If you’ve been reading Splendid Market for awhile you know that I travel quite a bit and as I roam I’m passionate about visiting markets and exploring side streets in search of unusual finds. These pieces often become my favorite treasures to wear, to share, to put on the table or to decorate my home.
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| Large Dusk Suede Fringed Shawl |
Oftentimes people will ask about the pieces and where they could find something similar…. making me feel a little guilty that I hadn’t stuffed a few more in my bag to share. After repeated asks, the wheels started turning in my head.
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| Large Chambray Suede Fringed Shawl with Cutouts |
Then, when my daughter and I found these gorgeous suede shawls in a leather tailor shop on a hot and busy street in Bali last summer, I knew it was time to put those thoughts into action.
You may have noticed I’ve been posting a little less frequently lately, well that’s because I’ve been working hard to set up Splendid Market Shop, where you can now find my favorite things I found on our tour of Southeast Asia and beyond. It has been a fun challenge to step back into the retail arena again, and I have learned a lot, since this shop is only on-line and I am wearing quite a few more hats than I did back in my Starbucks days.
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| Large Black Suede Shawl with fringe |
| We left that shop in Bali with an armload of amazing, unique products and the tailor’s card. Last week I received my first shipment from him, including shawls even more lush than those we bought and some clutchlets, which I’ll tell you about later.
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| Dusk Suede Fringed Shawl with Cutouts |
But for now, imagine a soft second-skin, in a rich saturated color to wrap around your shoulders all year long. These shawls are light enough to wear over a sundress, tee or swimsuit;
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| Small Pink Suede Shawl with Fringe |
and cozy enough to keep you warm on the deck of a ski lodge, or by the campfire. With plenty of fringe to sway with your every move.
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| Fringe is a feeling, Large Orange Suede Shawl, Small Chambray Suede Shawl |
When I put my copywriter hat on, I was trying to come up with adjectives to describe these shawls. My first thought was supple, which according to the American Oxford Dictionary means bending and moving easily and gracefully, very fitting words for these shawls.
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| Small Chambray Suede Cutout Shawl with Fringe |
I also thought of the word sumptuous, splendid and expensive-looking, by definition. I loved the reference to our name, and I also liked a latter part of the definition in the New Oxford: made or produced at great cost. Each of these shawls are beautifully hand~crafted in Bali, and are very luxurious, and I am happy to share that I’m selling them for a fraction of the prices I saw for the same wraps in several boutiques on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach last Thanksgiving.
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| Large Dusk Shawl, Splendidmarketshop.com |
You’ll find them in a range of colors, from neutrals to brights.
Most colors are available in three sizes.
To give you a better idea of what they look like: our model is 5′ 5″ in her barefeet, so you can see where each size, small, medium and large, from left to right, hits on her body.
The Small is 74″ wide and 29″ long
(length = the distance from the top center of the shawl, at the base of the model’s neck (above),
to the bottom of the fringe);
Medium is 89″ wide and 35″ long;
and Large is 95″ wide and 40″ long
These shawls are elegant, for sure, but they can also be be quite rugged and will keep you looking distinctive from the mountains to the beach.
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| Large Orange Suede Shawl |
You can even get creative with them.. tie one around your neck to create a quick halter top.
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| Small Straw Suede Shawl tied as a halter top |
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| Straw Summer Suede Fringed Shawl |
Or around your middle for a striking sarong.
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| Large Cognac Suede Shawl, wrapped as a skirt or sarong |
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| Cognac Cutout Suede Fringe Shawl |
I’m tickled pink to finally have Splendid Market Shop up and running, I hope you’ll stop by to see what you can find.
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Emily these are so gorgeous and I am on my way to look at your selections!! What a find!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Emily-
This is fabulous! I will have to have a shawl! Love everything.
Teresa
xoxo