LOCATION: Amsterdam, Netherlands
PHOTOGRAPHY: Brad Jarman
in collaboration with: cluse

Day 1: Find good
coffee

First things first, coffee. After a disappointing round of coffee in Paris, despite researching all the best coffee spots in town, we were fixated on conquering our craving for a delicious cappuccino. Just a hop and skip away from our lodging, The Hendrick’s Hotel, we discovered Naked Espresso. Finally, we could indulge in a good cuppa’ and it felt so good (and not just because it was warming up my hands on a chilly morning!).

I wanted to keep my outfit cosy and comfortable on our first day, so I layered my plaid blazer over a pink Elwood men’s sweater, and rocked my new favourite high-waisted jeans, a pair of statement Balenciaga boots and the CLUSE La Roche gold watch with a chic white marble face and tough black leather band.

As we took a stroll across the many charming bridges and got lost among the infamous canals of Amsterdam, we cosied-up on a bench in a quiet area and admired the cityscape around us. I still couldn’t believe we were finally here.

I'M WEARING (above):

CLUSE La Roche gold and white marble watch, Glassons blazer, Elwood Apparel Co. mens jumper, Abrand high-waisted jeans, ASOS baker boy cap, Oscar Wylee glasses, Status Anxiety cross body bag and Balenciaga boots.

I had a suspicion that I was going to fall head-over-heels for Amsterdam, and I most certainly wasn’t wrong. We had known that just a few days wasn’t going to be enough, but I was determined to fit this historical city into our European adventures anyway. Plus, if we really meshed with the capital, we could just go back, right? Yeah, we’re going back.

I don’t know whether it was our luck with the weather or the vibrant vibes of the city itself, but Amsterdam scored some serious points during our visit. A cool, relaxed city with small town charm, we can imagine ourselves spending far more time exploring its organised labyrinth of canals lined with enchanting houses and rows of bicycles.

Sporting my CLUSE watches during our visit (the brand was born in Amsterdam, after all!), we spent our days searching for our morning brew, wandering the streets and becoming even more fascinated with the city. Oh, and enjoying a very special dinner with my amazing CLUSE family!

Day 2: Explore the
canals

During my first visit to a new city, I don’t like to plan much, but instead walk around and feel the vibe, and that’s exactly what we did. After a delicious breakfast at The Hendrick’s Hotel (croissants and donuts, done and done!), we spent the day walking up and down the canals.

To celebrate the sunshine, I wore my yellow knitted top, paired with silver details like my 3.1 Phillip Lim cross body bag and classic CLUSE silver mesh watch, which also happens to be my first ever CLUSE watch (and still going strong!).

As then hours rolled by strolling along the waterways, I kept thinking, wow, this city is just so uniquely beautiful. I’ve never been anywhere quite as charming as Amsterdam that is crammed with history and museums and artistic heritage and an envious cycling culture. What can I say? The Dutch sure know how to create a town on a global scale.

While we’d decided to skip the museum and gallery lines this time, I still really wanted to visit the Anne Frank House during our brief visit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t even able to load the online booking website to buy tickets during this time. I had been warned prior to this to book well in advance and, alas, we missed out. Next time, next time. 

I’m wearing (left):

CLUSE La Bohème silver mesh watch, MINKPINK yellow knit jumper, Glassons blazer and faux leather mini skirt, Janessa Leone hat, 3.1 Phillip Lim bag, ASOS tights and Andy Scinger x Walnut Melbourne boots.

Day 3: The flower
market

Did you go to Amsterdam if you didn’t buy tulips? On our last full day before flying home, we set out on a mission to visit the Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market. It was busy with locals and tourists alike, admiring the beautiful bunches of flowers on display and lining up for a Grande chai latte from Starbucks. Okay, that last one was just me. What can I say? I’m addicted!

I ended up lugging around (and taking photos with, let’s be honest) the biggest bunch of fresh pink tulips I’ve ever seen through the canals. There’s no doubting that the tulips are better in the Netherlands. Surprise, surprise. Not. Needless to say, I wish a million times over that the flowers in Australia were just as beautiful. And this is yet just another reason to come back to Amsterdam.

We left the beautiful bunch of pink tulips in our hotel room as a surprise for the lovely staff, ‘cause they deserved to be admired fir many more days.

I’m wearing:

CLUSE La Bohème silver mesh watch, MINKPINK striped knit, ASOS baker boy cap, Ray-Ban sunglasses, faux leather mini skirt, Status Anxiety bag and Andy Scinger x Walnut Melbourne boots.

After a quick change into something a little more pink, we ordered an Uber and made our way to popular Instagram restaurant, MaMa Kelly, for dinner. And guess what? I finally got to meet a few of my favourite members of the CLUSE family! As a CLUSE Ambassador, I’ve been working with these beautiful, intelligent women for a very long time, so it was wonderful to put faces to names (although, I felt like we’ve all known each other for ages!).

It’s no secret that, while we sipped on our cocktails and indulged on the most tender chicken ever, I was admiring the brand spankin’ new CLUSE La Garçonne gold mesh watch with its elegant square face. I chose the classic gold mesh and white face combination as I knew I’d get a lot of wear out of it on a daily basis. Oh yes, expect to see it again very soon.

Our dinner with the CLUSE team was the perfect way to end our time in beautiful, vibrant and charming Amsterdam.

I’m wearing:

CLUSE La Garçonne gold mesh watch, gold bracelets and necklaces, pink cable knit jumper, Zara oversized shirt, Acne Studios jeans, River Island beret and Billini pink boots.