Recycled Fashion in Singapore

Friends, family and social media followers, will know that my family and I recently took a trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. This is my family’s third time visiting The Lion City, although the first time travelling with two small kids in tow. Every time we visit Singapore, we see the city in a different light. On this occasion, child-friendly topped the things-to-do list.

Singapore offers a lot for families; plentiful food varieties (useful for fussy kids), ample air conditioned spaces to escape the heat, low cost taxis and public transport, museums, playgrounds, and lots and lots of activities to keep busy.

Singapore is advanced in so many ways, demonstrated by the country’s infrastructure, architecture and high standard of living. Away from the hustle and bustle of Singapore’s central district however, you can find interesting pockets of cultural history.

I booked accommodation for the first week of my family’s stay at the Kam Leng Hotel, Little India; a cool spot that has been restored from its former tired state, into to a quirky budget hotel filled with vintage charm.

In my first week, I caught up with Agy of Green Issues by Agy. It is great to meet likeminded friends in ‘real life’, after our blogs bought us together. Agy took our family to Haji Lane in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood of Singapore. Haji Lane offers a refreshing change from shopping malls found elsewhere in the city. Here you’ll admire street art, and meander down a narrow street filled with fashion boutiques, handmade wears and quaint cafes.

After some tourist time in Singapore, and a trip across the sea to the Riau Islands province in Indonesia and back, my family and I found ourselves back in Little India, only this time staying at the uber cool Wanderlust Hotel; accommodation designed for the adventurous traveller. No room at the 4 story Wanderlust Hotel is the same; you can stay in a capsule room rendered and decorated in one single colour, a mono space clad in contrasting white, or a whimsical loft room with five varying themes. With two young boys, I booked us into the red space themed room. You can imagine their excitement.

Some of you may remember Singaporean blogger Mongs of My Thrifty Closest. Unfortunately  Mongs doesn’t blog anymore, but we both stay in touch, and she kindly took me on a thrift shopping expedition around Singapore.

Thrift shops here are not in their abundance as they are in Australia, the UK or the US, although there are similarities with the few thrift stores that do exist in Singapore.

For anyone visiting Singapore, here are the addresses of the thrift stores you can visit. Do take note that most Singaporean thrift shops are not open every day:

MINDS Shop@Margaret
800 Margaret Drive,
Singapore 149310
Tel: 6473 1148 ext 304
Operating Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 10.00am – 3.00pm

Tanglin Mega Family Store
356 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247674
Tel: 67182513
Operating Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm

New2u thrift shop
96 Waterloo Street
Singapore 187967
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 2.30pm

Shop@REDCROSS
Red Cross House,
15 Penang Lane,
Singapore 238486 (nearest MRT Dhoby Ghaut)
Operating Hours: 11am to 4pm every Wednesday.

If you visit Singapore, have fun, it’s a great country with so much to do.