A Singapore Affair

As I am sure you noticed from my previous blog I am currently based in Singapore, an island that is covered mostly by a modern city. There is a Gucci on every corner of downtown, hundreds of eclectically designed shopping malls and lots of bargains! AKA: a shopping paradise.

On this island you can find pretty much any store you would ever want from US brands to all the popular European brands, and definitely any high end label. With all the shopping mania this modern city has to offer you would expect people to be super trendy and unique, yet I think there are lessons to be learned.

In general, people in Singapore tend to under-accessorize compared to most other cities I have been to. They like to play it safe with jeans and tees for casual wear and simple nude dresses and pumps for work/evening. Now don't get me wrong; I see some drop dead gorgeous girlies strutting their stuff and decked out from head to toe, but in general a bit more needs to be done to compete with the other trend setting urban areas in the world.

Below... Typical day wear: T shirt, jeans, shorts. (sorry had to be from the back so I don't get in trouble:)

On my research today I noticed that part of the problem was that they didn't have much to work from. For example, I used to work in clothing stores and our mannequins were always stylish, as a lot of customers would come in and ask for

the exact outfit they saw on them. Today when I stepped in a Forever 21 I saw this mess on a mannequin... :(

There is some kind of grey leopard print skirt hanging out the bottom and a random giant gap in the middle... The whole thing was just wrong. So I'm thinking, is this really what they're supposed to look at for style ideas? Here's the kind of stuff I found on the other store's mannequins, including Mango and other well known brands.

The one below left is wearing a fishnet stocking thing around her neck... can we say.. fail.

Despite my negative opinions on the messy mannequins there were some fantastic items in Pull and Bear and Bershka. I am totally into all the ranch/folk wear there is to offer this spring. If its done right with a satchel and a cute summery headband, this look can go a long way. Just remember, don't over-do it and stick to just a few accessories that will make the outfit dazzle. For example get some khaki shorts, tuck in a funky cream t shirt like the one in the left center of the picture, put a cute red elastic headband in your hair and throw a brown, red, or orange satchel over your shoulder. Add some ankle boots and it's super chic yet super simple.

I feel that with a bit more guidance and a few role models, Singapore has the potential to kick some serious ass in the fashion world...

What's the fashion like in your city??? I would love some input from other parts of the world! Till tomorrow peace out, sweet fashion dreams.