Retrostone

Oh Retrostone! I've been trying to avoid you because I know I'll end up buying all kinds of shit. I'd just ended a kind of discouraging work day, I'd had wine coolers and painkillers, and one of the girls working there is so pretty, and she's Taiwanese so she chatted with me in Mandarin, and she had the cutest braces smile...ah! I was a goner. She triggered the 40% of me that's gay, which apparently is connected to the percent of me that does impulse spending. Oh well.

There are 3 Retrostone shops: 2 in Causeway Bay and 1 in Mong Kok. I've put their addresses and phone numbers at the bottom of this entry. Retrostone is open from 2 to 1030 daily. This is one of their shops in Causeway Bay. It's in the same building as Island Wake, so you enter through the door with the arrow sign above it on the bottom right of the picture.

On the way up.

It's a pretty typical vintage shop, although I should note that there are a lot of non-vintage items, as well. They're just kind of retro-looking, you know?

There's a huge amount of t-shirts and denim, as well as jackets. Unfortunately, vintage is not cheap in Hong Kong, and the shirts start at about HKD200. The jackets can go up to HKD1500. Dresses are in the HKD300 to HKD700 range.

I wish they hadn't hemmed this shirt into a belly shirt. Instead, they should have just taken in the sides to make it less boxy.

I ended up spending way too much. Tsk on me! But I've been looking for a red leather jacket for ages, and I couldn't let this one go. It was on sale for HKD790, and it seemed like a fair enough price. The jacket is in perfect condition, it's dead stock so it's never been worn, and the leather is really soft.

And really, anyone who's grown up in the 1980s has a secret desire to own a Michael Jackson red jacket.

It's too bad it's pretty much summer already because I fucking love this jacket.

Retrostone also carries band shirts from Amplified. You know, it's so hard to find good-fitting shirts that aren't boxy and made of cheap cotton. These were just lovely in terms of quality. My only beef is the limited selection of musicians. Rolling Stones? Overdone. Michael Jackson? Okay, acceptable but they didn't have Thriller or Off the Wall. Lady Gaga? I'm not wearing a shirt featuring someone younger than me. Blondie? Also acceptable, but they didn't have my size. Guns N' Roses? Well...I did like their music a lot when I was a kid, but I just can't wear a shirt from a band that doesn't have Slash and only has Asshole Rose now. And I don't do ironic fashion.

David Bowie was the most respectable choice, not just for his music and style, but, of course, for Labyrinth, which I think is how most kids my generation know about him. The power of voodoo! (Who do? You do!)

Yes, I'm a dork.

Also, back in university, I was on the honour roll (unbelievable, I know) and there was this annual ceremony where you would get your certificate. It was really pompous and all my fellow nerds took that shit way too seriously, dressing up in formal wear. I mean, really?? I thought it would be hilarious to go as Bowie during his Thin White Duke phase. I wore a vintage all-white suit and bleached my hair (which was short and probably blue at the time) white blonde. My professors loved it, one of them gave me a thumbs up during the ceremony. My fellow nerds didn't really like it, though.

I also liked this shirt because you wear it inside out. Love it! T-shirt was on sale for HKD189, and I think I might have gotten a further discount, not sure why. I'm contemplating burning holes in the shirt to age it further, but I haven't decided yet.

I also ended up buying this Bowie t-shirt dress, also by Amplified. I think it was around HKD300, not sure because of the sale. It's basically a giant wifebeater. Very comfortable, I'll probably be wearing this a lot during summer. I also just realized that there's a mouth on my crotch.

Haha, I love Chabi's expression.

I guess the clothes were worth it. Perhaps I shouldn't have stepped foot in Retrostone in the first place, but I decided recently that since I'm usually so gross and sweaty during summer, I should just dress according to the theme of post-apocalyptic fashion, and I thought I'd stock up on a couple of items. Since last week, I've been slowly looking more and more disheveled, which has really startled a lot of people. People keep asking me if I'm feeling okay, and I keep saying, "Do you know how much hairspray I used to make my hair look like this?"

Anyway, this was such a rambling entry. Sorry. Retrostone can be found at the following places:
1/F, 504 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, telephone: 2838 6419
2/F, 1 Cannon Road, Causeway Bay, telephone: 3107 9131
Basement Trendy Zone, B28, Mong Kok, telephone: 852 2152 9697

I managed to get a VIP card, which entitles me to 10% to 20% off. If I know you, I'll let you know how to use my VIP status.

Secondhand Swap Meet and Minibus Interior

I found this little poster stuck on the minibus I took to work on Saturday morning. I'll be working all day on Saturdays for a couple of months, which means that I'll be posting entries less frequently. From today onwards until my schedule clears up, I'll be posting every other day. Otherwise, I think I'll end up having a nervous breakdown again. Alternatively, I can put up mostly outfit photos since they are the easiest to do.

If you still want to see daily entries and don't mind outfit photos, just let me know in the comments or e-mail me (by the way, OOPS, I'm sorry I haven't been checking e-mail that often, I'll answer them as soon as I finish this entry).

I really hope I can make it out to this swap meet thing, but I'm not sure if I can because of work. Anyway, if anyone does go, please let me know how it was!

I also thought I'd take a picture of the interior of a minibus because most tourists don't usually take them, and I honestly wouldn't recommend it, either. Too stressful.

You know, I have never seen anyone put on seatbelts on the minibus. Maybe foreigners do it, I really don't know.

The driver of this minibus kind of made me feel more vomity than usual. Minibus drivers are generally quite crazy, and I get carsick easily. Isn't it funny? I have a healing factor that's almost Wolverine level -- among other serious injuries, I've accidentally cut off the tip of my pinky toe and glued it back on (yes, it looks fucked up) and I've survived drowning -- and my weakness is motion sickness. I never play video games because the first and only time I ever did, I barfed (the game was Doom, incidentally).

Anyway, this ride was made even worse by the scents, and, like Wolverine, I also have a really sensitive nose. The driver reeked of cigarette smoke, plus I was sitting in the back and the smell of the diesel fumes and hot plastic...ugh!

Hidden Agenda: Newbie Agenda #1, Part 2

Sorry for the late entry! Some of you might suspect that a lot of these entries are actually scheduled, which is why they're so consistent in terms of publishing time, and you're right. However, rather than a schedule entry, I wanted to post this review of last night's show at Hidden Agenda up today, but I got home really late, and I have to do my part-time work on Saturday mornings.

Before I begin, I dropped by a friend's house after work (and before Hidden Agenda) and saw this doggie in the lobby with its owner. It was really mean and kept yapping at everyone. Here it is taking a rest. So cute!

Then I asked if I could take a picture, and the owner said to the dog, "It's picture time!"

As soon as it saw the camera, the dog did this! What a camera whore! I like how he's posing but pretending the camera isn't there. A true tabloid star!

Since I had to work before going to Hidden Agenda, I wore this. It's my homage to Snoopy. Vintage garrison hat, vintage suede jacket, my striped skirt and Marc Jacobs canvas boots. Oops, I'm revealing a bit more of my face than I should, but I think with my hair and all, I'm sort of recognizable on the street, anyway. By the way, yes, my legs are that pale. Crazy, huh? If I stepped out into the light, my whole body would be that zombie colour.

I was wearing this H&M blouse and a leopard-print belt from some random shop (I think it cost HKD30) underneath.

Anyway, this is the street where Hidden Agenda  is.

You have to enter through the back. This lift is so old, it's one of those ones that you have to shut the two doors properly or else it won't move. If someone is a jackass and doesn't do it, the people in the building will be trapped there (and have to take the stairs).

Inside Hidden Agenda before the show.

Stuff by Graffiti Airlines.

Also saw this in a parking lot by Start from Zero.

More Reverb were so great! They only played a couple of songs, though, so sad about that. Afterwards, I was asking them for their contact information so that I could pass it on to my friends in the music industry, and they were like, "Are you sure??"

My friend said, "Oh no, they don't  think they're any good!"

But they are! I tried to film a song, but my arm got tired too fast. Anyway, I hope you guys listened to the YouTube video. They are obviously inspired by Mono even during their performance, and I can't think of a better band to follow.

The drummer was so cute. After their performance, a couple of thrash bands played, and he was headbanging. I just thought it was so sweet because he plays such ambient music and then gets all wild.

I didn't think much of the other bands. The last one was particularly meh. They had a great drummer and a good bassist, but the singer was terrible, and he was really into himself and boring. Hate that combination.

Hidden Agenda has also opened up a shop selling band merchandise, vintage items and stuff Kimi made using recycled materials.

Here's Mui Mui, the resident doggie.

The lift from the inside.

I got this bag from Kimi. It was HKD120, not bad, huh? I think maybe people have noticed that I don't care for bags very much. I loathe carrying them around, so I don't have as many bags as I might shoes or other accessories. This is a good bag for work, though, carrying files and even my laptop.

ps. Oh my God! Do you ever have a moment where you see a picture and think, "That looks just like me!" I was going through the animal pictures on the Telegraph and saw these:

It's Ambam the gorilla, and he looks just like me! We have the same round head, the same short Bettie Page bangs/fringe, and the same posture. If I wore my Gucci coat, we'd be twins!

photos from the Telegraph

Beatniks

It's really such a shame that there isn't much of a vintage clothing culture here in Hong Kong, unlike, say, Beijing. People generally don't like to wear used clothing. I understand why, but I have to shake my head at the thought of all those lovely vintage clothes that are just mouldering away in some mahjong auntie's closet.

There are a few vintage shops in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay, but I've generally found them to be oriented more towards hipsters and young people, with a focus on denim and t-shirts. There are a few consignment shops in Pedder Building (wait, are they still there? I haven't visited in years), but I don't really need an Ungaro ballgown.

For me, the only consistent source for vintage clothing is Beatniks. It used to be in Tsim Sha Tsui and relocated a couple of years ago to Central. Some of you may have gotten worried when it disappeared from its wet market location. But a couple of months later, Beatniks has resurfaced at 31 Staunton Street at Graham. Now, it's a bit weird in terms of location. You have to walk down Graham a bit from Staunton Street and it's in a little alley way on the left. It's right next to some faux-Italian restaurant called Cenacolo.

Beatniks is run by Ah Mo, who has a great pair of stylist's eyes. She's picked out things for me that I would never have even looked at, and she was always right. Most of the clothes in Beatniks are from the 1960s up to the 1980s, but really, the shop sells whatever Ah Mo picks up from her sources all over the world.

That violet dress with ruffles is really cute. It's about HKD400. Hm...am I too old to wear it?

I will be back for this one.

Love this entire outfit.

Damn! I love that dress. I would wear it during ghost month and wander around at night.

The white dress with yellow embroidery is beautiful.

Here are some of the items that I've bought from Beatniks over the years. I tried to wear them with as few accessories as possible to give you an idea of what they look like on their own. None of them cost more than HKD400. I should mention, however, that I've had most of these clothes altered at Mitty, but that was also really cheap, less than HKD100.

This dress was a size too big originally, but Mitty did such a great job taking it in.

I love yellow dresses.

This dress makes me feel like I stepped out of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.

Love the belt.

A dress I would never have chosen, but I'm glad Ah Mo showed it to me. I wear it all the time during summer. It's kind of like the sartorial equivalent of a mullet: business (or rather, dowdiness) in the front, party in the back.

Another top I wouldn't have ever chosen for myself, but Ah Mo made me try it on, and I fell in love. Ugh, this pose makes me look so fat.

Sorry, this ended up being such a vanity-driven entry. I hope it's shown you the variety of choices you'll find at Beatniks, though. And this should be enough to assuage my obviously-huge ego for a while, so I won't be boring you with more pictures of me standing on a newspaper in my living room with an occasional guest appearance by Chabi's butt until I need the next dose of vanity.

Anyway, head on over to Beatniks as they're having a sale right now, probably till the end of the month.


ps. I know that there are a couple other vintage clothing and accessories shops in Central, but I'm not going to write about them because I don't think their pricing and selection are reasonable. So it's not that I don't know, but I'd rather not write a negative review, especially since I know one of the owners.