There are markets and more markets in South Delhi. For one, it covers quite a large area. Two, there is enough purchasing power, which is evident from how coveted a residential address in these parts is. Three, the residents of these areas are not only rich but also fashionable. In fact, fashion is the buzzword. All of which makes South Delhi a great place to shop in.

SOUTH EXTENSION: One of the posh markets in Delhi, South Extension is situated on the Ring Road, just east of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Popularly known as South Ex, it is divided into two parts - Part I and Part II. It is closed on Mondays, while Sunday is the busiest day.

Arrow promises to lend your wardrobe a fashion-fit stitch for the stiff corporate world. Ashwini Kumar's Mehrasons Jewellers houses gold, diamond and kundan jewellery. Bizarre offers highenergy fashion that is guaranteed to turn heads. At Diwan Saheb ethnic sherwanis, kurta– pyjamas and Jodhpuris are to be complemented with accessories such as safas, juttis and stoles.

Heritage specializes in Pashmina silks and cashmere shawls. Manzoni's real treasure is its Sea Island Cotton Shirts that are made from the finest cottons found on the Sea Island of Italy. Mehrasons Jewellers is known for beautiful traditional gold and diamond pieces. Nalli offers saris (silk, handloom, fancy,cotton, Benaras), dhotis, suits, shirts, dress materials, furnishing materials and bedspreads. Sehgal Brothers are the right choice if you are looking for smart and sharp suit and shirt material. If you are a book lover, browse at Teksons.

ANSAL PLAZA: Ansal Plaza, the first mall of South Delhi, is situated near South Extension. It is built in a circular fashion around an amphitheatre with a stage at the centre. Different cultural events are organized here from time to time. It is a treat to watch the 45-foot-high atrium with a French glass curtain wall. The wall filters out ultraviolet and other harmful radiation. You will find many major brands like Adidas, McDonald's, Shoppers Stop, Levi's, Music World, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Reebok and Club Mahindra.

GREATER KAILASH The Greater Kailash market is divided into two zones: GK-I and GK-II. Here you can find the most luxurious showrooms and retail outlets. A search for designer wear is most likely to lead you here. The GK markets remain closed on Tuesdays.

Let us take a look at what some of the GK shops have to offer. Dressing up women till size XXL, the pleasant-looking Amandine & Mélisande has crinkled tops, textured kurtis and semi-formal silk cottons in different styles and upbeat colours. At Biba expect to find cotton salwar kameezes in pastel colours and minimal embroidery that are beautifully teamed with crushed dupattas or kurti tops strewn with threads and beads. Downtown girls looking for uptown handbags should go to Blue Oyster for Chanel and Burberry look-alikes.

Chhipa is a traditional handblock-printing castle which uses eco-friendly, natural colours on silks and jutes to create kurta–pyjamas, ghagra–cholis and furnishings. The range of heady lingerie at Curves comes replete with frills and lace, while the casual range of cotton briefs and bras is perfect for everyday wear. Fifth Avenue brings tight tiny tops, super-short skirts and sassy logo tees, all the way from the hip Bangkok streets. Study By Janak (SBJ) promises a striking change to every male wardrobe.

Dee's Crystal brings costume jewellery straight from the streets of Korea. Estilo offers customized leather tailoring service. Giordano Travel Gear is fast becoming a priority for the discerning Indian traveller. Champalal Jewellers cater to both traditional and modern design sensibilities.

SAKET: Saket has quite a few up-market malls. Select Citywalk mall combines luxury and high-street shopping together with cafés, bistros, restaurants and bars. Ethos Swiss Watch Studio endorses mega brands like Omega, Tissot, Rado, Longines, Breguet, JLC, Hublot and Glasshute. Kimaya offers an indulgent ambience for brides-to-be and tinsel queens. La Senza sells romance and allure with its Hawaiian bikinis, basic gym gear and a plethora of undergarments. Okaidi is a children's designer brand from France. Promod is a French fashion house buzzing with feminine energy.

Square One Mall has shops like Bandhej, Bella and Kothari Art Jewellers. MGF Metropolitan Mall has a total land area of 11,000 sq m. It has the Shoppers Stop store and a food court. DLF Place has the Debenhams and Marks & Spencers anchor stores, a retail arcade with many major Indian and international brands of clothes and apparel, a six-screen DT cinema multiplex & diner, a food court, Hard Rock Cafe, gourmet outlets, office complex and Hilton hotel.

KHAN MARKET: Classy and posh, Khan Market is a favourite of the expat and diplomatic community. It was originally allocated as seed land to immigrants from the North-West Frontier Province after the partition of India. Today, it is a popular shopping destination in Delhi. It is a large U-shaped market with two parallel ‘U’s and some extensions. You will find excellent book shops, up-market boutiques, opticians, grocers, tailors, brand showrooms, lifestyle stores… There are also a couple of boutiques selling up-market household furnishings. Across the road are shops that specialize mainly in lighting. You will also find many eating places: cafés, restaurants, bakeries and street-food corners.

Khan Chacha is a landmark: its tikkas and seekhs are a rage with the crowd. Amrapali is famous for its silver jewellery. Ranna Gill makes two major fashion statements each year with her summer and winter lines.

DILLI HAAT: Dilli Haat showcases crafts, culture and food from different parts of India. A joint collaboration of New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Tourism, it is like a permanent festival. The main idea of setting up this craft bazaar opposite the INA Market was to promote the Indian handicraft industry and Indian cuisine. There is another Dilli Haat at Netaji Subhash Place in Pitampura.

Dilli Haat is designed as an upscale version of a haat (a weekly traditional market). But unlike a haat, where the market is mobile and in transit, here the craftsmen keep rotating. Its 62 stalls are assigned on a rotational basis, usually for 15 days, to craftsmen belonging to different states.

Here, you can explore and experience the enthralling world of Indian artefacts, painting, metalware, stone and wood work, terracotta, jewellery, lac and glass work, blue pottery, home décor and traditional Indian puppets. There are also salwar kameezes, saris, shawls, cotton skirts, tunics and dress materials to be bought. The food court serves delicacies from various states - Momos from Sikkim, Pooran Poli from Maharashtra, Kahwa from Jammu, Dhokla from Gujarat. They won't fail to tantalize your taste buds.

SAROJINI NAGAR: At the Sarojini Nagar Market you get fashionable clothes at affordable prices. Export-surplus garments as well as rejected export clothing come to this market at throwaway prices. This is what makes even reputed brands available for cheap. But don't expect trial or changing rooms at street-side shops. Besides, use your art of haggling. The market remains closed on Mondays. There are different areas within the market. Babu Market houses several sweet shops. The many shoe shops in the vicinity of the market also catch the eye. Subzi Mundi offers the freshest and choicest fruits and fresh vegetables.

INA MARKET: The Indian National Army Market, popularly known as INA Market, is known as the food bazaar of Delhi. Fresh seafood, meat, spices, vegetables, fruits — if you don't get it anywhere else, you get it at this market. You can also get some rare wine and liquor. The shops here sell varieties of imported foodstuff and the shopkeepers speak even in languages like French, German and Japanese. The market, which lies across the street from Dilli Haat, remains closed on Mondays.

NEHRU PLACE: Nehru Place is a sprawling shopping arcade with a massive bus terminal. It is the place to be in if you are interested in computer and computer parts. You can also get cheap CDs of computer games, movies and software. Second-hand books are another attraction. Don't forget to bargain.

LAJPAT NAGAR: Lajpat Nagar is a popular shopping area where you can get whatever you desire — accessories, clothes, footwear, bags, etc. The garments at Hakoba range from saris and salwar kameezes for women to kurtas and kurtis for both men and women. The Lucknowi embroidery, which is mostly done in white-coloured threads, is breathtaking and of very high quality. Karan & Nasir have been revolutionizing the way men dress. RCKC has carved a niche for itself in the international market with labels like Anamika and RISA by Abhijeet Khanna. A brainchild of Saurabh Mehta, Samaira boasts a wide variety of designs that define femininity with simple styles.

Apart from fashion stores, there are furnishing stores and décor houses to beautify your homes. There are huge glittering showrooms as well as roadside stalls. The mehndiwallahs (appliers of henna) are very famous. Bargaining is a must if you wish to get the best of this market. It remains closed on Mondays.

HAUZ KHAS: It started with Bina Ramani setting up a boutique in 1988. And soon Hauz Khas acquired the reputation of "the national capital of ethnic chic". Boutiques and shops set in converted old homes up and down narrow alleys sell handicrafts, curios, old carpets and designer clothing. A Touch of Gold is an antique little shop with saris, salwar kameezes and lehngas from our grandmothers' era. At Dozakh, Isha and Nitin Kartikeya draw in their inspiration from ancient civilizations, making garments that are simple in silhouettes but radical in thought.

Ecru, the brainchild of Ankur Batra, concentrates on high-quality clothes that blend ethnic and modern designs. Portraits, which runs mainly on orders, is a quiet yet dependable destination for semi-formal wear. If you are looking for chikankari creations, Prateeksha is just the right destination. Kanika Rungta's Zoya presents a decent collection of silver and fashion jewellery.

SHAHPUR JATLocated between Asiad Games Village and Hauz Khas, Shahpur Jat is famous for its boutiques offering designer clothes. Panache Designer Studio features Indian, Western and Indo-Western wear with ethnic and oriental embroideries. Fashion daredevils who crave to be noticed can go for the designer duo Parvesh and Jai's outlandishly stylish retro couture at Parvesh Couture. The exclusive silver showroom of Tavishi has a range of jewellery studded with semi-precious stones.

The Shoe Garage (TSG) is the one place where you can find your dream shoe. Dastakar stocks reasonably-priced terracotta, basketry and weaves. Creativegarh has everything from candles to kitchen accessories. Tulika Publishers offer a wealth of reading materials.

AMBAVATA COMPLEX: The Ambavata shopping complex in Mehrauli adjacent to the Qutub Minar is a four-storeyed building with 18 stores. The stores are all air-conditioned and dust-free. This is where you go for designer wear, designer accessories, home décor items and designer bags and shoes. Top designers like Ritu Beri and Manish Malhotra have their studios here. The complex remains open from 11 am to 9 pm.

VASANT KUNJ: The Basant Lok Shopping Complex in Vasant Vihar is a popular hang-out. It has famous retail stores like Bennetton, Reebok, Adidas and Puma. The complex is most well known for PVR Priya, a cinema theatre. If you are a book lover, you can go to Om Book Store and Fact and Fiction. At Neo Planet you can find the CDs/DVDs of the latest Bollywood and Hollywood movies and music. The Modern Bazaar and Le Marche are one-stop shops: you get imported and Indian toiletries, grocery items, vegetables and fruits, frozen/processed food and bakery items.

DLF Emporio in Vasant Kunj is the latest up-market mall. It claims to be the largest luxury collection in Asia with 74 international and 111 Indian brands. Some of the brands include Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Dior, Hugo Boss and Ranna Gill.