Wet Market Fashion

     When I first got to Phnom Penh, one thing that really struck me was that it was difficult to find nice clothes in the city. The better ones are overpriced for the quality and brand or lack thereof. 

     So I was a lady with a mission to find nice clothes. To be fair, at that time all I had with me was one luggage-full of clothing because we thought our things would follow us shortly. They arrived 4 months after we got here. No need to describe how it felt like for me having so few pieces to choose from, none of which were fashionable enough.

     Lest you think this is a fashion-backwards place, there are some posh clothing shops here too with brands from Paris. Mango, Axara and BYSI among internationally known brands and local designers too with dresses to just love! But I'm featuring my cheap thrills for now because people find it more surprising and interesting than expensive stuff. 

     Psar Tuol Tom Poung (Russian Market) and Psar Thmey (Central Market) have become my usual shopping grounds. As their names imply, they really are wet markets with produce, but also has hardware materials, school supplies and clothing. Think SM in a wet market setting. So a food-shopping trip is not complete without having a look at the clothes too. 

 
     I don't know if there is a technique for spotting The One from among the many. It usually just jumps out at me or calls to me even from afar. Mostly it is a matter of personal taste though and maybe honed skill through practice.

   
I love these dresses because I'm very attracted to pastels and light colors these days. They go for $26. Considering that these are well-made, that's already a steal. I especially like the classic cut of the left-most dress and the light pink with black lace accent.

              
This qualifies as a Little Black Dress, fit for an evening event. With a different belt, of course.

This is my favorite purchase by far because it had all the right elements: perfect color and style. Sexy without being too much so and the fabric is a nice really soft cotton.  I had 2 buttons added to the bottom for it to work as a dress for me. A similar one was on the window display of Axara yesterday. This may not have the right label but try beating its price at $9. 

  
The perfect cover-up for swimsuits. It was the only piece they had and it was my size. Bought on the same day as the green dress above for $5. Lucky day indeed! Oh, and my hat was a wet market find too when we first got here. Love it so much, I have 2 of this.

This is one of the 3 dresses I bought together for $10. It's pretty easy to dress this up or down with the choice of footwear and accessories. And with the right arm-candy, who would think it's $3 cheap.


I'm quite lucky to have these cheap finds. They are the perfect cure for when the shopping bug hits me without draining the purse. They're like little snacks to tide me over until the next big meal in a fancy restaurant. 

Do you have your cheap thrills too?