One thing that was always mentioned to me when talking about doing a Year Abroad in Hong Kong was the fashion, the clothes and the shops. I have to say that I have never seen so many various Designer stores in such a small place. It makes me think that we need an upgrade of shops in Exeter. The fashion here is quite different to back home, although my sense of fashion has very much stayed the same. I have never seen so many Chanel’s so close to each other and another designer store next door. The malls here are also insane. You could spend days in some of them, all filled with the latest clothes and trends. I have a feeling my Mum is going to love it out here when she comes and visits. However, being a student I can’t afford all these high-end brands, but I am lucky enough that we have a Topshop and an H&M. The only thing that Hong Kong is missing is a Primark equivalent. I have to say though that since being out here in Hong Kong, I haven’t worn heels once; for some reason no one seems to wear them, apart from on special occasions, so I have found myself going out in sandals – something I wouldn’t normally do back home! Out here the guys are required to dress up more then back home, especially on nights out. The number of times we didn’t get into a club because one of the guys was be wearing shorts! I guess its very similar to certain places in London but not at all like Exeter.
I wouldn’t really consider myself a fashionista but since being out here I have found myself being more aware of the latest trends. I feel that everyone around me is so much more fashionable and I feel like now I have to make a conscious effort to try and be the same!
One thing that I do love about being out here is all the fakes and the markets. The jewellery here is amazing, especially the rings, and you can get some great deals down at the local markets. It’s even cheaper when you head into Mainland China. The fakes out here have also been insane; they are so authentic and real that it makes to hard to tell the difference! Great birthday presents for back home and I aim to stock up on all my fakes before heading home.
What’s great about being on exchange is that you get to see the fashion from other parts of the world and not just Asia! I am here for the year so hopefully when I come back to Exeter next September I will potentially have a better sense of fashion…
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Image credits: www.discoverhongkong.com, www.secondglobe.com