I want to purchase some Indian ethnic clothes like salwar kameez, lengha's etc from Delhi and I want to get the best deals and prices. Where in Delhi can I get cheap ethnic wear which is of good quality and of the latest fashion? I do not want to know about places where you have to do bargaining. Are clothes from the craft markets good?
This is difficult to answer, because good quality clothes are not always cheap. Many Indians pay for high fashion, and wear very beautiful and expensive versions of their cultural clothing. Just as I wear expensive suits, they can wear expensive clothes. What you should do is set aside a budget you are willing to spend, and just look at the many sources to see something you like. Much of the clothing is not always based on quality, but how it looks, by the cut. Some might be the best match for you, but a little bad in the stitching, or the best quality might not be attractive. Clothing and fashion is very dependent on taste, so focus on what you like before all other considerations. That said, there are too many options to consider. Personally, I prefer the malls, since you can see an assortment of stores in a nice setting. But there are markets, and shops, vendors all around, and each can have a bit of a specialty. Also, more Western shops will have seasonal changes, where certain colors dominate as part of their collection. Just keep a look out for what looks nice.
Unfortunately, you mention you aren't interested in haggling over prices. This is going to be an enormous issue. The normal manner of getting a kameez made is to go to the clothier and buy a swatch of cloth, which you haggle over the price of to some extent, and then you go to a tailor, where you again haggle over the price after he takes measurements and reviews your cloth choice. Even in a relatively upscale area, like South Extension (SouthEx) you should absolutely expect to be bargaining for clothes. For a ballpark estimate, I recently went to India and purchased a tailored suit from Raymond's, a western clothing retailer, for around 5000 for the cloth and another 13000 for the tailoring. For 18000 rupees, or 300 dollars, I got a tailored suit. (Tailored! That would be two grand in the states!)
I was also going to mention that if you don't want to haggle then your going to be paying a lot more for things than you should be doing. The prices are set relatively high because they expect you to haggle and negotiate over the price. If you just go and pay whatever they're asking for, your going to be severely out of pocket right from the start.
One of the things that I never really focused on or spent much time on where I was in India was shopping, and I am starting to regret that more and more when I think back to the trip. When I think about it there were a lot of opportunities I had to pick up some good items that would have been great to have on hand now, but then again hindsight is always 20/20 so what can you do.
Haggling is very difficult for a lot of people used to paying a standardized price at stores. But it is definitely an experience. People should go to places like India looking forward to the chance to haggle. It is part of the culture. And, don't be afraid of it. say a number, and if they say no, walk away. There are other shops. Chances are, as soon as you walk toward the door, they might cave.
Yeah, that's the other important thing. You might assume that if you are dealing with someone who is haggling, you'll get ripped off. This is to the contrary. Bargaining is the basic yard stick with which you prevent the rip offs from occurring. If you aren't haggling the price down, you're paying far more than the vendor actually expects you to pay. Ultimately, the margins are pretty flexible on labor in India, and there's a lot of competitors so don't be ashamed to get a good deal.
