Spell Boutique @ JJ Market

If you can stand the teeming crowds huddled into a 3m x 3m shop, the sweat droplets flying towards your camera lens (or sunglasses, whatever you prefer to look through as you stumble around), fruit carts sideswiping you, som tum ladies poking you with their baskets and confused tourists blocking your way to that necklace/t-shirt/Asian flying squirrel you MUST have... then Jatujak, or JJ for ya'll in the know, has more than a few hidden treasures.

Lots of Thai designers start here with a small stall lost amid the stampede, then expand to Siam Square or Lumpini Night Bazaar and next thing you know they're opening Elle Fashion Week at Paragon.

One shop I always drag everyone to is Spell. They thank me later. You can see their stuff is bright, feminine, bold patterns - not my usual style but I always find something to add to my collection! In this case it was the one shoulder purple dress in the bottom left corner.

Happy treasure hunting!

www.spellboutiques.com

 Crowded walkway in Jatujak near Khamphaeng Phet MRT.

Jatujak can be really confusing, but one area I always like to check out is near the Kamphaeng Phet MRT station - more fast fashion, trendy cheap stuff, t-shirts, bags, the odd plant shop or two, home decor and accessories.

Retro posters interspersed with vintage photos of the Royal Family, also near Kamphaeng Phet MRT.

Vintage Dresses @ Sukhumvit MRT Station

As I was scurrying to work via MRT today I noticed a new addition to the Sukhumvit Station... Papa Shop is on the corner of the entrance to the MRT from the Interchange Building at Asoke intersection.

I had to stop and purchase three dresses. Scroll down to check them out.

The shop is missing a name in this picture because it just opened but the name is now PAPA SHOP. Racks of second hand dresses are 350 Baht each. They might need some altering and hemming, like the ones below. Check out the pink one with the 70's sisterwife vibe. That might need some alterations. Now the shop has new and vintage stuff, and "vintage" dresses that look old but are probably fresh of the reject pile from a sweatshop in China.

Vintage is a massive trend in Bangkok now. I used to believe Thai people didn't like second hand clothing because it might have belonged to a dead person and therefore be haunted.

Check it out if you're nearby... or if in your haste to catch a train you spilled coffee all over yourself.