Dress Up, Dress Local

In light of our nation’s 58th birthday this month, we’ve put together a guide to some of our favourite homegrown fashion brands to show you how you can stay on trend while supporting local.

For Singaporeans and anyone that calls our little island home, August is the time of year when local pride shines brightest, what with the nation’s birthday on 9 August, and the appearance of red and white themed decorations seemingly everywhere we turn.

Patriotic or not, as we look back on all that we’ve achieved as a nation, there’s no denying that we have much to be proud of, especially our homegrown brands that have been making waves not only in the local fashion scene, but on a global scale as well. In April this year, for example, Blackpink’s Jennie and Jisoo were spotted repping local footwear and accessories brand Charles & Keith during their Coachella performance.

Of course, we know how difficult it is to keep up with fashion’s astounding array of microtrends and up-and-coming brands, so if you need a little bit of help, we’ve got you covered with this list of some of our favourite local brands, and fashion trends that you can try experimenting with.

Big and Baggy

Gone are the days when skinny jeans and tight fitting clothes dominated our streets and runways—these days, it’s all about oversized comfort. In fact, the bigger and baggier, the better! And when it comes to oversized chic, no one does it better than GINLEE and Beyond The Vines.

GINLEE’s signature pleats elevate the classic baggy fit, keeping each piece light, airy, and ultra forgiving, whether it’s a top, dress, or pants. On the other end of the spectrum, Beyond The Vines delivers the perfect boxy, utilitarian silhouette with their largely unisex pieces that can be easily dressed up or down.

Denim on Denim

Fashion trends are cyclical, so it comes as no surprise that the classic 80s denim-on-denim look is in again. When it comes to styling a full denim fit though, we say more is more—don’t just stop at pairing a denim jacket with your favourite pair of jeans. Go all out and throw on a pair of denim kicks and a denim bag from local favourite Charles & Keith.

From platform heels to versatile Chelsea boots, itty bitty bucket bags to carryall totes, you’re bound to find the perfect addition to complete your full denim look at the homegrown accessories and footwear label.

Blokette Core

Okay, this may be a little more niche than your average everyday trend, but what we’ve been seeing a lot of on social media these days is the aptly named Blokette aesthetic, where masculine, sporty pieces (think sports jackets and jerseys) are paired with hyper-feminine, coquette pieces like miniskirts and ballerina flats.

To achieve this look, we recommend pairing a baseball striped tee from the family-run Moley Apparels with a tweed skirt from the local brand beloved by many Singaporean girls, Love, Bonito.

Barbiecore

Fuelled by the global phenomenon of Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated Barbie movie, Barbiecore has once again returned to the forefront of the fashion scene, with girls and guys alike dressing up in vibrant pink ensembles for all sorts of occasions, whether it’s to catch the movie for the third time, or to just head out for a day in town.

Of course, in true Barbie fashion, the brighter the pink, the better, and for all you Kens out there, local slow fashion menswear brand The Shirt Bar has the perfect hot pink shirt for you. For the ladies, homegrown womenswear label Purpur’s hot pink matching top and shorts set is bound to have you channelling your inner summertime Barbie.

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