Where I’ve Been…Thailand

It’s been a few months since I last blogged but I’m back!

I’ve spent the last few months spreading myself between two jobs – one at BBC and another with Miss Patina but as of next week I will be a full-time Brand Manager with Miss Patina. There are lots of exciting things happening in the business so I’ve decided to start writing again to share all the behind the scenes fun!

In June, I spent three and a half weeks in Thailand with two of my best friends. We started out in Bangkok, traveling north to Chiang Mai for a week then south to Koh Phi Phi for a week and Koh Tao for another week before heading back to Bangkok for some last minute shopping. If you are going to Thailand, I would warn you that it’s quite touristy especially on the islands. It’s hard to get off the beaten track and have a different experience to the norm. Thai locals seem to be sick of tourists and we found many people in the service industry to be quite rude. Chiang Mai was my favourite place and we heard wonderful things about a town nearby called Pai which seems to be recommended through word of mouth amongst backpackers. We didn’t have time to go there but that would be my travel tip for something a bit different!

I am very excited to tell you that Thailand and in particular, Bangkok is a great place for shopping! The Khao San Road which is a strip of hostels and tacky bars, street stalls and tourists actually has many shopping gems!

Firstly silver there is really cheap and there are many stores on and near the Khao San Road, for example I bought two lovely silver rings for approx £5. You have to do a bit of haggling of course. There are also a few stores selling wholesale leather and bone jewellery – all that cool stuff that is synonymous with backpacking style. I got some great leather bracelets and wooden earrings and got a great deal. These jewellery stores sell wholesale so it was interesting to see how little they can be bought for in Thailand but how expensive they would be in a store in the UK.

Next vintage….which is possible to find on the Khao San Road! You have to be savvy however – there is one lady who sells really cool shirts on the street for £2 each. She won’t bargain however as these really are rock bottom prices compared to the prices you’d pay in London vintage shops. I bought 10 of them so you can expect to see them popping up on the blog! She only has one rail on the street and she doesn’t start selling until around 11pm. Here is one of my favourite shirts…

You can also buy vintage Levi shorts for about £8 which are perfect for these shirts. This combo is a real East London look. Also wearing lots and lots of bracelets on your wrists is a mark of the backpacker and you can pick them up really cheap. The more you buy, you can negotiate a better discount. Here’s an example of a leather bracelet and some colourful ones…

As you go down the Khao San Road there are little turns off to the left and right and if you go down the alley opposite Susie Walking Street (great name!) right to the very end – there is a couple who have a stall to the left and right. The left is all vintage and to the right is really nice and comfy “hippy” attire – think yoga pants and layered tops. This lady is reluctant to bargain as well – they know how popular vintage is in the Western World so they expect a good price for their pieces. I got the below contrast collar dress for approx £8. Can’t complain!

There’s not only shopping on the Khao San Road – Bangkok has one of the world’s biggest indoor markets called Chatuchak Market. This is only on at weekends so I didn’t manage to visit it. However, there is a big indoor market daily at Siam Square – most of these stalls sell variations of the same thing – very girly, cute clothes with pastel colours. Lots of blouses and shirts with coloured shorts and pleated print skirts. If you go to Camden Market, the style is quite similar. I was again on the hunt for vintage and got a cool studded black leather shoulder bag for £14 and a cute lime green summer dress for £3. I will feature them in a post soon.

My advice to you for shopping in Thailand is not to shop on the islands – there were nice stores on Koh Phi Phi but prices of dresses were about £40. While many people advise to get out of Bangkok as fast as you can, I would definitely say to give yourself a day or two for shopping!

If you have any questions or comments about Thailand, please feel free to leave them below!

Kob Koon Ka! (Thank you in Thai)

Sarah x

Parisian Way of Life

I have just returned from a short stay in Paris and am feeling super inspired by the French lifestyle. The elegance and sophistication of the street style there is very different. While London is renowned for it’s laid back, bit scruffy, ‘last minute’ look (as I like to call it), Paris achieves an understated chic that displays luxury and quality.

I didn’t see two women wearing the same handbags or coats while I was there. However, in London and Ireland, we tend to be clones of one another. We all shop in the same places and buy the same things. Parisian women are all about quality – everything looks expensive, which I am sure it can’t all be as I am speaking about women in their early twenties. It has really opened my eyes to the importance of carefully choosing great bags, jackets and shoes especially for winter time. I do get the feeling that Parisian women are more inhibited and this is reflected in their colour palettes but I think we could all definitely learn a thing or two from them.

I went to a club called The Social Club which was pretty cool but I was taken aback by what the girls wore there. No body con dresses which we see way too much of here in the UK – mostly flat shoes, skinny jeans and casual smart tops. I guess some might say that’s boring but again, I do think there is something to be said for understated style. Most of us can’t walk properly in the heels that are sold on the high street so I do think it’s worthwhile to look to our European counterparts and learn that less can be more.

Of course it helps that the backdrop of the city itself is so ornate and elegant. I wish I had lots of money to shop there and show you what I bought but *sigh* I had little funds to get me further than a chocolate viennois and a crepe noisette. Also please note, there ain’t no such thing as a ‘mocha’ in France. Where did this come from?!

Here is a little selection of scenery from Paris you might enjoy…

My outfit in the above photo: Jacket – H&M, Faux fur collar – Urban Outfitters, Top – Topshop, Skirt – Miss Patina, Tights – Topshop, Bag – H&M, Shoes – Vintage.

Where have you been in the world that influenced you style wise or where you noticed the fashion being much different to where you live?

Sarah xx