Customers choose a scarf at Meters/bonwe clothes shop in Qianmen yesterday.
Clothing is more expensive in Beijing than most other cities in the world, including London and Los Angeles, new data shows.
According to a survey by finance group UBS AG, Beijing ranks as the 11th most expensive city in the world for clothing, with Tokyo ranked number one.
A woman's outfit, consisting of suit blazer, summer dress, pantyhose and a pair of shoes, cost an average of $650 in Beijing, the survey found.
A men's outfit, comprising a suit blazer, shirt, jeans, socks and shoes cost Beijingers about $1,090.
The price of UBS's sample outfit was $500 for women and $680 for men.
The survey found people in London need $420 to buy a woman's outfit, and $580 per outfit for men.
Despite high prices, many department stores are preparing for an influx of shoppers during the National Day holiday.
The Swedish brand H&M will open another Beijing outlet on September 29, in the Zhongguancun area, which is close to the new subway Line 4.
"I plan to buy some clothes during the holiday, as I have no time to go shopping on work days," said Zhang Jiao, an anchor for a local TV station.
The 25-year-old woman said she usually spends 5,000 yuan ($732)on a complete outfit.
According to the Beijing commission of commerce, retail sales exceeded 250 billion yuan ($37 billion) in the first half of this year.
Last year, Beijingers spent 456.8 billion yuan in retail stores, as the capital surpassed Shanghai as the largest consumer market in China.
"Beijing's shopping environment has improved in recent years and the price is acceptable," said Jonas, a 29-year-old Swedish man who works at a law firm.
But not everyone believes the cost of clothing in Beijing is reasonable.
"I would go to Hong Kong when it comes to buying an outfit. Beijing's prices are expensive and it lacks diversity," said Gong Lin, a man who works in the services industry.
He said he usually spends less than 20,000 yuan per year on clothing.
