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April15
A
typical day for me starts with a breakfast meeting at
Jones TheGrocer inDempsey, oftenwith brands
keen on collaborating with changmoh.com.
Afterwards, I try to squeeze in a few hours
of writing before lunch. The afternoon may involve a call to
an editor to chat through an article I’ve written or have coming
up and, if I can, I try to do some work, however little, on my
forthcoming book. The afternoon is all about the kids. I try hard
to squeeze my work in to the small window I have when they’re
both at school!
During the week, I don’t have to be too formal in my choice
of clothing for my job, but equally I need to look appropriate.
I haven’t worn a formal suit for about 15 years; I’m not sure I
even own one anymore! One fail-safe that I drag everywhere
withme is a pashmina; air-con can be brutal here in Singapore –
and besides, it has the added benefit of smartening upwhatever
you’re wearing.
My favourite outfit for a meeting is coral jeans paired with a
luxe navy blue crepe top – it’s by In Good Company, a local brand
that I can’t get enough of. I carry a jacket in the car too, in case I
need to smarten up, and I always wear wedges or heeled shoes. When
I’m just working from home, I confess that pyjamas are my all-time
favourite writing clothes, and when I’m playing with the children, it’s
shorts and a T-shirt, I’m afraid!
I’m very inspired by how the French dress: they have excellent
staples that they change and tweak with accessories and fun seasonal
items that don’t cost the earth. Style-wise, I’ve learned to love classic
staples, andmy current obsession is with beautiful fabrics – theymake all
the difference to how you feel and look. Because of my pale skin tone,
black makes me look washed out, so I opt for navy instead and pair it
with a bright splash of colour like frog green or pillar-box red. It’s
also beautiful with white.
In terms of favourite brands, In Good Company delivers
on somany fronts: quality of fabric, style and cut.
The clothes look like they might hail from
Japan or evenFrance, but they’re designed
and made right here in Singapore. I
also love a sun hat – the UV rates in
Singapore are among the highest in
the world – and I always have a
Global Babe fold up “strong
hat” in my bag and car: they
protect your skin and make
you feel ultra-glamorous.
Netaporter.com is great
for blow-the-
budget pieces and their sales
are legendary. I prefer
to shop online than to trawl the stores, and these chaps,
as well as JCrew, are my go-to for online shopping. I also love
second-hand bargains. To buy and sell pre-loved stuff, I head to
Robe Raiders (roberaiders.com). I popped in the other day and
came away with a beautiful vintage Celine jacket in brown with
gold buttons.
I do miss charity shopping and thrifting from back home in
England – but my way around this is to just wait until I’mnext back
in the UK. I picked up a long black Jaegar coat fromOxfamwhen I
was inOxford over the summer, and it was worth the wait!
We ask a LIV reader what makes her
working wardrobe tick...
Frog Michaels,
blogger at changmoh.com and freelance writer
I've learned to love
classic staples
Topshop
In Good Company
at Digital Fashion
Week 2014
Orange strong hat
by Global Babe