Arissa and I had lunch at PS Cafe in Dempsey a while ago. I really like the eateries at Dempsey. While they might be rather pricey, I find that it’s well worth it to be able to idle somewhere quiet, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

I love drinking tea, especially Longan tea. It has been a while since I have tasted it!

I’ve had a handful of people asking me where I purchased this bag in the previous post as well as on formspring. Truth is, I really do not remember the exact shop unit or name, but it’s on the second or third floor in Far East Plaza. It comes in white as well, for those who are interested.

I understand that this outfit is rather shapeless and baggy, but there are honestly days when I just want to be shapeless and baggy. Things are really more cooling that way, to be honest.

✖ Jacket: H&M
✖ Camisole: Cotton On
✖ Dress: Hong Kong
✖ Tights: TopShop
✖ Shoes: H&M

We choose outdoor sitting because we wanted natural lighting for the photos, but what a bad choice that turned out to be. I do not recommend it unless you are feeling especially charitable that day and wish to donate a few pints of blood to starving mosquitoes. In that case, be my guest. I swear those vermin can bite through demin if they put their minds too it. We were so horribly bitten that day that once we got into a cab, the cab driver wordlessly pulled out medicated oil for us. I guess it pays to be prepared. I don’t know about you, but I think I am arming myself with bug spray the next time I’m foolhardy enough to sit outdoors again.

Randomly, I am in love with this Proenza Schouler coordinate!

All black? Check.
Thigh high socks? Check.
Fierce shoes? Check.
Sleek silhouette? Check

Now I just need to attain that ridiculously small waist.

Yes, yes.. I know we had one not too long ago, but I don’t think I am alone in loving such posts. Everyone has a certain streak of voyeurism in their nature, so here’s my bag contents for your viewing pleasure!

We might not have extreme seasonal changes in Singapore, but I find myself changing the contents of my bag to reflect the fact that autumn is creeping up upon us! The fall is definitely my favourite season – The colours are so rich and I really wish I could watch the leaves turn. I am also taking this chance to show off the new bag I’ve bought! I really wish I could afford to buy the PS1 from Proenza Schouler, but this inspired bag will do in the meantime. I love it – it’s roomy but not clumsy, and it fits an iPad perfectly.

What’s in my bag: Clockwise from the top

✖ Audio Technica headphones. I don’t always play music on it. Sometimes it just functions as a noise-cancelling device when I’m taking public transport. I hate that some earbuds “leak” sound and everyone in a 1o mile radius can hear what you are playing. Headphones keeps the sound in and out.

✖ Makeup Pouch. I believe the pouch is a freebie from Burberry when my mum bought their perfume or something. It’s made of a sturdy, waterproof material and it keeps spillages in. I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on makeup pouches. They always end up getting dirty and stained from my makeup spilling anyway. The sturdy material prevents my makeup from getting knocked around too much.

✖ Makeup. Just lipsticks and lipglosses and a compact powder. I keep a spare tube of eyelash glue in my bag as well as I wear false lashes often.

✖ Nail polish top coat from seche vite. Tights are a staple in my closet during the fall, and a coat of clear nail polish prevents snags from ruining my stockings! When you see a run in your stockings, applying some clear nail polish along the edges will prevent it from laddering further.

✖ Bobby pins. I love to wear jackets and scarves when the weather turns chilly. However, static in the collars and scarves causes my hair to tangle horribly around my neck. It’s a literally a pain to brush out and it damages your hair horribly. I very much prefer to bun my hair up to prevent this from happening. I have light brown pins to match my hair colour.

✖ Money. I like to just dump money in my bag and forget about them. It’s a cheap thrill to find money randomly stashed in your purse months later and I love how happy it makes me.

✖ DS Lite which I’ve stolen from my brother. (Come on, it’s red anyway.) My favourite games are Animal Crossing, Mario Kart and Guilty Gear. I used to love to play Taiko but I think I’ve ruined my LR buttons.

✖ Pens and markers. I always, always have a pen with me. To what purpose? I’m not too sure myself. It’s just really handy to have around in the event that you need to fill up forms or to jot down thoughts. Yes, I know this is the 21st century and there are electronic devices, but I just really really love to write things down. Markers are for decorating polaroids.

✖ Wallet and iPhone. Of course. The wallet is a birthday gift from my awesome friends – I really can’t bear to change it because of the sentimental value. I stuff so many cards/receipts in there that it’s really hard to close.

✖ Hairspray. In case of rainy days and in case of muggers.

✖ Silence of the Lambs. One of my favourite movies/novels ever. I am a big fan of the Hannibal series.

What are the staples in your bag this fall?

While etsy is picking up on the western hemisphere, I think it still remains rather unheard of this side of the world. (In a nutshell, etsy is like ebay, except that all of its products are catered uniquely to consumers looking for handmade and vintage accessories and clothing, rather than the heaps of mass-produced goods that tend to flood ebay.) If you are looking for unique accessories and personalized services, etsy is the place for you. Surfing through etsy can be an extremely daunting task at first. Half of the time I wasn’t even sure what to look for, much less where. Hence, I’ve decided to put together a list of my top 5 etsy accessories shops, with my choice selection!

1) Abigail A. Percy Jewellery

I simply adore jewellery that is organic looking and inspired by nature. Pieces like these are bold enough for people to take notice, but subtle enough to compliment most outfits without taking the focus away from it. Accessories like this suits a wide variety of styles, and you can wear it both casually, as well as a statement piece in a formal outfit. The earrings would be a perfect fall accessory with loosely tied hair and a light scarf. It is classic and very wearable, hence earning the top spot in my list of top 5 etsy shops!

2) Moon Raven Designs

I’ll be perfectly honest here. The only reason why this is second on my list of top 5 etsy accessory shops is because it is slightly less wearable on a daily basis. Other than that, this is my personal number 1 on  etsy!

I’ve never seen any designs quite like these. They are a mix of macabre and beauty. I love how delicate and fragile these designs seem, even if they are made to resemble chameleon skulls and severed bird’s feet. These are pieces that are not obtrusive on their own, but will take your breath away upon closer inspection. These accessories will never go out of fashion and I certainly view them as being investments. The prices are actually very reasonable as well, surprisingly! If I were to get these (which will most likely happen) I will wear them with everything.

3)  BloodMilk

“Supernatural designs for the surrealist darlings”. Their shop description just about sums it up perfectly.

Look at how the sparrow claws are replicated down to every little wrinkle in the skin. On first glance, I thought the double rings were made to look like interlocking ulna and radius bones. It’s only upon closer inspection that I realized that they were in fact hummingbird skulls! I simply love how exquisite these pieces look. If I can afford to buy every single item in this store, I certainly would.

4) Anne Ardent McDonald

By now, you should realize that I have a penchant for accessories inspired by nature and human anatomy. At first glance, I wasn’t very impressed by the selection of jewellery in this store, but if there’s one trick you must learn when surfing etsy, it is to keep your eyes open. The perfect accessories could be hiding in the least likely of stores!

It’s amazing how many designs can revolve around the basic theme of the human anatomy. These unique pieces definitely earned their place in my list of top 5 etsy accessories shops!

5) Paradise Findings

I had such hard time looking for steampunk accessories until I’ve stumbled upon Etsy. Once again, these items are actually very reasonably priced for the amount of work that has obviously gone into it! With these, you can bet that you won’t be seeing anyone wearing the same accessory any time soon.

What are your favourite shops on etsy? What do you like to buy there?

I wore this outfit to shop around Orchard Road yesterday, completely forgetting that it was monsoon season! I love this outfit, but I wasn’t exactly dressed for the rain so I stayed indoors most of the time instead. When it’s monsoon season in Singapore, there tends to be a steady drizzle from day to night, with huge flash storms in between. It is no joke, and you really have to dress appropriately for the rain to prevent yourself from getting drenched and catching a cold. I will surely remember to dress for a rainy day the next time I head out!

Here’s my outfit for a rainy day yesterday:

Outfit Rundown

• Top: Unknown brand, purchased from TopShop Oxford Circus.
• Shorts: Hong Kong
• Tights: TopShop
• Shoes: Sonia Rykiel for H&M
• Bag: Haji Lane

Here are my tips for how to dress for the rain:

1. Wear covered shoes or shoes with tall platforms. I think the worst mistake anyone can make when dressing for the rain is to wear sandals and end up having their feet wet! Covered shoes prevent the dirty water on the pavement from seeping into your shoes and shoes with tall platforms help keep your feet off the puddles of water and muck! I was glad I wore my Sonia Rykiel for H&M wedges. I could walk through a puddle without wetting my feet. Not only are wet feet uncomfortable, they are hardly sanitary and could potentially lead to fungal infections.
2. Wear a hat or tie your hair up. Rain leads to frizziness, your hair’s biggest enemy. To prevent rain from turning your hair into an unkempt frizzball, either do your hair up, or tuck it under a cap! Hiding your hair under a cap prevents it from getting drenched in the rain as well. I usually tuck my hair under a beanie or tie it into a bun when I am heading out into the rain. Besides knowing how to dress for the rain, taking care of your appearance matters as well!
3. Avoid clothing made of wool. While it is tempting to whip out your chic wool sweater in the slightly chilly weather, you do not want to ruin your sweater over it! Remember that wool shrinks when it’s wet. So it might be a better idea to keep it in a warm and dry place at home. Not to mention the scent of wet wool is pretty reminiscent of that of a wet dog. Knowing how to dress for the rain is essentially knowing what materials are suitable for the weather. Avoid bags made of cloth as well. Bags are one of the first things to get wet because you usually neglect to shelter it from the rain, and you really wouldn’t want your electronics to get wet!
4. Unless you can be sure that you can dry your boots completely, avoid wearing leather/pleather shoes. Like I have mentioned in one of my previous posts, mould loves damp places to grow on. If you insist on wearing your boots out, make sure to dry it later using a hair dryer set on cool. Too much heat from the hair dryer may melt pleather and even the glue used to hold the shoe together. Opt instead for shoes made of waterproofed canvas or even rubber or PVC.

These are all of my tips for how to dress for the rain! Don’t forget your brolly, and don’t let the rain be an excuse for you to hole up at home!

First of all, thank you everyone for your generous input on our previous  5 Travel Fashion Essentials post! Some of your comments have inspired me to create a series of Street Style around the World, gleaned from our observation of during visits to cities like Tokyo, Paris, London, Hong Kong, and many more! I find it intriguing how no two cities in the world have similar street styles and fashion. I figured that we should start from where we are from: Singapore. What better way is there to start off the street style series than from the place we spend most of our time in? It will probably be useful to all of you travelling to Singapore or any warmer climates during holidays, as well. Here is my take on the street style of Singapore:

✖ It’s hard to summarize something so diverse as street style and fashion, but Singapore is known for its fusion of the east and the west. This applies to our street style too: You can see a distinct separation between Japanese-inspired fashion, and western influnced style. I would say it’s about a 50-50 mix of the both in the streets of Singapore, although sometimes you can see an interesting mix between the two!

✖ In general, layering of clothing is not a trend in Singapore. This has got to do with our warm and humid climate – it is simply too warm outside to experiment with much layering! (Doesn’t stop us from doing it, but we do have a flagrant disregard for dressing for the weather.) This applies to head wear like hats and berets as well. Without such warm weather, I am sure we can see a wider variety of styles on our streets.

✖ I would say the fashion, or perhaps culture, is to dress down in Singapore. For some reason (which I do not approve of), people think it’s alright to dress in t-shirts and slippers to shop in town! But let’s put aside my prejudices and focus on the street style: Lots of flats and gladiator sandals, shorts and tank tops. I have seen a rise in the number of girls wearing heels lately, but a large percentage of them still prefer flats to heels and wedges. Any boots that goes higher than ankle boots are rarely seen.

Tips for dressing for Singapore

I suppose this section would be pretty useful for foreigners travelling to Singapore! I hope this can inspire Singaporeans to dress up more as well, because it is entirely possible.

✖ Like I’ve already mentioned above, Singapore is hot and humid year round, so breathable materials like cotton, jersey and chiffon is always in fashion. On the contrary, do try to avoid fabrics like PVC and leather. It’s too hot for them and you will find yourself sweating up a storm and having heat rashes – Not very attractive and healthy!

• One additional tip for leather and pleather in Singapore. Heat and humidity encourages the growth of mould and fungus. Organic materials like leather can and will grow mould if you don’t take care of it! I’ve had many boots succumb to irreversible mould infestation. Pleather won’t get mouldy, but it will peel and flake. To prevent this from happening, remember to store your leather and pleather in a dry environment. Dry the items well should they come in contact with water. Investing in a dehumidifier will do you well in the long term!

✖ Layering is still very much possible despite the heat in Singapore. The key to layering in Singapore is to stick to light, breathable fabrics: Silks, Chiffons and tulle for example. Arissa shows you how it can be done here and here as well! I love how layering different pieces can create a totally different style and look, so do not discount this just because of the weather! Singapore fashion doesn’t have to be boring just because it is hot.

This Alexander Wang-inspired top may be made of jersey, but it’s light and breathable. Pieces like this are perfect for layering.

✖ Weather in Singapore can only be described as being erratic. It can be sunny one moment, and pouring the very next. Hence, it might do you well to carry a light cardigan or blazer around at all times. Furthermore, almost all indoor places in Singapore are air-conditioned. It can actually get pretty chilly inside! I always carry with me a jacket for those times where I have to spend time indoors with air-conditioning at full-blast. Scarves work equally well! It’s not uncommon to see many Singaporean girls wearing light jackets and scarves on the streets.

It doesn’t have to be a thick jacket. This one made of jersey from Topshop does an adequate job!

✖ We have an extremely efficient network of roads and public transport system. So it is entirely possible to wear heels without much discomfort! Heels can do wonders to an outfit and I find it a pity that most Singaporean girls have yet to integrate them into their wardrobe. There are only so much flats you can have before they all start to look the same. Kick up your style a notch by wearing heels! Some outfits look so much better with heels than flats anyway, heels does so much more for your look than flats. Wearing a kickass pair of heels on the streets is one sure fire way to stand out in Singapore.

Wedges are a comfortable and stylish alternative to flats.

Here’s my take on the Street Style and fashion of Singapore. What do you think about it? Anything else you feel that I should add on?