Do crowds drive you crazy? Does the noise and commotion of the hectic Phnom Penh streets make your head spin? You could always go for a massage. Or to Paragon Shopping Centre.
You really can feel like the last person on earth in parts of this centre where the three floors do not reflect the loud yellow and orange exterior one sees from the street.
And this is not a bad thing.
Not at all. As the serious shopper knows, a little peace and quiet can go a long way when searching for the perfect dress.
And Paragon is a place to visit if dress hunting is on your agenda.
The ground floor is home to a very quiet supermarket where you can purchase all kinds of interesting products: armpit whitening deodorant, virginity soap…it all makes for very interesting gifts and looks of uncertain thanks.
There is also a Black Canyon Coffee shop to give you a caffeine boost as you head up the escalator to the second floor where the clothing is.
Paragon Boutique feels and looks like many shops I have visited in London and that fact alone makes it worth a browse.
It's not going to blow your fashion socks off, but there aren't many places like it in Phnom Penh (yet). And it's nice to see a clothing shop with racks of clothes that are not only organized, but also look like they will fit over your head.
This is a place for the whole family and, in particular, for women looking for short-sleeved blouses. There are many cute ones from different labels, with frills and bows in just the right places.
PENA HOUSE label is a good example as is ITEMS, who currently have a particularly lovely soft grey pleated dress that I took an unusually long time to divert my gaze from.
Also available here is pretty lingerie from American label Vanity Fair, Thai brands and ELLE too.
The ELLE word also appears on the footwear in their small shoe section, and this excited me until I took a closer look and concluded it was all a bit more Angela Lansbury than the SEX IN THE CITY style I had envisioned and hoped for...
The menswear area has enough different shirt styles to satisfy every man out there, from each member of The Village People to Nicolas Sarkozy- there's no need to leave empty handed. Labels such as Pierre Cardin to Austin Reed provide stripes, checks, psychedelic florals… you name it.
Once you leave Paragon Boutique you are confronted with a number of small shops that all look very alike- until one delves deeper, that is. And I have delved.
QUEEN has a good supply of lovely shoes, ballet pumps etc in European sizes and I have long been a fan. However, their other items leave me a bit puzzled- everything is quilted. Everything. Is this my grandmother's bedroom?
Just Love Me has one of the most upscale collections I have laid eyes on in Phnom Penh.
Apart from the number of dresses and other garments they stock, it's the names on those garments that really impress…Diane Von Furstenburg anyone? CHLOE? Marc Jacobs?
Now, I'm not sure about the how's or when's relating to the arrival of these very beautiful dresses, but I think I have tried each one on ten times already. Just for the fun of it.
KENN is a great place to find something for a special occasion (that's always my excuse anyway) and as most of the stock comes from Malaysia there are bound to be not-seen-before things. If elegance is the order of the day, this is the place to go.
Paragon Shopping Centre does not provide the head spin that can be had at Sorya Shopping Centre where the "I'm-trapped-in-a-pinball-machine" atmosphere prevails. But, if having a good latte and buying a Diane Von Furstenberg dress strikes you as an enjoyable way to spend an hour, be sure to step through the doorway of Paragon.
Paragon Shopping Centre
No. 12, Street 214 - 023 220 348