IMMA ANGEL

Street style is overrated, saturated and boring.

I've heard this many times and I agree that it's getting a little bit out of hand (especially at Fashion Weeks). Street style can be more than just full body or details shots. That's how Street Angel comes into the picture. See the blackboard I'm holding? When you go to the site today, you'll see me. There will also be other 'street angels' but instead of telling the date, they tell the time and it changes - every minute.

I love the concept. But it requires a lot of time and effort to find your subjects since most of them only have the site life of one minute. I'm not sure if he reuses the photos but one day has friggin' 1,440 minutes, which is 1,440 photos!! You win oreddy.

Behind Street Angel is Japanese duo photographer Noriaki and Chester. This is an ongoing project in Singapore and they've been doing it for three years. So why Singapore? 'It's safe. We like the weather and the cost of living is comparable to that of Tokyo. When we miss Japanese food, we can easily find the ingredients here to make them.'

Here's the roundup: Topshop blazer, Cheap Monday jeans, S U P E R M A M A necklace, FELDER FELDER cuff and Aldo shoes.

You win oreddy: A Singaporean slang where instead of the past tense, a change of state can be expressed by adding already (commonly pronounced as oreddy) or liao (/liɑ̂u/) to the end of the sentence, analogous to Chinese 了 (le).

SHAKE IT UP!

I'm a fan of black. Well, who isn't? Black is the easiest and most flattering colour for everyone. But even I get sick of an all black outfit sometimes. More often than not, it reminds me of the backstage crew, dressers, ushers, bartenders... you get what I mean? The next time when you look into the mirror and spot a backstage crew lookalike, why not shake it up a little? By that, I don't mean you have to reset your whole styling process, but select one item (top, bottom, bag, shoes or earrings) and replace it with something of a different colour, print or texture like a knitted sweater. Believe me, it freshens up your entire outfit. Look at Miranda.



This is what I'm talking about! Miranda is the editor-in-chief of PoachedMag, a lifestyle news and events site based in Singapore. Instead of a full monochrome look, Miranda opted for a vintage printed skirt that looks simply amazing (it's from her Mum btw). I like how she paired it with the unexpected hardware necklace - hard vs soft. And especially the way she mixes luxury brands with high street favourites. Who says you can't rock a pair of Dr. Martens boots and Prada bag at the same time?



Here's the roundup: Sweater, H&M; Necklace, Topshop; Skirt, Vintage Arthur Yen; Bag, Prada; Shoes, Dr. Martens.

TAKE A BOW

Ribbon bow ties are super rare to spot on the streets, especially in Singapore. But in Japan, school girls everywhere wear all kinds of ribbon bow ties ranging from the short Sailormoon-like to slim long ones, just like what Venetia (who also blogs at Fashion On Your Feet) is wearing. I'm not referring to those cute little ones most guys wear for the preppy look, these are more elaborated pieces with no standard shapes and sizes. They are usually slightly larger, oversized and easily tied using ribbons of varying colours and designs. It's amazing how I managed to spot three guys wearing three different types of ribbon bow ties but unfortunately, none of them are Singaporeans.

I like how Venetia adds prints and textures to her classic black and white look. Her H&M blouse has a feminine yet subtle floral print while her Preen for Aldo Rise graphic peep-toe booties is like a walking piece of art (don't forget your pedicures!). Leather shorts and clutch are great for matching as well. Topping it off, Venetia ties a braid on her fringe. Small details do count to look extra stylish!

Venetia wears bow tie and shorts from Topshop, blouse from H&M, blazer from The Scarlet Room, clutch from Korea and shoes from Preen for Aldo Rise. 

I personally own a black ribbon bow tie and I got it from a gift - it was used as a ribbon for the gift box  How's that for saving an extra buck?

SHARK ATTACK

We've awed at the shark tooth necklace on Givenchy's 2012 runway. Finally, I got to see, touch and feel it in person. A helluva statement necklace! This is one of the reasons why I enjoy street style so much - like how they always put it, you get to watch it translated from the runway to the real way. 

Jireh, a final fashion student from NAFA, shares his tip on layering in humid Singapore: wear your sweater over a sleeveless shirt instead (note: sleeveless) instead of a standard shirt. This way, you won't sweat too much and nobody will notice it either. Your sleeves won't add too much faux volume to your body as well, creating a slightly over-sized you. 

I like how Jireh wears muted colours to draw more attention to the different types of textures in his ootd: knitted Topshop sweater, geometric Issey Miyake's Bao Bao and pony hair Dr. Martens.

Exactly one more week left for you to own a uniquely Singaporean t-shirt from local label, Roof Industries. Find out how here. 

SKIRTING ISSUES

Let's count how many skirts I actually wear out: one. two. That's all. One of which is black and the other denim. And I wear them once every three or four months, maybe? The rest just chill in the drawer, really. One (a black ballerina skirt) almost got to see the light of day but somehow it just doesn't seem to work with any of my tops. Sorry, but I tried. 

What's so nice about wearing skirts? First of all, you got to be aware of revealing your VPL and extra bucks goes into buying seamless undies or even thongs. I'm fine with seamless but thongs, really, with that wedgie all the time? No thanks. Second, upskirts are great for guys but you don't wanna be part of it especially when you're on the escalator, stairs and at the mall (you know, leaning against the glass railing can be fatal sometimes, especially for those pervs looking up while walking straight). Third, wind isn't your best friend, even in Singapore. One sudden gust of wind may just give you your Monroe moment but without a pair of sexy undies, it'll become your Shit, I'm So Screwed I Wanna Die moment. Fourth, shaving your legs is mandatory. No matter how awesome you look in that cute, tight skirt, if you have a few strains of hair dangling on those tonde calves, it's just plain gross. Fifth, crossing your legs while seated is also mandatory. Sorry, sister, even with a pair of sexy undies, I'm sure you don't want the whole world to know what colour underwear you're wearing, especially on the train. Not a fan of the leftover red marks on your knees either. 

I like pants. Pants are comfy; they liberate your legs, and you can jump, run, somersault whenever, wherever you want to, convenient and versatile. Most importantly, I don't have to worry about any of the five skirting issues mentioned above. Allow me to introduce you Ms. Uniqlo (above) and Mr. Cheap Monday (genders chosen are based on how suitable they sound with no association between words 'Ms.' and 'Cheap' simply coz I'm a feminist). I became acquainted with Ms. Uniqlo at NYC Uniqlo's flagship store opening two years ago and brought her home for a whopping USD10. She's so versatile even my boy wore it to work a couple of times before I got jealous. 

Here's the rundown: Corset, Just Cavalli; Pants, Uniqlo; Bag, Topshop; Shoes, Clarks; Cuff, Chomel. Credit: StreetPeek.

Mr. Cheap Monday and I go way back even before Ms. Uniqlo. We met in 2009 while I was having my exchange in Sweden and snagged him at the end of season sale. I'm not a fan of pink but his shade of pink is rare and super rugged. His pink charm caught the eye of Nylon Singapore too.

Here's the rundown: Top, vintage hand-me-down from Daddy; Pants, Cheap Monday; Collar necklace, Diva; Peace necklace, Urban Outfitters; Cuff, from FELDER FELDER; Ring, Dempsey House's Black Market; Bag, Topshop; Shoes, Aldo. Credit: The Stylograph. 

Okay, here's a gentle reminder to you when you are wearing pants: Do not cross your legs when having your photo taken (you are not wearing a skirt!). Otherwise, you'll have to live with the weird awkward looking camel toe published on a magazine.

Rock Chic.

It's hard to wear a two-tone vest without looking like a jester. I like how Cherry matches her black and white vest with an all-white ensemble. With that, her outfit certainly makes her jet black cropped hair stands out too. Of course, to complete a rock chic look, you can't leave out a statement chain mill necklace like hers.  

Currently studying Fashion Marketing at NAFA, Cherry is serving her internship for a semester at Club 21. A Topshop fan she is, her top, shirt and necklace are all from Topshop, vest is from Taiwan and her see-through oxfords are from A Lodge.

I would love to own a pair like this but given my sweaty feet, I'm not sure if I'll feel as comfortable with the plastic sticking onto my feet. :(