Every Day is a Dress-Up Day

Stephanie Er, 25, freight forwarder
Some days, she feels girlie and dresses it, pulling on a tulle skirt or a sheer-panelled body-con dress. Other days, she feels more like a tomboy, and she goes androgynous with pants and hats.

“I don’t draw boundaries. I think girls are lucky as we can wear men’s clothes – it’s more fun that way,” she says.

Then, there are days when she steps out in a full sailor-inspired outfit, channels a “beggar” look, or just completes a simple outfit with a policeman’s hat – all these for shopping or hanging out. “Sometimes my friends say I wear stupid things, but I enjoy dressing according to a theme or how I feel at that point.”

She believes that hair and makeup are crucial for completing a look – she would wear the moustache drawn on for this shoot if she were headed out at night.

Always experimenting and mixing the bits and pieces she has collected from her overseas jaunts and online buys, Stephanie pairs things together in uncommon ways. “I once wore a bodysuit with stockings, like Lady Gaga – but I did it before her,” she says.

Her dress-up code
• Observe the people around you “My style icons are people on the street. They probably haven’t thought too much about what they’re wearing or their appearance – I love it when people don’t care, but still look good. I once saw an old man in a military-style top and totally incompatible navy blue pants, but I felt very inspired by him.”

• Shop online She is a prolific online shopper, buying most of her costumes and props over the Internet. “I just Google what I want – it’s always cheaper to buy costumes online. I break the outfits into separate pieces and wear them with my usual clothes.”

Credits:
Photography: Ng K Hon.
Art Direction: Audrey Chan & Damian Huang
Hair: Shaun Lee (hp: 9695-2581)
Makeup: Sam Ong (hp: 9683-2421)