Clothing Mumbai is the centre of the Indian clothing trade and caters for all tastes and budgets. ‘ Fashion Street' , on M Gandhi Road between Cross Maidan and Azad Maidan, is a row of market stalls where some very good bargains can be found. At the other end of the spectrum, Mumbai is also home to a number of tailors who will make clothes quickly at a reasonable cost.

Footwear There's a large number of fairly mediocre shoe stores lining Colaba Causeway . For a much better selection try the stores clustered around Kemp's Corner or the huge number of shoe stalls lining Linking Rd between Bandra and Khar. You can get everything from Kolhapuri chappals and loafers to high-heeled sneakers and white steel-tipped cowboy boots. Metro is the largest of Colaba's many shoe shops. It has a large selection of both men's and women's sandals. Rinaldi Designs is a stylish shoe store, selling designer men's and women's fashion shoes. It's definitely not the place to look for trekking boots. Catwalk has a decent selection of fashionable Indian and imported women's shoes.

Furniture For the more adventurous shopper, there is a large amount of Indian furniture for sale in Mumbai, both at dealers and in the bazaars. However the age or worth of purchases cannot be guaranteed – visitors should trust to luck and their eye, haggle fiercely and hope to be rewarded with an exceptional bargain.

Jewellery Mumbai is the commercial centre of India's large diamond industry and a major exporter of gems. The main retail centres are Zaveri Bazaar for gold and diamonds and nearby Pydhoni for silver. Many Indian women still put most of their wealth into jewellery so there's plenty of shiny stuff available. It ranges from simple glass bangles and classical necklaces to ornate folk art and elaborate costume jewellery that requires strong neck muscles and the poise of a princess to wear.

If you are more interested in decorative items than counting carats, there's wide selection of jewellery in the market opposite the Novalty Cinema on Grant Rd, bangles galore in the markets of Bhuleshwar and a small smattering of street vendors selling cheap jewellery al ong Colaba Causeway. At the other end of the scale, there's cluster of upmarket boutiques in Om Chambers at Kemp's Corner and a series of showrooms on Hughes Rd., just behind Chowpatty Beach. The stores listed below are for those who want to spend some serious money.

Leather Goods Indian leatherwork is made from buffalo, camel or goat hide. The centre of Mumbai's noxious leather industry is in D haravi , where goods sell for half the price they do in slick city centre stores. If you're in the market for a major leather purchase, it's worth making friends with someone who knows the area well and asking them to escort you. With a bit of sifting, you can also pick up decent belts and wallets from the stalls along Dr D Naoroji Rd. It's still worth a stroll al ong Dhabu St in Kalbadevi , though it's not the centre for cheap leather goods that it once was. Csango has a quality assortment of leather bags, jackets, briefcases, wallets and belts, but they're not exactly cut-price. Cheemo stocks a similar range of leather bags, clothes and accessories.

Perfume Islamic attat (essential oil) perfume shops are found scattered along Mohammed Ali Road , clustered in Bhendi, Null and Zaveri Bazaars . The Inshaallah Mashaallah has a huge range of perfumes and helpful staff that can guide you through the olfactory chaos. It boasts that it has the largest collection of garden flower perfumes in India and you can try the likes of jas mine, opium, lemon grass and sandalwood. The Attar Ahmed Dawood has several hundred perfumes that you can test and sniff, plus incense bark from the agarwood tree.

Precious Stones Mumbai is a major centre of the diamond trade and for those with str ong nerves and long pockets, who know what they are doing, it is possible to pick great bargains.

Shopping Malls, Markets and Bazaars For those who like to shop in comfort, the Oberoi and Taj Hotels both boast air-conditioned shopping malls with an interesting range of boutiques. No trip to Mumbai is complete, however, without a visit to the bazaars: Chow Bazaar, Mutton Street, near Sir JJ Road, for bric-a-brac, furniture and junk, Zaveri Bazaar, off Abdul Rahman Street, for jewellery, Dhaboo Street Bazaar, Dhaboo Street, for leather goods and Crawford Market, Dr D Navroji Road/Carnac Road, for fruit and vegetables. Markets are generally open from 0900-1900. In most shops and bazaars, bargaining is the norm, particularly for more expensive items. For shoppers of a more literary bent, there are a number of open-air second-hand bookstalls on the streets near the university, around Chowk Fountain, where a persistent search may reveal interesting volumes among the pulp thrillers.

Silk & Saris Mumbai is the country's major textile market. Apart from humble cotton, it now produces fine wools, silks and synthetic fibres. Look out for locally produced muslin, silk saris from the central Maharashtrian town of Paithan, cotton brocade shawls from Aurangabad and textiles decorated with distinctive Warli tribal designs. If you're buying a silk sari, it helps to know a bit about both the silk and the sari. Saris are generally 5.5m long, unless they include the material to make a blouse (choli), in which case they're 6m. Sari silk is graded and sold by weight -in grams per metre. To get a taste of everything under one roof, the best place to look for any kind of textile is Mangaldas Market in Kalbadevi or nearby Mulji Jetha Market (also known as MI Market). If you're not quite up for a full-on bazaar experience, try trawling the silk and sari shops lining Maharshi Karve Rd between Churchgate and Marine Line train stations. They include major stores like Kala Niketan and Roop Milan . Shamsheth Lane, two streets north of the Jama Masjid in Kalbadevi, specialises in lace.

Tailors can be found all over Mumbai and can make up clothes to measure in less than a day, if they have a simple design. Bring in the fabric, al ong with a garment that you want to be copied, for the fastest service. Joe Martyn & Co is a small street-front tailor recommended by travellers for no-nonsense made-to-measure shirts and suits. Kachins Clothing offers suit and shirt tailoring, and has thrown away the humble tape measure and replaced it with sophisticated computer technology. Burlingtons is the place to go if you want some stylish Indian clothes made up and are willing to pay handsomely.

Woodwork For inexpensive yet attractive wooden gifts and other presents, the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Shivaji Marg, between Apollo Bunder and Regal, open Monday-Saturday 1000-1900 is a good place to find that ‘extra special something'.