What I bought in America.
And the Celine shoes that got away.
Before we left for our family holiday to the US, I told my partner my three shopping-related non-negotiables:
I wanted half a day browsing in Soho in New York.
I wanted to do some vintage shopping in LA.
And I needed to visit a Reformation store… and a Glossier store. Ok, so four things.
I’m pleased to say I ticked off all but one - I did not get to Reformation. We drove past their Santa Monica location but Layla was having a car seat meltdown and it wasn’t to be ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Anyway, I discovered some gems in both the West and East Coasts which made up for it.
All-in-all, I didn’t buy much. For one, the exchange rate was staggeringly bad. Truly so bad I don’t even want to tell you how much money I lost on the purchases I did make. Best not to think about it.
When I shop overseas, I like to look for special pieces I can’t get here rather than darting into H&M or Zara for a quick fix (that said, it’s interesting to see what collections they get over there. I always think our edit is a little watered down??)
My first buy was a goodie. A bit of a splurge, but again, a piece that’s exclusive to this holiday. We all fell in love with Tombolo - “home of the cabana shirt!” - a boutique in Nolita that could actually be a yacht club were it nearer the water. Layla loved the fish on the walls, I fawned over the clothes.
“In an age of minimalist activewear, Tombolo brings you maximalist inactivewear.”
Rows of embroidered terry towelling pieces lined the shop, and I couldn’t resist taking a little slice of their boat party home with me. You know how I feel about terry towelling!
The whole trip I was searching for a cross-body bag to elevate my everyday outfits. I didn’t quite know what style it would be, but I knew it needed to be compact, preferably brown, and able to be personalised with keychains or other totems.
I ended up finding this half-moon bag at Madewell for a reasonably affordable price given it’s leather and has two options for straps - crossbody and top handle.
I added a keyring from a gift store for a fun touch. I’ve collected them since I was a kid, and decided to grab one in every town we visited. Kitschy totems and tchotchkes are a huge trend in the States I think we’ll see explode here soon.
I was also on the lookout for a red cap (my forest green Yankies cap has had too much exposure at this point, and I didn’t want to upset the Dodgers fans), so I seized upon this one in a boutique in Larchmont, LA. It ended up being such a useful travel hat AND seemed to offend precisely no one because everybody was wearing the same hat.
These Celine slides are the shoes that got away. I’ve been in love with them for months and it felt like fate finding them in my size at The Real Real in LA. But after checking their price online I realised they were barely discounted and I could get a brand new pair for much less in Australia (cc: shit exchange rate). We’ll see if I bite the bullet though!
And finally, I had to add to my collection with this teeny star pendant from a Laguna Beach jewellery store. A memento to remind me of our first big trip with Layla.
If you’ve got questions about how we went travelling with a toddler or want some more shopping recommendations, share them in the comments and we can have a chat!
Lots of love,
Tam x
Curious about travel tips with a toddler. And how did you entertain her while you shopped?
Omg Tombolo have some gorgeous pieces! I will deffs be adding to my wishlist. Would love to know some good shopping spots in Soho, did you find any cool brands/ vintage stores there?