outfit post: vintage outfit takes a stroll in the park in madrid

Barcelona; ticked, Segovia; ticked, Toledo; ticked; that means left Madrid to be explored. I spent the remaining days of my holiday in this vibrant city. Whilst there are many art museums in Madrid but did you know there is a museum of costume or museo del traje? The permanent exhibition showcases a historical evolution of costumefrom the 17th century to the present day. There is a small section dedicated to the Spanish renowned designer; Cristóbal Balenciaga. Would highly recommend this museum for fashion lovers.

Address: Avenida de Juan de Herrera, 2. Madrid, 28040.
Metro: Moncloa (lines 3 and 6) and Ciudad Universitaria (line 6)
Bus: Lines 46, 82, 83, 84, 132, 133, G
Website: http://museodeltraje.mcu.es
Admission fee: 3 Euros
Opening hours:
- Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30 - 19:00 h.
- Sundays and Public Holidays: 10:00 - 15:00 h.
- Last admission 30 minutes before the Museum closes

The Museum is closed:
- Every Monday, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 15 May, 24, 25 and 31 December

Note: no photography is allowed in the museum

Outfit: small polka dots shirt, thrifted vintage skirt, thrifted vintage belt, leather jacket and wedge sneakers

Location: Palacio de Cristal, Parque de el Retiro

Besides art museums and museums, there are several parks in Madrid. Park is a good place to recharge and for a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Grab a bocadillo (sandwich) and enjoy a quick bite in a park. Once you are done, you can people watch too. The park is huge with different attractions within the park itself, for instance the Crystal Palace.  Buen Retiro park is a-must visit and I could not agree more.

Hope you having a wonderful weekend. Stay chic!

outfit post: stripes meet anchors in toledo

Toledo, view from Mirador del Valle

View from Puente de Alcántara

After Segovia, next city on my itinerary was Toledo. There is an old Spanish saying; until you've seen Toledo, you have not seen Spain. Toledo is known as City of Three Cultures because of the historical co-existence of Christians, Muslims and Jews cultures. It is a lovely city to visit with beautiful architecture, narrow streets for wandering and getting lost and also not forgetting the scrumptious food. Toledo is indeed not to be missed when you are in Spain!

outfit: stripes top, thrifted vintage belt, vintage nautical prints pleated skirt, leather jacket and wedge sneakers

A habit of mine which is I tend to keep newly bought clothes (either new, thrifted or vintage) for some time before wearing them. To be honest, I have this skirt for over 4 years and it has never seen the light. However, I did the skirt justice; not only it has seen the light but also travelled to Spain. What a lucky skirt, don't you think? I love the prints of anchors on the skirt, just a cute print.

If you have a habit like mine, what is the clothing item that you have kept the longest before wearing it? I think I should start checking my wardrobe for any lost souls...

Have a great weekend everyone, until my next post, stay chic!

outfit post: the segovian holiday

After Barcelona, I travelled to Madrid and spent the remaining days of my holiday in Madrid and nearby cities. One of the nearby cities is Segovia; under 30 minutes AVE train ride. Perfect for a day trip from Madrid.

Two main attractions that I love are the Alcázar of Segovia and the Aqueduct. Doesn't the Alcázar look like one of the palaces featured in Disney's animation or cartoon? Currently it is used as a museum and a military archives building. It was originally built as a fortress but has served a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military. As for the Aqueduct, it is the most magnificent landmark of Segovia. It was built during the Roman era and was used to transport water from the Rio Frio river to the city. The Aqueduct measures 14.965 meters long from its origin in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. It has 166 arches.

Outfit: vintage top, thrifted skirt, leather jacket and wedge sneakers

My outfit was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday; white shirt with circle skirt. A simple yet classic look. However, on second thought, my look is kind of reminded me of the guys in Grease; black leather jacket, white t-shirt and blue denims. What a funny coincidence, don't you think?

Do you have any funny fashion coincidences? Feel free to share!

Till my next post, have a great weekend and stay chic.

wanderlust: when in barcelona...

In late April, I travelled to Spain for a one-week holiday (a little short for an interesting country though!). First stop was Barcelona for a 3-day 2-night stay. Despite a short stay, I managed to squeeze in visits to a vintage store and a thrift store.

I was lucky that Holala! Plaza was within 10 to 15 minutes walk from the hotel where I stayed. Hence, after checked-in and freshen up, this was the first place I went. The store is big and the merchandise is nicely displayed and organised in racks. One can find women and men vintage clothes and accessories. I would say most of the vintage dresses are from the 70s to 90s. There are several Holala! stores; worth to visit if you are in Barcelona.

Holala! Plaza

Plaza Castella 2,
08001 Barcelona
Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm
Tel: +34 93 302 05 93

Humana is an NGO who aims are environmental protection, humanitarian aid to developing communities and assistance to other groups in Spain. Humana sells used clothes to help them to achieve their social purpose and to self-financing. The price of clothes is as low as 2 EURO! During my stay, I visited a Humana store at Ronda Universitat, 19. Looking for vintage pieces may require time and patience. And if you are lucky, you might find something you like.

Although during this trip I did not check out many vintage stores, I was still happy with my visits. I hope I will be able to return and visit more vintage stores. Keeping my fingers crossed! 

Hope you have enjoyed reading this short post; until my next post, have a great weekend and stay chic!