Singaporean's fashion scape is a unique one. On one end of the sprectrum, teenagers roaming the malls in beach shorts and slippers are a common place, and on the other, executives in Raffles place are so impeccably dressed in their tailored power suits of fine silk and premium cotton, that you spend the entire MRT trip home engineering your outfit for the next day, so that you won't feel out of place.
Singaporeans the cosmopolitandersSingapore is a melting pot for many cultures around the world. Consequently, the dominant style is probably inspired by a mixture of cultures that we are exposed to.
Mid-range to high end international fashion brands have set up shops in town, niche boutiques mushrooming across the heartlands, and even the online world is bursting at its seams with the abundance of online shopping sites. The popularity of spree communities means that we (ME!) shop for clothes all over the world at the click of a mouse.
We take inspiration from British High Street fashion and the whimsical dreamy sillouttes synonymous with Korean Pop; we devour fashion blogs and celebrity watch for the latest IT bag and bomber jacket. We take a pinch of this and a bit of that, formulating into something that we call our own.
Perhaps you could say that we weren't very fashion savvy and looked a bit
gong in the early 90s, but a decade later in 2009, Singaporeans are pretty discerning when it comes to grooming and making ourselves to look good.
Singaporeans the sensible dressersI wouldn't use "trendsetters" to describe Singaporeans, and depending on which of our regional sistas you speak to, you'd probably get a variation of that observation.
But if you ask me, I think that Singaporeans are sensible in the way we make themselves look good, balancing comfort and style. Basking in the 32 degrees celsius heat almost everyday would make wearing fur coats look very silly, and in this kind of heat, hair flops and makeup melts...Nuff said.
After all, we are fashionably snooty enough that during my trip to Vietnam, my companions and I were sniggering at how the Vietnamese women had no qualms about roaming the streets at 5pm in their matching yellow daisy flower and pink polka dot PJs with pleated hair.
It makes sense that our staple wear is an ensemble of the tube top/singlet variation with short skirts.
Should people wearing their PJs out?The Spring Summer Collection 09 debuted at Milan saw high-end designer brands, from Prada to Jean Paul Gaultier, ditch the stiff power suits in favour of a softer and more sumptuous trend: Pyjamas. Or what the big guys like to call "Luxury Loungewear".
So has sleepwear become the new outerwear?
I can image in image conscious Singapore, the idea of running around town in one's PJ might raise a few plucked eyebrows. But in my opinion, it all boils down to one's skill in pairing.
Forget about the cotton plaid fannel pyjamas with a matching blouse and bottoms, keep those at home; In fact, don't consider a matching satin one as well - those are reserved for Kungfu practitioners. Neither am suggesting that one consider wearing a half see-through negligee from Victoria's Secret.
Even the slinky polka Dolce and Gabanna set that Jessica Alba donned for the Hollywood movie premiere might get you mistaken for a Geisha wannabe.
Instead go for a fine boudoir-inspired alternativemodernas suggested by the pretty Deputy Editor of STYLE: magazine, May Yip.
I thought the pairing of a kimono PJ with a modern gold skirt was brilliant.
Or you could do it like me, a couple of looks that are PJ inspired - relaxed, loungey and luxurious. Most importantly, good enough to hit the streets.
- Pair a long, diaphanous soft cotton drawstring pyjamas trouser with a fitted (and short) modern top, that barely graze the belly-button. I can see me sipping hot lemongrass in pretty china teacups at Dempsey on Sunday.
- Pair a silky PJ top with a high-waisted tight skirt. Add a dash of blusher, lipstick and slip on killer heels. You are ready for Raffles Place, and your colleagues wouldn't even guess that you just rolled out of bed!
The rest of my ugly Piyo Piyo an Hello Kitty PJ sheaths violates my fashion reputation, therefore my examples stop here, until I get nicer PJs for myself. :)
