Cheap and chic boutiques

There's nothing better than bagging hot clothes and huge bargains. Time Out scopes out the best deals in town

Six of the best

1) Lazy Sunday 423 Dongsibei Dajie, Chaoyang district (tel 6404 6418; 131 4131 2082). Open 10.30am-11.30pm daily. 东城区东四北大街423号
One of those fun boutiques that mixes everything from chic sunglasses to cute tops, kitsch notepads and funky bags, Lazy Sunday is a great place to pick up a treat for yourself without expending too much effort. When Time Out visited, the shop had an 80RMB sale rack that was crammed full of well-made dresses in neutral colours - from baby dolls to shirtdresses. Ballet pump slippers (20RMB) and 'toe socks' in dozens of different designs (10RMB) are also in abundance and their great selection of shopping bags (just 98RMB) are a must have.

2) Dress Dance Shop 1418 SOHO Shangdu Boutique X ,Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 5900 3160). Open 10am-10pm daily. 朝阳区工体东路SOHO尚都1418号
A solid selection of men's shorts and t-shirts, as well as a few surprises for the women (an Antoni and Alison t-shirt for 40RMB!) make Dress Dance well worth a visit if you want to add a few pieces to your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Fred Perry factory reject t-shirts cost 75RMB and there's a whole rack at the back with polo shirts for just 50RMB, including brands like Paul & Shark, Calloway, D&G and Barkers. A casual checked Paul Smith shirt was just 100RMB - and that's before bargaining...

3) Monsoon outlet Room 2018, Ritan Office Building, A15 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 8561 4601; 138 0138 0486). Open 11am-8pm daily. 朝阳区光华路甲15号日坛商务会馆2018号
As anyone who's a fan of Monsoon will tell you, the respected UK label's clothes don't exactly come cheap. Favoured by women of all ages hankering for simple, feminine styles, Monsoon's signature designs feature block prints and floral patterns and are often made in more generous sizes than you'd usually find in China. At this small boutique near Ritan Park, however, dresses worth 1,500RMB start at a mere 390RMB. We found a full length strappy orange dress for just that, and a rich purple, real silk dress with puff sleeves for 580RMB.

4) Sophia 8-9 Nali Mall, Sanlitun Jiubajie, Chaoyang district (tel 6417 9170). Open 11am-9pm daily. 朝阳区三里屯北路那里市场8-9号
This fantastic boutique in Nali Mall simply can't be beaten when it comes to men's designer jackets, ties, bags, t-shirts and even underwear. Well made (and it has to be said rather sharp) Paul Smith shirts cost just 280RMB, while genuine FCUK and Calvin Klein boxer briefs as well as a range of ties go for 80RMB each. On our visit we spotted Hermes shirts for 320RMB, Hysteric Glamour and D-Squared t-shirts for 150RMB and Diesel trainers for 400RMB. For the women, cute summer dresses in a range of sizes start at 150RMB, with a beautiful Jil Sander dress going for a bargainous 350RMB. Don't forget to bargain hard to get the price down.

5) Jimmy and Tommy 14 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6591 1286 / 6500 2233 ext 135 / 6538 8165). Open 10am-9pm daily. 朝阳区建国门外大街建国饭店一层
Jimmy and Tommy is the rather quaintly named factory reject shop with a difference - the difference being that it's vast, making it almost impossible not to find something you like. Cute halterneck summer tops in myriad pastel colours cost 30RMB each, a black Gap denim skirt costs 50RMB and jeans a very reasonable 130RMB. For the men, there's everything from Daniel Cremieux shorts in big sizes (80RMB) to J-Crew t-shirts (60RMB) and leather Columbia belts (100RMB). A well kept secret that you'll end up visiting again and again.

6) Select Shop 217 Inside Lido Hotel Plaza, Jichang Lu, 6 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6437 4517). Open 9.30am-10pm daily. 朝阳区将台路6号机场路丽都广场217号
Select appears to specialise in Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren clothes for men, women and even children, and packs in a lot more besides. The easy-to-navigate shop has racks crammed with casual clothes and even two proper changing rooms so there's no hopping around in a 1sqm space when trying things on. Chunky unisex Abercrombie sweatshirts are 190RMB, men's cargo shorts 160RMB, while a cashmere-soft cream Ralph Lauren sweater with hood is 195RMB. As well as Havaiana flip flops and a huge shoe selection, it's particularly good for jeans, jumpers and long sleeved shirts so come here to start stocking up for winter.

And the five best places in Beijing for bagging a great bargain every time:

1) Xidan 77th Street Mall (Xidan Dajie)
Head to this subterranean mall west of Tiananmen and discover where Beijing's cool kids hang out. The basement floor has stalls galore, crammed with every type of kooky fashion imaginable. Expect to pay just 40RMB for a funky batwing top for example.

2) Dongsi Bei Dajie
An entire street devoted to cheap boutiques, quirky toys and funky accessories, walk from end to end and expect to come away with something fun for yourself or a gift for a friend.

3) Heping Jie
Thanks to its proximity to Beifu, (the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology) this street is lined with super cheap boutiques; some of which have been started by the university graduates themselves. Expect to pick up a dress for 70RMB).

4) Ritan Office Building (A15 Guanghua Lu)
Despite the large amount of tat that resides here, there's still some great bargains to be had if you spend enough time digging around.

5) Nali Mall (Sanlitun Bei Lu)
From Topshop to real Marni coats, the Nali Mall has been known to throw up some real treats, consistently has good stock and is a pleasure to browse. Not exactly the cheapest place to shop, but certainly some of the best value clothes we've found in Beijing have come from here. And don't forget to check out the excellent shoe shop at the far end.

Sarah Keenlyside