I Want Her Style: Nicole Chin's fun and flamboyant fashion adventure

What does personal style mean to you? To many, it’s more than just the clothes off their backs — it’s the freedom to express who they are on the inside before even saying a word. While we all have a personal sense of style, no two individuals are exactly the same when it comes to the way they dress. In this column I Want Her Style, we speak to the stylish individuals of Singapore, and find out what makes their minds tick when it comes to fashion, and the people who inspire them.

You know Nicole Chin is different the moment you scroll through her Instagram feed.

The 28-year- old comes across as playful and unabashedly quirky – quite unlike the carefully curated feeds of most fashion influencers around the world.

The photos in her account, for one, do not come with an aesthetic filter that’s #mood, and her poses are natural and irreverent, which is a breath of fresh air.

Nicole, who works as a social media strategist in an agency, is aware of her big personality, describing herself as “expressive, colourful and bold”.

Her journey on social media, however, started rather innocuously. She’s been posting about her outfits since 2010, first on Facebook, then on Instagram a year later. “I wanted to document what I was wearing on a daily basis for memories, and to better plan future outfits,” she says.

In 2017, she started @chinchilla.vintage on Instagram as she wanted to dive into the world of thrifting and fashion. Why embrace pre-loved clothes when most of fashion’s content creators don high fashion and luxury brands like a badge of honour?

“Thrifting allows you to find one-of-a-kind pieces on a budget, while staying as sustainable as possible, and reducing the amount of clothing waste that gets sent to a landfill,” she explains.

And she loves vintage clothing in particular, as she feels the clothes made 20 years ago “are of superior quality to most things you can find in retail stores today, if you compare dollar to dollar”.

Her non- conventional approach has its challenges. “Trying to be sustainable as a fashion influencer isn’t easy in Singapore, as there aren’t many brands that are eco-friendly. I’ve had to reject many collaborations that don’t align with my values, or when I don’t agree with their labour or production practices,” she says.

Nicole is glad that her efforts in shifting perceptions are making gradual progress. “I feel proudest when I receive comments or messages from people telling me that I’ve inspired them to start thrifting and shifting towards more mindful consumption, which they have not done before. It’s small things like these that mean the most,” she says.

Below, she shares the inspiration behind her outfits and the most outrageous fashion item she owns.

My personal style… Changes on a daily basis! I don’t like to dress the same every single day, but if I had to narrow it down, it would be eclectic, bold and retro-inspired.

The first designer that caught my eye was… Alexander McQueen – specifically the outfits he designed for Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance music video in 2009. It was so wild and out of this world. Both McQueen and Lady Gaga inspired me to start dressing and expressing myself in my own way.

The best thing about fashion today is… People are more open with dressing alternatively because of social media. We are able to find our own little communities on the Internet that allow us to bond, share ideas and connect in ways we might not be able to in person.

My go-to outfit for work days is… A breezy Hawaiian shirt with jeans and sneakers, paired with a cross- body bag.

When purchasing a piece of second-hand clothing or accessory, my boxes to check are… Whether you can match the item with multiple pieces in your wardrobe, wear it for at least three different occasions, and whether you actually like it.

In my opinion, a fashion faux pas is… Being under-dressed for an occasion.

My most outrageous/ flamboyant fashion item is… A tiny mushroom necklace pouch that I crocheted myself – it only fits a single lip balm.

When people don’t agree with my style, I tell them… It’s okay! Everyone has their own preferences, and that’s what makes fashion so beautiful, diverse and fun. If I wanted everyone to like my style, we would all dress the same, and that would be so uninspiring.

Through my content, I hope to… Continue inspiring more people to express themselves fully through fashion, while staying as sustainable as they can, and being mindful of how their choices can impact the environment.

@wuzg00d ALANI FIGUEROA, fashion influencer and designer

Credit: @wuzg00d

1/4

“She motivates me to consistently post my OOTDs. Her style is bold and unique, and her outfits inspire me constantly.”

@saracamposarcone SARA CAMPOSARCONE, content creator and designer

Credit: @saracamposarcone

2/4

“She is a serial maximalist and she’s unafraid of dressing as her true authentic self.”

@andreacheong_ ANDREA CHEONG, editor, illustrator and influencer

Credit: @andreacheong_

3/4

“She always sheds light on how to be more mindful with fashion, which allows us to understand more about buying quality items that will last a long while.”

@tarachandra_ TARA CHANDRA, fashion content creator

Credit: @tarachandra_

4/4

“She’s another extremely bold and stylish individual, and I love how she accessorises every outfit to a T. Her hairstyles are also out of this world.”