July 2nd, 2009
Today’s post is written by fabulous Euro forum member, Inge, who is Belgian and resides in Antwerp. Inge is a freelance translator and personal book shopper whose spunky and creative style is often a source of inspiration on our forum. Inge, LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep recently met for a fun shopping trip in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This is how their delightful day went down.
Recently on a sunny but nippy Saturday morning, I donned my A.B.S. dress and jeans, added my cream bomber jacket and drove to Rotterdam for the first ever European YLF gathering. At the Central Station, fellow YLF member LegacyOfPearl (LOP) and her stylish friend Zeynep were already waiting for me. Unfortunately, Elika had to cancel last-minute and Angie, who had actually been considering flying out here for the event, couldn’t make it either due to other obligations.
A five minute walk brought us to the city centre with its numerous shops, and we decided to systematically work our way down to the Koopgoot (Dutch for “buying gutter”). Zeynep, who has a predilection for Italian clothing, immediately struck gold in a small independent boutique specializing in Italian brands. The earthy colour of the sleeveless dress with pleated skirt looked stunning on her, and it was 50% off!
Next stop was a funky shoe store were LOP fell in love with a suede sand-coloured pair of sandal booties that she ended up buying the next day in Amsterdam. We trotted from shop to shop all the while talking up a storm. Zeynep snapped up a cute gym bag with fluorescent animal print in a discount store and then we hit Mexx. On the sales rack my two lovely companions found me a fantastic dark brown sleeveless dress. The utilitarian vibe was right up my alley and it proved perfect to wear with leggings or jeans. While I was paying, LOP spotted a two-toned grey strappy dress. She’d been looking for a Summery frock for an upcoming wedding in Turkey. Something festive, elegant and mom-friendly that would still allow carefree playing with her son. And there it was.
Successful shopping makes me hungry, so we headed over to “De Bijenkorf”, a huge luxurious department store, for a spot of lunch. At their Restaurant La Ruche we were spoilt for choice: fresh fruit juices, sandwiches that resembled works of art, sushi, wok dishes, colourful salads and delectable pastries. We toasted to Angie and all the YLF forum members over strawberry tartlets and yummy chocolate gateau!
On our way out the three of us drooled over the Karen Millen collection and a gorgeous navy & white Armani frock with amazing detailing. At H&M, LOP and Zeynep bought black leggings, and convinced me to go for grey leggings with a bit of sheen to them (jazzercise anyone?).
Vila, a budget-friendly Danish brand with a somewhat minimalistic feel comes highly recommended. Zeynep went home with a fab white button-down tunic and a dressy sleeveless top in a gorgeous purplish blue. We also witnessed an on the spot style transformation: in the dressing room LOP unbuttoned her beautiful white & yellow ruffled cardi, revealing her blue cami, popped on the just bought leggings under her denim pencil skirt and topped it all off with a skinny belt. “Now I feel like myself again”, she sighed relieved. Fun!
Suddenly a slight panic broke out because we thought the shops were open until 7 pm, when in fact, they close at 5 pm. We hurried over to another H&M and then sprinted to Zara. Good thing we persevered, since LOP walked away with a patterned black scarf and the cutest pair of green pumps.
Catching our breath we plopped down on a terrace to enjoy a well-deserved drink and admire our purchases. Drinks turned into dinner, during which we chatted happily about language learning, eating Nutella straight from the jar, how to start your own book club (wine is the secret ingredient apparently), Indonesian and Turkish cuisine, luxury brand shopping in Istanbul, American menswear, children’s clothing, dressing for a corporate environment…
It truly was a marvelous day, and we were especially pleased to discover that as three solo shoppers at heart, we hit it off so well and actually made the perfect shopping team. Thank you Angie for creating the opportunity to make this happen! And thank you LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep, you are two super sweet lasses and a dream to shop with!
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31 Replies
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 6:58 am
Hi from another YLF-euro-member!!
I admire the suede sandals and the scarf. LOP, you look great in your cardi and your new dress for the wedding!
Usually I prefer shopping alone, but shopping with YLF members is definitely something else…
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:14 am
Wow! How inspiring and fun to read this post!! Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
What a fab day, you all look like you had a truly fantastic time 
Plus, since I just splurged on a off white leather jacket but was panicking about how versatile it may be, I am SO happy to see Inge looking wickedly good in hers.
Cheers ladies! Wish we all could have been there to share with you.
Hey, any YLF meetings planned down south?
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 am
How fabulous! Thanks for the excellent write-up, Inge! I can’t believe that English is a second or third language. You write beautifully. I felt I was at the Koopgoot with you! As much as I love the Netherlands and love to shop there, I think that eating nutella out of a jar with the three of you would have been our bonding moment. This YLF gathering blog post definitely has a different flavour and it’s brilliant. Variety is the spice of life! Food looks delish too.
Inge, your utilitarian dress is KILLER. Just perfect. Legacy of Pearl, your dress is superbly gorgeous too! I LOVE the green shoes and you know I’m a fan of sandal booties (ahem, unlike the rest of the YLF’ers whom I *hope* will change their mind once they see real people wearing them effortlessly). You’ll pull them off with style for sure, LOP! It’s great that Zeynep was able to join in the fun and that you had the best shopping day. Meeting for the first time can either be awkward, or as if you’ve known each other your whole lives. Somehow at YLF gatherings, it’s always the latter. That’s stylish.
Wooohooo! Where are we shopping next?
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
What an enviable outing, you all look beautiful and as if you are having a fabulous time!!
YLF gatherings are so fun, I wish we had more. Thank you so much for sharing.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 am
I love these meetup reports. What an amazing, global community you’ve created, Angie and Greg! This sounds like so much fun and I look forward to participating in a YLF shopping day myself someday.
LOP, please, please post outfits of those sandal booties soon. I’m anxious to see them in action. Inge, I LOVE that utilitarian dress. Looks like you all had some great finds! Thank you for sharing your day with us.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Thank you for this post! They had tons of fun for sure!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 am
Thank you for taking us along on your shopping day via your amazing post and photos! I feel like I could take a bite out of that strawberry tart. You all look amazing in your purchases, and it’s clear you forged a real bond in only a day. YLF is bringing like-minded women together all over the world!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:38 am
Thanks for such a lovely report Inge. I felt like I was there with you stylish ladies! You look smashing in your purchases and shopping outfits. I wish I was right there eating Nutella out of the jar Just last night I was gushing over how much I love Angie (& Greg) at YLF and all its many stylish, supportive and generous members. YLF is truly a class apart in how it has created this wonderful global community!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 am
Inge, thank you for this wonderful post. I was grinning from ear to ear while reading of your shopping day. While shopping alone can have it’s advantages, there is something special about being able to share the fun and get feedback from like-minded friends.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Inge, what a wonderful summary of your shopping excursion. The photos were fantastic, they made me feel as if I was there with shopping with you. And you all scored some really fun items. The YLF readers also got to see a sandal-bootie in action!
I had to chuckle when you realized that stores were closing at 5 pm. That is such a Euro thing. In the States, unless it’s a Sunday, the stores are mostly open until 9 pm. I forget that when I am in Europe.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 am
Inge, that was a wonderful write-up! What a fun day you guys had- and some great shopping. Hope we can see some of the shopping finds in action.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 8:09 am
How fun! You all look so at ease with your styles and it sounds like the perfect combination of food, friends and shopping.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thank you. I feel like I just took a little trip to the Koopgoot myself. Very enjoyable read!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 8:55 am
Thaks for sharing your day with us. You are all 3 beautiful ladies and the adventure looks magical.
The items you are showing off are all amazing. You scoped out some great things. Almost everything made me say WOW that is beautiful.
The food included. What beautifully served food.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am
All of you look fantastic and like you are having such a great time. Killer purchases. I wish I could have been there. 
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Wow, what fun! All of you looked amazing and seems you have had an even better time. I wish I could have been there with you. Great write-up Inge!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Shopping with friends is so much fun. I love to shop with my sister, although we don’t get together as often as I would like. But we do usually plan a day around my birthday in the fall, both take off from work and make a day of it. It always involves good food too! Glad you had a good time.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:45 am
You couldn’t possibly make me more jealous of you tried. Inge, your writeup was wonderful.
The food, clothes, and especially the company sound absolutely lovely. All of you are glowing in your pictures. What a lovely day and amazing purchases. If I didn’t have fussy feet and an empty wallet, I would request that you return to Rotterdam and get me a pair of those incredible green shoes! Shopping with other YLFabbers is such a different (and much better) experience than shopping alone.
Someday when I am rich and famous and able to travel the world, I request that you give me a tour of the koopgoot. After that we can chat over a jar of Nutella (my favorite is dipping plain roasted almonds…mmm).
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Palm Frond: I wasn’t sure about it at first either, but the bomber jacket has proved to be extremely versatile. I wear it all the time (with skirts, frocks, trousers…)
Angie: I couldn’t agree more about the Nutella part! I’ll bring an extra large jar!
(Vani: bring a spoon!-)
Danja: I’m used to the shops closing at 6pm, but the 5pm part took me by surprise;-)
Oooh Maya, dipping roasted almonds, I like it already!! And it’s a deal. We’ll do Rotterdam first and then I’ll show you around Antwerp.
Thank you for all the lovely compliments. It truly was a magical day, and like so many of you have pointed out: the best part was meeting LOP and Zeynep in person and it not being awkward at all. And all this thanks to YLF. Thank you again Angie and Greg!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
What a fun outing and wonderful write up, Inge. Cheers to a sucessful shopping adventure!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I am a YLF groupie living part time in Brussels – is there any way to connect with local YLF gals? Thanks.
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I love reading these shopping posts! Congratulations on the beautiful items you found–I especially envy those green shoes!
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
What a lovely day. You all three look very chic!
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 am
Ashley: I’m not sure if there are other local gals on YLF (let us know ladies!), but if you like I’ll send you an email and perhaps we could meet sometime?
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 5:49 am
Thanks for the wonderful write-up, Inge! It looks like you guys had fun, and I love to see the photos of you and LOP and her friend! I’m so excited that gatherings have gone international, now! Plus, I’m jealous of all the neat looking stores you guys have there, and the wonderful weather you must be having that you can wear your fabulous cream bomber jacket!
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Inge: Yes, please, I can be reached at asr@tunixcollection.com. Thanks!
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Inge, I guess the comment I wrote up earlier didn’t post before my browser crashed.
The gathering looks fantastic! You are all so lovely and it sounds like a wonderful time, and your write-up makes me feel like we were there with you.
I hope I have a chance to participate in a YLF meet-up soon. This is a fabulous and friendly crowd of women.
Posted on July 4th, 2009 at 12:11 am
[...] over skinnies, and throwing in a heel at any time keeps things feminine too. Forum member Inge recently purchased a smashing utilitarian frock and rocks the [...]
Posted on July 6th, 2009 at 6:58 am
What a fabulous report! Oh how much I wish I could have joined you for stylish Euro shopping and great chatting. I LOOOOVE the dress you bought, Inge, it is perfection on you. Totally my cup of tea as well; I’ll have to look for one. Also loving the green pumps. Thanks for the great recap, sounds like a wonderful day.
Posted on July 6th, 2009 at 10:32 am
What a beautiful write-up! I was dieing to read this post Inge and Angie! I didn’t have an internet connection last couple of days. (30 euro a day!)
I loved this YLF outing! I would love to come back to Belgium and have another one together. Maybe next year again when I’m in the Netherlands.
I’ve already put the sandal booties and green shoes to good use in Turkey and France. I’ll post some outfits with them soon.
Inge: You’re a great person and the best part of the outing was getting to know you in person.
Zeynep: It was fun to shop together again. You’re the best!
Angie: Thank you for giving us an opportunity to meet and create friendships like this. It’s priceless! I’ll finally be back in San Diego this weekend. Maybe we can have a San Diego outing soon.
Greetings from St. Malo in France!
Posted on July 7th, 2009 at 2:49 am
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