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?

If you haven’t guessed it already, we love Haji lane. No place is more characteristic of Singapore streetstyle quite like Haji lane! We often get asked questions like “What is the SoHo/Carnaby of Singapore?” or “Where should we shop in Singapore to get your unique street style?”. Our answer would inadvertently be Haji Lane: Home to many small fashion boutiques of Singaporean designers. Fashion isn’t exactly a thriving business in Singapore, so I feel that it’s important to support local labels to create a trend for street style we can call our own. Not to mention, it’s probably the only place here where you can get some thrifting done. Vintage lovers and thrifting enthusiasts rejoice! Haji Lane is probably one of the very few places where thrift stores exist. When I have the time, we will definitely do up a list of shops in Haji Lane.

I love the atmosphere of the quaint little shops there. Each shop is carefully decorated and the displays are exquisite, (You can see some of them here! ) and you definitely feel that the service and environment there is more personal compared to the many faceless shops in Bugis or Far East Plaza.  I love how graffiti splashes each wall. Haji Lane is definitely the place where Singaporean designers, musicians and artists congregate, giving a very artsy yet authentic vibe to the area. Here, you won’t find the glitz and glamour of huge international chain stores, but the gritty honest representation of Singapore street style.

I have had many people ask me where I bought this alexa knockoff bag from. Well, it’s from one of the little shops in Haji Lane! It’s made of synthetic leather as well, so cheers to all you animal lovers and vegan readers out there! I know there is a lot of stigma attached to designer knock-offs, but I feel that supporting the environment with vegan friendly fashion far outweighs supporting the intellectual property of a million-dollar industry. And let’s be honest: People who wants the real deal wouldn’t settle for knockoffs anyway.

And yes, we are still insisting on wearing black outfits even in the crazy Singapore heat! (Why hello, thunder thighs. I think it’s nigh time you make friends with the treadmill.)

Black Oufit breakdown

• Black Chiffon Dress: Bugis Street
• Alexa knockoff bag: Haji Lane
• Scarf (worn as hair bow): Diva
• Stella McCartney inspired shoes: Siren

If there’s one thing Singaporeans love more than freebies, it’s travelling. There is no better way to get away from the hectic lifestyle in Singapore than to take a short break to the beautiful beaches of Thailand or hit the shopping mecca that is Hong Kong or Tokyo. Unfortunately, Singaporean tourists have became easily identifiable due to our penchant for t-shirts, shorts and slippers regardless whether we are in Bangkok or Berlin. While holidaying may be your chance to relax, it’s no excuse to forget about fashion and dress like a slob! Arissa and I have put together a list of 5 fashion essentials while travelling here.

1. A dressy pair of shoes.

A quick survey among friends soon reveal that most of them prefer to only pack slippers and sneakers in their luggage due to space constraints. While slippers and sneakers are no doubt comfortable and easy to pack, they are not by any means suitable for every occasion. What happens if you decide to hit up a hot night spot, or choose to pamper yourself with a meal in a classy restaurant? Slippers and sneakers are hardly the way to go. I am not saying that everyone has to pack 6″ platform heels for a weekend trip to Bali, but wedges and dressy flats hardly take up more space than sneakers and slippers. Dressy yet comfortable shoes can take you to so much more places than your ratty pair of sneakers could.

If you are visiting a beautiful place, why not dress accordingly? Shoes are vital in finishing an outfit and hence they are my no.1 fashion essential while travelling.

2. A nice bag.

Is there something about those North face and Jansport knapsacks that I’m missing out on? I understand that they are easy to carry on board the plane, especially when you are lugging grossly overweight check-in luggages like I always do. Much like shoes, however, they are hardly suitable to carry to most occasions like shopping or hanging out at the beach. I find it awkward how you would have to put everything down in order to swing your backpack around to get things out of there anyway. Consider a nice weekender or a boston bag – They can fit the same amount of things inside and are much more convenient. Plus, backpacks are a neon beacon to every pick pocketers out there!

3. Makeup

Another travel essential for me is makeup. I never ever leave the country without a makeup bag!

Everyone loves to take pictures when they are travelling. And we all know what changes in climate can lead to breakouts,  jetlags to bad eyebags, dry air to chapped lips. A little makeup always helps you look better when smiling for that picture! It will be a pity to have a picture taken at a beautiful place, only to have everyone’s attention focused instead on your eyebags or that huge zit on your forehead. Even if you don’t wear makeup, moisturiser, sunblock and chapsticks are a must in protecting your skin.

4. Basics for layering.

I find it extremely cumbersome to pack things that won’t match with most of my items. It takes up luggage space which could have gone to shopping loots! Tank top, a button-up shirt, shorts and tights are a permanent fixture in my luggage (in black, of course.) You can throw a blazer over a tank top and tights and be ready for a night out in town, or pair it with denim cut-offs and a loose shirt for some cocktail by the sea.

Having everything in blacks or neutrals minimizes the chance that the colours won’t match, too.

5. Accessories.

You’ll be surprised at how small accessories can completely change your outfit around! You can be dressed in just a tee-shirt and shorts, but adding accessories like bracelets and hairbands is a quick fix to help you look like you’ve put more effort into dressing. Playing around with different sorts of accessories can make you look like you are wearing a completely new outfit too. You can change your maxi skirt to a tube dress by wearing a belt around your midsection – The possibilities are endless!

So here you have it, our 5 fashion essentials for travelling girls. Now it’s your turn to tell us what’s in your luggage!

What are your fashion essentials while travelling?

‘Sup gaiz! Arissa and I have gotten some spiffy new toys to play around with, so you might see a different style of picture being introduced to this blog! That’s not what we are talking about in the title however.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you a third contributor to Monoxious.com – ChouChou aka Chouster aka Chou². Following the success of animal internet celebrities like Paul the Octopus and Manjit the Parakeet, Chousie would like to hop on this bandwagon and be the first animal fashion blogger ever. Doesn’t she just look ferosh? Tyra Banks would approve. We would like to clarify that Chouchou is no stranger to blogging -  she is the one responsible for all the bitchy posts here. She doesn’t have her own email yet, but please feel free to direct questions at her on our FormSpring or the comment section!

Of course, in the true spirit of Monoxious, she will only wear black and white.

Alright guys, I know, I know. We’ll be back with a real post soon! We have been too busy playing with our new lighting equipments and totally forgot our purpose.

Taking a break from our usual outfit posts and reviews, we are going at a different direction by listing down a few things which we think no self respecting fashionista should have in his or her closet.

No. 1 on the list: Denim Skirts.

Yes, we know that you are a child of the 90′s. And yes, we know how popular it was back then and you wore them every day as a teenager. But it isn’t the 90′s now, nor will it ever be. The denim skirt never will, and never should be back in fashion unless you want to look like soccer mom clinging on to the very last of your youth.  In which case we will recommend you pair it with jelly bracelets, cropped spandex leggings and sneakers. If you want to look tacky wearing a denim skirt, you might as well go all out.

No. 2: Platform Sandals

There is really no acceptable scenerio of wearing them anywhere, unless in the privacy of your own pool or even to the beach. Even then they’d still be considered questionable at best. They were popular for a brief period in the late 90′s. But so were spandex bodysuits and Britney Spears. If something this ugly only manages a brief period of popularity in the 90′s, you would know better than to wear them now. Girls, there are so many choices of footwear now, why, just why must you wear these? And most of all, why on your wedding day?

No. 3: Camouflage print

Of everything on this list, only camouflage clothing has truly made me want to bury my head in my hands and cry for mankind. Yes, I feel this strongly about it. Unless you are one of the Destiny’s child or Cammy of street fighter, just don’t go anywhere near this, please, for the love of god and everything that is holy. It doesn’t make you a tough grrrl, neither does it signify that you are a survivor. If I see anyone wearing this on the streets I will pull out a hunting rifle and put it out of its misery.

I might or might not have shed a tear when I saw this while searching for pictures.

No. 4: Leggings worn as pants.

Face it. You have heard that it was unacceptable tens and thousands of times. So please just stop thinking that they are a good substitute for pants. They are too thin to conceal unsightly visible panty lines. They often have an ugly seam running up your butt, and they are often so tight that it gives you cameltoes. If you insist on wearing them, at least have the decency to wear a top long enough to cover your ass.

No. 5: Pixie Skirts

I hate to be the one breaking this to you, but they are the singular piece of clothing I hate the most. You don’t look like a fairy wearing one. It’s tacky, out dated and people will assume the same about you when you wear this. The only time I have seen them worn is on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and ladies of unsavoury reputation. I think that ought to say it all.

What article of clothing / trend  do you think should never be worn and wish to single-handedly eradicate from the face of earth?