Don't get me wrong, I love the Netherlands, and I absolutely love living here. Right now, at this time, and at my current age, there is no other country I would even consider living in.
However, one of the little things that occasionally can get on my nerves is the shopping here. There are a few stores, like Zara and H+M that one can rely on for great finds, only as they are two of the most popular stores with limited collections, it's pretty much guaranteed that you will know someone else who has unfortunately found the same great find. The rest of the stores sell great basics, but I feel as if it's all the same, and it gets a bit boring. And sure there are lots of cute little boutiques around, especially in Amsterdam, only they're not always the easiest to find, or the most accessible. Also style-wise, it sometimes feels as if I'm living in a country full of identical robots, the typical outfit being tight jeans, cute shirt and leather jacket, accessorized with either uggs or moccasins and a tassel bag. There is no doubt that it's a cute look, but seeing it pretty much every day means that it can get quite tiresome. Furthermore, it means that when you decide to wear something more original, perhaps even something simple like a floral dress with boots and a cute trilby, you can feel quite out of place, especially if you're not in Amsterdam.
This simple and quite basic style is an idea reflected on the main shopping street of Amsterdam, the kalverstraat. The kalverstraat is home to several vero modas, onlys invitos, H+M's and also a giant Zara. A great shopping destination for the simple basics, but not the most inspiring shopping destination. Which is why when I was walking down the kalverstraat today, I was thrilled to stumble upon 'Monki', a relatively new store on the kalverstraat.
Monki is a Swedish store concept and fashion brand, selling something different at affordable prices! I fell in love with about 10 different items on my first visit, yet unfortunately my budget only let me walk away with one piece, below, which I was more than happy to spend 30euro on.
Below are some of my other favourites:
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