The Journal of Wear: Swapping is My Hobby
This is the sixth entry of our running monthly series The Journal of Wear, where we document our swappers’ stories and relationships with their wardrobes in a style reminiscent of the 2000s blogging era. In a time of hyper-editorial and polished fashion content, this series centres the humanity of the wearers, captures the nuance of their relationship with their clothing pieces, and highlights how everyday clothes are incorporated into their lives.
Glenda received me warmly at her workplace on a Saturday afternoon—an after school care centre located in the west of Singapore. With the centre’s usual occupants absent, Glenda guides me into one of the empty classrooms. While it is pin-drop silent now, with only the whirring air-conditioning and the shuffling of our feet echoing through the room, I imagine the energy levels in the room drastically different on a weekday afternoon—buzzing with adolescent energy: sprightful, fatigued, focused.
Glenda apologises for not being able to take the interview in her home, “But I brought my mini wardrobe with me!” she laughs.
We begin by talking about the outfit Glenda has on for the day.
She is wearing a pastel green top from The Fashion Pulpit, a pair of denim jeans, a knitted cardigan and a woven necklace she DIY-ed. “I saw a similar one at The Fashion Pulpit (TFP) and got inspired to make my own,” referring to the necklace she made.
L: Glenda’s outfit for the day R: A close-up on Glenda’s DIY woven necklace and green pastel top from The Fashion Pulpit
Glenda mentions that since working here, she’s had to adapt her style to better suit the work environment. Working and interacting closely with kids on a daily basis means she is more attuned to dressing in softer silhouettes at work.
“Once I started working here I couldn't wear short dresses because I have to be on the floor and running around. So most of my outfits here are maxi skirts or jeans. And the neckline has to be higher,” gesturing at the top she’s wearing. “And no dangly earrings and rings with stones too, because we don’t want to scratch the kids,” she adds, her tone more serious this time.
Being privy to Glenda’s personal style through Instagram and always seeing her in the shop, I’ve noticed how she gravitates towards pieces that are quirky, fun and bright, much like her teacher personality. Her enthusiasm for her clothes is palpable and infectious both in-person and through the digital screen.
I ask if she’s always been this way.
“I think I’ve always wanted to look a little bit different.”
“Back in poly, someone wore the same outfit as me one day and she passed [an unpleasant] comment about me. After that incident, I was like ‘no way am I going to wear an outfit just the way it is supposed to be worn’. So if it's a romper I will wear it with a skirt or change the look, so I won’t look the same as someone else,” Glenda recounts.
Since we weren’t able to photograph Glenda’s wardrobe, she brought what’s a fun-sized version of it with her. Packed snugly in a printed Marimekko x Adidas duffel bag, everything she brought is colourful—similar to how I imagined her wardrobe to look.
Carefully, she lays out her accessories on the table and walks me through what she brought. In the pink jewellery box embossed with her name in gold cursive writing, which was a bridesmaid’s gift from a dear friend, she keeps some of her favourite jewellery pieces. Gold watches and bracelets from grandmothers, jade earrings from a friend and pieces she’s collected over the years. She points to the navy blue leather coin pouch and tells me that it’s one of her favourite thrift finds from Paris, only for a whopping €1.50.
L: Glenda’s accessories collection R: An embossed pink jewellery box and an engraved watch with Glenda’s name
She enthusiastically introduces the woven necklaces that are handmade by a friend who runs her own online business. “A lot of my shoes are also from another friend’s online shop. All my money goes to them. I am secretly an investor,” she pokes fun at herself.
Despite this, I notice a sense of joy and pride she feels for both her friends and the items she owns. I mentioned this to her, saying, “Wearing designs by your friends adds an additional layer of closeness to your relationships. Both with your friends and these specific pieces.” Glenda agrees, and proceeds to show me the Instagram accounts of her friends’ shops.
Glenda pulls her clothes out of her bag with hangers still intact. I admire how meticulous she is with packing and presenting her clothes. “It’s easier to show you and tell you more about them this way,” she says. I get a glimpse of what her actual closet might look like.
Dress 01. to 05.
“Before I swapped at TFP, I’ve always thrifted my clothes. At NUS there is an initiative called NUS SAVE (Students’ Association for Visions of the Earth). It’s a similar concept. We get tokens in exchange for our clothes and it’s a one-for-one swap.”
“I found dress 01. six years ago. This started my cheongsam collection. I like the silhouette of the cheongsam so I always try to find them at TFP.”
“Dress 02. is from New2U. I got it at one of their sales. The material is very delicate so it’s very hard to wash. Once I started looking after my clothes, I really paid attention to how to care for them better,” Glenda remarks.
I touch the dress, intrigued by the material of the fabric. It is a beautiful cheongsam in a gorgeous deep navy colour. The seams of the collar are piped with gold fabric woven through, structuring the otherwise dainty, floral dress.
“I like Dress 03. because of the shape. It hides the stomach. This one I kept and have worn it a few times. I wore it when my best friend came back to Singapore and we had a day out,” Glenda recalls.
Glenda in Dress 03., on a day out with her best friend (L) and at a wedding of another pal (R). Photos courtesy of Glenda.
“Dress 04. is swapped out for my brother’s wedding tea ceremony and Dress 05. for his wedding dinner,” Glenda moves on to tell me about her other dresses. “I wanted to wear a tuxedo suit for my brother’s wedding. But that didn’t materialise and I found Dress 05.”
L: Glenda in Dress 05. at her brother’s wedding, photo courtesy of Glenda. R: Dress 05.
Sketches of shirt designs next to old sepia-toned photos of Glenda’s dad, courtesy of Glenda.
Glenda’s love for her clothes beam like shards of warm light. I am mesmerised when she talks about her clothes and how she’s acquired them over time, like they are kindred friends she’s gotten to meet serendipitously over time.
“Swapping is my hobby. I can spend hours at TFP.” Glenda tells me.
Glenda tells me that she is a tactile dresser. Because of her sensitive skin, the materials she picks out have to feel good on her body.
Circling back to her job, she adds that she notices the same about the ways her students interact with her style and the clothes she chooses to wear each day. “If my clothes look very soft or fluffy, they like to touch it. I guess they are very sensorial and like to experience things through touch.”
“There is one top I swapped from TFP which has small, circular flowers. They like to feel the flowers and say ‘It’s so itchy!’”
“They are sensitive to what teachers wear in a classroom setting,” Glenda explains. “Wearing colourful clothes changes up the classroom atmosphere. I feel like if I am in all black, I would be a bit more serious.”
Glenda speaks about her students endearingly and respectfully. “You can tell they have a sense of style. Even in their uniform. Like their socks will be a certain way, the way they tie their hair. Kids are experimental,” she empathetically affirms.
Though Glenda’s story begins with an unpleasant encounter from her younger days, she now draws her style inspiration and reference from an environment she’s created and built for herself. From swapping with her family, travelling with her friends and landing her dream job of working with children; it is evident that Glenda dresses for the person she has grown into and is loved by many.
Glenda’s wardrobe came of age with her.
“I don’t want my clothes to wear me. I want people to talk to me, and not feel like they are talking to my clothes,” she says confidently. I wonder at her confidence and ease. I believe it comes from being a true expert at dressing herself. Glenda knows exactly what works for her and what doesn’t, and leaves ample room to experiment with different silhouettes and forms.
“I am so lucky to have found TFP,” Glenda concludes.
Our swappers often tell us how lucky they are to have found TFP. But to be a part of their lives in a way that is regenerative and joy-giving—we are the lucky ones.
About The Journal of Wear
The Journal of Wear features narrative-style writing, where we capture the wearer’s unique voice and story from their perspective and ours. Instead of a simple Q & A format, we hope to craft a narrative that depicts us entering the wearer’s wardrobe/closet/bedroom space, how we got to know about the wearer’s story of their chosen item of clothing, and how each of us felt within the experience of conversing about our clothes.
The Journal of Wear is the labour of love of Esther Koh and Xingyun Shen who first bonded over how clothing can affect and shape its wearer in an intimate way. It is an extension of The Fashion Pulpit’s existing video series: SWAP STORIES. This article is written by Xingyun. All photos in this entry are captured with an iPhone or kindly shared by Glenda.