| Written by Hui Jin,
on Friday, 29 February 2008
|
Published in : Life, Style |
 If you think Orchard Road (or any other place in Singapore for that matter) is THE place to shop, then you haven’t truly experienced shopping, even if it’s just window-shopping.
From Bond Street in London to Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, each is a shopping haven with lengths and breadths unimaginable. There are local brands as well as all the well-known brands you are looking for, and each store alone averages three floors! 
Not only are these shopping districts THE place for retail therapy, they are also THE place to check out some cool local fashion. Youth.SG is excited to bring you a tip or two on how to fit right into the heart of, say, Paris in the middle of winter. (Or Singapore, in the heart of very cold air-conditioned malls).
Why Paris? Paris, commonly known as the ‘City of Lights’ or ‘City of Romance’, more aptly strikes me as the ‘City of Elegance’. Parisians represent the epitome of class in the way they dress and walk. More often than not, the whole street is decked out in people in black. Think black is no fun? Too common? You have to admit they look darn good.
Here’s a recipe for timeless chic:
And voila!
Sweet, eh? 
Another one for the ladies (a style more commonly found in London):
One too for the guys:
1. Neat white or light-coloured shirt
2. Long dark trench coat
3. Black trousers or dark-coloured jeans
4. Sneakers
Put in some attitude…and there you go! 
To up your style factor even further, here are a few up and coming European brands that will give you THE look. Whether there are stores in Singapore or not, these are definitely worth your notice. Don’t forget who first gave you the head’s up on ‘em next time you head for Europe! 
H&M (Hennes & Mauritz)
 Huh? What’s that? H&M tops my list of favourite clothing brands. I’ve visited H&M stores in Hong Kong, Paris, London, Barcelona and Zurich. The fashion giant was established in Sweden in 1947 by Erling Persson. Its presence is stamped in around 1,500 stores over 28 countries and swears by its business concept: “Fashion and quality at the best price”, whether it’s a swell tank top, t-shirt, hoodie or so on. The bad news is that there are no stores in Singapore currently. But the good news is, it is coming to Singapore very soon!
 Photo: H&M
I say…H&M apparel is hip, chic, simple and colourful. Love the wide variety of clothing as well its accessories such as bags, belts, shades etc. And they’re not sold at an earth-shattering price.
Pull and Bear
 Huh? What’s that? Next up on my favourites list is Pull and Bear, which was first initiated by Inditex Group, a Spanish fashion distributor who also owns Zara. The first few chains appeared in Spain in 1991, and franchises have since sprung up in 27 countries. There are currently two Pull and Bear branches in Singapore: VivoCity and Ngee Ann City. Drawing inspiration from the spirit of youth, Pull and Bear offers casual, laid-back clothing and accessories for young men and women. In 1998, the collection was joined with the XYDE line, which offers sporty and hi-tech garments linked to 21st century youth culture icons.
 Photo: Pull and Bear
I say…I especially like the tops which are bright and full of teenage vibrancy. The patterned ones are highly cute too. My favourites are the Sicko jeans and the XYDE series of products, which are pretty affordable.
Desigual
Huh? What’s that? Desigual is an atypical Spanish streetwear brand since 1984. It stocks clothing and complements such as bags for young men, women and kids. It has over 220 shop corners worldwide and 3,000 points of sale, but is less well-known overseas. The style of Desigual’s fashion is very distinct – colourful, loud and sometimes peculiar. The designs often look more like random drawings and scrawls. They are certainly not for the conservative; but sporting the label will definitely make you stand out from the boring crowd. Very distinctively Spanish. The only branch in Singapore can be found in VivoCity.
 Photo: Desigual
I say… The label is not something I will go for, even though I did spot a few nice pieces. However, this brand is still worth a look because it is extremely interesting and unique, funky too, if you can pull it off. Expensive, though.
Accessorize
 Huh? What's that? Accessorize is owned by Monsoon, which was founded in 1973 by Peter Simon who started out selling unusual and ethnic clothing. He also sold a small collection of accessories and it was so popular that the new store Accessorize was born in 1984. It is an exciting and a strongly differentiated High Street concept for fashion accessories. Today there are over 400 Monsoon and Accessorize stores throughout 24 countries. Singapore has many Accessorize outlets but most of them are very small in retail space, unlike those in London which span up to three storeys.
 Photo: Accessorize
I say… I love this shop because it presents an amazing GALORE of jewellery, accessories, bags, beachwear and many more. A great feast for the eyes! The bling blings are so attractive but a tad too pricey for me. 
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