As I mentioned before, it's a little difficult finding your way around Mangaldas Market. But, now after two buying visits and a pit stop to show friends, I have mostly figured out where some of the best vendors are located.

The 6th Lane is the best place to start, specifically at Rangeela. The shop specializes in "Fancy Dress Materials" and for me that meant a shimmering, crinkled crepe in mango orange. Across from Rangeela is another shop whose name escapes me, but from which I bought some light, woven pastel fabric to make a spring jacket. I also picked up some irridescent purple fabric with block-printed silver, gold, and black flowers. That probably sounds hideous, but the sheath dress that I got made with it turned out fabulously.

It's about two weeks since my last posting and about a week since I got my new clothes back from Master Tailor. I was reluctant to post anything until I saw whether the fabric experiment was successful or not. I am more than just a little excited about my new loot.

The Haul:
2 dresses
2 shirts
1 jacket
1 skirt

The Total:
less than $100, including fabric and labor

When I got my work back, I was amazed. Everything looked and fit perfectly on the first try. This, despite the fact that I simply had pointed at out the clothes in a magazine and had to communicate with the Hindi-only tailor.

It's moments like this when I feel that I could stay in Bombay for a really long time. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to buying off the rack. Well, I'll eventually have to - but it certainly won't be as satisfying as getting "this season's look" made-to-order for next to nothing.