Hello everyone! In today’s article, I’m very excited to unveil something I’ve been working on all year – The Shiok Shop.
I first broached the idea of starting my own webshop in an article last year, where I charted the future of Wah So Shiok. After almost a year in the making, the webshop is now live.
To understand my rationale for The Shiok Shop, do read the abovementioned article. To put it concisely, The Shiok Shop will serve as a curation of my favourite items from various local brands, spread across multiple product categories: watches, tailoring, perfumes, and accessories. At launch, there are 70 different listings from 16 homegrown labels – let me introduce them below.
1) Watches
Wah So Shiok started off as a watch review blog focusing on local microbrands. Although I haven’t been doing as many watch reviews lately, I remain an enthusiast, and particularly supportive of local watches. To that end, I’m happy to list six of my favourite Singaporean watch brands on the webstore: Advisor, Aries Gold, Gane, Humism, Kent Hall & Co, and Reverie.
I see the watches listed on The Shiok Shop as a reflection of my personal journey with these microbrands. Some, like the Advisor Ascent and the Humism Daesin, were reviewed back in 2019 during a pre-COVID era – a throwback to a simpler time. Others such as the Gane Type C and the Kent Hall & Co Revival were covered in the past year. For Aries Gold and Reverie, I’ve covered multiple models from both brands throughout the years, accompanying them in their growth along the way.
I’ll be publishing another article – as well as a Youtube video – focusing on the watches tomorrow, so do keep a lookout for that. To the watch enthusiasts that have been following my watch reviews since Wah So Shiok first started in 2017, thank you for your loyalty these past 5 years. I’ll definitely still do watch-related content, so don’t go anywhere!
2) Tailoring
While I started by doing watch reviews, today it is my menswear content (specifically tailoring) that’s drawing in the most views. I guess that makes sense – everyone needs a tailored suit for work/wedding, but not many need a local microbrand watch.
Unlike watches, it’s impossible to list tailoring products online due to the brick-and-mortar nature of the industry as well as its bespoke nature. After racking my brain, I decided to partner with a few of my favourite local tailors to offer attractive sartorial packages. Truth be told, I was purchasing a massage package coupon from Fave and thought – why not offer something similar for tailoring? I believe The Shiok Shop is the first of its kind to offer curated tailoring packages online, just as Wah So Shiok was – and still is – the first to do personal reviews of affordable tailors. The package deals are all very attractive, so if you’re on the hunt for tailored clothing and want to stretch your dollar do consider purchasing them.
The Shiok Shop currently offers a variety of packages from five local tailors: Ehkay Corner Tailors, Meiko Tailor, Mohan’s Custom Tailors, P+ by Pimabs, and Perfect Attire. I reviewed garments from all of them – P+ by Pimabs is essentially Closeknip rebranded – multiple times, and can wholeheartedly recommend their clothing. Redemption is fuss-free: an email invoice will be sent to you after purchase. Simply book an appointment with the respective tailors stating the package you bought, and show them the invoice while in-store if necessary.
3) Perfumes
Perfumes has also proven to be a popular product category, which is a slight surprise given that the vast majority of Wah So Shiok’s readers are male.
The Shiok Shop currently carries three brands: Atlas Men, Scent by SIX, and Singapore Memories. Each brand fulfils a different niche, and actually complements each other well. Atlas Men focuses on solid perfumes, and is best for those with an active lifestyle. Scent by SIX specialises in aesthetically pleasing travel-friendly perfumes that are inspired by travel – something sorely missed in this pandemic era. Lastly, Singapore Memories offers 100ml perfume bottles that are great bang-for-buck, making them perfect for heavy-duty perfume users with a liking for floral scents.
The perfumes section perhaps best exemplifies the curated nature of The Shiok Shop. Not every fragrance the abovementioned brands make is listed on The Shiok Shop – those listed are the ones that I personally enjoyed the most. Whether a scent is pleasing is highly subjective, but if you’re a beginner to perfumery and don’t know where to begin, those listed on The Shiok Shop will set you off on the right note.
4) Accessories
Finally, there are the oft-overlooked accessories.
I’ve always been interested in the art of leathercrafting, and have reviewed many leather products on Wah So Shiok over the years. To reflect that, The Shiok Shop also carries a variety of leather accessories including wallets, cardholders, and bags (briefcases, backpacks, duffel bags, etc).
If you’re looking for a minimalist wallet/cardholder, then the Ed Classic from Ed Charly is unbeatable for its price point. Otherwise, Oxhide also offers a variety of quality leather goods that are great value propositions. A top grain leather briefcase for just over S$200? That’s an absolute steal.
The Shiok Shop – Youtube Video
For those who would like to see how The Shiok Shop looks like, do check out the video below:
Conclusion:
That rounds up this introductory article on The Shiok Shop! I’m stoked to finally take the covers of it, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I’m currently also working on exclusive collaborations with some of the aforementioned brands, and I can’t wait to offer products that I’ve had a hand in creating.
I want to end on an appreciative note – thank you guys so much for your readership of Wah So Shiok. The Shiok Shop wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Here’s to new heights.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok 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, on Instagram here, and on Youtube 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.
