Fashion • January 2014
Dedicated followers of fashion
The vibrant city of Bangkok now rivals Tokyo as the cool vintage capital of Asia. Local fashionista, stylist, blogger and Vogue Thailand fashion features editor, Chalisa Viravan, reveals the top treasure troves
Again & Again
The owners of this upscale vintage boutique travel the world every three months searching for great finds for their clients. It’s one of my all-time favourite places and is great for vintage lovers on the hunt for beaded and sequin dresses from the 1970s and 1980s. It also has a good collection of chunky costume jewellery.
Wooden Submarine
Boys who love US military gear and eclectic style head to this vintage store set in the Shanghai chic-inspired Cabochon Hotel. It stocks some of the best menswear collections in the city, with super-creative displays starring leather bags, jackets and boots – from brands such as Converse and Ralph Lauren – from the 1920s-1970s.
Jatujak (or Chatuchake) weekend market
As one of the largest markets in the world, Jatujak (also known as JJ locally) is the place to pick up everything from second-hand clothing to antiques. Go early on Saturday for the best selections and to beat the crowds, or during the evening on both days to uncover real bargains. Bring fans, hats and wear a lot of sunscreen: you’re likely to experience the heat unlike anywhere else.
Machine Age Workshop
Opened just a few months ago, this shop specialises in objects from the manufacturing era of the late 1800s to mid-1900s industrial America, from factory bench and floor lamps to vintage Tolix chairs.
ZudRangMa Records
Bangkok DJ Maft Sai combines sounds of Thai Funk, Luk Thung and Molam (types of Thai folk music), alongside music from Jamaica and West Africa, and his record store is no different. You can find everything from cheesy old Thai vinyl covers to classic Thai-style country music. There’s also a small sitting area where you can listen to the records before you buy them, and order cocktails from WTF café next door.
(un) FASHION Vintage Collection
You can’t miss this red-brick walled shop on Ekkamai Road because of its eye-catching display of hundreds of shiny leather shoes – most date back to 1930s and are imported from Italy and Spain, with new stock every Wednesday. The prices are also very reasonable, from B380-B5,000 (£7.50-£98).
Lost & Found
This fun and quirky vintage store is located on the second floor of ZudRangMa Records, and what you’ll find is very unpredictable: it could be anything from a 1950s polka dot dress to a vintage hat with unusual feathers. Just take the BTS Skytrain to Thonglor station, find Sukhumvit 51 and free your mind…
Dasa Book Café
Not only the best second-hand bookshop in town, filled with over 17,000 bestsellers and prizewinners, but Dasa also has a café that serves a killer brownie. Most books are in English, with some in French and Spanish, and are very affordable. A top-selling paperback costs between B110-B200 (between £2-£4).
This article has been tagged Fashion + Style, Destination