Women know many things - how to walk in four-inch heels, for instance, and how to spend more time in the bathroom than a plumber. Women also know that there is nothing as classy as a string of pearls. Pearls are as noncontroversial as ice cream and free manicures. You can bargain for freshwater and saltwater pearls in Hong Kong's bustling open-air markets, but always pay careful attention to their luster, size, color, and roundness. K.S. Sze & Sons in the Mandarin Oriental hotel has high-quality pearls for much lower than what you'd pay stateside, though you won't be able to haggle over the price. Ditto at Lane Crawford, a huge high-end fashion specialty store. The beauties won't come cheap, but you can't put a price on class, now, can you?

K.S. Sze & Sons, in the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, 011-852-2820-4202, www.kssze.com
Lane Crawford, at the IFC Mall, Podium Three, 8 Finance Street, Central, 011-852-2118-3388, www.lanecrawford.com

Phuket, Thailand: Silks
Americans, for all our flashy patriotism, tend to shy away from color. We like our muted browns, our beiges, our blacks. But a visit to Thailand demands that you buy a shock of brilliance to add to your closet. The city is filled with a rainbow of luscious silks just ready to drape. Andaman Trade Centre sells silk by the meter, and Jim Thompson Thai Silk has five locations in Phuket, which all sell high-end fabrics that will color even the grayest of moods.