I usually do my shopping in Antwerp on "the Meir". It's the most well known shopping street, a main street and with mostly affordable shops, mostly retail stores though, like H&M. If you wander through Antwerp's smaller streets you find the expensive designer stores, righ in between the centuries old churches and museums.

prices:
A pair of nice jeans starts as low as 40 eur. Mexx or Esprit jeans are about 70 eur
A good winter jacket, depending on the store you must be able to find starting 100 eur
Sweater (high quality) 30 eur
Nice shoes : can't find good shoes under 100 eur
Hiking boots starts at 80 eur

If you shop during sales period, that would be july and January, you can cut the prices in half, even lower.


2. Is your area also "tourist friendly" (most importantly, is it accessible for major flight routes from abroad)
YES, Antwerp is tourist friendly, lot's of chinese tourists though. And since my country is that small, you can cross it in 3 hours max (depending on where you want to go). 1.5h drive to the sea or 2 h drive to the Ardennes or Brussels (shopping in Brussels is expensive btw)
There is one Airport near Antwerp, the biggest one is in Brussels.
You can go anywhere by train, or rent a car, though rental cars are expensive as well.

Let me know if you come to Antrwerp, I'll buy you guys a good Belgium beer and chocolates for the lady

If you ever get to Texas, Houston is a very popular destination for shoppers and the dollar is cheap right now and getting cheaper. You can check out the up town area and Galleria. .

It's all of the high end stores, shops and botiques but in a down to earth price area. (less than the same stores in N.Y and L.A.) More than enough to keep a shopping woman busy.

Also museums, opera,ballet, zoo, lots of artsy stuff mid town and great resturants.

The guys still have baseball football soccer hockey basketball mens clubs and more to keep them busy while your girl is putting your bank account into cardiac arrest.


If that's not enough, you can take her on a Carribean or Mexican cruise out of galveston just 45 minutes south of Houston.



[edit on 23-11-2009 by badgerprints]