Sartorial construction; longevity over excess

Gone are the days of cringing when I spot somebody on the street decked out in the same dress I am wearing. It is a bitch growing old, with expanding waistlines and knowing that youth isn’t your best beauty secret anymore, but there are certainly perks to it – affording well-tailored, one-of-a-kind clothing that looks chic, stylish, unique and simply me.

Joining the ranks of up and coming local designers (perhaps this may be well of a series of posts?) is Ong Shunmugam - heck even the name spells something different – contemporary womenswear label designed to cut to fit and accentuate your best womanly assets. I shall let the pictures speak for themselves, as I put forth a few of my personal favourites from the Orientalism 2011 collection:

Kamala skirt
- cut to the waist, with waist detail to accentuate narrow waist and curvy hips. Chic and oriental.

Lee Ping dress
- from workwear to cocktails, all I need is a blazer to go with this. And patent leather black heels. Mmm!

Poh Sim jumpsuit
- screams sexy, classy, contemporary. I loved how the silk blouse moves but the rest of the jumpsuit fits the body, unlike the flare jumpsuits we are so used to these days.

Clemente dress
- my ultimate favourite, being a fan of black. Using a combination of Lycra and and lace, the flattering cut hugs your body and balances proportions, you look subtle-sexy (now that’s what we want to wear to work without looking too slutty).

And she does a lovely contemporary remake of the cheongsam. One piece but fashioned as a blouse and a pencil skirt. Oh till I can fit into a cheongsam….

The collection is available at http://shop.ongshunmugam.com, or via Facebook. What I love about tailored wear is the exclusive attention they give you, advice on what looks best on your body, what material fits and what I can’t wear – good ol’ honest advice that I appreciate. Simply write to them and pay a visit.

Stylo-Milo Sunday!!!

Nabilah

- Of colours, shirts-turned-skirts, and her almost eclectic dress sense.

What defines your personal style?

I live by four words: Shoot from the hip. Simple pieces make up the basic, but I will add a dash of colour or wear an accessory in a new way to make the outfit more unique. For example, I’d wear a men’s shirt like a skirt, or wear a vest the wrong way round, that kind of thing.

I like mismatched colours, mixing prints and I steal very liberally from my mom and my brother’s wardrobes to supplement what I think is a modest selection of clothes.

And it seems like menswear has a space in Nabilah’s wardrobe too!

I also love shopping in the men’s department: their hats, socks and ties tend to appeal to me more than women’s ones sometimes (plus I’m way bigger than the average Singaporean girl)

Favourite pick of this year? Chunky rings! Seems to be an obsession for me this year but I feel weird if I leave home without one on my finger.

Style to me is…

My rings, Ray-Ban Wayfarers (Did you know that Ray-Ban was founded by Bausch & Lomb?  I just learnt that!) and my very-broken-in topshop canvas shoes. It’s comfortable, I can pull it off, and I feel just like myself in it. Works for the scorching weather in Singapore too!

Stylo-Milo Sunday!!!

While women swoon over killer heels and pretty wedges, the men refuse to get left behind.

Fabian

reveals his cupboard and fetish to us.

Shirt and pants is the standard office get-up: But there is more to simply a shirt, and a pair of pants. Most men dress in white shirts, black pin-striped pants and a pair of black work-shoes. I work my wardrobe according to colours which I know work: pink shirts with grey slacks and dark brown belt & shoes. Blues with whites. For something more exciting, black with a dash of tan shoes and tan watch strap or belt. Various combinations work but the key is to keep it simple and go with only one dominant color and use others to accentuate.

Your favourite accessory: My collection of watches – I can’t really decide which is my favourite. Each watch goes with a particular outfit, I pick a watch…then I pick my outfit.

Essentials for a man – wherever he goes: For casual, a white shirt, a blue pair of shorts/pants/jeans and a tan belt. Shoes should be moccasins with shorts/pants or proper leather shoes with jeans or something more smart-casual.  White shirts are great for travelling because one can wear them with berms or jeans. Sandals are only ever meant for the beach or late night grocery runs.

For work, a man needs only 3 main pairs of shoes, a black pair, a tan and a dark brown/burgundy. The same color combination for belts and the essential white shirts and dark pants. From that foundation, all forms of combinations can come to light and will always leave you looking fresh and new. For watches, this becomes very personal and depends on the style and image you wish to accentuate. Large watches = sporty, slim and simple = elegant. Not always the case, but the general rule. The G-Shocks are only ever welcome when outdoors and really roughing it up.

Stylo-Milo Sundayl!! – Treasure ‘thriftin’ in Haji Lane

Polkadot Monsters catches up with Wonderwool’s new store and the lady behind it.

We discover a new corner to cosy up within the nooks and crannies of eclectic Haji Lane, conceived by owner, Anna. And just when you start wondering what Wonderwool is all about…

Her inspiration to start this shop:

I love thrifting and whenever I am in Europe or US, I always look for thrift stores for treasures. Thrift stores have a lot of character and interesting things that you don’t get from normal stores. In Singapore, thrift (or otherwise known as ‘vintage’) stores are non-existent and even if they are, it’s on extreme ends of price scales. I wanted to start a thrift store where girls can enjoy digging, looking for reasonably priced treasures in a pretty and cosy environment.

How and why did she begin?

I started it on a whim; I love my job but had always wanted to have a business of my own! I planned to start it in a year (“when I have enough savings”, ”when I learn enough”, …) but decided to go for it when a space became available. It was very tough in the beginning as I have no knowledge or whatsoever; I was foolhardy but the passion was overpowering. I did up the decoration from scratch and slept 4 hours everyday for a few weeks!

Wonderwool’s philosophy:

Shop without the guilt; surrender to surprises in Wonderwool.

Wonderwool is a concept store that offers you fantastic new and pre-loved clothes at prices that don’t pinch. We suss out all the finest and cutest clothes from all over the world and present them to you in (what we hope to be) the prettiest and most comfy store. Never feel guilty for that quick fix again.  Girls will be in for a delightful treat at each visit us as we constantly update our store. You’ll never know what you’ll get!

Wish to clear your bursting wardrobe? We love adopting clothes that are new or lightly worn, items that make our hearts palpitate. If you think we will covet your wardrobe, bring them over right now!  Our professional shopaholics will reward with Wonder$ so you can shop more in our store.

Who can wear Wonderwool?

Cliched but everyone and anyone!

Dream customer?

MICHELLE OBAMA!

Surprise surprise – we find out that Anna is a huge fan of Mrs Obama –  she is unpredictable and experimental. She has all the money in the world but chooses to support young designers and singlehandedly make Target (U.S apparel store) cool again. Anna loves how she mixes couture with mass-produced pieces and manages to look elegant and relevant at all times. Anna confesses that was what she wanted for Wonderwool – a mishmash of high-end and thrifted pieces where shoppers will always be pleasantly surprised.

Your personal style?

I love clothes and I like to wear what flatters me and what is comfortable. I suck at being a girlie girl but to make up for it, I pore over clothes online endlessly and admire people who always look effortlessly cool! I live vicariously through good looking people.

Stylo-Milo Sunday!!!

Mix & Match – Mikeller

Favourite colours…Black with white, or gold. It’s really hard for me to pinpoint a favourite colour because I love experimenting with all shades.

Blazers are…an integral part of my wardrobe, even in Singapore. Plus, they are great for a quick chic look!

Individual style: Versatile, with the words, “anything goes” as long as I can carry the outfit off. Because I love to mix and match so much, it is essential for me to make sure each layer is in contrast with another, be it accessories, texture, colours and more. You can be almost sure you will never see me in the same outfit more than once – I enjoy interchanging my tops and bottoms (and accessories) too much!

One apparel item you will always want more of: Shoes, shoes shoes! Like any woman, shoes are the ultimate accessory – you can decide your day’s outfit from your choice of heels.