Can I buy good clothes in San Miguel de Allende?

Buying clothes in San Miguel de Allende is a challenge because we only have one department store, Liverpool, up at the Luciernaga mall and the prices are higher than they are in the United States. The other option in town is going to the Tuesday or Saturday Market & La Pulga (flea markets) where there are vendors who sell everything from new and used clothing to fruits & vegetables, to household furniture and cooking utensils.  It is a huge, almost like a hangar full of...

Buying clothes in San Miguel de Allende is a challenge because we only have one department store, Liverpool, up at the Luciernaga mall and the prices are higher than they are in the United States. The other option in town is going to the Tuesday or Saturday Market & La Pulga (flea markets) where there are vendors who sell everything from new and used clothing to fruits & vegetables, to household furniture and cooking utensils.  It is a huge, almost like a hangar full of vendors. You have to know what you want and be willing to walk around all of the stands until you find what you need. 

 

There are usually two types of people: one group that enjoys the flea market hunt for bargains, and those like me, who travel back to the US with two empty suitcases, and return to Mexico with them full of clothes.

 

We do have Costco stores in Celaya & Queretaro (45 minutes & 1 hour from San Miguel). There are also Wal-Mart, Sears, & Home Depot stores available. Those that don´t have their own transportation hire a driver, hitch a ride with friends, or rent a car for the day. Car rentals run approximately US $40 - $55 per day.  

 

(A fashion model posing in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

I don’t think you can buy good clothes anywhere in Mexico. I think the importation duty on fabric is 75%, which is why it is very difficult to find upholstery fabric, fabric for curtains, and it is difficult to find clothing with good quality fabric. . I am 5’10” and I am not finding much clothing in a country of people that are much more petite than I am. 

 

There is interesting indigenous clothing but I don’t think you would...

I don’t think you can buy good clothes anywhere in Mexico. I think the importation duty on fabric is 75%, which is why it is very difficult to find upholstery fabric, fabric for curtains, and it is difficult to find clothing with good quality fabric. . I am 5’10” and I am not finding much clothing in a country of people that are much more petite than I am. 

 

There is interesting indigenous clothing but I don’t think you would come here to shop for clothing. I get clothes on occasion but because of my height, it is exceptional.

 

There are some pretty stores here with nice clothes but I do not think one would come here in San Miguel to shop for clothes.  However having said that I see a number of boutiques that have been here for the whole time I have lived here and see many people with shopping bags that have obviously made purchases.

 

 If you need to buy clothes, you may go to Queretaro, which is only 45 minutes away from San Miguel, where the largest mall in all of Latin America is located. The prices and selection are the same as it is all over Mexico. If you are getting a Ralph Lauren, you would pay more for it here than you would if you buy it from the States because they are paying import duties to get it here. If you buy something that is made here, it is not the same quality of fabric as you would get in the US because of that import problem as well.  

 

(Ivy del Pozzo in evening clothes, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

You can buy good clothes in San Miguel de Allende. For me, the people in San Miguel de Allende make a lot of gauzy stuff, and you can buy a lot of that here. There are so many stores in San Miguel de Allende that cater to Americans and wealthy tourists, so there are multiple boutiques where you can buy basically anything you want if you know where to go. 

 

Boutiques are small little stores. The boutiques that sell my gauzy stuff, I wouldn’t say...

You can buy good clothes in San Miguel de Allende. For me, the people in San Miguel de Allende make a lot of gauzy stuff, and you can buy a lot of that here. There are so many stores in San Miguel de Allende that cater to Americans and wealthy tourists, so there are multiple boutiques where you can buy basically anything you want if you know where to go. 

 

Boutiques are small little stores. The boutiques that sell my gauzy stuff, I wouldn’t say they’re that high-priced.  They’re medium-priced. You can get a lot for medium price, because I don’t put a lot of money into my clothing… as you could see. There are a lot of places that sell handmade places clothing that is more expensive. There’s no mall in San Miguel de Allende like you would see in Querétaro (a large city fairly close by), where they have everything, including all the upscale stores

 

(Eagle Outfitters at Antea Lifestyle Center, Querétaro, Mexico, pictured.)