sixteen. Gas and Fornarina stand alongside a range of second-hand clothes shops.