Beginners Guide To Shopping in Mexico City

I wasn’t able to come back to my home country for years! So when I finally was able to a few years back I had a list of to do’s. I knew one of the things I wanted to do was discover the best spots to shop for clothes and items I wouldn’t be able to find in Seattle or maybe unable to order online. I wanted to find items too that were made by local Mexican designers and artists. If you’re the type of person relying on Google and Pinterest you’ll only get so far before you fall into a few tourist traps.

Example, Garden Santa Fe, gorgeous mall and unmatched architecture, but it was a drive from Mexico City center and there wasn’t a lot of stores. So here are my quick and must go to recommendations for any first timers in Mexico City looking to find amazing designs.

First off is my favorite, Casa Caballeria that I happened by because my airbnb just happened to be across the street. Casa Caballeria is a menswear and uni-sex shop that offers a range of items from hats, shoes, accessories, and a variety of clothing items, all from different designers.

Honestly you can’t go wrong visiting this street, because right next door there is a couple other great spots all offering a variety of unisex styles and all by different designers and each store offers different styles of clothing. You have Boyfriends Shirt, Maison Manila, Cihuah, Simple by Trista, Karla Fernandez, and a lot more. If you stop by Cihuah don’t forget to make you’re way up the stairs to the very top. IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! You’ll find a whole different shop that houses designs by Francisco Cancino and Cynthia Butterklepper (designs as seen on Yalitza Aparicio Martinez during Vogue Business Summit 2022). It’s also a great street to stop and eat or grab a drink at in-between stores!

Now my highest recommendation is to start at Karla Fernandez and then make your way down the street towards Casa Caballeria because your next stop has to be a shop called Wavey. Wavey is just a minute walk from where you’ve started and is the best if you’re looking for more vibrant colored and fun items to stand out in. It’s worth it to walk over and stop in anyways because you’re final destination should be Fusion Casa de Diseñadores (house of designers). If you don’t have time to stop at all these spots I HIGHLY RECOMMEND FUSION. This is a one stop for jewelry/accessories, home goods, thrifting, fashionable clothing for your pets, you name it! Majority of the items are also made my local designers and artists. If you do have a second go to the top to the tea shop and sit on the balcony with some tea or go downstairs and grab a coffee and a bite to eat from the cafe. Maybe even check out Forum 37 (Boutique Theater) calendar to see if you can check out a live show during your stay (if tickets aren’t sold out).

Mexico City is a huge city! One of the biggest in the world and it’s rich in culture and creatives! While there are so many spots you can hit up and discover these are def the best to start with if it’s your first time in the city. I promise you, I PINKY SWEAR, these two-three blocks of designer stores won’t disappoint!