Fat-shionista #470

As part of the Singapore Blog Awards, the finalists are asked to create a special themed post for submission. The theme? 60s fever!

I love the 60s. It was a great time for fashion and music. And if you know me, music is a huge part of my life, especially since I’ve been depending on it to make a living for the last 6 1/2 years.

I love The Beatles, Cliff Richard and The Shadows, The Velvet Underground, The Yardbirds, Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan… omg the list can go on. Did you know that some consider music of the 60s in Singapore to be the first wave of our local music scene? It was a golden and glorious time. The Quests, Naomi and the Boys, The Cyclones, The Crescendos, The Thunderbirds, Shirley Nair and the Silver Strings, Henry Suriya & The Boys, Sonny Bala & The Moonglows, Mike & Herb – check out Joseph C Pereira’s 2 books on music of the 60s in Singapore – Legends of the Golden Venus as well as his lastest publication Apache Over Singapore (part 1 of a 2-parter) to bask in the heyday of a time gone by where live music was everywhere on the shores of our little island and Singapore bands had sell-out tours all over Southeast Asia.

How about a hit song from The Quests from 1964? “SHANTY” not only broke through local charts in Singapore but also knocked The Beatles off their No 1 spot!

I love this song from the 60s Singaporean band, The Thunderbirds. Their frontman Derrick Fitzgerald’s daughter Melissa is now continuing her father’s legacy and to hear her talk about inheriting her love for music (and talent) from her father, then performing this song LIVE, was something else altogether.

My mother was a teenager in the late-60s and while I didn’t inherit my love of music from her, I sure enjoyed the fashions from that era via her old photos. I love the psychedelic prints, indecently short skirts, platform shoes and gogo boots. (Mum’s the one on the extreme right in the other 2 photos.)

While I do a lot of 1950s style swing dresses (ala Stepford Wives/Mad Men) with the big calf-length skirts, I also love the Mod look of the 60s i.e. the short shift dresses. I don’t ride scooters and I’m no Twiggy though.

Never to copy a style in its entirety (unless it’s a costume party lah), here’s my spin on the theme with an authentic 1960s house dress I bought off etsy! (How adorable are the pockets and rickrack trims?) If this was the 60s, the dress would be 1-2 inches shorter, I’d pair it with white opaque leggings and gogo boots OR crazy platform sandals, false eyelashes upper and lower lids and THE HAIR! Big bouffant 60s hair! But since this is 2013… here’s what I’m wearing today:

Dress: Purple 60s rickrack house dress from Ms. Tips Vintage on etsy.com

Leggings: Teal stockings from UNIQLO

Accessories: Lime green beaded hoop earrings from SIX Accessories; Stack of 4 plastic bangles from PRIMARK (gift from my pal Tamares)

Footwear: Beige floral print DM-lookalike mary janes sandals from MKS Shoes (purchased at Loubelle Shop in Bandung)

Thanks for the snaps, Sianny!!