Put on your suit jacket and grab a coffee...it's morning

Hong Kong

Tsim Sha Tsui is another shopping district of Hong Kong. Not only does TST have three major shopping arcades ("Ocean Centre", "Harbour City" and "New Town Plaza"), it has a lot of street shopping potential too.

Because I know you won't read EVERYTHING that's here (because it IS a lot) so for quicker reference:
All Shop names, floor categories, brands and items are highlighted in PINK
Random notes and points are highlighted in BLACK

Harbour City/Ocean Centre

These two are linked and so I usually count them to be the same thing. It's one of the few shopping centres I don't mind walking into (just as long as I don't have to eat at the indoor Pret). Harbour City and Ocean Centre has a wide variety of stores from fashion to lifestyle to home decor and so on. One reason why I don't mind this place is because it has a giant "CitySuper!" and "PageOne" and we all looooooooooooooooooooooooooooove shopping there. They also opened a "Hysteric Glamour" in Harbour City recently (you can't miss it...it's BRIGHT PINK!!) so people don't have to go all the way to Central anymore to shop for Hysteric Glamour stuff (but people, please still go to Central because it's so nice). You can find "Vivienne Tam" on the same floor and "Sistyr Moon" just opposite "Hysteric Glamour" They also have the nicest "Toys'R'us" here (it was DEFINITELY the best BEFORE the stupid renovation) and "Disney Store" (which again was WAY better before renovation). On that floor, there's also all the kids/children clothing and shoes. Leaving all the kids stuff aside, go up and you'll see all the nice fashion stores. Go up and you'll see "Burberry", "Vivienne Westwood" and various other clothing stores. There's a "Polo" one floor above "Hysteric Glamour" and there's also a "Ralph Lauren" right before you go into the "LCX" zone.

Talking about "LCX", it's a newly opened area in Ocean Terminal and had some great Canadian and US brands such as "GAP", "Old Navy" and "Miss Sixty" and unfortunately, you'll be greeted by "Lush" just as you walk in (just the smell you need to REALLY wake you up). They also have Japanese branding including "Super Lovers/Lovers House". You can also find a whole row of "Playboy" products from "LCX". For home decor product lovers, you can find great stuff from "Azona a02" which is also great for shopping for gifts. The Japanese junk shop next to it also sells great stuff and really does seem like a Jap store (selling stuff from tin pencil cases to shower curtains). Opposite it all there's always a small "stallish" type thing selling various calendars. They have calendars from "The Rolling Stones" (Wohhohhoho* I have one of those), "The Beatles", "Kiss", "Elvis", "James Dean" to "New York" and "Paris". Oh yea, they also moved "G.O.D" into LCX.

Back to where we were...you can find "Teddy and I" here along "Fruits and Passion" I know those two don't really have anything to do with each other but I'm just too tired think about what I write. There isn't any major music store here apart from "CD Warehouse" which is pretty disappointing. Here's something worth mentioning...after looking practically EVERYWHERE in Hong Kong for "Crabtree & Evelyn's" peach lip balm...I FINALLY found it available at the "Crabtree and Evelyn" here in Harbour City (they were all out of stock in what it seemed to be EVERY single Crabtree and Evelyn in Hong Kong).

I promise to elaborate on "Shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui"!!

Granville

Granville is one of the greatest shopping streets in Hong Kong. You might think "you've walked there once, you've walked there a million times" WELL YOU'RE WRONG! Like every other road, there are two ends to "Granville". I usually start at the end closet to the "Space Museum" and start by walking on the left side of the road (no idea why...it's a freako habit). So I'll start from that end. You walk down and down and down and you'll pass random shops long the way which you might be interested in...so by all means...WALK IN! You'll pass one alley...ignore it...you'll then pass a second alley...WALK IN!! This is the best part of "Granville" (it should be on the corner of some handbag store). Firstly, you'll see a stall selling some real retro shades. They're not meant to protect your eyes or anything so you'll be wasting your time if you're out to buy a pair of shades to protect you from the sun. They offer a lot of shades from the styles of the 60's and 70's - BIG and Colourful. You remember Bruce Lee and his great black frame yellow lens shades? That's what we're talking about. For anyone digging for the ultimate pair of "Bruce Lee Shades", this is where to look. Move next door and see a nice Jap home decor and general junk store. Selling things from small cute tables for your room to retro looking tin garbage bins. The typical "things you don't need but you're still dying to buy" products. Move over again a few stores and meet my favourite store in the whole area. It's really pathetic looking (doesn't even have a door) but it's easily recognisable - it had racks and racks of tees and you'll see some horribly coloured tie-dyed jeans hanging on display. Walk in and flip through the 2nd hand tees. This store is a vintage tee store and not everything will appeal to you but you're bound to find something great everytime you walk in (at least I do). For example, my great "Blues Brother" tee came from there. OK, moving on again, you'll walk into "利時" which is a typical teen-oriented shopping "district". It's very similar to "Island Beverly" in Causeway Bay. On the first floor, walk all the way in until you reach the 2nd exit and you'll see a great female fashion accessories store. They sell really nice retro big earrings, bangles, bracelets and necklaces in funki colours. They also have some great handbags and a selection of frames from the 60's and 70's (what you need to complete a "Marianne Faithful" look). You'll find a whole load of sneaker and shoe shops as well as clothing stores for both male and female. There are also several great home decor stores in there selling vintage decor items. I think on the 2nd floor, there's a small store selling England oriented stuff (very "Brit-invasion" post-punk style) from Vespa and Lambretta related items to Beatles (the car) items. They also have a few LOMO cams on sale including the legendary LC-A.

After finishing around 利時, you walk out and you'll find some great stores right opposite you including "Mastermind Productions" (Arfa's love). You walk out of the Alley and walk walk walk walk and you'll see several interesting looking shops. Part 2 is on the other end of the road and sells female clothing and random accessories. Cross the road to the other side and walk back along the long stretch of mostly clothing stores (including "izzue" and "5cm"). There's also a "2 percent" right at the other end of the road. After walking around Granville, turn a corner and find yourself facing the "Dime Store".

The Dime Store

The Dime Store is right opposite the TST Space Museum. It's a giant store with vintage items from clothes to toy collectibles. You can also find "Ice Fire" in the Dime Store! The Dime store offers clothes for both male and female. There's no limited style and they sell button down shirts, dresses, skirts, pants (in LOADS OF COLOURS!), jackets (and baseball jackets...very Michael Jackson), sweaters, tees and almost anything else you can imagine wearing. Walk further in and you'll see a line of bracelets and belts hanging from the wall. You'll realise that these aren't your average everyday belts...they are quirky weirdo belts :D and opposite the quirky weirdo belts section is the hats section. I was veeery close to taking this Michael Jackson style hat of the shelf but decided not to and got my current hat instead! Walk in again and turn to your left, you'll see the "toys and collectibles" section. Filled with retro toys from the 70's. Look up on the top shelf and you'll see a line of tin lunchboxes (they have Kiss, Bruce Lee and even the Beatles! You do not know how much I want one of those). Next to those lunchboxes is a brand new 5 set Kiss thermal bottles!! PAUL STANLEY IS ON THEM!!!!! After picking up a few things (if not EVERYTHING) from this section...walk down 3 steps of stairs to bring yourself to the 2nd hand clothing section. I think they call it the "Jungle" (so cute). It's just racks and racks of clothes that you need to dig through before finding something you like (the typical "ew...ew...yuk...people used to wear that? ew again, is this even classified as clothing? ew. OHMIGOSH THIS IS SOOOO FUNKI!!!"). It's a great feeling.