Head Wrap, Somerset MRT Station, 260606

Wati Ahmad (42)

"I do wear the usual tudungs, but for more casual occasions, I like to wear headscarfs in different styles. Sometimes, I just tie the scarve around my head and let the ends hang down. I use different shapes, both square and rectangular kinds. I get my scarfs from places such as Geylang Serai and Tanjong Katong but also at the usual departmental stores like Takashimaya. I do experiment with scarves and sometimes my friends tease me a little."

The best thing about Singapore is that everything is a mix of the old and new. While headscarves amongst the Malay ladies are not uncommon, I really like how Cik Wati tied hers. It serves its purpose but with a modern flair.

Comments

I was unaware that Blogger's default options for the comment settings involved the requirement where only those who have Blogger accounts are able to comment. The settings have been changed and now non-bloggers have the option to comment too.

Again, a gentle reminder that spam will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to say whatever you want on the outfits.

Lime Flea Market, 240606

Jan

"I think the flea market is not a bad idea. As for style, I think more people should refer to magazines from overseas. Europe and Japan have pretty good magazines. Especially Milan, which has very fashion-forward magazines. I don't really follow trends or shop online."

Jan happens to be a stylist from MediaCorp. Which explains her shoes. (They are gorgeous!)

Stripes, Wheelock Place, 240606

Farah (22)

"My style is me and I love it. I'm more of a chameleon. Street-wear, sophisticated chic, bohemian, sporty, you get the idea. My style reflects my mood and my desire to express a certain facet of my personality at that particular moment fashion is more than just a blitzkrieg moment of shopping madness, addiction or splurges. To me it expresses one's uniqueness, creativity and comfort in being in tune with the person that you are. Singaporeans, especially the younger ones, are increasingly getting more fashion-savvy. But in order to further nurture the fashion climate in Singapore, it's important to stay true to oneself when it comes to style and to appreciate the eclectic diversity that is inevitably subjective to the eyes of the beholders."

I have a fondness for people in hats. Probably because in Singapore, wearing a hat immediately makes one stand out.

"The High Life", Zouk, 220606, Part 3: The Hair People

Ada (21)

"I wanted to look nice but not too sexy tonight. The dress is from Thailand. I bought it for a moonlight party at the beach. And these are my clubbing shoes!"

Zhi Jian (19)

These photos do no justice to his haircut. It's really a long diagonal line of hair. If you're curious, the man responsible for it is Mr. Alex Neo of the Stage Salon.



Rhodelle & Deborah

"Our clothes are from Australia. We actually study at Melbourne and are back now as it is the holidays. I think the main differences in fashion between Singapore and Australia is that clothes in Australia are more comfortable."

Darren (18)

"I have always wanted dreadlocks and did my hair in Bangkok. It's not full-dreads as I have already received a warning letter. I chose half-dreads because I will need to see the discipline master soon and they are easier to remove if I need to get rid of them."

Mukund aka Mooks (19)

"Mooks is an actual brand. It's also my nickname."

Calista (18)

"We just came back from Bangkok. The shopping was alright. Things are more expensive now though."

TCP wishes Darren luck with the hairy matter and hopes he'll make a fine Captain Sparrow one day.

"The High Life", Zouk, 220606, Part 2: The Dresses

Cherly (18), Samantha (18) & Deborah (18)

The ladies were part of the organising team behind The High Life. Didn't manage to get to talk to them much but I think the dresses speak for themselves.



Estelle (19)

"I can't quite claim credit for this outfit. My stylist is responsible for the look. It was part of a photoshoot and I just adopted the same look for tonight."

Chermaine (19)

Fantastic print.

"The High Life", Zouk, 220606, Part 1

Denise (18)

"I like vintage, it's nostalgic. My influences are my aunt and mother. I even shop with my mother sometimes! My style icon is Mary-Kate Olsen. I have been following her since I was ten, eleven. You could say I grew up with her. I think Singaporeans should take the effort to experiment more. And more people should wear hats! They are appropriate for our weather!"

Denise also organises fashion shows for charity. At the RProject, old clothes are collected and then reworked or reconstructed into new pieces to be sold. You can find out more here.




Viviane (20)

"Gah. I look terrible! Take shots of them instead!"

Siti (20)

"I am also known as the Converse Girl. I wear them everywhere! Er, I don't why I wore two tops."

Duanne (20)

"I got this top from Clifford Pier. It is by this lady who goes to Korea and picks up designs to bring back to Singapore. It was only $50! I think it's a pretty good buy, considering the quality."

Alisha

I think I traumatised the poor girl after I pounced on her. Twice. I couldn't help it. Her outfit attracted my eye even when they had red and blue lights going on during the catwalk.




Eve (18) & Han Long

"I usually shop around town and do my hair in this style. It only takes me about five minutes to get it done? I just use pins. I noticed that there are groups following certain trends now. Retro, mismatched outfits and shorts."

I actually met Eve at a MRT station before I met her again at Zouk. Her cobalt blue top stood out against the browns and greys of the marbled walls. That said, I doubt I will ever approach people at MRT stations again to take shots. The train always approaches when I do.

***

Special shout-outs:

Many thanks to Ying for extending invitations to TCP!

If you're one of the boys who almost lost your PC games, we would like to apologise again! (We honestly thought no one wanted them! Cross our hearts!)

Take Me to Your Leader, Arab Street, 170606

BoxHead (?)

"It's not a fashion statement. It is not! It's just a box head. Nothing zen about it."

Talk about tongue-in-box! Apparently this chap here "borrowed" one of the boxes from a shop undergoing renovation. The construction worker didn't stop him. Instead, he stood by the doorway and grinned from ear to ear.

Arab Street, 170606

Liana (21)

"I like to dress for comfort and don't really follow trends, so I always brighten up my outfits with accessories. I usually order them online and I like to layer simple pieces for a more dramatic effect. The scarf was a cheap buy from Arab Street and an impulse addition to the outfit. But mostly, my style is quite understated and depends on my mood for the day."

The Family, Arab Street, 170606

Mr. Hamid & Family

"We are singers and sing regularly at the mosque. In fact, we have just finished our performance!"

Man. How do I even begin? Arab Street is usually filled with people in traditional garbs but I was looking out for outfits that appeared slightly different, something with a twist. I noticed the four ladies in the second photo first, especially the lady in black (it looked something like a sari but not quite) before realising that they were members of a bigger group. The gents declined to be photgraphed, but trust me when I tell you these people have got to be one of the most colour-coordinated families I have met.

Rushing Lady, Orchard, 100606

H.R (22)

Seriously, in a dress that colour, she was hard to miss. However, she appeared to be in a rush so all I got jotted down were her initials and age.

The Hat People, Lime Flea Market & Cineleisure, 100606

If you have not read the Clarification post, please do. After considering suggestions and armed with a new camera, I will be trying a new format of posting. Feedback would most certainly be welcomed.

***

Mami (19), Ume (19) & Ria (18)

Hats are quite uncommon in Singapore despite the hot weather so the first thing that caught my attention when I entered the flea market was Mami's hat. It was a broad-brimmed hat with a thick silver chain encircling it. I thought they were simply a Japanese culture loving bunch with their cries of "Douzo!" until I approached Mami to ask if I could take some shots of them. Turns out they really were Japanese who also happened to speak fluent English. It was their first time selling at the Lime flea market although they have been in the clothes business before.




Jordus (17)

"My style is mostly vintage and I usually shop online. I think Singapore's fashion scene needs improvement! While people are buying more branded goods, they also tend to dress up like their clothes came from Far East. My most expensive buy is a pair of True Religion jeans and my favourite accessory is a hat from Ed Hardy."

We spotted Jordus' jaunty little hat even before we saw his shoes, which were really quite a sight. While the photo above might be a little bright, it was Jordus' request that we use this particular one when we showed him our shots. Hence the extra photos showing off the details of his hat and his shoes (which had tiger heads and skunks painted on them).

Lime Flea Market, 100606

Bon (21)

A stall owner, which explains the lack of an interview. She was very friendly though and told me with a grin that most of what she is wearing can be found at her stall. Personally, I like how she didn't choose to wear a plain top despite a print skirt and her accessories.

Clarification

Some of you have left comments and others have mailed their suggestions and thoughts on The Clothes Project. While I am very grateful for the time and effort people have spent, I feel there is a need to clarify the goal of this project.

The Clothes Project was not set up to dictate what is good or bad fashion. It was started with the aim of providing snapshots of street fashion in Singapore. Some of the outfits might not be to everyone's taste, but this is what TCP is for: to show off the diversity in styles here.

Both positive and negative comments and suggestions are still welcome. There would be no censorship. (All spam posts will be deleted though.)

Thank you.

The China Girl, Bugis, 060606

"I take notice of what young people in HK wear. I tend to follow the HK style more often. Most of my clothes are bought from HK. I also take notice of many celebrities' dressing. However, I do not follow fashion blindly. I think it is important that one develops a personal sense of style."

Was still reeling from the trauma of my latest haircut when I saw her trying to hail a cab. After an ambush and a few questions later, I realised she was from China. This was when I had to inflict my horrible Mandarin upon her. I forgot to ask her for her name when I was done with the short interview. However, she might been happier to not listen to me spew broken Mandarin because when I did remember and turned back a few seconds later, she was gone.

People, I am sensing a trend here.

Deviation

I know this might sound a little silly, but you can click on the photos to get a larger (and much more detailed) view. Until I get a better camera, I am afraid the current size of the pictures is the best I can offer at the moment. Apologies about that. That said, any suggestions for a relatively cheap and good digital camera? My last one was a Kodak 3.1mb easyshare model that captured colour and worked way better than the HP I am using now.

Do feel free to leave comments on how things or shots can be improved (I am working on the latter, but could always do with more pointers), your thoughts, the outfits, the people, etc!

ICON @ Bugis Point, 030606

Jo (32)

"I think styles in Singapore are not as interesting as a lot of other places. I don't have any style icon."

Tomy (30)

"I usually mix-and-match and do DIY stuff. I get inspirations from fashion magazines, especially from Japan. But I have my own style. It's difficult to get things in Singapore, so we buy from overseas or DIY. Especially for accessories."

UDefined, ICON @ Bugis Point, 030606

Ava (21)

"I am actually a Hong Konger and this shop sells HK-styled clothes so I get most of my clothes from this shop (UDefined). I think Singaporeans are a little afraid to try new or outstanding things. Most of my customers prefer something that is very plain and tend to feel weird if they dress in certain styles not common in Singapore. I've always believe that you should have your own style."

I was impressed by how she managed to pull off wearing various shades of pink (even for her shoes, which are not shown in the picture) without looking overwhelmed.

Takashimaya, 020606

Stacey (17)

"This is my style. I usually wear colourful or retro stuff. I don't really follow a fashion icon but I do like Gwen Stefani's style of dressing. I get weird stares all the time, man. But I have gotten used to it. I usually shop online, but no particular favourite shops since I shop at online journals and SGselltrade."

Popeyes @ Changi Airport, 020606

Corinne (18), Angela (18) & Stacy (18)

"We get our inspirations from websites, Teen Vogue and Nylon. Some people think our style is weird but those who get it, will get it and we don't care about those who don't. Good friends of ours do dress in similar styles. We like celebrity fashion icons such as Misha Barton, Kirsten Dunst and Mary Kate. We also like fashion websites such as The Cobra Snake. A lot of our clothes are from our mums, online shops such as Urban Outfitters and mostly Far East in Singapore. But it's usually difficult to shop here. Things are either too expensive or more or less the same everywhere here."