Can you do style for twenty dollars? & Of Other Things sent three volunteers off to the Hanoi Fleamarket with 400k each to give it their best shot.
Jamie Lynn
Dungarees: 150 000
T-Shirt: 100 000
Rings: 150 000
Jamie, an 18 year old freelance stylist and writer, is hugely into fashion, usually buying from Vietnamese designers to support the industry. She describes her style as a mix of menswear and minimalism and goes for classic colours – black, white, blue and red – and looks for clothes which are simple, chic and urban. Of second hand shopping she said: “I found good clothes with amazing prices and also got a chance to recreate them in my way, which is the best thing you could ever enjoy in fashion.” Jamie made alterations to the clothes she bought, shortening the dungarees and cutting the sleeves of the t-shirt.
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Đoàn Trung
Trousers: 200 000
Shirt: 120 000
Scarf: 150 000
Trung, a 31 year old academic support manager, says he struggles with finding stuff he likes, buying a lot of clothes online because it’s hard to find things of the quality that he wants in Hanoi’s shops. He describes his style as ‘timeless with a twist’, usually picking one aspect of his outfit to stand out, be it a strong colour, the texture or an accessory. Unfortunately second hand shopping didn’t solve all Trung’s shopping difficulties. There wasn’t huge amounts of choice, it was between the pants he bought, one pair of ultra-skinny jeans and going bottom-less. He overspent and still didn’t love what he bought. (Any potential stall holders out there with cool men’s stuff? You’re needed.)
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Nguyễn Thanh Ngọc
Denim Shirt: 180 000
Dress: 130 000
Bracelet: 30 000
27 year old Ngoc, a producer with Mott Visuals describes her style as being casual and comfortable with a feminine edge. She often shops at vintage style stores but ones which sell new clothes. After this challenge she “would definitely be up for second-hand because it was fun and cheap and surprisingly good quality.” Of all the three fashionistas Ngoc proved the thriftiest, at one point during the challenge she had three possible outfits to choose from and managed to stay within the budget despite a pair of shorts that didn’t even make it into the shoot.
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Hanoi Fleamarket hold regular markets and events which they post on their Facebook page.
● By Rose Arnold
