Kat Dy Finds: Daily Wear: The Scarf Print

This is the story of my surprising find, a scarf print tunic from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London that I scavenged from, of all places, an ukay-ukay in Boracay.

I don't know if you've ever explored the back streets of Bora, but yes, there are a number of second-hand stalls to be found. I discovered one years before on the beachfront near Station 3. It's not there anymore, as beachfront properties on the island are, not surprisingly, prime real estate nowadays, but they're still there. Admittedly, they cater to the local residents, not to occasional, sun-seeking visitors like me, but on an unexpected vacay last year with the boyfriend, I set off by myself one morning to explore these ukay-ans. In one stall, a rack of bags suspended from plastic hangers revealed a sophisticated treasure in the form of a tan envelope clutch. A few doors down, I hit upon my version of Yamashita's treasure: a two-stall space that harbored quite a number of stylish finds.

I must have spent over an hour in that stall, chatting up with the local tinderas who happily obliged my requests to bring down dusty dresses and jackets hanging from up high near the ceilings. I perused, and ransacked, and came out with three dresses, a light, olive green jacket, a brilliant satiny fuchsia top, and the said scarf-print tunic. I don't know what made me buy it. It was silk. It was from a London museum. And it had that perfectly vintage, my-sosyal-grandma-used-to-wear-this-a-lot look to it. So I bought it.

A few months later, I finally got around to wearing it. It didn't look quite right on its own, so I ended up wearing it like a jacket, paired with a simple ribbed tank, my beloved crochet shorts, and sexy black heels. The enormous clutch I'm holding is also another cheapo find, this time from a Japan Surplus store (oho, that's another cheap spot worth ransacking!). It's a Lancel clutch that's a bit worse for wear, but I like it when it looks a bit rough around the edges.

Tank, Topshop. Thrifted jacket/tunic, Victoria and Albert Museum London. Crocheted shorts, bought in New York. Heels, Charles and Keith. Thrifted clutch, Lancel. Necklace, stannard-inc, bought in Australia. Tassel necklace (worn as bracelet), gift from a former co-worker.

Excuse the veiny hands and random hair tie. Here's a close up of the clutch, and my pretty friendship bracelet stacks from Martina-Martina.

That was last month, so imagine my delight when, upon arriving in London, I discover that all (and I am not exaggerating) the high street shops have their own take on the scarf print trend. Everyone from River Island, Dorothy Perkins, and Topshop, to Primark, Zara, Mango, and Next have some form of scarf-printed piece. Of course, it is a trend, so I'm not quite sure about it's longevity, but for now, I am predicting a few more months shelf life for this design. I find it sophisticated, different, and a fresh take on the print phenomenon happening this season—a respite from all the florals we've been seeing in the stores.

Before I sign off, here are some scarf-print high street picks: