Shopping in Antwerp

A few days ago, Marlon said to me, "If we lived in Belgium, we'd be really fat and really poor." Because there's nothing I want to do on my return trip to Antwerp except eat and shop, eat and shop, eat and shop. I didn't quite get enough of that during our day trip a few weeks ago!

I would have liked to step into Het Modepaleis, housed in a lovely Art Deco building on shopping street Nationalestraat, to pay obeisance to Dries Van Noten. But being a couchwife with an irregular income doesn't afford me that luxury, so I had to be content with snapping a photo.

Slightly closer to, but still nowhere within my meager means was Allsaints Spitalfields, a brand that's completely new to me.

Its shop window, with its massive collection of vintage sewing machines, was the kind of display that promises all sorts of awesomeness inside.

I wanted to take home everything, but sadly, it was not to be. I did put some of my favorites up on my Pinterest board for future reference. I'll be back for one of you, my pretties. 

Afterwards, we headed to the Meir, a wide pedestrian boulevard that is Antwerp's biggest and most famous shopping street. I haven't been to a mall since my last trip home, but the Stadfeestzal (City Festival Hall), a turn-of-the-century government building converted into a shopping center, beckoned with its stately grandeur.

Inside: glass-domed ceilings, mosaic floors, and marble staircases. Sumptuous! But that's not what sent my jaw crashing to the floor.

What really got me was the presence of an Urban Outfitters in the building. Urban Outfitters! Three floors! Why do we not have this in Holland?!

I may not be able to afford Dries Van Noten or even, Allsaints, but I can definitely cough up enough change for Urban Outfitters. So I disappeared into the madness and found a few pretty things to take home. Check out my goodies, after the cut!


Purchase number one: gray velvet mullet dress (short in front, long in back), on sale for €20 (Php 1,200). I can't wait for warmer weather so I can wear it out with just a black leather jacket.

For some reason, I've had velvet on the brain lately. So I also picked up a pencil skirt in a magenta stretch velvet, to go with all my black tops and a favorite gray sweatshirt from Muji.  This was a bargain at €10 (about Php 600). 

 

There was a time when I thought if I saw another thing shaped like a heart (or even the comment "Heart this!") on Pinterest, I would vomit. I really have to choke back the hurl now, because I fell for these emerald green patent loafers with... a tiny heart cutout. *hangs head*

The cherry on my shopping sundae (or dame blanche, since this is Belgium we're talking about) was the abundance of affordable vintage clothes in Antwerp. In a small vintage store called Sussies on Kammenstraat (with a great selection of pieces), my inner magpie/old lady was drawn to this glittery cardigan with a Missoni-esque pattern for just €10, or Php 600. Faithful jeans and white tank top, meet your newest friend.

I barely scratched the surface, but just by ducking into a few more stores it was easy to establish that vintage shopping here is way, way cheaper than it is in Amsterdam.

And that is why I can't wait to go back to Antwerp. Next time, I'm taking all my pennies with me!