Key Events
Locally, the manufacturing industry and other labour-intensive sectors started to bloom in this post-independence period. On the other hand, the fashion industry from abroad had begun to creep into the society too. In 1970, the Monetary Authority of Singapore was set up to plan and execute monetary policies. In 1979 till the late 1980s, implementation of policies related to education and industries allowed Singapore to enjoy steady economic growth while maintaining peace and harmony in the multiracial community.
Trends in the Region
The independence of Singapore in 1965 also cause the split of Malaysian-Singapore Airways(MSA). Singapore Airlines(SIA) was started in the early 70s. SIA needed a uniforms for their air stewardess. Hence, an adaptation from the malay sarong kebaya using brightly color batik was made by the French designer, Pierre Balmain.
It almost seemed liked a national costume to Singapore women, Balmain once claimed during a press interview in 1981. Hardly any women did not own one… The kebaya had an hourglass form showing feminity and three-quarter length sleeve with printed border a sleeve hem. Below the kebaya was the saraong , a narrow fitted wrapped skirt in which the SIA girl elegantly walked in it. (Phromsuthirak, 2000)
This trend could be due to the act of the national event of independence, which this clothing became a way of showing their pride of the independent. There are some preservation of enthical design yet mix with some modernity on it, as it help reprsent the enthical influences we have, yet adding on to it the modernization that is taking place in Singapore.
However, popular culture of fashion was constrained to certain limit, due to the climate in Singapore. Winter/ Fall collection would seldom influences the fashion trend of Singapore, as it is impractical to wear in warm temperature all year round. Hence, the feasibility and the living condition of Singapore does has an effect on popular culture.
As the market in Singapore began in pick up more in 1970s, new branding enter into market, premier brands included Levis, Wrangler and Lee copper, which bring about the jeans culture into Singapore.
At the beginning of the decade, Singapore’s trend was estimated to be 2 years behind Paris, 2 years behind Tokyo and 1 year behind Hong Kong. The direction seemed to be Singapore was looking toward Hong Kong for latest style, which in turn Hong Kong adapted Tokyo’s trend which looked upon Europe for inspiration (Phromsuthirak, 2000).
This trend of following after Hong Kong rather than Europe directly, could be due to the “anti-yellow” culture campagin that was launched in the 1950s-1970s, the trends seems to look towards Hong kong, an asia country, rather onto the Americian and British. Perhapes, after independent of Singapore, it has lesser with the influences that came from their colonial. It could be due to mainly the resistances of what is coming from the “yellow” culture, and it took some time for the people to accept as their fashion style.
In addition, there was some style that did not got into Singapore fashion trend, example “the oriental Look” was a craze in Europe, United staes and Tokyo, “ Punk” which originated from Londo with Zandra Rhodes that claim it’s the 70s collection, this two styles did not get into the Singapore Fashion Trend. IT could be due to the extreme wearing of it, deemed inapproriate for Singapore society.
As more and more shopping centers were build, local department stores like Oriental Emoporiums and metro expanded13, the rising public spening in retail industraty, and futhermore, the political scene was much more stable, this brought about a space for the fashion culture to flourish.
Changes in Singapore Industries
The government in the 1980s no longer was faced with a bleak future. Singapore had experienced high economic growth throughout the past decades since its independence. As Singapore took to industrialisation to resolve various economic issues, Singapore had full employment rate and the population had gotten more affluent. However the successful young Singapore was based on low valued industrialisation. In order to add value to the current industries, Singapore had to change and upgrade. Developing information technology and automating industries with computers and robotics seem essential in adding value to the industries. Mass production was encouraged to increase exports. One must note that the population at this period is much more educated and the skilled workforce would be able to handle higher technological equipments. With the coming of age of efficient automated factories and industries, clothes were mass produced and so were fashion. This had serious consequences. This meant that several lines of trades will go into decline. For example, the textile and garment industry would be greatly affected. Clothes and street wear will be ready made and branded. Furthermore they will be available in high quantity. Tailoring profession would slowly go on the decline, helpless against the tide of industrialisation. Overall the tailoring and textile industry will decline as time passes.
Before the mass production of clothes in 1970s, women picking up sewing skills from private commercial schools and community centres were common.
The following pictures depict a sewing book adapted from “Vintage Singapore, souvenir from the recent past.”
Another such industry affected during the progress of Singapore is the shoelast makers. I would like to mention this because teens today had no idea how cobblers manufactured shoes of the past and it is interesting to know of the extinct trade that once flourished as a luxury good. Below is an article taken from the archive of the National Library Board5.
Shoelast makers made shoelasts or shoe trees which were wooden bases or moulds on which shoes were built. A completed pair of shoes were placed on the shoelasts and the shoes' uppers were dressed to form a finished product. Shoelasts were made in different sizes, styles and fits. They were mostly used by shoe manufactures and cobblers. Shoelast makers were usually Chinese Hakka, and were usually situated in the old Chinatown area.
Shoes took over clogs as a preferred footwear amongst Singaporeans and so shoelast making became an important occupation. The golden age for this industry was the 1970s when there were many shops along Middle Road. This was because there were many shoe making factories in Singapore then and the demand for shoelasts was high. Most shoelast makers however later settled at Malay Street. During the war, shoelast makers served Japanese customers as well. The price of shoe trees doubled after the war, amounting to S$20 for a pair. In the decade that followed shoes of various designs were imported from Hong Kong and other foreign countries. This brought down the price for a pair of shoelasts to S$8-S$10 in the 1950s. The local shoe makers then decided to compete with their foreign counterparts. Their decision brought fortune to the shoelast industry. They sold shoelasts to shoe-making companies that made shoes which were similar in design to the imported ones. The designs of shoes in fashion kept changing increasing the demand for shoelasts which poured in until 1983. In 1986, the price of shoelasts for men's shoes was S$18 and for women's shoes, S$17. Shoelast makers also catered to individual needs. Customers with defective feet or those with feet of different sizes often came to them for their custom-made shoelasts. These customers then handed over the shoelasts to their shoemakers to be made into proper shoes. In 1980s bigger companies entered the field, but business started dwindling from around 1983 onwards when the shoelast industry was affected by the 1983 world economic recession.
Jobscope
Most of the shoelast or shoe tree making process was manual. A paper pattern was drawn out and a block of Chengai wood was cut and sawn to fit the paper pattern's specifications. This formed a raw shoelast. A piece of iron was cut according to the size of the sole and moulded onto the sole of the shoelast. The presence of iron was to serve as a barrier when the shoelasts were manufactured into shoes later. During the process of making a shoelast into a shoe, nails had to be hammered into it. The iron prevented the nails from sticking out from the insides of the shoe soles. Iron were used until rubber soles came into existence in the 1970s. Rubber soles made the use of nails unnecessary and made the need to mount iron plates onto the shoelast soles redundant. Finally, the shoelast was polished with sandpaper and waxed. This arduous process was made easier with the introduction of machines that sawed and planed the wood. Machines also helped to further cut the rough moulds into the desired shape. Otherwise this too was done manually. Manually, it took four men to produce three or four pairs of shoelasts daily. With machinery, thirty pairs were produced daily.
Development
The shoelast industry initially faced a bleak future with a growing trend to purchase branded imported shoes, which were once considered luxury goods. As affluence grew, more and more Singaporeans preferred to buy branded imported shoes rather than the local imitation of imported shoes. The preference for sports shoes increased too. Furthermore, shoelast makers themselves did not wish for their offspring to continue this toilsome trade. Branded footwear flooded Singapore markets with their sleek designs, comfortable fits and competitive prices everywhere. The demand for shoelasts thus dwindled with shoelast making an extinct trade in Singapore today.
As can be seen from the decline of the shoelast makers, machines took over the trade of making shoes. Branded sports shoes flocked into the market of Singapore and gave a finishing blow to the trade. The entry of such branded footwear and apparel signify the end of an old era of fashion and the beginning of the fashion conscious generation where fashion is ever changing. The demand of new trendy fashion would soon give rise to a new industry of the economy. In 1981, textile and fashion federation Singapore was established to help develop the fashion industry for the manufacturers and designers.
Another point to be take note from the article was the fact that Singapore was very much richer than it once was. Due to CPF and policies which encouraged savings, Singapore population possessed one of the highest savings among the nations. The growing affluence can be demonstrated through fashion without sheer mentioning of statistics. Compare the pictures below. One can see the major difference between the lifestyle of the 50s and 70s.
Hairdressing at five-foot walkway in the 1950s
(Picture: Archives of Singapore)
Hairdressing salon in the 1970s. People usually flocked to the salon for the latest beehive hairstyle.
(Picture: “Vintage Singapore, souvenir from the recent past.”)
It is pretty clear that the situation in Singapore had changed since the aftermath of the war. Life had changed drastically, and living standards were getting better. This can also be proven by the increased life expectancy of a Singaporean and the decreased infant mortality rate at that time. The lives of the people were improved after a period of rapid industrialisation.
