Singapore Street Wear

It is amazing to see how street wear has spread across the globe over the years. What began as a movement with a certain identity soon began to adapt to local preferences and demands. In Asia alone, various countries interpret street wear differently. The Japanese prefer multi colored garments with animated characters on them, whereas the Chinese love streetwear that features Chinese motifs, huge oversized prints and flashy colors. Singapore is a country known for its huge diversity in terms of population, cultures and people. Singaporeans themselves are known for their fabulous sense of dressing, as well as their preferences for more conventional styles. Not surprisingly, streetwear exists here but can be found mostly in the wardrobes of youngsters. Older adults prefer to wear designer labels and other kinds of casual clothing.


The streetwear scene in Singapore began quite late in the mid nineties as opposed to other countries where this new fashion statement had emerged in the early eighties. Since the society itself was traditional by nature, the youth weren’t very comfortable with wearing clothes that were supposed to signify rebellion, at the beginning. Over the years however, that notion has changed, and today many youth have no qualms about being seen in garments that are officially considered ‘cool’ and ‘hip’. The Internet and its access to the latest happenings in the world has played a pivotal role in defining style as well. Since Singapore itself is open to other cultures and plenty of influences especially in entertainment and in fashion- streetwear here is a peculiar mix of influences as diverse as American, Japanese, European and Taiwanese urban wear. Certain styles such as over sized graphics glow in the dark designs and garments in peppy colors are the preferred street wear fashion here.

Streetwear brands focus on reaching out to the youth, while respecting their culture and values at the same time. In fact, local brands here claim that the biggest challenge is to create fashion that is tuned into local tastes while competing on par with other global brands. 77th Street was one of the first streetwear brands to set shop in Singapore and today they have more than 14 outlets throughout the island. Besides retailing great streetwear, they are also very popular for their accessories such as duffel bags in various prints, caps with prints on them and unisex jewellery. Brands like ‘Know it Nothing’ and ‘White Room’ cater to a very niche segment, whereas other youthful brands like ‘What’s Good’, ‘Asylum’ and ‘Flesh Imp’ have a larger customer base. ‘What’s Good’ stocks international streetwear labels and successfully retailed a streetwear package in collaboration with another brand in Hong Kong, only for $349. The package included a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a cap, and was a big hit with youngsters. The brand ‘Actually’ has a good collection of bags available in funky designs and styles. Some of them even carry witty liners. Even if Singapore is relatively new to the streetwear scene, we can assume that its popularity will only grow stronger over the years.