No, they don’t sell monocles. Not the one-eyed corrective lenses, anyway. This exclusive boutique is the retail extension of Monocle, the super-stylish global culture magazine headquartered in London.

The first Monocle Shop opened in London in November 2008 as a pop-up for Christmas, but was made permanent due to its success. Beijing marks its sixth boutique in the world, joining London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Osaka.

“Sorry … by law we can’t change your wife/mother-in-law/boss for a new one” reads the sign on the store’s front window. Before you snap your fingers in disappointment and trudge away, take a peek inside the swap shop and be amazed at the sheer amount of memorabilia that line the floor, shelves and ceilings. For those searching for a way to rid themselves of that out-of-fashion necklace or embarrassing Barbie doll, Change is the store for you.

Cold cement benches swathed in woolly pelts. Asphalt floors offset by bronze and mirrored walls. Sleek leather couches made unpretentious by lovingly worn creases. One feels very small at Alexander Wang’s second store in the world, a 4,000sqm space that perfectly captures the brand’s aesthetic contradictions: austere but natural, functional but flattering, and trendy but timeless.

The word that comes closest to capturing its essence is confidence. Short for “swagger,” “swag” is determined by the way you carry yourself: your speech, your gestures and of course your style of dress.

Big shoes to fill – so does this shop make the cut?

Unless you’ve already tied the knot, you’re likely unaware how starved for options Beijing is for wedding apparel. Overseas returnee Violet Li (and wife of Ed Hung, founder of NLGX Design Store) hopes her first Beijing shop can finally fill the gap between fashion and bridal wear.