Clothing in buenos aires

[argentinabound4]

Hi,

I'm starting to pack for our big trip- I've searched blogs to see what women wear in BA (I feel like I'll always be underdressed, ha) but I was wondering about the cost of clothing down there. Are American clothing lines popular/expensive in BA? for example, is Abercrombie or bcbg popular?

 

[tez]

Shop before you come. Buy lots of cotton basics to layer and you can buy accessories here if you want. Shoes and boots you can find some good looking ones here, and even though you'll probably have to have the soles reattached or something like that eventually, I still think you can get good footwear for decent prices. Name brand tennis shoes are really expensive, though.

No, A&F does not exist here, neither do many other common US brands. North Face is an exception, for some reason North Face has several stores here... That's the only one I can think of at the moment. Argentina has strict import laws, which makes importing things expensive. Unless it's from China...

Recap: Clothes here are expensive and generally of poor quality here, so shop shop shop while you can back home!! Buy lots of comfy, high-quality basics and style them up here.

 

[thuy.ashtango]

American brands like NIKE are popular. All imported brands are ridiculously overpriced. I go to the States a couple of times a year to visit family and clothing shop...for EVERYTHING, even underwear. High quality essentials you would find at Old Navy are unheard of here. Though leather (boots, purses, belts, etc) are everywhere and decently priced, overall.

 

[tez]

Yes! Underwear, socks, bras--anything like that, buy before you come!! I broke down and bought a pair of simple black cotton socks the other day which I wore for maybe two hours before taking them off to reveal COMPLETELY BLACK FEET. Quite the surprise.

 

[argentinabound4]

Thanks for all the help! So what do women normally wear out at night to dinner/dancing? I'm trying to limit my clothing since we will be traveling around South America for a few months after living in BA. I'm thinking about bringing a pair of heels and a couple nice outfits and/or dress up cotton basics with jeans... is that the norm? I want to at least attempt to fit in.

 

[ellbee]

yeah, shop before you get to BA. clothes are pricy and bad quality.

The only place I would shop are the well known stores like Zara, Diesel or Levis....but with pesos, you cant really afford them.

I suggest you buy lots of clothes in the US

 

[deeve007]

Yep, I concur with most in this thread. I mistakingly believed I'd be able to buy cheap basics here, cheap casual shoes ...etc, big mistake!

 

[sundae]

Argentina style is very similar to Europe. In the winter, there's a lot of tight jeans with boots and layered tops. Don't forget to bring a coat. I wouldn't worry about fashion too much, just bring what you have. Clothes are expensive (and not very good quality) here, so like others have said, buy there. I should have brought more socks myself.

 

[PhilipDT]

Yep, I concur with most in this thread. I mistakingly believed I'd be able to buy cheap basics here, cheap casual shoes ...etc, big mistake!

I've found that there are tons of great casual mens shoes here for decent prices (300-400) that are really comfortable. As mentioned above, one of the few bargains here are leather products.

 

[Ashley]

Generally, the style here is pretty reserved, smart-casual. A lot of tight jeans and leggings with boots and a sweater for winter. In the summer, I notice women wearing a lot of knee (or just above knee) length skirts, dresses, or capri pants. Fashion here isn't very flamboyant, colours are generally pretty muted. I'd compare it to a lot of places in continental Europe.
A lot of people wear smart casual clothes to work (only certain jobs require a suit and tie) and women will usually wear a nice dress if they're going out somewhere special (but I generally don't see people very dressed up in most bars and restaurants).
Bring everything you think you'll need. I cannot emphasise this enough. Clothing here is mostly poor quality and expensive. Sizes are also on the small side. If you're going to be here longer than a couple of months, you'd probably find it easier/cheaper to bring everything you'll need and then sell or give away what you can't take travelling, rather than having to buy things here.