Exclusive Boutiques Offer High-Quality Goods

Colonia Polanco is one of Mexico City’s old and elegant residential areas. It’s a good place to seek relief from the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s most populous cities.

Colonia Polanco is conveniently near the Zona Rosa and other commercial districts. With its striking combination of beautiful, old colonial-style, tile-decorated mansions and luxurious, modern high-rise buildings, it has maintained a distinctively quiet and unrushed atmosphere.

Recently, Polanco’s Avenida Presidente Mazaryk, one of the main thoroughfares that cuts through the district, has been transformed into a fashionable shopping street. Many of the elegant old residences along this tree-lined boulevard have been converted into exclusive boutiques offering high-quality clothing, gift items and household goods.

Unfortunately, some of the lovely old architecture has been torn down and replaced by glass-front shops. But many of the buildings still have their attractive exterior architecture intact, while interiors have been modernized, with dramatic lighting added to enhance displays of merchandise.

Most of the shops are concentrated within a dozen or so blocks, beginning near Avenida Mariano Escobedo and stretching toward the Pasaje Polanco, a grouping of handsome shops and eateries around a charming courtyard.

Refreshing Shopping Stroll

Avenida Presidente Mazaryk is an easy and refreshing shopping stroll. At Nos. 310 to 318 is Aca Joe, the popular supplier of casual and sports clothes. Aca Joe has many outlets in the United States, but prices in Mexico are often 50% less.

The well-stocked store has three distinct sections. Each contains stacks of colorful cotton mix-and-match resort wear (Bermuda shorts for $15, shirts for $12 to $17), cotton sweat clothes ($9 and up), T-shirts ($8 and up) and baseball jackets with team logos ($35 and up). The entrance closest to Avenida Mariano Escobedo leads to the discount outlet, where you can pick up shirts from past seasons for $4 or $5 apiece. Other sale stock includes slacks, jackets and sweat clothes.

Next door, at No. 318 bis , is Ruben Torres, another casual clothes label that is popular in Mexico but is still relatively unknown in the United States. Ruben Torres produces clothing that is similar to that of Aca Joe, but colors tend to be softer and patterns a bit less bold. Prices for mix-and-match shorts, slacks and shirts are about equal to those at Aca Joe.

Ruben Torres styles are welcome wardrobe additions for people who want to wear contemporary casual clothes not easily found at home.

Also at 318 bis upstairs from Ruben Torres is Girasol, with a collection of durable Mexican cotton dresses ($50 and up), shirts ($38 and up) and skirts ($34 and up), many with colorful embroidery, applique or ribbon trim. Broad silk sashes with fringed ends, in bright solid colors or stripes, cost about $6.

Patchwork jackets of velvet and silk, some with embroidery, are about $170, and small embroidered velvet pouches about $15. The shop also has some leather and suede handbags for $35 and up. The suede clutches and shoulder bags with patchwork lions and other animals are especially attractive.

It’s Your Guess

At No. 326, in a beautiful old house, you’ll find Guess. All the casual clothes inside bear the familiar Guess logo, and the prices are terrific. Denim jackets with leather trim, for example, are sold for about $50; cotton trousers are about $33. Adults’ jeans are about $33, and children’s jeans about $18. The sales staff assures customers that these are original Guess products, not copies.

Labels read “Hecho en Mexico.” And Mexican manufacturers are sometimes lax about copyright laws. With Aca Joe and Ruben Torres, you know you’re getting the real thing because the lines originated in Mexico. With Guess, your guess is as good as mine.

Express is another casual clothes shop at No. 332. The interior of this boutique is designed like a pastel boiler room, pink and baby blue pipes everywhere. The clothes are similarly trendy. Mix-and-match “golfer” short and shirt sets ($50 a set) are in bold floral patterns. Safari tops and shorts ($40 a set) are in fashionable khakis and olive drab.

Figure-fitting stone-washed denim dresses with zippers up the front go for $50, and matching coats for $55 or jackets for $39. Men’s jeans, jackets and shirts that look Hawaiian rather than Mexican are reasonably priced too.

On the corner of Mazaryk and Alejandro Dumas (many of the streets in Polanco are named for famous authors, including Oscar Wilde, Julio Verne and Anatole France) is the first of three fine leather shops. Regina Romero’s boutique sells attractive leather clothes, shoes, belts and handbags.

Items are not cheap, but cost less than they would in the United States. For example, a white strapless leather gaucho dress with fringed jacket costs $310, and an aqua leather skirt and cape ensemble with studs and fringe is $635. Large leather handbags are about $90, belts about $40.

Nearby is Aries, one of Mexico’s finest leather chain stores, specializing in beautiful accessories, including handbags, belts, briefcases, wallets, golf bags and other items. Large black leather carryalls cost about $140, a briefcase of black leather with red piping trim and handle or shoulder strap is about $215, a navy clutch bag is $50 and a backgammon set is $278.

Best of all the Polanco leather shops is Strafatto, inside the Pasaje Polanco (No. 360, Loc. 23). This is a new boutique where designers Fabio Fabiani and Dany Primus sell their unusual and exquisite leather clothes. Prices are fairly high, but the quality and styling are superb.

Leather balloon pants in gray, black or lavender are $365. Bolero jackets in blue leather with silver fastenings and silk lining patterned with brightly colored parrots cost $270. Mariachi pants with silver and fringe down the side of the legs are about $320.

Also attractive are the double-breasted coats with diamond stud buttons (about $820), the strapless black leather slinky dress ($390) and a “Romeo” outfit that consists of a short, tight skirt topped by a tuxedo jacket with broad lapel and tails ($520 for the ensemble). These clothes are not available anywhere else.

There are several other stores of interest in Pasaje Polanco. Keko sells women’s clothes, with stylish dresses priced under $100. Cheerful blue-and-white tiered skirts are $35, matching tops $24. Full skirts with polka dots cost $43, matching tops $35. Cotton jump suits with marbleized patterns are $45; denim miniskirts sell for $14, matching vests $26.

Expensive Imported Goods

Stop at Hogar Exclusivo just to get an idea of the shocking prices Mexicans pay for highly taxed imported goods. A Rowenta steam iron sells for about $100, simple Swiss wall clocks go for about $600.

Tapanco Artesanias sells Mexican handicrafts, including lovely jewel boxes with etched lacquer exteriors for about $10, glassware, hand-thrown and painted vases (about $300) by J. Benabe and other well-known artisans, and complete sets of colorful Talavera tableware (set of 19 pieces for about $520). This is not the least expensive place to shop for these items, but the selection is good.

Domit is an excellent shoe store with great prices. Topsiders come in all colors for $20 (children’s sizes) to $35 (adults’). Men’s leather boots sell for $80, tasseled loafers are $25 to $75. The shop also has handsome men’s accessories, including leather jackets, belts, portfolios and silk ties and shirts.

Several blocks away from Pasaje Polanco, at the corner of Edgar Allan Poe, don’t miss Tane, one of Mexico’s finest silver shops, where you’re greeted with a red carnation and bag of bonbons wrapped in silver foil. Tane has dazzling silver and gold bracelets (about $250 and up), neck chains (about $400 and up) and other baubles, all designed by Pedro Tane.

Silver picture frames sell for $225 and up, a two-spouted ewer is $1,189, solid silver candlestick holders with five arms are $4,900 and woven silver baskets, $69 and up. In addition, belts woven of silver and gold go for $531 and up, and matching handbags for $846 and up. An exquisite red-leather, large-pouch handbag with solid silver fastenings is an excellent buy at $265.

Prices quoted in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing. Inflation in Mexico is high, but the peso continues its devaluation. Prices may be lower by the time you shop Polanco.