The following conversation between two fashion editors of a very popular women’s magazine was overheard by my intern:
Fashion ed #1: So she said she went to Bangkok to shop! Yucks!
Fashion ed #2: Oh my God! That is so disgusting.
I am thanking my lucky stars that I don’t write for that magazine because I would surely be ostracised by the fashiony types (as I have come to call them) by striding around in my Bangkok and This Fashion dresses. Yes, you read right: one of my favourite haunts is This Fashion. Someone I know once jested that whenever she steps into The Fashion, she would “look left, look right” to make sure that nobody she knows is around. But no, not me.
In my current phase, I have moved away from being a brand snob. Understanding that my taste evolves from time to time, I have become a budget fashionista – whatever looks good on me and fits my tiny budget goes into my wardrobe. While I used to prefer clean lines from Mango, Zara and Tangs, I now gun for quirky, interesting items from all sorts of boutiques.
But that’s not to say that I compromise on basic principles like good quality material and flattering cuts. Bad sewing is a huge no-no, so is cheap-looking satin. There are tonnes of items that are badly made and of poor quality but the best part about shopping there must be the joy that accompanies finding an exceptionally good buy that fits and is easy on the wallet too. In fact, I once chanced upon a replica of the supremely sexy Roland Mouret “Galaxy” (which I had desired for a bit) that was pretty well-made. Unfortunately, it didn’t fit well.
Here are four of my favourite buys from this beloved chain:
!(img)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1009/1462584845_c5a0a2b3c9_m.jpg(Tartan dress)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1462584845/ !(img)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1404/557401230_75a02cef5d_m.jpg(Click for larger view)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/557401230
!(img)http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2019312389_05485e44e8_m.jpg(Click for larger view)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/2019312389/ !(img)http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/1553639142_8c0b5f0cc2_m.jpg(Click for larger view)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1553639142/
Clockwise from top left: Tartan dress, little red caardigan, black trapeze dress with crochet sleeves, black minidress with ruffles
The best part? All are under $35.
Perhaps one day, I might deign to splurge on an authentic Marc by Marc Jacobs or DVF dress. But till that day comes, I will be watching my wallet closely and channelling my Little Miss Shopaholic demon into wallet-friendly buys.
Yannisms 