Bangkok travel wardrobe

In the final instalment of the Thailand travelogue (which took so much longer to post than I thought/hoped) I've adapted the Koh Samui travel wardrobe for our stay in Bangkok. The city impressions are a mix of pictures from markets, restaurants and the beautiful interior decoration Christian Lacroix designed for the hotel we stayed in (SO Sofitel).

Combining the long skirt I wore in the evenings at Koh Samui with a sleeveless top for a daytime look. Accessories: Mini Caba summer bag (here), single strand necklace (part of necklace duo, available here) and teardrop earrings in gold (here). Hermes Clic H bracelet in black.

Street food at the Old Siam Plaza food market (click here to see more)

Long floral dress (Lewie by Theory) dressed casually with a Mini George summer bag (available here), Double Anneau necklace in noir/or (available here) and Hermes Marche de Savana printed enamel bracelet

A dachshund (!) sculpture in celebration of the Year of the Dog at the entrance to the glitzy Siam Paragon shopping mall. If you love Dachshunds, click here to see or follow my boys' adventures!

Same dress as above, accessorized for the evening with a crystal collar necklace in the new sea green (available here). Kelly Pochette in black croc and black lizard Charniere bracelet by Hermes.

Street vendor in Chinatown

The floor length dresses worked just as well in Bangkok as in the beach resort, only that in the city I wore them with strappy sandals instead of flats. For a mid-winter holiday long dresses have the added benefit of covering winter white legs. Accessories: Mini George summer bag (available here) and Hermes Lena horn necklace and Clic H enamel bracelet in black.

The roof top pool at our hotel was a lovely place to relax after spending the day walking the bustling streets of Bangkok

This fringed and hand-embroidered cotton poncho was a Bangkok find and works just as well at the hotel's poolside as it did on Koh Samui (A limited number is available here). Accessories: Ornament necklace, three-strand earrings and a multi-strand bracelet in gold (all available here). Summer bag: Mini Caba in black (here)

The modern and elegant Ma Maison restaurant (the menu is Thai, despite the French name) is set in the romantic gardens of the Nai Lert Park Heritage Home and surrounded by lush trees and manicured lawns. It was another great tip from our friends, with whom we enjoyed a wonderful dinner there.

Same dress as worn in Koh Samui, but with the smaller and dressier Mini George summer bag (available here) and sparkling Chandelier Crystal earrings in dove grey (here)

Room with a view

The beautiful silk chiffon kaftan dress is another Bangkok find. I brought a few back for the shop (available in black and blue, click here). Accessories: Ornament necklace (available here)

Dinner at the Chef's table at the Park Society restaurant made for a memorable last evening in Bangkok

Skirt as further above, this time dressed up with a gemstone waterfall necklace in sienna/ecru/champagne (available here) and an Hermes Grand Apparat printed enamel bracelet





Variation: as above, but with a gemstone waterfall necklace in gris/taupe/argile (available here)



The SO Sofitel's staff uniform, designed by Christian Lacroix



Lounge with a view



Top and jeans as worn in Koh Samui, but with a Waterfall necklace and multi strand bracelet in silver (available here)

Black and white printed kaftan with a necklace trio in gold (available here) and a Hermes Caleche narrow enamel bracelet

Travel wardrobe - clothes, shoes and bags:

Travel wardrobe - accessories:

8 bracelets

• Hermes: Clic H in black, Quadrige printed enamel, Charniere in black lizard, Caleche narrow, La Marche de Savana large and Grand Apparat extra large printed enamel 

• MaiTai Collection: Multi strand bracelets in silver and gold (here)

12 necklaces:

MaiTai Collection: Double Anneau necklaces in noir/or and noir/argent (here). Waterfall necklace in gold and silver, Tassel and Multi-strand necklace duo in silver and necklace trio in gold (Multi-strand, Ornament and single strand). All available here

 6 pairs of earrings:

Chanel: Gold and beige (Metal/Resin/Strass). Available here

MaiTai Collection: Tear drop and three-strand earrings in silver and gold (available here) and crystal chandelier earrings in dove grey (here)

Gold and silver accessories:

Gemstone and crystal necklaces:

Top row: Crystal collar necklace in the new sea green (available here) and gemstone waterfall necklace in sienna/ecru/champagne (left) and gris/taupe/argile (right). Available here

Getting organized:

The jewelry organizer (available here) holds the bracelets and two Double Anneau necklaces. Each bracelet has an individual pocket, so that they won't bang against each other during transport.



The earrings and remaining necklaces are stored in the velvet pouches they come with:



Voilà - ready to go!



Side by side pictures on outfits variations:

1)

2)

3)

4)


5)



Ma Maison: 2 Wireless road, Swissotel Nai Lert Park Bangkok, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330. 
Tel: +66 2 655 4773

SO Sofitel Bangkok, 2 North Sathorn Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500. Tel +66 2624 0000
www.so-sofitel-bangkok.com

Park Society Restaurant: on the 29th floor of the SO Sofitel.
Tel: +66 2 624 0000

Old Siam Plaza Food Hall: Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200. Open from 10 am to 8 pm www.theoldsiam.co.th

Postcard from Koh Samui and what to wear

The biggest challenge when planning a travel wardrobe is usually the weather. If you expect mixed weather with temperatures varying from mild and sunny to rainy and cold, you wouldn't want to carry double wardrobe sets of everything and then only use half. Instead you'd be focusing on layering, and on how to make travelling less bulky and heavy. 

Going to Thailand was one of the few occasions where the weather presented no challenge... we knew it was going to be very warm at all times, so no provisions for cooler temperatures were needed. The challenge lay elsewhere... since we'd booked an island vacation and a city break, the wardrobe pieces I would bring along would have to work in both environments. As this was our first trip to Thailand, I couldn't rely on previous experiences for what to wear. So it was even more important that all wardrobe pieces could be dressed up or down, and adapt to the atmosphere of the destination. 

Some of my favorite sundresses that I'd had for many years were sure to come along, but I'd also taken advantage of the sales a couple of months before our trip and bought a couple of pretty dresses and tunics, all of which will be fabulous for the coming summer. Planning the accessories was great fun, and with wonderful timing the summer jewelry pieces I'd selected at a show in Paris the month before arrived just in time (now also available in the shop, click here)

I hope you enjoy the pictures of our island vacation on Koh Samui. Most were taken in the beautiful Belmond Napasai resort where we stayed.. it is a picture book paradise you never want to leave!

To get the maximum out of a travel wardrobe, the individual items should work together as much as possible. A skirt or pair of trousers for example should be compatible with many different tops. The same goes for accessories and shoes; there is not much point bringing a pair of shoes that would only go with one particular wardrobe item, or a necklace that goes with just one top. A mix of well-matched, simple and dressier clothes, shoes and accessories will be perfect ingredients to create numerous different looks which can be dressed up or down, and also go from day to night: A simple, bohemian style necklace, straw bag and flat thong sandals can turn a more elaborate robe into a sweet daytime sundress, whereas strappy sandals, sparkling earrings and a clutch transform it in a second into something more glamorous for the evening.

A beautifully presented, fragrant cup of ginger and honey tea at the Napasai's spa

This floral dress below is one of those I've had forever, and it was fun to style it with the pretty new items I found for the collection: The Duo necklace set and teardrop earrings (available here) make it look fresh and current again. 

I took quite a few bags on this trip, but since they were light weight and stackable straw bags (George and the new Mini George) and small evening bags (a Kelly Pochette and a Zara clutch) the weight  and bulk wasn't so different from taking a leather bag.

The Belmond Napasai's accommodation consists of individual villas dotted about in the lush tropical grounds, or on the ocean front, making your stay completely private and very relaxing.

The skirt below was a very lucky find, it was only 25 Euros! I spotted it at the weekend market next to the gym where DS goes on Saturdays. It was a perfect travel companion for Thailand. You could wear it strolling over to the pool or lounging on the terrace, or dress it up for the evenings. Here teaming it with a cream Zara tank top and the new multistrand necklace in silver (part of the silver necklace duo, available here). The pale mauve beach cover-up will be available in the shop soon too; I found it in Bangkok and it features a brightly colored, hand-embroidered dream catcher on the back. Bag: Mini Cabas in noir/natural

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Lobby area

 New life for a dress I've had for a decade... silver tear drop earrings (available here) and tassel necklace (here). Basket: George here)

room with a view

The dress below (by Peter Pilotto) was another sale find. It was love at first sight, and it seems that it was designed with the Gulf of Thailand's colors in mind

Accessories: George summer basket (available here) and the new ornament and single strand necklace set (available here)

tranquility

This silk chiffon kaftan is another wonderful item I found in Bangkok, and since I had an empty suitcase with me, I brought a few more back which will become available in the shop soon. Here accessorized with the new silver tassel and multistrand necklace set (available here), three strand earrings in silver (here) and a Quadriges Hermes printed enamel bracelet.

The peaceful pool setting of our villa

If you read my previous post on Bangkok you probably know how important decoration is in Thailand, and how skillfully even the humblest things are turned into something beautiful and extraordinary. It must have taken more than an hour to turn the shallow, water-filled bowl into this magnificent bougainvillia petal arrangement.

I was so happy to see how well the new teardrop earrings (available here) go with the Double Anneau necklace in noir/or (here) Also wearing: narrow Hermes Caleche enamel bracelet in black with GHW, kaftan by Roberto Cavalli and clutch by Zara.



The new Mini George bag (here) decorated with a Frangipani flower



The picture-perfect infinity pool of the Napasai, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand

The dress below is another favorite addition, also by Peter Pilotto. I love how easily you can accessorize it for a casual lunch on the beach, or a summer night in a city restaurant. Here wearing it with the teardrop earrings and necklace duo as before, and a Mini George summer bag

On our first night we strolled into the restaurant at around 8h30 pm, only to find it completely empty. We quickly learned that pre-dinner drinks were best taken at around 6h30, the most magical part of the day. From then on we had early dinners with everyone else, followed by a wonderful breakfast the next day and perhaps some fruit, if anything, for lunch. 

Starry, starry night. Combining the new tassel necklace and teardrop earings from above with a chiffon tunic top (Cavallo) and white jeans

The resort was too relaxing to leave and the food wonderful, but if you want to venture out, head for the 'Relax @ Samui' beach club.. I spotted these colorful lanterns hanging above their outside dining tables when we were driving past, and it was definitely worthwhile coming back for a simple and lovely dinner in a romantic setting.

Here teaming my 25 Euro skirt with a black tank top and the new waterfall necklace and multistrand bracelet in gold (also available in silver, click here and here). Also wearing a narrow Hermes Caleche enamel bracelet in black and a Mini Caba bag (available here)





Variation - same accessories as above but in combination with a long floral dress (Lewie dress by Theory)



Dragon fruit



Dress as before, this time accessorized with an Hermes Lena horn necklace, Lift earrings and Clic H enamel bracelet in black for a dinner on the beach. Bag: Mini George (available here)



If only one could make time stand still.



Kaftan as before, accessorized for a beach dinner with a Double Anneau necklace in noir/argent (available here) Hermes Clic H bracelet in black and a Mini George bag. Earrings by Chanel.



Travel wardrobe for Koh Samui and Bangkok

Coming next: Adapting the travel wardrobe to a city break in Bangkok!

Belmond Napasai: 65/10 Baan Tai, Maenam, Koh Samui, Surat Thani, 84330  Phone: +66 77 429 200
www.belmond.com/belmond-napasai

Nearby 'Relax @ Samui' beachclub: 90/9 Moo 6 Bang Por, Mae Nam, Koh Samui. Phone:
+66 (0)81 893 0881