To be honest, we’ve never been advocates of the whole red-and-white look — it’s way too patriotic in our book — but if there’s any time to be swept up in national pride, singing along to ‘Home’ and ‘We Will Get There’ in fervour all while waving those cheap plastic flags, ironically of course, it’s now. Or hey, maybe you’ve got a date to watch the actual parade, lucky you. How then do you look cool without wearing, um say, that quintessential but admittedly basic Giordano shirt? Here’s how.
We’ve put together a couple of stuff we’d actually wear, whether it’s a woven bracelet that pays subtle homage to our lion city, or brightly-coloured tote bags crafted from your friendly neighbourhood RC posters. All by our favourite local brands, by the way.
1. Good Morning Clutch
A little ironic, a little kitsch, yet soaked in nostalgia all the same, the “Good Morning” towel has long been a staple among the older generation in Singapore (and many parts of Asia), but today, we’re more than content to swap that essential neck accessory for one we can carry in our hands. Stow all your makeup and necessities in this, and have it stand out against your normal everyday wear.
The clutch, $30, by Indie Mamashop, is padded and lined, and made of 100% cotton, though we suggest not leaving your new bag behind to ‘chope’ your lunchtime table at the hawker centre.
2. LampPost Project Tote Bags
Isn’t this such a great idea! You know how, this time of the year, every Town Council’s fighting for your attention by bringing out their host of colourful banners and posters produced for our National Day Celebrations, mostly hung from nondescript lamp posts? It was after “looking at them fluttering in the warm evening breeze” that one designer thought they made great souvenirs, and hence, this project was birthed — and then expanded into these striking hand-stitched totes made from recycled lamp post banners.
No two bags are the same, and the profit earned from their sale goes to people who stitch them, mainly The Singapore Association for Mental Health and The Looms Workshops. It’s great that they chose totes, the most fuss-free style of bags, as the carrier of these designs — suddenly, with a new silhouette, and sometimes left-of-centre placements, the orchid motifs and lion head symbol look more avant-garde than overly cheesy. Available online at
lamppoststyle.com for $28, or shop at Club 21 stores on 9 August, and receive a bag with compliments from Club 21.
3. Red / White outfits
It takes a bold person to rock red-and-white, so we’d suggest this: red
or white. Now, all white’s easy enough, though please avoid the white shirt/white pants combination unless you’re running for a certain political group; instead, go for a crisp shirt dress or this
Our Second Nature handkerchief dress, $109, with artistic streaks that could look pretty celebratory, especially when you’re viewing everyone’s favourite part of the parade, the fireworks. Or, go head-to-toe red, which isn’t at all intimidating, really. Both the
KNITS vest top and pants co-ords, $110 in total, and
In Good Company Oswald Crepe Jumpsuit, $189, are relaxed styles that anyone can pull off, and you can even wear the top and pants separately. Of course, with subtle accessories, you can make the look even more patriotic, but that’s up to you.
4. Singapore Island Necklace
You could take a little trip around Singapore town, on the Singapore city bus — and then buy this gem of a necklace. The imagery of that chirpy ‘Singapore Town’ song — and its catchy lyrics and tune — will now remain stuck in your heads for a while, but so should the image of this iconic necklace, a subtle piece you can flaunt.
The original design by Pinwheel Jewels, $148, features a nicely-cut 18k white gold pendant in the silhouette of the 1965 map of Singapore, because #OG, and even has a single red crystal accent that represents our favourite Singapore moniker, the Little Red Dot. Our island home, indeed.
5. Pins, earrings, etc.
Honestly, given the enamel pin rage, there’s no shortage of cute pins and things we can focus on, but today, we’ve decided to shed light on this mystical, mythical creature, the Merlion. Designer Chris instead refers to this majestic beast as “Ah Mer”, and has crafted its likeness on an
Ah Mer Enamel Pin, $9.80, that we can wear close to our hearts. On a plain shirt or dress or denim jacket, no matter the colour, this little cutie is enough to deter those aunties or uncles who faithfully ask, “Girl/boy ah, how come you never wear red and white today?”
At the same time, you can spend $21.90 for these
everlasting teh pings, then have them on your ears as a sign of solidarity while you’re tucking into some Nasi Lemak/Laksa/Chilli Crab/Chicken Rice, or virtually any other local dish you’d bound to crave on that special day.
6. INGA by 27A Lipstick
We’re true fans of the lipsticks by INGA by 27A ($29); after swiping them onto our lips, we’ve noticed how highly pigmented they are, how velvety soft they go on, while also how hydrating they remain after a while, without that dry effect you get from normal matte products. There are many beautiful shades to choose from, modelled by some beautiful Asian girls, but this time, go for the shade
Anja, a vibrant orange-red that’ll definitely compliment your skin tone. Whether the rest of your outfit’s dull or a celebratory multi-coloured mess, at least you’re assured that your face looks more put together than an NSF in uniform.
7. Carrie K. Bracelets
Here’s another accessory you can wear that doesn’t scream “I’m ready for National Day”, especially since you can style it on any other day as well, and have it still look like a lovely accent of any outfit — a bracelet. Celebrated local jewellery brand Carrie K. is here with the luxe version of those friendship bracelets we all used to own, now woven in metallic red leather and with silver details too. The
Singapore Edition Nut & Bolt Leather ($198) and Perfect Match bracelets ($118) are utilitarian designs with a single stunning feature each; a silver-plated brass nut and bolt holds the former together, while a tightly-woven knot is the key detail in the latter, which both make for classy additions to any outfit.
8. GSEWS Tall Bucket Bag
Now, you could technically go for any bucket bag right, but how about this one, in a warm red, and by a local brand, no less? GSEWS really stands for ‘Grace sews’, and her little hobby brought her to lead this full-fledged venture, where she sews and customises bags and pouches in sleek silhouettes. The range of faux leather goods include, of course,
this scarlet bucket bag with gold hardware details, $60, along with sling bags, modern squarish backpacks, or totes where you can choose both the outer shade and inner fabric design, before it’s sewn up to perfection. And then, you get to do the fashion-forward version of the Singapore Sling by uh, slinging it on your shoulder.
9. Matter Prints Pants
There’s already a lot to admire about this initiative — the brand gives us comfortable relaxed basics that focus particularly on textiles, mostly where these fabric come from, as they look to foster designer-artisan collaborations that highlight both cultural heritage and craft. You’ll know exactly how your garment’s made, and as a result, be richer because of it — money well spent eh. These
classic wideleg pants, US$129, feature long pleat details and are made from 100% organic cotton poplin, with the print dyed in Jaipur, India, and the stitching then done in Delhi. For a more obvious touch of red, you can opt for the
Sideswept Dhoti pants, US$209, crafted from luxurious Indian crepe silk, in a rich burgundy and draped by way of the Indian dhoti; perfect for both the office or a weekend jaunt, depending on how you style it. Yeah, we’d totally laze around the coach and watch the parade in these too.
10. A ParasolBag
In another cool version of the upcycled bag, we have these structured
ParasolBags, made from off-cut canvas recovered from parasol factories and sewn into bags — you can immediately tell then that they’d be super weather-resistant, kinda like how the spirit of Singapore is supposed to be according to those National Day Parade displays. Of course, each bag here is thoughtfully measured out too, with their seams showing proud but neat across many of the designs — clearly, go for red if you want to warm up to the 9 Aug celebrations. Available at selected stores including
Naiise and
Hipvan, or email info@parasolbag.com for an updated catalogue.
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