Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean article! On this shiok Sunday, I’m highlighting 8 brands – yes, because it’s an auspicious number – that I personally buy from Zalora. If you haven’t already bought some new clothes for Chinese New Year, perhaps you can get some new garments from the brands mentioned in this listicle.
I occasionally get messages asking me where I get my everyday clothing from. To be honest, I buy most of them from Zalora. It’s just super convenient – they hold regular sales (such as their CNY sale now), offers free returns, with a wide variety of brands available on their platform.
Here are 8 menswear brands – a mix of affordable and premium ones – that you can find on Zalora!
Basic Tee
Everybody needs some basic tees in their wardrobe. It’s the staple – something you can wear to school, but also a piece that you can use for layering. For example, you can pair a white tee with a suit, or an overshirt.
Affordable – Hollister
I think I have like, 10 Hollister basic tees. I love them. They are more affordable than sister brand A&F, but the quality and look is almost identical.
I love pairing the Crew Neck Tee with a suit, or simply with an overshirt for a smart casual look. Sometimes, I simply wear the tee on its own with a pair of chinos. Plain tees – especially white ones – are extremely versatile, and can match well with almost any piece of clothing. Definitely a must-have in every collection!
Premium – Kent and Curwen
Kent and Curwen is a British luxury menswear brand that was established in 1925. Known for their heritage English clothing, the brand makes some of the best staple pieces in the market.
I absolutely adore Kent & Curwen’s basic tees. It’s definitely minimalist, but there’s a sophistication that is missing from more affordable tees from brands such as Hollister and A&F. One can see that the cut of the shirt has been thought out to flatter the wearer’s frame. I also love the little rose embroidered on the bottom left corner of the shirt, which adds some visual interest to the garment. It’s also noteworthy that the tees (and other Kent & Curwen clothing) are currently on steep discount at Zalora – over 60% off! At $60, it’s definitely not cheap for a basic tee, but it’s not exorbitant either especially considering that it will probably last you for years.
Graphic Tees
The Graphic Tee is benefitting from a resurgence in popularity recently, with brands such as Kenzo, Off-White and Supreme becoming immensely popular.
Affordable – Sparrow Green
Sparrow Green is a homegrown fashion label – you guys know how I feel about local brands, especially in the menswear space. Do support them if you like their clothing!
My fashion tastes veer more towards the minimalist, so even for my graphic tees, I prefer a monochrome, cleaner aesthetic. Sparrow Green does offer a few other pieces that are more graphic, but I really like their Egalite graphic tee. Liberty and Equality – these are two qualities that are dear to my heart. I think it’s a pretty versatile piece too, and easy to match with a variety of bottoms (shorts, chinos, joggers, etc) as well as footwear.
Premium – Gieves & Hawkes
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Gieves & Hawkes is a revered stalwart of Saville Row. They are widely considered one of the best tailors in the world, and also has a ready-to-wear luxury menswear line available for those who want in on the brand, but can’t afford their mid-four figure suits.
There’s a wide selection of Gieves & Hawkes clothing available at heavy discounts on Zalora. For those want to invest in quality clothing, Gieves & Hawkes discounted shirts are a great way to accentuate your wardrobe. In particular, I love their Parrot printed crew-neck shirt. It’s still simple – and again can be used to layer with a suit or overshirt – but it has character in its detailed parrot print. Yet, it doesn’t come across as ostentatious as say, the Kenzo tiger does. It’s refined and understated, and embodies the ethos of the Gieves & Hawkes brand. I would love to tailor a suit at Gieves & Hawkes one day, but until my bank account gets fatter, I satisfy myself with some of their amazing shirts.
Patterned Shirts
There will be times where you want to wear something a little more loud and eye-catching – perhaps you’re at the beach, or Zoukout (when festivals and clubs were still a thing). That’s where patterned shirts come in!
Affordable – Mango
In my opinion, Mango’s offerings are a tad higher in quality as compared to similarly priced competitors – H&M, Zara, etc – yet still remaining very wallet-friendly.
There’s a myriad of heavily discounted Mango clothing on Zalora – prices are often lower than on Mango’s own website. I think the brand does best at shirts, especially their patterned shirts. I quite like their striped linen offerings (they have a few available). There’s visual intrigue due to the pattern, but it remains classy and not in-your-face. Linen is an ultra-breathable material that is great for Singapore’s tropical climate too. The above look is definitely something I can imagine myself wearing for a night out at a nice bar.
Premium – Scotch & Soda
An upmarket Dutch fashion label, Scotch & Soda is a personal favourite of mine. Their clothes are trendy in look but classic in nature, resulting in hip looks that won’t fade over time.
I love the patterned shirts of Scotch & Soda. The material is superb, the fit is great, and their designs are striking but not pretentious. Take their Hawaii shirt for example. While most brands would splash their Hawaii shirts with bright, gaudy colours, Scotch & Soda chose a more muted, sophisticated route. In fact, I think the above shirt would be perfect for CNY visiting! Once again, you can find a wide variety of Scotch & Soda clothing – on substantial discount – on Zalora.
Polo Tees (baseball)
If you want a smart casual look, a polo tee is perfect. That being said, I’m not a fan of the regular collared polo tee – I think it’s hard for someone young to pull it off, unless you’re going for a “dad” or Uncle Roger look. Instead, I much prefer the baseball collar polo tee, which comes across as fresher and more youthful.
Affordable – Topman
Topman used to be one of my favourite stores to shop at – until they closed down late last year. Luckily, Topman still has a local online presence on Zalora.
I get most of my smart casual clothing from Topman – I find their designs affordable and elegant. In particular, I’ve bought many polo tees from Topman over the years (I think I have about 5 currently), because they fit like a charm and look great. In particular, I love how the sleeves hug my biceps, which make me look more athletic than I really am. Polo tees were named as such because they originated as clothing for polo players, so there’s an inherent sporty look to the design that Topman executes quite well.
Premium – Tommy Hilfiger
This eponymous brand needs no introduction – Tommy Hilfiger has become a leading designer label worldwide.
I’m not going to deny it – a big reason why people buy Tommy Hilfiger is for the brand cachet. There’s respect that is associated with the iconic Tommy Hilfiger logo, and it’s a key factor in why the brand’s basic tees and polos sell so well. However, I find this baseball collar polo shirt to be an exceptionally well-done interpretation of the polo shirt. For starters, the collar is adorned in Tommy Hilfiger’s renowned brand colours. The cut is superb as well, tapered to flatter the wearer’s proportion but not muscle-tight. It’s also good value – the above polo shirt is half the price of a similar offering from Ralph Lauren. Their clothing are also often on significant discounts on Zalora, so if you’re looking for a relatively affordable way to experience designer clothing, this is it.
Conclusion
I hope that this listicle has been educational and interesting – perhaps it had alerted you to some brands that were unbeknownst to you before. I genuinely love all the 8 brands mentioned above, and consider their garments to be the cornerstone of my everyday wardrobe.
Now, this article isn’t sponsored by Zalora per se (or any of the abovementioned brands), but it does include affiliate links that will lead to a small commission if a sale is made. The affiliate links work with external promo codes and any of Zalora’s internal sales, such as the Chinese New Year sale that is currently ongoing. If you’re interested in any of the brands I mentioned, or any other product on Zalora, I will greatly appreciate it if you could do so via the affiliate links below. It will help support the platform a lot, and go a long way in funding some of my plans for Wah So Shiok this year, which include launching my own webshop. Thank you!
View Hollister on Zalora here.
View Kent & Curwen on Zalora here.
View Sparrow Green on Zalora here.
View Gieves & Hawkes on Zalora here.
View Mango on Zalora here.
View Scotch & Soda on Zalora here.
View Topman on Zalora here.
View Tommy Hilfiger on Zalora here.
View Zalora’s full range of offerings here.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
P.S.S If you haven’t already, do follow my social media channels on Facebook here, and on Instagram here!
P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
