Ode to My Fashion

Hello! I recently took some time off work and went on a short trip outside Dakar. I will tell you all about it in future posts. But to prepare for this trip, I went shopping. For some reason, I always want to new things for my trips. Most of the time, I really do not need to shop but it has become a (bad) habit of mine. I have been doing it ever since I started travelling on my own some 20 years ago.   Bucket hat - Chez Rasta Restaurant  Dress - Centenaire market Sandals and lace crop top - Petersen market Accessories - Numero Uno  On my list of things I thought I needed for a five day trip were: a white maxi dress, a printed dress, some golden sandals, a bucket hat, a huge straw hat and leopard sunglasses. However, since I am cheap I decided to check the market first. After an entire day walking around two markets I found this dress, the leopard print sunglasses and the golden sandals. I immediately fell in love with the colors and prints. The price was also very ch...

As a shopaholic, I am never quite at home in a new location until I find a great place to find good deals on clothing. I have been in Pune for more than 6 months now and I think I know my way around town well enough to share a few tips. So there it is: my favorite places to find a bargain in Pune. Malls For a small city like Pune, there are way too many malls (Inorbit, Central, SGS, Ishanya to name a few). I should not really complain because they did not exist a few years ago. I usually do not like malls because they are way overpriced but once (or twice like August and January) in a while, during sales times, the prices are slashed. Then the mall becomes a one stop shop for everything you need. I am very partial to Phoenix market city mall located in Vinam Nagar because it has cheap shops I like such as Max, Reliance trends, and Much More. It also has Zara and Mango if you are into high street fashion. As a mall, you can find everything under one roof for the entire family: clothe...

Being on a shopping ban, did not stop me from checking new places to find a bargain. I was on my way to 390 Mart in Yokohama station when I saw a colorful new shop opening right next to it. I went inside to check it out. I was a 3 stories thrift store. The staff was still working on arranging the racks and they told me that their big opening was for the following week. They gave me a pamphlet and ask me to come back. I went home and checked them online and vow to return the following week. Back to my boring routine, I had completely forgot about it until I decided to take my sister in law (who came for a visit) shopping in Yokohama. Obviously we checked the shop and she was happy to find great pieces for herself. I also got a nice bag for my mother. The shop is called Don Don Down on Wednesday. The principle is that: 1- you can sell your clothes Usually a kilogram equals 500 Yen. But if you have brand items, you can sell them for a higher price. Every Monday and Wednesday, you ca...

Sometimes, my husband asked me if I miss living in Houston. I often respond that the only things I miss are watching the View every morning, the spinach quesadilla at Chacho's, the buffet at Dimassi's, being able to shop early in the morning, Walmart, Target, Ross and Goodwill. I really do miss Goodwill. I found some great pieces there that I jealously keep.  I have not been able to thrift in Japan. Thrift shops are really pricey here. They want to give more of a vintage vibe than second hand clothes. I love going to Fam's market in my neighborhood because it is relatively affordable. However, the sizes are way too small for my beig gaijin frame.  Therefore imagine how I felt when I entered 390 Mart and discovered racks full of clothes in American size.  I knew about 390 Mart for a long time. The first time I entered one, I did enjoy the shop but was not interested in old clothes. I was not into thrifting then. Back in those days...

 When I moved back to Japan, I created this blog to talk about my fashion life here. However, I realised that I am not really doing any of it. I talk more about me and less about fashion life in Japan. That is why I decided the following posts will deal only about shopping in Japan. Today, I will talk about my favorite places to shop in Tokyo, Yokohama area. This post maybe long, so bear with me. Zara  My best friend showed me the Spanish brand. And I have been hooked ever since. I am 1.68m, and weigh 60 kilos (one a good day). I have wide hips and a big bottom. Therefore it was always hard for me to find pants my size in Japan. (If you dont' have no idea what Japanese women look like, just think of Lindsay Lohan or Nicole Richie. They-mostly young girls-are petite and weigh around 48 kilos.)Sometimes I had to shop in men's place to find something my size. But this stopped when I discovered Zara. Before going to live in the States, almost all my pants were from Zara...

In the US, you have the mall; but in Japan you have the Shotengai. (They also have malls) Shotengai are little commercial district where they sell everything from fresh produce to clothes. It is not necessarily a market because it is usually little shops along one street. Shotengai can be found almost in every populated district. And they tend to senior citizens or housewives. That is why the prices are competitive and the fashion a little suspicious. However like all bargain places, you need to dig a little to find a jewel. The reason why enjoy Shotengai so much is because you can find pretty much anything you may need. Moreover the prices are affordable. Sometimes, you can even bargain with the shop owner. On top of that, all the shops are in the same area and tiny, so it is fun to take a stroll there. It is not overwhelming like big malls  or department stores where you walk miles, take the elevators to find a specific store. My first experience with the Shotengai happened ...