Retro Weekend : Embroidered Kimono and Jeans

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 Simone - Your Style Architect 4 Comments

The Maker's Market

Sin Po Po Brand

Hi everyone and trust you are enjoying your weekend break.

Recently whilst out and about showing my guests around Singapore, we ended up stumbling upon many a vintage boutiques, cafe and stores which made me feel the urge to style an outfit that was somewhat retro to go with the present state of mind I am in.

I love kimonos as they are such a comfortable style of outerwear that one can easily throw in the bag and yet have it handy and ready for cooler temperature places e.g in malls or restaurants that suddenly drop their indoor temperature to at least  5-10 degrees lower than the outside temperature as it is so humid and blazing hot outside. One can never be ready for this sudden change, that's why I like to always carry a shawl or a kimono in my bag for such situations.

This beautiful embroidered piece from ZARA which I got some time back on a sale is so intricate and I love the tassels at the end which adds that extra retro vintage feel to a mass produced item. What better way then to emphasise the whole intricacies of embroidery with this pair of jeans, also from Zara. This was perhaps a piece from couple of years ago but I love how the floral embroidery adds that little bit of femininity and character to a rather boyish, run of the mill pair of jeans.

So pairing these 2 retro inspired items together, I headed off on my scout for cool retro backgrounds to do my photoshoot.

I have always loved Tiong Bahru backstreets and estate for its quaint and vintage vibe and so back to Tiong Bahru I went. First stop was Tian Kee & Co otherwise known as The Maker's Market which was hidden in one of the back alleys but I was so drawn to it's retro styled tables. These metal trays with their flower designs were converted into table tops. These trays were something of days gone by when grandma I recalled used to use them for sunning her dried sambal belachan ( prawn paste cubes) to make her home made chilli sauce or even to sun dry fishes. Well at least that's what I recall her using them for, but I bet many of you would have your own childhood stories of how your grandparents or great grandparents had used these trays for. The ice cream flavours were divine in this cafe and certainly the whole ambience of this cafe definitely felt very retro. The staff was extremely kind to give us many a tasting of ice cream before we even decided to sit down.

Next, I had to head back to my favourite house which I just love the play of black against white in their front entrance. The owners have most certainly restyled the home bearing in mind the preservation of history of the buildings but adding their own modern contemporary twist to their main entrance. I just love it!!

Of course the horse shoe staircases were a must if that does not automatically scream out " Tiong Bahru" to anyone who knows Singapore well enough. And finally on my way home, a drop by to a retro styled cafe called Sin Po Po cafe in Joo Chiat / Katong for some much deserved coffee and cake before heading home.

Hope you enjoyed this retro style weekend post!


Love,
Simone xoxo