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Summer in the city
by PREENA SHRESTHA
| FROM ISSUE # 113 (May 2005) | IN THIS ISSUE | |||
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May. Soon we'll be wiping the sweat off our brows and squinting our eyes at the sun. The city begins to seem strangely crowded and the traffic stalled for longer than usual. "Has it always been this humid?" we begin to wonder. And we check the skies for rain clouds. It's time we get ready for our summer in the city. This month we try and make getting through it a bit more colourful, fun and cooler than before. 
The Dress Code:
The first to transform with the changing season is your wardrobe. As you pack your woollies with mothballs, the need for new summer clothes and the best places to go shopping arises. We have decided to make your lives a little easier by scouring Nepal's the three biggest shopping hubs in the capital Kathmandu. But remember, it all boils down to dressing right for the occasion in a way you feel most comfortable.
Thamel
The ultimate shopping experience; anything and everything is available within its lanes. It is without doubt the best place to buy skirts— be they hippie patchwork or a cool chic micro mini. Though it tilts more to the hippie era, Thamel is the best place for summer shopping, as the fabrics used are mostly cotton and linen while the clothes are always bright and colourful. Although you can't expect the clothes you buy here to last more than a season, the prices are usually so cheap that it doesn't really matter!
Durbar Marg 
Durbar Marg is Nepal's upmarket fashion district. With 'Labels' and 'United Colors of Benetton' camped here, it is a fashion haven for people who look for branded clothes . The fashion trend also seems to be a bit more subdued with clothes in solid colours and pastels rather than the kaleidoscopic designs of Thamel. The hippie style is abandoned for more sleek lines and streamlined cuts and the prices are almost twice or thrice as much. But the clothes seem to be more durable.
New Road
If it isn't the two extremes of Thamel and Durbar Marg that you are looking for then New Road is the best place to shop. The colours and styles seem to be influenced by the psychedelic hippie era, the retro style as well as the sleek, streamlined lines of today. Even if synthetic materials are more in vogue because of the way they fit the contours of your body, cotton fabrics are also available. The clothes are reasonably priced and of course bargaining is always an option. Party wear is another speciality of this zone and all sorts of clothes from ones with spangles and glitter to simple styles can be found. The best thing about this zone is the amount of choices available. If you are planning to go shop here then be ready for a long haul that includes visiting the maximum number of shops to look for the best deals. A few shopping complexes in Putalisadak offer similar fashion options.
 Item [top]:Yellow tank top Price: Rs 350 Item [bottom]: Jeans skirt Price: Rs 730 Shop: In Style Location: Bishal Bazaar, New Road
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 Item [bottom]: Floral patterned skirt Price: Rs 1550, Shop: Trance-Trip Location: Thamel [opp.Kilroy's]
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 Item [top]: Blue sleeveless Von Dutch Price: Rs 395, Item [bottom]: Pink pleated skirt Price: Rs 695, Shop: Fashion Fever Location: Pashupati Plaza, New Road
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