I had to buy several sets of these gorgeous gift tags (which may actually become next year's Christmas ornaments, if I can't bear to part with them) the second I saw them on Katy Elliott's blog. Just $3.50 for a set of 18! (Gasp! You don't even find deals like that at Target!)

Um, and I may have bought the last of the pink and blue versions. Sorry 'bout that. (But! There's still a red one left! And some green and yellow! Hurry!)

Thrifty is nifty!

Above are some rejected outtakes from a little vintage-y photo session I put together for DCGoodwillFashions' "Blog the Blogger" series, which today features me! (Er, looking slightly goofy. But that's okay.) Click on over for the full rundown on what I'm wearing* and how much I paid for it, as well as some very detailed** answers about some of my biggest fashion loves.

If you missed it, earlier installments of the series included fun interviews with D.C. fashion bloggers D.C. Pleats, Wardrobe Oxygen and Panda Head. Aw shucks, I'm just happy to be included. Thanks, Em!

*That boots and skinny jeans combo paired with a big faux fur coat? It's pretty much my run-around-town uniform these days.

**If by "very detailed," I actually mean "characteristically long winded," which I do. I don't really do concise very well.

Major sparkle

Despite my longterm US Weekly addiction, I'm not really one to go ga-ga over celebrity style. Still, I loved these two silvery looks, first from Katherine Heigl at the 27 Dresses premiere (has anyone seen this? is it cute?) and then Katie "Weirds me out when she speaks but can seem to do little wrong fashion-wise" Holmes.

Also, I decided to use my rudimentary Photoshop skills for the greater good and replace Tom's creepy mug with the much-more-acceptable Zac Efron, who I recognize is not universally beloved (as personally witnessed at a mimosa-fueled debate over brunch this past weekend) but who I think we can all agree is better than Tom any day, even if it turns out that he does have false eyelashes.

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to Beijing I go…

I'm really excited to head off to Beijing on Saturday for a week of (mostly) work. And, all right, a teensy bit of shopping. As you may know, I lived in Beijing for two years from 2003-2005 and this is the first time I've been back. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and hitting my former stomping grounds (and eating delicious food! we cannot overemphasize the amazingness of Beijing food!) but I'm really excited for the shopping. (I am also ignoring the fact that it will be apparently colder and snowier there than it is here. Beijing in January? Um, not the smartest idea I've ever had.) Still, the promise of delicious gan bien si ji dou and adorable Chinese things should make it worth the journey. Here are the spots on my must-shop list so far -- a full city shopping guide will be coming after my trip:

+Spin Ceramics. It used to be there was only a Shanghai outpost of this amazing ceramics company, but they've since expanded to Beijing as well. I cannot wait: They have the most amazing, modern designs – from gorgeous glazed plates to more avant garde display pieces – and are a great, affordable resource for seriously cool finds and really good gifts. (That's a snap of their "clay wrinkle" plate series above.)

+798 complex. The art scene buzz may be migrating to more up-and-coming areas, but 798 – an old factory complex that became Beijing's first commercial art district years ago – is still worth a visit. (Er, I hope.) Interspersed between the galleries are some very neat stores (there was a great local arts bookshop and a fantastic furniture store among the mix the last time I was there) – be sure to buy a complex map at one of the galleries so you don't miss any of them. And don't skip the galleries either: The ones in 798 are some of the most major exhibition spaces in the country and often feature pioneering shows. (Plus: New ones are still popping up!)

+Ya Show market. I've always refused to go to the "famous" Silk Market (which is now a modern-looking mall – when I first moved there, it was still a string of crowded little alleys. Ah, memories.) Instead, if I want tourist-y finds or a good tailor, I hit the slightly-less-known (but only slightly) Ya Show market in Sanlitun, which has a wide variety of merchandise and tailoring options. The Chinese knick-knacky fourth floor was always my favorite, but if you've got time, you'll find good bargains on every floor. (I haven't been to my old tailor, Ya Shi at stall #3066 on the third floor, in years, but most spots on the third floor are a great place to find reasonably priced – and quick! – tailoring options. I'm planning to head over there pronto to order a little brocade silk dress myself.)

+Panjiayuan, aka the Dirt Market. This weekend flea market has always been one of my favorite shopping spots in the city for its vast selection of unique items. The best finds I've discovered here – including awesome original artwork, carved bangle bracelets, even colorful agate slabs that I use as coasters -- take some poking around to uncover, but it's such an interesting (if somewhat crowded) place that I've never minded spending half a day here. Bargain very, very hard – if you've got "tourist" written all over you, the starting price can often be ten times what the seller will actually accept.

+The new Lane Crawford store. I'm most looking forward to seeing all the new stores that have popped up in Beijing since my departure, starting with the new branch of Hong Kong's venerable luxury department store. The HK outposts of Lane Crawford are some of my absolute favorite stores in the entire world – both for their amazing selection of the most gorgeous designer clothes you could ever hope to stand next to, but also because their exhibition-quality fashion presentations – and I can't wait to see what they've done in Beijing.

The one thing I'm looking for: Just in case any of you have current Beijing shopping knowledge, I'd love to know if there's a boutique that sells local designers – especially amazing Shanghai-based Zhang Da – in Beijing yet. I want some new Zhang Da pieces! (The only place I've ever found his designs is Younik at Bund 18 in Shanghai.) Advice, suggestions, kind understanding would be greatly appreciated.

So many pretty prints

Via Shiny Squirrel, I just love these pieces from By Malene Birger.

I dig the little bow tie and Carrie Donovan glasses too. Fabulous!

We're knitting! (Almost!)

We gave up knitting when we moved to Singapore, because really, who wants to think about yarn (and all the snuggly things you make with it) when it's 90 degrees out? But now that we're back to a place that has things like a wind chill and snow flurries (like today! for only about 20 minutes! but still very exciting!), we're all about the wool again.

Lucky for us, Jenny at wiksten-made delivered up this fantastic knitting project: a cowl neck scarf-y thing. (The pic above is from the original post, but be sure to click on Jenny's link to see her amazing gray version. I won't post it because I'm worried it's a little creepy to put someone else's personal photo here, but it's worth the click.)

I had to take a field trip over to the Georgetown branch of Stitch DC to secure the right needle (turns out I got the wrong needle and should have listened to the friendly knitting expert manning the store instead of taking matters into my own hands, but that's okay. It's such a nice store I don't mind going back.) It also took me about 15 tries to properly cast on – I googled "how to cast on" and kept trying out the various results until one made sense to my brain; for the record, it was this one. Of course, once I got on the stitches this afternoon, I realized the needle was way too long, so now I'm back to square one. But knitting will be happening soon. I feel it. Stay tuned.

PS) I almost forgot the best part! The yarn I'm using is Vanna's Choice, which is – you guessed it – Vanna White's yarn line. It's actually very soft and I loved the deep eggplant color of the Vineyard Grape Purple, but every time I pull it out, I have to giggle at Vanna's cheery face smiling back at me.

Begin convulsions…. NOW.

It is not so often that a tech product can make me as excited as (for example) a pair of amazing Louboutins, but I am pretty much dying over the new MacBook Air. Yes, please!

Highly adorable product alert!

I have been searching for a seriously cute yet practical and well-made wallet for awhile, and finally have a leading candidate: This retro-ish version from Fossil, in an adorable yellow print with a fab contrasting interior. It reminds me of an Orla Kiely, but – at $48 – is just a bit more affordable and not as ubiquitous (I'm sorry Orla, you know I love you but you are just everywhere these days!).

Anyway, I'm all excited about this random find -- spotted while quickly cutting through Macy's yesterday -- and just wanted to share. I'll be back later with some more fashion goodies, once I get one or four more cups of delicious, highly caffeinated coffee in me.

Fluff love

I can honestly say I've never tasted the classic confection that is Marshmallow Fluff (turns out it's not all that weird, since it apparently isn't available anywhere near me). But that little detail hasn't stopped me from being completely obsessed with the Marshmallow Fluff packaging – the logo is so adorably retro (love those fonts!) that I think I'd be happy to have a jar in my cupboard just to look at.

A quick update*

(Subtitle: Instead of blogging, I have been spending my free time this week thrift shopping and eating burritos and riding around with the sunroof down listening to pop hits on the radio. That Jordin Sparks? She's got some catchy numbers.)

Current location: My childhood bed, ensconced in pink flowered bedding. Delaware.

Wearing: Mint green Hello Kitty jammies (at the moment). But mostly, I've been taking advantage of the wackily warm 70-degree days and forgoing winter coats in favor of little boys' navy blazers (so perfectly shrunken and preppy) and my trench cape. (No, I could never bring myself to return it. And now I'm glad. It's way cute!). Also skinny jeans and either Eleanor Grosch Black Bluebird Maryjane Keds or my awesome, awesome Gossip Girl boots.

Reading: The new Lucky, with Hayden Panettiere on the cover. *Love* the outfit on page 120 – it's totally me right now. Also, Positively Fourth Street, about the folksy scene in the 60s. Young Bob Dylan… swoon. (Old Bob Dylan… not so much, but the man is a musical genius.)

Watching: Season 3 of Project Runway. No, I never caught it earlier, but now I get to watch it all in one big sewing-related binge. I love it so much that I actually take notes while I'm watching on all the outfits I love (created or contestant-worn or otherwise. For example, according to my l'il scratchings, Alison had an amazing black dress on in episode three… I'll look for a pic for y'all.)

Listening to: The aforementioned pop hits. Also Old Springs Pike, this phenomenal folksy-fun band from Delaware (now based in New York) that I caught in concert a few weeks ago, thanks to my bearded friend Ryan. (Apparently, beards are big for boys right now. Let's go with it and call it lumberjack chic.)

Crafting: New cushions for my new thrifted mid-century sofa, which we've been sanding and refinishing and laboring over for the past two weeks. Okay, actually my mom is making the cushions, for fear that I would definitely make a mess out of all that beautiful fabric, but I help by standing around and soaking in her sewing prowess.

Drinking: Cherry Coke Zero. A new invention since I was last in the States, and pure deliciousness.

Loving: College basketball! It's been too long since I've seen some live sports games; I'd forgotten how much I enjoy heckling the refs and high-fiveing the other people in my section. Plus, it's a great opportunity to experiment with sports-teamy style (not an easy task, but I've been pairing my blue and gold Blue Hens tees with belted grandpa sweaters and skinny jeans).

Last bought: A perfectly proper slim-cut Calvin Klein wool trench, for those times when you need to look absolutely pulled together. Also a bunch of brightly patterned vintage scarves from Goodwill. And a vintage fur stole from the massive thrift store near the mall. And a vintage navy jacket with red piping – sort of retro Chanel, sort of current Balenciaga – for $1 from the Salvation Army.

Petrified by: I've just been invited to a Very Fancy and Fashion-y Gala next month. (More on that soon.) I have absolutely no idea what to wear. It is unsettling.

Looking forward to: I'm off to Beijing in about a week! There will be bespoke little brocade dresses and roasted duck galore, one hopes.

Making: New Year's fashion resolutions, both for myself and the blog. I'll be sharing them soon.

In the meantime: You should be checking out some of my new favorite blogs, including the insanely hilarious Daddy Likey, the French-chic Punky B and the picture-pretty Ali (who points out some gorgeous shots from the newest Anthropologie catalogue, a couple of which you can see above and below.)


*In retrospect, not exactly quick at all, was it?

Please excuse our technical difficulties*

*If by technical difficulties, we mean that we do not yet have the internets in our new apartment, which we do. We also have not a single piece of furniture, unless you count a metal stepstool, but other than that, it's all going swimmingly.

Well, hello! Happy 2008! How was your holiday break? Ours was lovely, thank you. We traveled up and down the east coast of the U.S., finding some amazing vintage furniture (and then attempting to sand/stain/repaint it into something even cuter, which has kind of been an adventure in itself), grabbing up all kinds of fun finds (we are now obsessed with vintage faux fur coats. we've bought four. is that wrong?) and preparing to put together the most adorable apartment ever. Which we will tell you all about in very minute detail, once the whole no-internet thing has been resolved. In the meantime, we have been traipsing about D.C. searching for free wifi (very hard to come by! naturally, about four hours of lugging the laptop around, we realized they have it at the café right across the street from our building…) and taking part of the great American pastime of post-holiday sales. So far, we have bought a darling printed vintage coat – 6o% off! – from awesome vintage haven Annie Creamcheese in Georgetown and these Orla Kiely rainboots, but in gray (down to $97) and a back issue of Lula magazine from Urban Outfitters for $1.96 (where we found the image above).

And so, we wish you lots of holiday sale karma – there's some gooooood stuff out there! – and will be back shortly, with tales of vintage and Target and my first-ever visit to Crate & Barrel's slightly-cheaper sister store CB2 in Soho (fun! plus, some very good lighting, if that's the kind of thing that interests you…) See you soon!

Topshop Withdrawal Sets In

I was wondering how long it would take before I started to miss my near-daily trips to Topshop. (The answer: exactly 20 days.) Excuse me while I deal with the realization that the Frill Platform will never be mine. Boo.

Happy happy holidays!

And speaking of T, here's a few stunning snaps from a recent holiday baubles spread. It's just our little way of saying that we hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate and wherever you may be in the world.

Fashion is Spinach – even Blueprint agrees

I'm up in Delaware now, enjoying the perks of staying with parents (so. many. cookies!) and catching up on all the things I love to do here (excessive thrift shopping, plus my mom saves me every single issue of the New York Times' glorious T Magazine, which means there's a pile of fabulousness to pore through upon arrival). My last Blueprint also arrived (sniffffle…), and I'm quietly savoring it (curled up in bed with the kitties, as it should be). But I was beyond thrilled to see they published a quote from Fashion is Spinach (the actual book, not this here blog) and it sums up both so well, I thought I'd print it here too:

"I don't know when the word 'fashion' came into being, but it was an evil day. For thousands of years people got along with something called style, and maybe, in another thousand, we'll go back to it." – Elizabeth Hawes, Fashion is Spinach

My Hairdryer is Too Heavy for Me and Other Embarrassments

Upon my return to America, I decided to splurge and get a fancy ionic hairdryer, the Conair 213X Infiniti (er, if $34.99 -– which is what I paid, though the price has jumped since then -- can count as a "splurge," but being that I've never spent more than $9.99 at CVS on a hairdryer in the past, it does in my book). In any case, I do love how it defrizzes and smoothes down my superfine, superthin hair – although that could be the effects of finally living in a place without 95 percent humidity – but after about 10 minutes of holding it over my head and moving it around at various angles, my arm starts hurting from the weight. Which is apparently 3.45 pounds. (But um, at least I'm not the only one who has complained about this? If that helps?) I know, I know, I'm a ridiculous weakling.

So, I'm thinking of exchanging it for something less… hefty. (And, in my defense, also with better power and heat options.) Does anyone have a fantastic hairdryer they swear by? Share with the group, please!

More fun with colors!

{Continuing today's theme from below, before the city guides…} I so love this stripey ad, via Swissmiss.

Fashion is Spinach City Shopping Guides: We're baaack!

You may have noticed below that we're working very hard to increase our shopping guides (er, before all our valuable shopping information becomes completely obsolete and/or we sink into a giant burrito-induced coma. Ah, America.) We've updated our Singapore edition and added a new Kuala Lumpur guide as well. And we're just getting started! Stay tuned…

FiS City Shopping Guide: Kuala Lumpur

What can I say about Kuala Lumpur, other than it is severely underappreciated by tourists everywhere? After more than four years living in Asia, I hadn't yet made it to the Malaysian capital, mostly because every time I asked anyone about it, the answer was a resounding "eh."

Perhaps my experience was bolstered by low expectations, but I loved it. If you're planning an Asia trip, it wouldn't be at the top of my destinations (cities like Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong offer more in the way of sightseeing). But if you are looking for a quick stop and love to shop, then this is the city for you. Whether it's local handicrafts (wooden bead bracelets and gifts galore) or mainstream shopping (Topshop! Mango! Zara!), there's more than enough here to fill 2-3 days.

Me, I did what I could in just about 24 hours. Due to my time constraints, this is by no means a comprehensive guide to shopping the city (I invite more in-the-know readers to leave their favorite spots in the comments), but it should get you started, especially if you're just there for a weekend jaunt.

A few things first:

1) You can find great deals on high-end hotels in KL, which makes the stay that much more enjoyable. (We finagled a $110 per night rate at the Ritz Carlton, which included a free breakfast -- and a to-die-for bubble bath. It helps to call them directly to see if they're offering any special rates during your stay. The service was really impeccable – and the pillows were impossibly fluffy. Really.)

2) The biggest complaint about KL seems to be the less-than-honest dealings of the taxi drivers, who often try to charge higher-than-they-should-be flat fees instead of using the meter. I mostly refused to get into cabs where the driver didn't agree to use the meter – but if the driver was offering a reasonable flat fee (no more than R10, about US$3, to go across the city), I usually just took it.

(To their credit, every single cabbie I had was cheerful, chatty and extremely helpful answering all my incessant questions about the city and where to go.)

3) The LRT (metro) system is very clean and efficient, and I used that a lot during rush hours to get across the city.

4) I found prices to be pretty close to their US/Singapore equivalents (occasionally slightly higher, but not much). So you're probably not going to get amazing deals here, but you're not going to get stung by huge mark-ups either.

Okay, on to the shopping!

Stop 1: KLCC
KL's main tourist attraction is KLCC – a.k.a. the iconic Petronas Towers – which tower over the city and can be spotted from almost everywhere. They're very impressive during the day but at their best at night, when both towers twinkle with lights. Once you've taken the requisite photos outside, head in to check out the huge mall inside. You'll find most of the usual mall-store suspects, but this Topshop was my favorite (its sale racks had sizes and items that were sold out in Singapore, and the main selection had special pieces I haven't seen elsewhere, like items from the Celia Birtwell collection.)

Stop 2: Central Market, Chinatown
Just a short LRT ride from KLCC is Chinatown, where the Central Market is known for being one of the biggest and best shopping spots for antiques, "antiques", local handicrafts, clothing and more. You could easily spend two hours traversing up and down the rows of small shops. I loved that the sales people are polite and helpful and not in-your-face aggressive (which seems to be the standard sales tactic of most other markets in the region). I got some great gifts here – look for ceramics, baskets and other neat finds -- plus piles of wooden bead bangle bracelets (about $2 each) for myself.

Stop 3: The streets of Chinatown
Head out of Central Market and wander your way up towards Petaling Street. There are plenty of local handicraft-laden boutiques along the way as well as local shops selling kitchenware, ceramics and more. I spent quite a while wandering around the neighborhood and poking into any shop that looks interesting (of course, keep in mind that I am the kind of person who gets excited by Chinese restaurant supply shops). The main drag of Petaling Street is bad-fakes central (where you'll find lots of aggressive sales merchants) – I pretty much bypassed it completely, though I did find one great little shop here called the Dexon Button Shop (45 Jalan Petaling, 603-2070 8603) . It's a sewer's fantasy – drawers and drawers of buttons of all shapes and sizes. Very cool.

Stop 4: Mall mania
We already mentioned KLCC above, which is massive and shiny and infinitely shop-able. We were also completely impressed the brand-new Pavilion mall, which was still in the midst of opening during our visit. Here we found an even bigger Topshop, plus hundreds of boutiques like Marc by Marc Jacobs, Zara, Calvin Klein, and the emptiest Forever 21 we have ever been to. Have you ever been to a big Forever 21 when there is almost no one else in it? We can honestly say we have never had that experience before now, and it is really, really pleasant. The basement level food court and restaurant row had a ton of tasty options.

One of the city's famous old malls is nearby Sungei Wang, which is the kind of grungy local mall that is fairly typical of Asia. You can grab some tourist-y souvenirs here (we loved the bright, ethnic-y tops for R15, which we're planning to cinch at the waist to make a mini-dress) but the best part is probably the 1st floor "local designer section," where you can browse boutiques from some up-and-coming Malaysian designers. It's not that cheap, and the selection is hit-or-miss, but we did grab a pair of funky trouser shorts from one local designer (in the interest of finding cool golf wear).

A short walk away is Berjaya Times Square, home to the world's largest Borders bookstore, if superlatives impress you. It also allegedly has a fun park complete with rollercoaster inside, but we were short on time and couldn't find it, so we have no idea if it's a good rollercoaster. (Anyone?)

PS) In the name of thorough shopping, we also took a jaunt out of the city to the Melium Outlets (62 Jalan 8/91 Tama Shamelin Perkasa), which has discounts on past season collections from brands like Tod's, Ermenegildo Zegna, Aigner and Stuart Weitzman (unlike Petaling or Sungei Walk, these are authentic items). I imagine that, like most outlets, it can be hit-or-miss, but we were thoroughly disappointed by the place. The only things we spotted were a great Tod's bag (still $900) and a funky Furla ring (still $50) – not exactly the amazing bargains we were hoping for.

PPS) I took the Aeroline bus up from Singapore – a five hour drive but fairly pleasant, especially because they played the dvd of High School Musical 1 on the way up and the way back. I realize that is some people's worst nightmares, but all the six-year-olds on board and I had a great time singing along.

Got more KL tips, shops and suggestions? Please leave 'em in the comments for all to enjoy.

Last updated: December 19, 2007

Please note: These guides are very labor-intensive and are meant to provide shopping suggestions to visitors and locals in each city. Please do not reuse or republish the information or photos without express written consent from the author.

FiS City Shopping Guide: Singapore {newly updated!}

Here's the latest version of the Singapore edition of our Fashion is Spinach City Shopping Guides. [We suggest you head to the permalink and print this out to take with you.] Now, we try to keep these things up-to-date, but since we're no longer actually in Singapore to check up on these things, we always advise that you double-check to make sure stores are still open before you head out. Have Singapore suggestions of your own? Add to the comments or drop me a note. Credit cards ready? Happy shopping!

Stop #1: Ann Siang Hill

This Chinatown area street has become a hub for some of the coolest stores in the city. Not-to-be-missed spots include The Asylum (22 Ann Siang Road, (+65) 6324 8264), an amazing graphic design firm-slash-boutique, which stocks design books, funky accessories from cool local designers like kwodrent and kuanth.com and their own unique products. I'm always completely inspired after every visit.

Just down the street is Style: Nordic (39 Ann Siang Road, (+65) 6423 9114), a fantastic smorgasbord of Scandinavian design products. It's where I first discovered such amazing products like Froso fabrics, Nudie Jeans and Filippa K fashions.

And down the street to the other side is the very pink Front Row (5 Ann Siang Road, (+65) 6224 5501) , which has an Dean & Deluca café downstairs and a boutique of fun fashions (including chic French clothing line A.P.C. and local Singapore darlings Woods & Woods) upstairs. Keep in mind: Most places are closed on Sundays.

While you're in the neighborhood: Just nearby, the Red Dot Design Museum -- a new branch of the original one in Germany -- is a fun place to find both coffee and creativity. For more shopping, turn left at the Scarlet Hotel onto Erskine Road for a few more cute boutiques like eggthree (33 Eskine Road, #01-08, (+65) 6536 6977) and Anthropology (not to be confused with Anthropologie -- they're not related). Or, head the other way past Front Row and walk down Club Street, which has several cool boutiques like Venue (44-46 Club Street, (+65) 6323 0640) and Vanilla Home (48 Club Street, (+65) 6324 6206).

A short walk away is Telok Ayer Street, where you can find pretty, photo-worthy shophouses and the lovely little Books Actually bookstore. (125A Telok Ayer Street -- up on the second floor, (+65) 6221 1170)

Where to eat: Despite its Chinatown location, Ann Siang is home to several cute French bistros, including Les Bouchons (7 Ang Siang Hill, (+65) 6423 0707). Or head down the hill and into the heart of Chinatown for great, cheap noodles and dumplings at Lan Zhou La Mian (19 Smith Street, (+65) 6327 1286).

Stop #2: Haji Lane

Singapore's newest hotspot for hip boutiques -- just one block over from Arab Street -- still feels like an undiscovered gem. I love the boutique/ice cream parlor Pluck (31/33 Haji Lane, (+65) 6396 4048) as well as nearby Salad (25/27 Haji Lane, (+65) 6299 5808), a neat emporium of black and white things.

In the past two years, there's been a growing number of fantastic new boutiques springing up on the street, like Soon Lee (56 Haji Lane, level 2) and Billet Doux (16A Haji Lane). They join old favorites like edgy little retailer White Room (37 Haji Lane); and two outposts of secondhand clothing store House of Japan (#55 and #78 Haji Lane) , which always has plenty of funky vintage finds -- including my beloved old Japanese kimonos. (But if I find there are no good vintage kimonos left after this, I'm totally removing the recommendation and keeping the store to myself!) Be sure to walk towards Beach Road at hit shops like 2 (at #2).The shops tend to keep odd hours and many are closed on Sunday and/or Monday, so your best bet is to go by in the late afternoon/early evening during the week or on Saturday.

While you're in the neighborhood: I like to poke around the shops on Arab and Bussorah streets for things like fabrics, wide-brimmed hats and baskets. On Bussorah street, right by the Mosque, there are a few cute boutiques -- pay no attention to the touristy junk outside and make sure you go in. A recent discovery was Grandfather's Collections (42 Bussorah Street, 6299 4530), a suprising trove of neat gifts and vintage housewares.

Or walk down to the Seiyu department store at Bugis Junction, which has a recently expanded outpost of minimalist Japanese housewares brand Muji (on level 2). There's a bigger Muji now in Paragon mall on Orchard Road and in Marina Square, but really, can you ever get enough?

Where to eat: One of my very favorite restaurant finds in Singapore is B Bakery at 15 Bussorah Street (just two doors down from the Kampong Glam Café). They serve light, fresh fare like salads, sandwiches and vegetable quiche -- and if you have room for dessert, their warm cinnamon buns are really amazing.

Stop #3: Orchard Road

If you're in Singapore, you'll find yourself on the city's main shopping hub of Orchard Road nearly every day. It's home to hundreds of shops (mainly big brands) and isn't generally cheap (but not much in Singapore is). First, let's get it out of the way: Topshop is at Wisma Atria (435 Orchard Road), and it is every bit as good as they say. If you're an American (and faced with the dismal dollar), the prices in Topshop in Singapore are actually cheaper than in the U.K. Stock up!

(Psst… Just downstairs from Topshop are more U.K. high street brands, like Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge. And local boutique Eclecticism – which has labels like J Brand Jeans and Orla Kiely – is also now in the building).

Okay, now that that's done: Next door to Wisma Atria is the Takashimaya/Ngee Ann City shopping center (391 Orchard Road). Level 3 is home to Japanese mega-bookstore Kinokuniya, a great source for amazing Japanese design and craft books (and just about any other reading material you could ever want. Their English-language design and fashion section is amazing!). One floor up is the Fourum, a hub for arts & crafts stores (including Art Friend, which is full of great crafty inspiration).

Just across the road is Paragon mall (290 Orchard Road), where I especially love the new big Muji outlet on the 4th floor and the darling Blue Canopy housewares store right next door. And way farther down at the end of Orchard (a quick cab or bus ride) is The Cathay shopping center, where you'll find great little boutiques like the recently relocated Déjà vu Vintage and adorable stationery shop woodwould.

While you're in the neighborhood: Oh, let's face it -- if you're on Orchard Road, you are only there to shop your little heart out.

Where to eat: Um, where NOT to eat? Orchard Road has as many food courts and restaurants as it does stores. I always love the Shanghai-style dumpling hotspot Din Tai Fung for delcious pork dumplings (two branches: basement level, Paragon and level two, Wisma Atria). Our local readers also recommend the cheerful Project Shop Blood Brothers Cafe (third level, Paragon), the hip Marmalade Pantry (basement, Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road) and its more casual sister spot, Toast (#02-11 Ngee Ann City). (I personally always grab sushi at the place behind the Topshop women's department on floor 2.) Another favorite for sandwiches and simple comfort fare is Cedele on the third floor of Wheelock (above Borders).

Stop #3A: The Orchard Road extension -- for serious shoppers only!

We would not recommend bringing your husband/boyfriend/potential boyfriend along for this one, but if you're a serious fashion lover (and a serious bargain hunter), you will not want to miss out on a visit to Far East Plaza (14 Scotts Road), just off Orchard Boulevard near Wisma Atria. It can be an absolute madhouse during weekends – we recommend you go on weekday afternoons for the least crowds and the best service – but it is also an amazing place to score inexpensive fashion finds and designer seconds from brands like Marni and Marc Jacobs, particularly if you're willing to root around a bit.

We always start at local boutique chain Bysi (ground floor, streetfront entrance), where trendy fashions – many of which have recently appeared at Topshop or Zara – are reproduced and sold for much less than their foreign high-street equivalents. New pieces are added every Wednesday (if not more frequently), so regular visits are a must.

Once inside Far East Plaza, we always beeline for 2cm (with branches on the second and third floor – the quieter third floor outpost is our favorite), where you can score incredible designer seconds as well as original items from the owner/designer, Vivian Cheo, who recently launched her own shoe line. On the second floor, Therapy and the two branches of Glitz are two of my own must-stops, though many of the other boutiques are worthy of a browse as well. And, it never hurts to ask if they can give a discount – most stores are manned by their owners and are usually willing to knock of anywhere from 10 to 30 percent off the price tag.

Other noteworthy stops in Singapore:
+A new favorite of mine is Stamford House (39 Stamford Road) near City Hall, where you can find great shops like the adorable Swirl (#02-05, 6338 5020)) as well as some up-and-coming Singaporean designers. Just down the street, the lovely Felt (11 Stambord Road, #01-08 Capitol Building) stocks more great finds, including fab Singaporean label Hansel. {And from there, you can pop over to the Raffles Hotel for your requisite Singapore Sling.}

+If you're willing to go a bit off the beaten path, there are a few small boutiques with interesting, well-selected ranges of hard-to-find local and international brands. For women's wear, we love Epitome (14C Kensington Park Road, Serangoon Gardens), which has a fantastic mix of emerging labels, including the top brands from Bangkok. For men's wear (especially amazing denim) and a small women's selection, our pick is The Lawn (38 Ean Kiam Place, Tanjong Katong, 6729 9385), which has a small but carefully edited range of boutique brands (prices can be high -- but there's a fantastic sale room!). Closer to the center of town, the large Designed in Singapore (24 Mohammed Sultan Road, 6733 9954) highlights a full range of local talent. The funky furniture selection is well-priced and really fab.

What have we missed? If you've got a recommendation, please leave it in the comments!

*Last updated: December 19, 2007*

Please note: These guides are very labor-intensive and are meant to provide shopping suggestions to visitors and locals in each city. Please do not reuse or republish the information or photos without express written consent from the author.

Sort of exactly what I had in mind

I *love* the super-saturated colors of this Portuguese apartment, featured on Cookie's Nesting blog.