By now however, this trend may be peaking, the clerk says. They sell fewer of these brands by the month than they used to.
Vendors all over the city now sell Hollister sweaters and American Eagle shirts. It was the best-kept secret among kids in Taipei, except by now it's no longer a secret. And that may be where the problems lie.
This is because anything considered cool and trendy depends on being not available except to those in the know.
A recent walk through the East Side reveals that almost one out of every three street vendors now claim to be selling cheap but real "outlet" clothing, while knockoffs run amok.
Chen, who is wearing Ezra Fitch jeans that sell for US$150 in the US, got her pair for NT$690. Her Abercrombie cord jacket? NT$980, as opposed to US$79.50. She too wonders how long this trend will continue.
"The clothing of course is great. The quality is superb and the attitude of the T-shirts, the cut of the jeans and tops really flatter your figure. They are one of the brands that are truly made for and loved by the younger generation."
Wouldn't it be easier if the stores simply opened chains in Taiwan?
"Maybe not. It wouldn't be a bad thing, but then [the clothes] would be everywhere and [being a] symbol of exclusiveness would be gone. More and more people in Taipei these days are starting to wear Juicy Contour or Victoria's Secret, both unavailable in Taiwan."
And thus we have the ironic Taiwan phenomenon of being able to buy real products not officially sold in Taiwan for much less than the real stores selling them abroad. In the end, perhaps, it is another one of the quirky characteristics of Taipei's movement toward a rising international identity.
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