ARMY DAZE

Here's something I love about street style photography: You never know who you're going to meet. The unpredictability does make the process more difficult but at the same time it's more fun and spontaneous. 

Jeremy is the tallest person I've met so far. I didn't ask him about his height but he's at least 1.90m tall. An army regular, he sure has a cool sense of style which sets himself apart from his mates. It may be Jeremy's tall physique that allows him (to be the one and only guy) who can pull off drapes, studs and harem pants simply because wearing all of 'em together can easily be too much for somebody other than him. 

Long sleeves and drapes at the collar doesn't seem too comfy for us, Singaporeans. But Jeremy said his top doesn't make him feel warm at all. The material is pretty thin indeed! Plus, it has just the right amount of drape with an asymmetrical opening at the front. There's certainly a lot of thought put into designing this top. 

Style Tip: For guys to look good in drapes, pair it with utilitarian pants and shoes so that your outfit has a balance of masculine vs (a little bit of) feminine. 

Here's the roundup: top from Malaysia City Square, pants and watch (yes, it's a watch!) from Bugis, and Lonsdale shoes.

OLD & NEW

Guys, it's not all about side shaved hair these days. Long, waxy hair is da shit! And with that ol' school beret and even ol' school glasses, I'm in love with Ahmad's style.

I was at Paul Smith's Spring/Summer 2013 shop launch last week where I met Ahmed who works as the flagship store's sales assistant. I know it's expected that his clothes are all sponsored from hat to toe (except for his accessories), and looking so awesomely preppy and cool is part of his job (he has two looks a year and gets to keep all of them!), I would very much consider a career change.



So you are entitled to Paul Smith's goodies but how do you stand out from your counterparts? Or so, turning the brand's signature into something of your own? Ahmad's hair, glasses and wrist accessories make all the difference. Berets have such a long history (worn since the Bronze Age) and Ahmad pairs the traditional headwear with his modern clothing so well, it looks relevant even today.

Style Tip: For a casual yet preppy look, wear the unexpected beret and never forget your ol' school glasses.

I am very intrigued by his skull bracelet. Ahmad managed to score a deal (at a very very VERY affordable price) at eBay! Never have I thought that eBay would be a fashion haven but better late then never right?



Here's the roundup: Beret, shirt, pants and shoes are all from Paul Smith, glasses from Haji Lane, skull bracelet from eBay and Balenciaga leather bracelet.

Off to eBay!

BLACK, YOU'RE OUT.

Singapore is indeed a super tiny city filled with loads and loads of people. Running into your ex (or exs), colleagues, school mates, and acquaintances in town, a.k.a. Orchard Road happens all the time. So bumping into one of my street style subjects is like reuniting with an old friend!

The last time I met him was a year ago at the same place, Mandarin Gallery. You know what, there must be some sort of telepathy between us, I'm sure! But I still can't believe I didn't get his name, hence for now, I shall call him Mr. Lecturer.

I must say, sporting an outfit without black is not easy. You can't go wrong with black since it's a very safe colour that goes well with everything. So (almost) everybody wears something black all the time. I love how Mr. Lecturer does it without going overboard. He matches his printed shirt with a pair of military green pants.

Style Tip: A great way to tone down your printed top is to wear it with any plain-coloured bottom or vice versa.

If you take a closer look at Mr. Lecturer's shirt, you can spot his cute yellow zipper pocket. I don't know what I would put inside but it sure looks great! He's also one of the few guys who can pull off a guy's tote without looking too feminine. Now look at his sandals. The colour is amazing! I would never thought a traditional monk sandal can look this modern. Thumbs up!



Here's the roundup: HBNS shirt, Goyard bag, Zara pants, Bottega Veneta belt, Issue sandals and Rolex watch.

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. 

Laid-Back Cool.

Scratching and spinning on the turntable is one thing but DJ Hapa is certainly more than that. I met him at the AOS DJs Preview last week and found out that not only is he one of the three additions to the AOS (a.k.a Ace of Spades) DJ Crew created by The Butter Factory, DJ Hapa is also the national brand director of Scratch DJ Academy in the US. 

DJ Hapa makes it so easy to wear a leather jacket in Singapore. That's from DKNY btw, so are his shirt and pants. I took a closer look at his accessories and became a big fan of his STORM watch. Although I don't wear a watch, I love to look at them, especially the ones which reveal the gears and mechanics. It's so complicated, it's beautiful. I spotted DJ Hapa's vintage jade ring and it was a gift from his grandfather. I've only managed to instragram it, so check it out here.

I'm sure you all know where this pair of sneakers are from. Converse of course! And loosely tight ones too. I have yet to own a pair of Converse myself but I will real soon.

T shirt, jeans and sneakers are awfully common not only in Singapore but all over the world. How Dj Hapa does it, with a jacket, cool watch and even cooler ring, certainly makes him stand out from the rest.

The dumb-ass of me brought my camera without a memory card. Thank god I met Wesley, who was covering the event. Thank you!

Style Lessons from NYFW #2.

Style Lesson #2: Matching Suits & Heels For All.

Are you a fan of matchy-matchy suits? Well, I am. And add a dosage of sky-high heels to that! During NYFW, I've spotted bright suits, floral suits, monochrome suits, printed suits and a whole lot a of variety of suits. I mean, this trend has been going on for a couple of seasons already, but where else can you find both men and women in their suits, strutting their stuff in HEELS? Only in NYFW.

Lose that spoiler: I love his oriental floral suit and of course, him feeling more comfortable in those heels than I do! But, I'll lose that bohemian sling (you don't want to crumple that blazer of yours, don't ya?) and pair it with a sleek clutch like Lauren Santo Domingo on the left. Tres chic!

Style Lesson #1: Keep your childhood in your childhood.

Nifty Fit.

Having known Ridhwan for a couple of years now, it's only a matter of time for me to feature him here. A renown illustrator (have you seen his beautiful sketches for Style: Magazine), photographer and writer of local blog, ONESIXTYNOTEPAD, Ridhwan usually goes for the blazer-with-shirt combi with little touches, like this flower brooch he bought from Far East Plaza. He's certainly one of the few guys who can pull it off!

What's more is the way he carries his bag (it's Calvin Klein btw). Fold the tote bag into half and that's a clutch for ya. 

Sometimes, that's all you need to complete your look. Keep it simple yet stylish. Forget about all those OTT prints, bright-till-your-eyes-go-blind colours and headpieces only ADR can pull off.

Here's the breakdown: Blazer and pants from Mind Bridge, Calvin Klein bag and Dr. Martens shoes. 

The Other Half.

So you've met Faith. Here's her other half, Kevin who is currently serving the army. If you realise, both of them are great the layering-sweater-over-shirt look. Kevin's take is pairing his shirt from The Corner Shop with an Acne sweater. I must say his mix of denim and purple is pretty unique though I'm not sure how long he will last outdoor. 

Here comes my highlight: Tommy Ton for Club Monaco Backpack baby! He managed to steal a deal from eBay and boy does it look spacious and sleeeeek. It's definitely a smart move from the fashion house to collaborate with a street photographer who is constantly on the streets. I'm still in search for my Messenger Bag!

One thing I look at when photographing guys on the streets has got to be their shoes. I feel that shoes are one of the most coveted fashion items that get guys going gaga over, just like us girls. And Kevin's oxfords from Mark McNairy is another wonder on its own. Just look at those stitches, construction, quality and details from T-to-H (toes-to-heel).

Army Daze.

I used to tell my friends how hard is it to spot a stylish guy in Singapore. Since I've started street style photography, I begun to spot more guys who stood out from the crowd - to each his own unique style. 

This gentlemen here works as a sub editor for a local female magazine. I find his camo-print sweater very different from the usual ones I've seen and instead of the good ol' dog tags, he wears a cool necklace with not one but three thin long tags, each with a short quote. I remember reading them out but my memory has failed me. Sorry! 

His favourite item from the casual army look is his ultra-durable-until-you-can-anyhow-throw-around tote. It's super soft! If I'm not wrong, his drop crotch pants are from Comme des Garçons. It may seem pretty normal from the front but those checkered back pockets are so darn cute. 

And this fresh pair of Dr. Martens are just super tempting... for me to step on! Love the red stitching!

COLLAR KEY

Why do all style shots by renowned photographers are done in the open? Street style shots done indoors aren't as pretty due to the artificial lighting. When I was forced into Mandarin Gallery with the heavy rain outside, I kind of gave up looking for subjects. But two people caught my eye and I knew at once, I have to shoot them.

So first up, a lecturer from a polytechnic. His outfit speaks of one important styling tip: one statement jacket is all you need. I know his vintage Birkin is irresistible but his cropped jacket from Singaporean label, DEPRESSION is dope. And did I mention, he's a lecturer?

This certainly proves that your profession doesn't matter, anyone can be stylish.

Button Up.

With Singapore's ultra hot and humid weather, it's rare to spot guys wearing vest these days (except for waiters and bartenders). Guys, it's time to bring them out from that lonely corner of your wardrobe and be inspired by Travis' new take on the garment.

The fashion editor of Taiwan's PPAPER FASHION wears a palette of neutral tones with a black tote and nude suede shoes. His prim haircut suits his casual prep look just right. Once again, details are key,  Travis' blue handkerchief in his breast pocket is the perfect icing on the cake.