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angkok is probably one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia. Apart from its well-known aspects - the colorful markets, glorious foods, popping "bottle shows", sexy/sleazy gals and guys dancing on stage in bikinis at those 80s-looking bars in the Patpong area, pretty lads whom you mistakenly thought were sassy ladies - the capital of Siam is undoubtedly a fashion paradise for those who love treasure hunting for unique styles in all kinds of shopping places around the city.

There are several prominent shopping malls in the Siam area, including Siam Paragon, Siam Square and Siam Discovery, where you'll find fantastic boutiques selling labels and designs. If you like your style "safe", and you're willing to flush more cash, then these malls are the place to be. To me, it ain't treasure if I ain't put in the extra effort, extra eye and extra bargaining power to get my goods!

That's why I head straight to the MBK shopping center, Bangkok's most legendary shopping mall where you can put your bartering skills to the test. It's not as up-market and stylish as the glitzy neighboring malls, but with eight floors that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags and leather products to gadgets, you can shop till you drop with no sweat, conveniently in an air-conditioned environment and possibly end up with a big smile when you can knock back the original asking price.

A fashion item that is undeniably in the hottest seat is this unique jersey piece (that can be in the form of a top, bottom or dress), which is flexible and moldable into various forms. Are you getting confused? Probably you'll get even more confused if you see the actual thing hanging in shops.

I call this style "Funky Monk" because I believe the inspiration for it came from the way monks' robes are draped, fall and twist around the body. Somehow you see almost no shape, but with the high deconstruction techniques these fashion engineers (not designers!) developed, these clothes manage to wrap the body in a unique and unthinkable way. To my surprise, as I lay these pieces flat, most of their patterns are actually very geometric shapes - square, rectangular and triangular, sewn in certain ways with durable jersey material, making them stylish, distinctive and very comfy to wear.

A simple top with adjustable cowl neck (heavily draped neckline from the shoulder down to the navel), for example, can be worn in several ways: let it drop down and expose the front part of your body; twist it and hang it behind your neck and you'll get asymmetrical drapes across your chest; crumple it up and you'll have symmetrical gathers down to both of your waist sides; braid it and hook it in one of your arm and voila! You have the modern-monk-robe look.

In Platinum Fashion Mall, which reminds me a bit of Mall Ambassador in a more "civilized" manner and which is way more convenient than Chatuchak, I found another sensation with harem pants in various styles. That's right, the kind MC Hammer wore in the 80s, which originally came from India - like a cross between a skirt and a pair of skinny jeans. With the latest twist invention, this piece can be so edgy, with puffy wide pockets on the sides, super easy with the low crotch cut, mismatched buttons and buttonholes, interesting fitted cuts around the calf and elastic waistbands making them so comfortable and movable.

This five-story mall offers bargain hunters wholesale prices when you purchase at least three pieces from the same store. I totally recommend all smart shoppers-slash-fashion-lovers spare at least four hours to get through this mall.