If you're looking for Vera Wang, you probably won't find it here. You can however, settle for her…read moremuch cheaper sister, Fera Wong (just kidding, not a real thing). Chinese knock-offs get a bad rap, but why the hell should you spend CAD $200 on your bridesmaid's dress when she'll only wear it once and it's probably ugly anyway?? Golden Plaza is the place to suppress those wedding budget anxieties with a little strategic spending. Going in for a walk is an experience in itself. Your eyes will get assaulted with all types of colours and sparkles that span 4 floors...and it's overwhelmingly glorious. I've been here on multiple shopping/pick up trips and I will always love coming back. I won't lie, some of the styles are less couture and more your Chinese auntie's version of couture. But look hard and you will find some really exciting stuff at unbelievable prices. Custom ballgown dresses seem to hover around the CAD $500-$1000+ range depending on what you want. You can get simple chiffon/tulle dresses for your wedding party at $60-$100 easily. If you're an online shopper, you might get lucky on Taobao, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for and the prices ended up being similar anyway. Talking face to face with the shop owner and being able to pick out colour, style, and material was the way to go. Other than dresses for every occasion at every price point, they've got a million varieties of shoes (customizable), real and fake jewelry, decorations, suits, photo studios, print shops...anything wedding related, they got it. You can't take photos of anything though, so bring a friend for consultation. Customized dresses take a few weeks to complete. We all know anything wedding related is suddenly inflated beyond belief, so places like Golden Plaza are a godsend. You might not want to get a wedding dress here, but what about 5 bridesmaid dresses? Bring in a picture of a $600 Jimmy Choo shoe, lower your quality expectations, and get it done for 1/10 the price. Remember, the essence of Chinese knock-offs is that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". And, of course, arguing your way to a bargain! My recommended stores: Lung Fung Night Dressing Co. (龍鳳店晚裝公司), Tel: 2390 7650 Pure Love Wedding, Tel: 2696 9833, facebook.com/purelovewedding (70/100) - 2017

LCX is located inside Ocean Terminal. It is one of my favourite areas around Ocean Terminal to…read morestroll around in to shop and kill time. It is like a shopping mall inside a shopping mall, a really fun one for that matter. They have everything in there, restaurants, little boutiques. fun shops, cute accessories, etc. I really like the back part of LCX is my favourite, as I love all these cute things, they make me feel like a little girl again. It really is the perfect place to buy gifts for friends, they have so many little accessories and toys and home goods, i can probably stay here for hours. The clothing boutiques are not as creative, I think I would prefer to have more local designers at LCX but I guess you can't have it all right? Ohhhh... and another I like, is that they have a Homeless at the back of the store. They have so many things, kitchen accessories, stationary, furniture, home decor items, I'm not sure what they don't have! I think LCX really brings out the child in me. They even have Bologne here now too. Although there is always a line up, it's always nice to sit down and stare into Victoria Harbour.

Being a high-end luxury mall, LCX is one of the few places in Harbour City that is, well, relevant…read moreto me. Located towards the left end of the mall, it's hard to describe how to get there - all I know is that you'll walk past BLT Burger on the way. LCX is sort of like a mini shopping mall with a couple of brands and then an open area towards the back selling random things like locally-designed accessories and phone cases. The first place I hit up when I come into LCX is American Eagle - not because it's a priority or anything, but because it's one of the first stores I will pass by. I hardly ever buy clothes here just because it is such a rip off compared to if you were to buy it in the US, but it's always fun to take a walk around. Donguri Republic is a store with tons of Totoro stuff and though I'm not a huge fan of Totoro, I love the atmosphere of the store and looking at the little trinkets they have. It's horribly expensive though - I was really surprised at the prices the first time I was here. There is a small 6ixty 8ight here too but it is really small, and unlike the bigger stores, doesn't do clothes and just focuses on lingerie. There are also some Korean cosmetic brands out in the open like Tony Moly and too cool for school. If you get hungry, Mou Mou Club and Gyu-kaku do a mean hotpot dinner! But tt is towards the back of LCX where the stuff starts to get exciting - they sell all kinds of random things there, some practical and some really just for laughs. The last time I was there, they featured kinetic sand and there was even a little sand pit and tiny buckets and rakes to play with! The stuff here reminds me of Log On, but is not as expensive. Definitely don't skip LCX the next time you're in Harbour City. There really is a world of fun toys and trinkets at the back - I challenge you to walk out empty handed!