Shopping in Bali - The Best Boutiques in Seminyak

Continuing in the hedonistic streak of conspicuous consumption, this post of mine is dedicted to shopping.  Bali is a fun place to shop.  It is not super super cheap, however, it is really, really fun.  I could not resist the allure and hit the shops on the third (and fourth) day of vacation.

This is the street upon which I happily whiled away many, many hours.

 Lots of scooters here.  We rented one for a day and now Michael really wants one.

 Restaurants and bars dot the streets interspersed amongst the boutiques.

 Magali Pascal is one of the go-to boutiques in Bali.  Very fun stuff.  Very well cut designs.  They also have a fabulous delicate jewelry section.

 All over Indonesia you see these black white and gray square checkered patterns.  It wasn't until I was on my way home that I learned that these are saput poleng, believed by Balinese Hindus to contain protective powers to ward the wearer from evil.  That is why it is draped over all kinds of statues and temples and people seeking protection, particularly police men and security guards, wear them.

I bought two dresses from ebony eve.  I liked their stuff, particularly because a good portion of it was made of nice quality (silk) rather than polyester or rayon or viscose.

At ebony eve I picked up this:

and this (I picked up the necklace separately at a little stall):

This is a really cute shop, easily missed, called "I Love Bali".  They had some really risqué numbers but some dresses with very nice materials and fun prints.  Sadly I did not find anything at this shop suitable for me.  That didn't stop me from crushing hard on the storefront.

 I was so zealous in my newfound shopping streak that I even ventured out to Potato Head Beach Club… but not to sip a cocktail as everyone else does, but rather to hunt down its amazing, eclectic shop stocked full of Balinese local jewelry and goods, called simply "No 11".

Potato Head Beach Club has a fascinating exterior.  This is the top.  Shop No 11 would have been directly below...

 except, alas… imagine my disappointment when I realized No 11 was currently under renovation!  Sad.

The shop mister zimi, instantly recognizable for its eclectic, crazy colored prints and bright colors, is another must-stop in Bali.  They make very high quality leather jackets and really cool wedge sandals, as well as dresses and jumpers made out of colorful fabrics and zany patterns.  I really wanted a pair of the wedge sandals, except they were truly at least 5 inches high and I knew I would never wear them in real life.  I also had very vivid, painful images running through my head of my broken and badly sprained ankles.

 Even though I did not end up buying anything at mister zimi, I still very much appreciated the decor.

 And their rug!

 I did have better luck at the Bali Boat Shop right next door, which is yet another cute little shop painted in hot pink with a thatched roof (so appealing!) stocked full of brands like mister zimi, ebony eve, from, lulu jasmine, etc.

 At this shop I managed to pick up this little shift dress, made in collaboration with mister zimi.  Pardon the wrinkles; was too lazy to iron it for this impromptu fashion post.

 I also picked up this funky wooden beaded necklace with beads and pom poms on the cheap.  I thought this would be a really fun accessory to pair with a casual striped tee or a plain jumper.

On my last day in Bali, I picked up these wicker coasters adorned with conch shells.  Usually I am not into this kind of stuff, but I really wanted to bring a little taste of Bali home with me.

Finally, a shot of me flaunting my pink silk friendship bracelet threaded with silver and silver bells, which I picked up at Lulu Yasmine.  There's nothing quite like finishing up a day of shopping by plopping down on a daybed at the beach and watching the sunset!