Shopping

Argentina has excellent leather, the soft almost-buttery-to-the-touch kind of leather that feels fine to wear and fine to look at.

Leather factories will tailor any leather item or tailor make any leather item - from the type of leather you want, in the color you want, in the style you want, in your size - and in only a day, and sometimes only a few hours, if your plane is leaving. All done while you continue to stroll and shop and delivered to you on time, sometimes just in time.

Leather stores, leather shops, leather boutiques - they are all fronts for the factories. If they don't have what you want they are skilled in getting you to go to their nearest store or factory, or as a last resort, they run next door to the competitor's and get what you want and bring it back to you.

Calle Florida is the well known mall-like pedestrian-only street nine blocks long that overflows with leather shops and chic boutiques from around the world including famed Harrods.

The shopping mall has found its place in Buenos Aires. Patio Bullrich, in Recoleta, is probably the most exclusive and an afternoon's activity itself. Galerias Pacifico, on the corner of Florida and Cordoba, is a three-story mall quality clothes and sports stores.