A case for shopping ON vacation, not FOR vacation

How travel can help you find the best gems

Fast fashion has ruined the overall quality of modern clothing.

Or at least, that’s what a lot (if not most) of us believe. It’s a sentiment I see all over the internet, from here on Substack to IG comment threads.

And listen, I get it. Fabrics are getting flimsier. Finishes are getting sloppier. Details that were once standard are getting completely missed. As a result, garments are falling apart faster than ever. I’ve seen so many people talking about jeans they bought from H&M in the 2010s that still look great today, while their contemporary counterparts age like milk after just a few months. Or maybe even less.

However, I don’t think quality reduction is a universal truth for the garment making industry as a whole.

Notice I say garment making industry rather than fashion industry. While the big names we all know and (used to?) love are cutting more and more corners with each coming season, I can attest that there are still many independent brands and creators that are making good quality garments.

Sometimes, you just have to travel to find them.

Before I elaborate, I need to talk about vacation hauls. It’s something I’ve always found a bit strange.

I’ve only had one instance in my life where I did a ‘haul’ before a trip. I was 14 years old, just starting to get into fashion, and blissfully unaware of the detrimental side of overconsumption. My mom was taking me to Russia to visit family, and I panicked because I thought none of my clothes were cool enough to wear in Moscow (lol). I begged her to buy me some new pieces that just might put me on the same level as a glamorous Moskvichka (a female resident of Moscow), and she caved.

But ever since, I’ve always felt that my existing wardrobe was enough for any trip. If I was traveling somewhere hot, I’d pack my summer clothes. If I was traveling somewhere cold, I’d pack my winter clothes. You get the picture. There have been a few instances when I genuinely was lacking something that would be helpful for the trip, like the first time Jamie and I went to the Canary Islands from the UK and I bought a new pair of sandals because I hadn’t brought any with me during my move from Canada. But otherwise, vacation hauls always felt unnecessary to me.

Wearing 100% cotton pants that were custom made by a local tailor in Nepal

One thing I am a sucker for though? Shopping while on vacation. I typically only buy a few things in the spirit of minimalism and carry-on only traveling, but those items always end up holding a lot of sentimental weight.

It started after my first visit to France as a teenager. I was introduced to so many stores that didn’t exist in Canada. I was like a kid in a candy shop with all the styles I knew I wouldn’t be able to find back home. The clothes and accessories I bought became my favourite souvenirs: much more fun, and dare I say practical, than a fridge magnet (though admittedly, I enjoy those too).

There was the studded crossbody bag I got during one of my first strolls down Rue de Rivoli in Paris, where I also discovered a semi-hidden art studio nestled between shops. The red skinny jeans (guess the era) I bought after my luggage went missing in Barcelona, finally calming me down after a stressful start to my first ever solo trip. The amber sunglasses that a kind vendor recommended for me in Seoul, after using my translator app to tell me that I had a pretty face.

Every piece typically comes with more meaning than the ones you get from regular shopping trips at home. It can bring back the feelings and impressions from the trip — the excitement, the wonder, the nostalgia. Plus, you get to enjoy being just the right amount of pretentious when someone asks where you got the item and you reply with a far-flung locale.

In my early 20s, I loved going to trendy fast fashion stores that hadn’t expanded into Vancouver, like Bershka, Mango, and Stradivarius. In recent years, I’ve discovered the hidden treasures of the garment making world: independent shops and tailors that will reinstate your faith in quality fashion.

I’m writing this from Kathmandu, Nepal — AKA cashmere heaven. The Thamel neighbourhood is filled with shops that sell cashmere everything: traditional pashmina scarves, cozy sweaters and cardigans, bougie lounge sets, and all the cold weather accessories you could dream of. I genuinely think one of them is named Cashmere Heaven. It’s easy to find pieces that are 100% pure Himalayan goodness, though it’s best to confirm with the vendors. Even this land that is so synonymous with authentic pashmina isn’t immune to blends. And the prices? They’ll make you question Loro Piana’s entire business model, even if you don’t have a local to help you bargain.

Consider this: I got seven 100% pure cashmere pieces (mainly gifts) for the equivalent of $200 CAD. That’s an average of $28.50 per piece. I did have the advantage of my dad being there to bargain for me, but even as a foreigner you wouldn’t have to pay a lot more. To get an idea for pricing, the advertised price for many cashmere hats and gloves are 1000-1500 Nepali rupees — around the equivalent of $10-$15.

Thamel, Kathmandu — where pure cashmere is soft, affordable, and abundant

And Nepal isn’t just great for cashmere. You can also get tailor-made garments in natural fabrics (lovely light yet durable cottons) for similar prices to what you’d pay at Zara.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone should make Kathmandu their next vacation destination, even though this country benefits a lot from tourism and holds a special place in my ethnically Nepali heart. I know it’s far and unfeasible for a lot of people.

What I am saying is that there are still lots of places in the world where you can indeed find good quality garments. Those tailor-made ones I mentioned a few paragraphs above? It’s a common practice in a lot of other Asian countries, and from what I’ve heard many African ones too. If you can afford a Euro trip (or a North American trip if you’re coming from across the pond) and an accompanying vacation haul, chances are you can probably afford a SE Asia vacation that includes a visit to a garment district.*

*I acknowledge that many people do not have the privilege to travel internationally on a regular basis or at all. This post is not intended for them.

The issue is that the fashion world doesn’t position these countries as glamorous shopping destinations. It’s Emily in Paris, not Emily in Phnom Penh. Their international reputations feel more like ‘gap year party destination’, ‘spiritual stop on an Eat Pray Love tour’, or, worst of all, ‘hunting grounds for predatory Losers Back Home’. Plus, the local tailors and artisans aren’t globally renowned names, so the fashion opportunities here get severely overlooked. It’s unfortunate, because it feels they’re the ones that are leading in quality these days.

They’re still using 100% natural fabrics. They aren’t rushed by sweatshop deadlines, instead taking their time to ensure every stitch is straight and strong. They’re adding helpful details like real pockets. You know — the things that the big guys are ditching to boost their profit margins and encourage a never-ending stream of replacement shopping on the consumer end.

It’s not necessarily haute couture level quality … but it’ll surely remind you of the pieces you bought from decades past that are maybe still hanging out in your closet. I can affirm that my pashmina scarves and my custom-made cotton pants are putting contemporary clothes from big brands to shame.

There are foodie travellers, photography travellers, and music travellers, so I find it a bit surprising that there are fewer fashion travellers. Or at least ones that venture beyond the Fashion Week capitals. There’s so much to discover all over the world, whether it’s a tailor-made blazer or a piece of handmade jewelry.

If you’re on the hunt for good quality clothes and you’re also planning an international getaway at some point, why not combine the two by choosing a strategic destination? It could be Nepal (consider me an unofficial member of the tourist board), Thailand, or Portugal. It could be somewhere closer to home that hosts artisan fairs and markets. Or it could be somewhere in between.

Wherever you go and whatever you discover will surely be more special — and higher quality — than those generic fast fashion dresses that thousands of other people have ordered.

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Thank you so much for reading! I’d love to know if you’re a vacation shopper, and if so what kind (on or for). If you’re team shop on vacation, feel free to drop your favourite find in the comments.

And for more minimalist living & intentional consumption insights, you know what to do.