Where Do You Shop In A Country Which Is Such A Massive Market?

[Boo]

I find most of the fashion too twee for my tastes. Don't do bows, frills or ribbons & the few things I can find to fit my 6ft frame are usually of such poor quality material that I don't bother. I used to go home every year & buy good quality, mid priced clothes from the summer sales. Nothing fancy but nice 3/4length trousers & t shirts, jeans & a few going out tops. Ends up costing the same in the long run as these clothes will last for years. I don't follow trends but buy classic styles so they can be used for years. I actaully still have some of the tops I first took to los over 10 years ago & are still such good quality that I wear them today.

For shoes, I am only a size 7 so can find shoes to fit easily & like to buy the 199 baht fancier flip flops but my daily staple foot wear in LOS are 27bht tesco lotus black plastic flip flops. I have never worn fisherman pants & always stock up on 100 baht sarongs to use as towels, bed sheets etc as well as using them to wear whilst getting ready to go out. A lot more light weight than using a towel.

Underwear is another bug bare to buy in the Kingdom. No way I will wear the nasty synthetic knickers that most places sell & bras are not a possiblity for boobs my size, so again, lots of stocking up on knickers & bras when I went back home.

[Jet Gorgon]

I bought a few pairs of black fisherman pants. The original stretch, cross and rollover tie style. Always remember walking up the hill with two big bags of groceries and suddenly feeling my pants falling down. Yep, had to ask the villagers how to fold and roll properly. They thought it as hilarious.

[Shola]

Have to say I have never been too big on fashion, and while I like to have pretty clothes I have never liked to shop...and I really hate shopping in Thailand. If it's outdoor markets, the heat and the crowds get to me. If it's indoors still the crowds (plus the traffic getting there) but above all the NOISE that Thai malls seem to find it necessary to bombard us with. Makes me want to turn and run, and more often than not I decide I don't really need whatever it was I came to buy, and just take off. On the plus side, hating to shop makes it easy to live within my means....

This drives me up the wall too!! Rather than being attracted I too am repelled by the questionably dressed female standing on her box with a mic raaaaaaaaambling ooooooooooooooon and ooooooooooooon without so much as a breath

Unfortunatly I do love to shop or really just 'mooch' around fingering clothes and dithering if I have the time but with the noise plus the sales assistants standing an inch behind me oggling my every move I find it more annoying than enjoyable!

[Sheryl]

I bought a few pairs of black fisherman pants. The original stretch, cross and rollover tie style. Always remember walking up the hill with two big bags of groceries and suddenly feeling my pants falling down. Yep, had to ask the villagers how to fold and roll properly. They thought it as hilarious.

Reminds me of my first -- and last -- attempt at wearing a sari.

many, many years ago, while travelling in Nepal, I became enamored of the look and the fabrics and on the way up the Anapurna range for a trek, bought a locally made sari. One the way back, needless to say we were sweaty and dirty and desperate for a shower. Reached the guesthouse in Pokara to find that the person who had the key to the storage room where all our luggage -- and my only clean clothes -- were was unavailable. Desperate for a shower I figured, never mind, I'll just change into the new sari I bought. Did so and went out to dinner. Walking back I began to get the unsettled feeling that my clothes were coming loose. Looked back and found I was trailing a couple of meters of cloth in the dirt...I was literally coming unwrapped there in the (fortunately dimly lit) streets of Pokhara. Grabbed up the loose fabric and attempted to re-tie it, a task made harder by lack of light and my companion's hysterical laughing. Started walking again, again came undone..by the time I reached the guesthouse I had resorted to tying all manner of knots here and there and was sort of hopping along, bound up in a tangle of knotted cloth.

Needless to say, the end of my sari-wearing career. Years later I spent 4 years living & working in Bangladesh, but wisely stuck to shalwar kamezes. They, at least, reliably remain on ones body.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Sheryl

[fruittbatt]

I bought a few pairs of black fisherman pants. The original stretch, cross and rollover tie style. Always remember walking up the hill with two big bags of groceries and suddenly feeling my pants falling down. Yep, had to ask the villagers how to fold and roll properly. They thought it as hilarious.

Reminds me of my first -- and last -- attempt at wearing a sari.

many, many years ago, while travelling in Nepal, I became enamored of the look and the fabrics and on the way up the Anapurna range for a trek, bought a locally made sari. One the way back, needless to say we were sweaty and dirty and desperate for a shower. Reached the guesthouse in Pokara to find that the person who had the key to the storage room where all our luggage -- and my only clean clothes -- were was unavailable. Desperate for a shower I figured, never mind, I'll just change into the new sari I bought. Did so and went out to dinner. Walking back I began to get the unsettled feeling that my clothes were coming loose. Looked back and found I was trailing a couple of meters of cloth in the dirt...I was literally coming unwrapped there in the (fortunately dimly lit) streets of Pokhara. Grabbed up the loose fabric and attempted to re-tie it, a task made harder by lack of light and my companion's hysterical laughing. Started walking again, again came undone..by the time I reached the guesthouse I had resorted to tying all manner of knots here and there and was sort of hopping along, bound up in a tangle of knotted cloth.

Needless to say, the end of my sari-wearing career. Years later I spent 4 years living & working in Bangladesh, but wisely stuck to shalwar kamezes. They, at least, reliably remain on ones body.

That's a very funny, vivid image, Sheryl. Slightly off topic, your post brought back some graphic memories. I did that Annapurna trek in 1977. Remember staying in a village at a place with a small dorm: flea-infested straw mattresses, cooking smoke from the kitchen filling the windowless room. Next morning I felt sooo itchy and foul that I stripped off and bathed in a waterfall which had very recently been snow. A real heart-stopper! The white-faced monkeys, rhododendron forests, snow, crisp views of mountains, pumpkins on thatched roofs, donkey trains.....wonder how it all looks 30 years on?

[hellohello]

I am wearing a string t-shirt and a towel today- Island Life! For going into the big city, It’s capri’s and a blouse. I would wear something more reveling if I was in my home country but i learned quickly to fit in and cover up. Haven’t been back to the west for shopping in years - instead its Malaysia- they have some nice British India style shops there- that I can fit into - I’m 5-11 like you Boo.

I’m also very fortunate and get to go to Bali once or twice a year- Now... Bali! There are some GREAT shops there down near Jalan double 66. European designs with an Island flair & Asian prices if you know where to go. I highly recommend it if you cant do a long trip "home". cheers... HH

[TukTukDodger]

I spent a long time in Nepal (can't imagine trekking in a sari, LOL) and learned to love salwar kameez - they're all I wear now, even in NYC - the more colorful and sequin-adorned the better. They are flattering, pretty, you don't have to match different pieces together and I can run around without worrying my skirt is riding up or my pants are falling down... I think I have maybe 200 of them, buy them cheap in the 'Little India' section of Queens where I live or on ebay. I work at a very liberal college and even surrounded by the hordes of ladies who look like they are headed for a funeral, I get lots of compliments. I am thinking about moving to BKK and starting a teaching career and doubt that my beloved salwar kameez will be acceptable, it's a shame because I can't imagine anything better for chasing after a class full of 8-year-olds... I dread having to wear Western 'work drag' again - at 5'3" with a relatively slim but pear-shaped body I look horrible in a slim skirt and can't remember the last time I wore heels...

Teachers, what do you wear to class every day?

[gisele]

I spent a long time in Nepal (can't imagine trekking in a sari, LOL) and learned to love salwar kameez - they're all I wear now, even in NYC - the more colorful and sequin-adorned the better. They are flattering, pretty, you don't have to match different pieces together and I can run around without worrying my skirt is riding up or my pants are falling down... I think I have maybe 200 of them, buy them cheap in the 'Little India' section of Queens where I live or on ebay. I work at a very liberal college and even surrounded by the hordes of ladies who look like they are headed for a funeral, I get lots of compliments. I am thinking about moving to BKK and starting a teaching career and doubt that my beloved salwar kameez will be acceptable, it's a shame because I can't imagine anything better for chasing after a class full of 8-year-olds... I dread having to wear Western 'work drag' again - at 5'3" with a relatively slim but pear-shaped body I look horrible in a slim skirt and can't remember the last time I wore heels...

Teachers, what do you wear to class every day?

First term teaching at the university when I first came to Thailand to work, I was wearing all my nice stuff, short skirts, high heels, then I started wearing more capri pants and cotton tops, now all I wear are capri pants or dressed up cargo type pants. And no more heels, I wear ballet slipper type shoes every single day, and flip flops at home.

[girlx]

I’m also very fortunate and get to go to Bali once or twice a year- Now... Bali! There are some GREAT shops there down near Jalan double 66. European designs with an Island flair & Asian prices if you know where to go. I highly recommend it if you cant do a long trip "home".

hey i'm going to bali in a week- could you give more detail on where these shops are? thx!

p.s. not to hijack the topic, but any other advice on bali would be cool too!

Edited March 12, 2007 by girlx

[TukTukDodger]

First term teaching at the university when I first came to Thailand to work, I was wearing all my nice stuff, short skirts, high heels, then I started wearing more capri pants and cotton tops, now all I wear are capri pants or dressed up cargo type pants. And no more heels, I wear ballet slipper type shoes every single day, and flip flops at home.

Cool, I love the capris and ballet flats look, it's a natural for me since I am so short. I wasn't sure if pants were considered too casual. Do you wear knit tops or button-down shirt -type blouses? Do you ever need to wear a suit? I assume I will need to bring at least one for interviews(or more likely have one made by a tailor when I get there).

[gisele]

First term teaching at the university when I first came to Thailand to work, I was wearing all my nice stuff, short skirts, high heels, then I started wearing more capri pants and cotton tops, now all I wear are capri pants or dressed up cargo type pants. And no more heels, I wear ballet slipper type shoes every single day, and flip flops at home.

Cool, I love the capris and ballet flats look, it's a natural for me since I am so short. I wasn't sure if pants were considered too casual. Do you wear knit tops or button-down shirt -type blouses? Do you ever need to wear a suit? I assume I will need to bring at least one for interviews(or more likely have one made by a tailor when I get there).

I would dress differently if I were living in Bangkok but here, in cosmopolitan Nakhon si Thammarat , my look is just fine, I go for comfort rather than style.

So so so different from how I always dressed before coming here. Being a fashion plate is not at all a priority anymore, not even remotely.