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Kim Philley Frivolous Universe FU Bangkok Asia Street Style ASS Vanessa Boots Preah Vinhear Thailand teal green jeans

Even in the land of eternal resort season, I’m beginning to feel a tipple of spring. Perhaps it’s a side effect of too much nibbling on the tall side of the mushroom, or perhaps it’s these teal green jeans (Russian Market, Phnom Penh). Here I am on Saturday, crawling through the third gopura at Preah Vihear. Preah Vihear temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The last I heard, UNESCO doesn’t award World Heritage status to dollhouses.

And, yes, those are Gizeh Birkenstocks–if it’s good enough for Chloë Sevigny, it’s good enough for me.

Kim Philley Frivolous Universe FU Bangkok Asia Street Style ASS Vanessa Boots Preah Vinhear Thailand teal green jeans

Unlike last Tuesday’s FU post, none of these images have been filtered, iPhotoed, or Photoshopped–who has the time for digital tomfoolery when Pedro is visiting? I tell you, that mustachioed Mexican wears me out! It all started when the kid on the Sukhumvit #511 bus asked, What are you gonna do today, Napoleon? And I said,

Nagess, Frivolous Universe, Vanessa Boots, FU, tiny Preah Vihear, nagas

Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!  I’d been doing too much of this at the office all week:

Kim Philley Frivolous Universe FU street style Asia Street Style Bangkok Thailand

It was high time I hightailed it to the Teal Green Land!

Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, Bangkok, C&C California, teal jeans, asia street style, street style

And nothing augurs of the Ides of March like a pair of teal trousers. Mila Keln agrees:

Kim Philley Frivolous Universe FU, street fashion, A.L.C., Alexander Wang, spring is on its way, teal green, pants

A.L.C. Dot School Girl Sweater / A.L.C. Jasper Pants / Alexander Wang Liya High Heel Pumps

Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, Asia street style, Thailand, teal green

If Alice in Wonderland has taught me anything, it’s to always carry a drug to counter the effects of drugs and that a subtly slutty outfit can take you anywhere. Just when I thought I couldn’t crawl through one more keyhole without wearing out my teal knees, I nipped from my little vial called Normalcy™. As luck would have it, I’d built up a tolerance.

Kim Philley Frivolous Universe Bangok Thailand, things that cannot be explained, FU

I’ve seen an ogress or two in my day. But if you know the backstory on this one, please email me.

Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, business cards, Hanuman

It’s hard not to get dragged into the Ramayana. Especially when Hanuman sends you postcards.

Vanessa Boots, Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, FU, Hanuman, Bangkok, Thailand

Pedro’s black blouse: new store called Colors in Phnom Penh; Vest & Pants: No Tag, Beong Kang Kong market, Phnom Penh; Sexy shoes: replica of the original pair from ALDO, custom-made at Beautiful Shoes, Phnom Penh; weighted silk necklace, Phnom Penh; earrings: street stall near Lumphini MRT, exit 1, Bangkok

Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, Vanessa Boots, FU, street style, teal green jeans, Bangkok street style, Thaiand

After the diminutive dangers of Preah Vihear, I was ill-prepared for epic battle with my astrological sign!

I don’t know which one I fancy more: if China jade and teal green would duke it out for Top Dawg, it would be a showdown worthy of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns!

Frivolous Universe, FU, Bangkok, street style, teal green, China jade, jade, floating village

Frivolous Universe, FU, Jim Thompson's House, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Street Style, Thai street style, teal green pants, mens fashion

Jim Thompson vanished without a trace into the teal-leafed Cameroonian Highlands. I think he would have loved this flash-of-teal menswear spotted at Bangkok’s Jim Thompson House.

Kim Philley, Frivolous Universe, C&C California, FU, Chinese apothecary, Thailand, Bangkok, street style, teal green

There had been a run on Normalcy™ at the apothecary; nothing left but blister packs of Insanity ™

Floral blouse: C&C California

Even Thai schoolboys feel the teal.

Kim Philley & Vanessa Boots Mini Preah Vihear, Frivolous Universe, FU, teal green, Thailand

Napoleon Dynamite to Pedro: Just follow your heart. That’s what I do. And thanks for the sweet photographs! Next time you come to Bangkok, I’ll catch you a delicious sea bass.

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Ho-hum skinny jeans and tank top collide with red coral and turquoise Tibetan breastplate:

Kim Philley, Armor Bijoux, Frivolous Universe, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, AXARA Paris, street style, Asia street style

The New York Times says the fall runways abound in “harmonious collisions“–Ruth La Ferla’s elegant euphemism for fashion mashups. I was feeling a bit the collision myself last night after jumping off Evel Knievel’s motorcycle (a.k.a, the Thai moto-taxi who drove me down Chong Nongsi doing a breezy 65mph).

Ten months ago, I left 90% of my wardrobe in a restaurant storage closet in Phnom Penh. Long backstory. Cambodia being tropical temperature, my beloved clothes proceeded to grow technicolor mold. My good friend has been assiduously removing the Spore Life with a spray bottle of grain alcohol and water, and will be arriving in Bangkok tonight with my resurrected clothes in tow. Which brings me to the subject of today’s post: What to wear when you’re waiting on your fashion mule:

Kim Philley Armor Bijoux Frivolous Universe, FU, Bangkok, Axara Paris, Gentic Denim, Fly Now, Soda Water

Tank top: J. Crew

Skinny jeans: Genetic Denim (Fancy Pants, Boise)

Soda water is perfectly legal, but there should be a law against dry cleaners that close at 6pm. Yesterday I ran out of clothes–shirts that don’t double as underwear; jeans that hadn’t been worn so many times they stand on their own two legs. When you must wear something predictable and shopworn, pair it with an over-the-top ethnic breastplate. I received a lot of compliments yesterday on my mashup. As long as the coworker wasn’t within whiffing distance, I nodded a demure “thank you.”

Kim Philley, Armor Bijoux, Frivolous Universe, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, street fashion, street style

Tibetan ceremonial breastplate: Armor Bijoux (Christmas present from Bethany Walter)

Having to photograph myself this week gave me a new appreciation for the contortions Nicole Orabona pulls off. But as G.K. Chesterton said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” And while you’re at it, why not have cheesy fun with FxCam filters? Oh, Nana Chen, please come back!

Kim Philley Armor Bijoux Frivolous Universe Elevator Photo, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, street fashion, street style

Only do this alone. Say “David Bowie” ten times and then open your eyes.

Kim Philley Armor Bijoux Frivolous Universe Elevator Photo, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, street fashion, street style, saddle oxfords, elevator photos

Saddle oxfords: ZARA (Bangkok)

Kim Philley Armor Bijoux Frivolous Universe Elevator Photo, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, street fashion, street style, GENETIC DENIM, skinny jeans

Jacket: AXARA Paris (Saigon)

Belt: Fly Now (Bangkok)

Kim Philley, Nana Chen, Frivolous Universe, FU, Asia Street Style, Dolce & Gabbana, D & G, red hot chili pepper dress, street style

Days after styling me in the green hot chili peppers dress for last week’s FU / ASS posts, Asia Street Style’s Nana Chen came across this new Dolce & Gabbana creation in American Elle. Apparently, the collective unconscious is a Thai-Mexican love child. Nana will be returning to Bangkok in March. Thank goodness I’ll only be photographing myself for two more weeks.

Kim Philley Armor Bijoux Frivolous Universe Elevator Photo, FU, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, Bangkok, street fashion, street style

If Robert Frank could be resurrected and rephotograph The Americans, he’d find a lot of us in mirrored elevators in Bangkok, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, taking furtive photos of ourselves at work.

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Even when you’re scared art is no dictionary. –Frank O’Hara

Kim Philley, Nana Chen, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, FU, asiastreetstyle.blogspot.com, Bangkok, Thailand, fashion, photographer, street style, style blog, Thai fashion

Green Hot Chili Peppers Dress: Street stall next to Sala Deang BTS, Bangkok

I once read an interview with Daniel Craig where he explained why he accepted the hefty mantle of becoming the new James Bond. He didn’t want to be a sad sack in his dotage, Craig said, sitting on a barstool, knocking back the Jameson and saying to everyone and anyone who cared to listen that he could have been Bond.

I moved to Bangkok for the same reason. Because I never wanted to explain to anyone–myself in particular–why I didn’t. When I could have. When I was not yet old and no longer young.

Kim Philley, Nana Chen, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, FU, asiastreetstyle.blogspot.com, Bangkok, Thailand, fashion, photographer, street style, style blog, Thai fashion

Red silk belt: Thrift store, Oxford, UK

For RAISE THE RED LANTERN, Nana Chen of Asia Street Style photographed me at midnight off a not-quite-deserted intersection in Bangkok’s Sathon district. An International Herald Tribune photographer out for a late dinner, tattooed drunks, and the occasional cockroach scuttled by. Bangkok being Bangkok (hard to surprise), none of them paid us much mind.

I picked up the green hot chili peppers dress from one of the Sala Deang street stalls I mentioned in last week’s post, FU MEETS ASIA STREET STYLE. I forgot exactly how much I paid for the dress, but it was under 250 Thai Baht ($8). Nana and I  found the lurid blue-green peppers a little phallic at first blush; both of us agreed that a belt would solve the phallus problem.

Kim Philley, Nana Chen, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, FU, asiastreetstyle.blogspot.com, Bangkok, Thailand, fashion, photographer, street style, style blog, Thai fashion

White leather bracelet: leather accessories street vendor in Shida night market, Taipei

My favorite (& only) black leather bag: this bag has no label; I swear I’ll find the little Bangkok shop again one of these days

Nana also styled me and did my makeup for this shoot (see the bottoms of this post for product details). The nightlight is vintage Southeast Asia–an eerie mix of halogen and Chinese lantern. Chinese New Year has come and gone and now we are left with the Year of the Dragon. Dragon years are volatile to say the least–anything can, and will, happen.

Today I’m housebound with a wretched Bangkok flu. An hour ago I dragged myself down from my apartment, to my local market street, for a chicken-broth resupply. As I walked past the mango lady I heard an obnoxious cacophony of cymbals. I winced. I cursed. I reached for my Tiger Balm. And then I looked up: I was headed straight for the jaws of a dragon.

Kim Philley, Nana Chen, Bangkok, street style, fashion, Thai fashion, FU, asiastreetstyle.blogspot.com, http://http://www.frivolousuniverse.com/, DVF, Benetton

Bow-tied wool pencil skirt: Diane Von Furstenberg

Jade windchime earrings: by U.S. jewelry designer Hazel Cox (gift from FU’s Anna Demetraides)

Black plastic bracelet with elastic: H&M, Geneva

Tube top: Benetton, Taipei

Keep in mind this happened on a Tuesday at 11:30am in the middle of nowhere. The “dragon” was comprised of six Thai boys in matching red t-shirts and paper-mache. I put a 20 Baht bill between the monster’s fangs and watched him go on his jangling way. I watched the mango lady feed the beast a handful of 10 Baht coins; the noodle soup man slapped a generous 50 Baht note on the dragon’s tongue.

A few things I know about myself: I’m pathologically restless. I build on nothing. Like the Chinese, I burn my paper houses and walk away. This Dionysian photoshoot with Nana reminded me of lines from a favorite poem by Frank O’Hara:

becoming ultimately local and intimate / repeating the phrases of an old romance which is constantly renewed by the / endless originality of human loss the air the stumbling quiet of breathing / newly the heavens’ stars all out we are all for the captured time of our being

–“You Are Gorgeous and I’m Coming” (1959)

 

Notes on makeup by Nana Chen:

Eyesliner: YSL
Eyeshadow: Chanel
Blush: Bobbi Brown
Blot Powder: Mac
Lips: Mac

 

 

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