
Want to know the right clothes, shoes and materials to wear in Singapore’s sunny weather? We chat to Net-A-Porter’s Lisa Aiken on the latest trends, wardrobe essentials and fashion advice on hot-weather dressing
Fashion comes with a price in countries with hot climates like Singapore. Whether you’re afraid of melting in your loud, statement pieces or rocking a double-denim outfit down Orchard Road, there are plenty of alternatives to look fashionable without sacrificing comfort. But how can you do so, you ask? From the latest trends and cool materials to sartorial adjustments and easy buys, we sat down with Net-A-Porter’s retail fashion director (and London’s very own street style star), Lisa Aiken, to give us the full fashion low down on dressing stylishly without having to worry about sweating in your outfit when out and about in Singapore’s hot and humid weather.

Hi Lisa! Tell us about your personal style?
“I’m a bit of a ‘fashion magpie’ – I get excited every season by new ideas and new things. I’d say that my style is more eclectic and a little adventurous – knowing some of the things my husband reacts to [laughs], like something as unusual as the pyjama trend. But I dress for girls, in the sense that I want a woman to think that I’m stylish and interesting.”

How would you style yourself for Singapore’s hot weather?
“I’d be going for casual denim, and an easy shirt that’s deconstructed in some way because cotton is easier to wear in the heat. What’s been amazing is that in the past few seasons, we’ve had some incredible designers that have really used cotton in quite a directional and almost sculptural way, like the exaggerated sleeves or off-the-shoulder necklines, and so I would say that twould be a really easy way to dress with a strong fashion twist. I’m also a big fan of midi-length dresses from the likes of JW Anderson and Magda Butrym, pairing them with flats because I think there’s nothing worse than wearing heels in the heat. Personally, I’m all about flats. But my favourite for spring/summer, where I’ll be taking to warm places would be slides and slippers because they’re those throw-on things that are just an absolute breeze to wear.”

Any favourite pairs of summer shoes?
“A pair of cherry red Balenciaga square toe slippers, so I when I wear them with a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, there’s an instant statement element to it. My favourite slippers at the moment are the Nicholas Kirkwood Beya flats, done like a slipper shape with a point-toe, so it looks more dressed even though it’s casual. I quite like making statements with slides, and given that “logo mania” is everywhere, I’d go for the Givenchy slides or mismatched Nike slides. And on Net-A-Porter, we’ve got red satin Adidas slides for only 50 pounds – such an easy buy!”

What materials are suitable for Singapore’s weather?
“I’m addicted to denim, especially vintage denim, but we’re slowly moving into chino this season which I think would be perfect for this climate. Stella McCartney did some amazing chinos for this season, which are nice alternatives to denim when you’re kind of looking for that easy counter-balance.”

You mentioned your love for denim. How can one rock denim in the heat?
“So one of my favourite things is denim skirts, and we’ve got this amazing Alexander Wang denim skirt on the site right now and also J Brand – great for those with quite big hips where high rise vintage denim won’t suit you as much as a skirt which is much more flattering. It’s high on the waist and it skims, so it’s a good alternative if you want to go denim in a cooler way. Or similarly, I would say, opting for the new shape where rather than having it being too tight-fitting, where it’s more wide-leg but cropped, such as the likes of Balenciaga. Another favourite shape is the barrel jean which is a pair of high-rise jeans but softer through the leg – a cooler shape to wear!”
What about double-denim?
“I’ve been seeing it cropping up at shows like Calvin Klein, and I’m very into it. I’ve been experimenting with it personally, and one of my favourite things is the M.i.h dark denim coat in a longer trench shape, and then a lighter denim jean because I like the contrast of the two. Sometimes the shape of denim jackets can be pretty tricky, and one of my favourite shapes for denim is oversized where you can roll up the cuff up, throw on everything and it feels casual. I would recommend playing with your shades of denim, like blue denim with black or dark with light, and I would look at shapes so maybe something a little bit more oversized on top.”

What’s your day-to-night wear for Singapore?
“RIXO London, a new print-based brand, did this beautiful print dress in wrap shape in soft washed cotton fabric. We only launched it a little while ago and they did amazingly. They’ve also got a star print skirt that I would wear with a masculine t-shirt or my Gucci logo t-shirt – so you’re balancing out that girliness with something a little bit more boyish – and then adding really big earrings and maybe switching shoes from flats to sandals or slippers so they look more dressy for the evening.”
Net-A-Porter is an e-tailer carrying over 400 luxury brands, including the products mentioned above.
Read our fashion interviews with designer Priscilla Shunmugam of Ong Shunmugam and international Korean model Irene Kim for style advice.