South Bund Fabric Market (commonly known as "Dongjiadu Fabric Market")

The main entrance lobby of Nanwaitan Light Textile & Fabric Market is the first stop on the journey into this "global bespoke center." Located at the front of the first floor of the main building at 399 Lujiabang Road, the high-ceilinged lobby reflects the "modern marketplace" identity that the market adopted after its 2005 upgrade. Multilingual signage in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean guides visitors to the different floors—ready-to-wear leather goods and the Kate & Kevin studio on the first floor, suit tailoring and imported fabric on the second, qipao and traditional textiles on the third, and cashmere and miscellaneous goods on the fourth. A consultation counter staffed by multilingual shop assistants (English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish) assists foreign visitors with measuring, shipping, and alteration questions, while a "Shanghai Bespoke" wall displays stories of NBA players, the US water-polo team, and French flight attendants. During peak hours the lobby doubles as a meeting and bargaining space, with the scent of the Huangpu River mingling with silk—often called Shanghai's most "alive" entry to international fashion.

The ready-to-wear and leather goods section occupies the west wing of the market's first floor. With around 40 shops focused on off-the-rack apparel and accessories, it is the fastest-moving part of the market, ideal for visitors who want to buy and wear immediately. Racks and shelves display men's and women's suits, trench coats, leather jackets, blazers, shirts, dresses, evening gowns, and leather goods including cowhide, sheepskin, and crocodile-embossed handbags, briefcases, and belts. Most vendors sell by browsing and bargaining, with on-the-spot fitting and minor alterations; prices range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of RMB. Located next to the Kate & Kevin studio and the lobby consultation counter, the section lets accompanying family or friends pick up a ready garment or a leather accessory while a tailor takes measurements. Many shop assistants can communicate in English about sizing and leather grades and help with packing and international shipping.

The Kate & Kevin bespoke studio sits in the east wing of the first floor, near the entrance lobby, and is one of the earliest studios in the market to operate fully in English with an end-to-end bespoke workflow. Sample gowns hang throughout the room—silk evening dresses, satin qipao, Xiangyunsha outerwear, lace bridal gowns, and cocktail dresses—while the walls display swatch cards of imported fabrics from Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Founders Kate and Kevin follow a "one person, one pattern" draping method, beginning with British-style toile work on the form, then a basted fitting that respects the client's shoulder, neck, bust, waist, and hip proportions, and finishing with hand-stitched hems, pankou knots, and concealed zippers. The studio specializes in evening gowns, qipao, and bridal collections, as well as fusion pieces that combine Chinese standing collars with Western silhouettes. Lead time is usually 7–14 days, and appointments are recommended in peak seasons (March, May, and September–October). In partnership with the Huangpu Post Office counter on the fourth floor, finished garments can be shipped directly to more than 170 countries and regions.

The second floor is the heart of Nanwaitan Light Textile & Fabric Market and the densest cluster of shops—more than 60 tailors dedicated to men's suits, shirts, trench coats, and overcoats line both sides of the atrium corridor. It is the area that drives most of the "Shanghai Bespoke" reputation on overseas social media. Most shops follow a "front shop, back factory" model: the front displays wool, cashmere, and blend fabric swatches and sample garments, while the back houses a team of cutters, machinists, and pressers who produce the basted, half-finished, and finished garments. The standard workflow runs from fabric selection to measurement, basted fitting, second fitting, and finished garment, with a 7–14-day lead time that can be compressed to 3–4 days for rush orders. Many shop assistants speak English—and often French, Spanish, or Japanese—and accept remote measurement by photo or video. Stories of international clients such as NBA star Dirk Nowitzki and the US water-polo team are often posted on the walls and on social media, helping first-time visitors identify the silhouette that best suits them.

The imported fabric section sits on the inner side of the 2F east wing, with about 15–20 shops and counters dedicated to premium imported fabrics. It shares foot traffic with the core suit-tailoring area but occupies a higher-end niche. This is where fabric connoisseurs browse: brand-name books from Italy's Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Zegna, and Reda, the UK's Holland & Sherry and Fox Brothers, and Japan's Dormeuil line the shelves, alongside Chinese luxury textiles such as Xiangyunsha, Song brocade, and Zhang velvet. Shop owners typically speak English and Japanese, helping customers understand yarn counts (Super 130s/150s/180s), weave structures (plain, twill, herringbone), cloth weight, and seasonal use, then recommending combinations to match any budget. The section rarely produces garments itself, but it works hand-in-glove with the core tailoring shops and half-finished garment workshops on the same floor—a selection-to-basted-garment turnaround of 3–5 days is common.

The central atrium of the third floor is the most distinctively "Eastern" section of the market, gathering around 30 shops that specialize in qipao, changshan, magua, and traditional Chinese wedding attire. Its clientele is strikingly international—French, Singaporean, and Malaysian brides, Chinese-diaspora communities in the US and Canada ordering festival gowns, and Russian and Ukrainian customers ordering bridesmaid qipao all leave their mark here. Fabrics are dominated by silk crepe de Chine, brocade, Xiangyunsha, Song brocade, Zhang velvet, and embroidered cloths, with both fully hand-stitched and hybrid hand-and-machine options available. Mandarin collar height, pankou design, slit position, and sleeve length can all be tailored to the client's figure and taste. Lead time runs 7–14 days, with 3–5-day rush service available; during Chinese New Year and the seventh lunar month, shops often require 1–2 months of advance booking. Finished qipao can be shipped abroad directly from the Huangpu Post Office counter on the fourth floor.

The traditional fabric retail area runs along the east and south wings of the third floor, with 30–40 counters selling fabric by the metre in a "cut and carry" model. Its main customers are local qipao enthusiasts, independent designers, theatrical costume studios, and DIY buyers. The selection covers everything from basics to niche pieces: silk satin crepe, crepe de chine, organza, chiffon, and habotai; cotton and linen such as washed cotton, ramie, and flax; wool ranging from coarse to worsted fancy tweeds; synthetics and blends suited to school projects or stage costumes; and distinctive textiles including blue calico, batik, tie-dye, ethnic brocade, and Peking opera costume cloth. Counters accept both small cut orders (from 0.5 m) and wholesale volumes, which is convenient for individual buyers. Many can recommend the right fabric width and cutting plan for a client's figure and can arrange shipping or hand-carry packaging. This is the most upstream "raw material window" of the Shanghai bespoke industry chain.

The fourth floor is the top level of the market, with 25–35 shops dedicated to cashmere and complementary accessories; it is at its liveliest during autumn and winter. Visitors can find Inner Mongolia-, Xinjiang-, and Qinghai-sourced pure cashmere yarn, cashmere scarves and shawls, and bespoke-knitted and custom-dyed cashmere sweaters, cardigans, and double-faced cashmere overcoats. The "miscellaneous" range covers sheepskin gloves, belts, silk scarves, buttons, pankou knots, zippers, lining cloth, brooches, tie clips, and cuff links, letting customers put together an entire outfit on the same floor. Many shops offer semi-bespoke service—adjusting collar, sleeve, and body length on ready patterns with a 2–3-day turnaround. The price ladder is clear: from RMB 300 plain cashmere sweaters to over RMB 10,000 premium overcoats. It is the floor that most clearly showcases the value-for-money side of "Shanghai Bespoke."

The Huangpu Post Office international shipping counter sits near the escalator on the fourth floor. Established in 2025 under the coordination of the Huangpu District Commerce Commission, it is the temporary service point that completes the "fit on arrival, ship to the world on departure" loop that has become a Nanwaitan signature. The counter offers international EMS, international small packets, registered mail, and air/sea-surface services covering more than 170 countries and regions. On-site workflow: customers present the finished garment, the bespoke order receipt, and valid ID; staff cushion the garment in shockproof paper, reinforce the four corners, weigh and price the parcel, and print the waybill—two bespoke shirts weighing 0.49 kg to Paris, for example, take 5–7 working days at around RMB 260. Beyond shipping, the counter plans a "Nanwaitan Bespoke" themed post office, cultural postcards, and limited-edition philatelic products, making it one of Shanghai's most representative "national-trend meets international courier" experience points.