I was scrolling through Instagram (a habit I should really rid myself of), and came across an influencer selling a beige slip dress. It was flattering on her, but just so… plain and generic. Given the setting and context, it could have been sleepwear as well. Now, don’t get me wrong — I love basics as much as the next person, but it was essentially a nothingburger. It looked beautiful, by many a Singaporean girls’ judgement, but that’s just it. It’s the default image of Singapore femininity.
Recently, beige has been a thing. We talk about beige flags, and recently, lots of women have been embracing the beige corporate girly aesthetic (sidenote: I feel like ‘girly’ infantilises women, but I’m splitting hairs here). Beige is code for neutrality, being approachable, inoffensive and low resistance. Why is it that after centuries of fighting the patriarchy, we still want to make ourselves as invisible as possible?
Don’t get me wrong. I get when beige is essential. It fits right in with being in a corporate environment, and it is a colour that one can use when one needs to be neutral. The personal is the political, as people say, but how can so many women on this island choose only one option? And how can only one option be this visible?
If I’m not working, I don’t dress to be invisible. My clothes have motifs—they each mean something and are connected to my books. I love my hanfu, and if I can, I wear something that is Chinese-inspired because it’s part of my personal brand. Think dragons and bomber jackets, cranes and koi fish. Every symbol, every cut, means something and is a way to express my identity.
But that reel is only a symptom of a problem — that of one version of femininity existing, and one aesthetic being more socially accepted than others. And honestly? It’s not new.
Around 20 years ago, there were myriad blogshops that sold the same inoffensive bullcrap to women. Dresses in soft colours like white, pink, and maybe lilac, or a soft baby blue. The cuts and patterns didn’t change — it was the same, “girl-next-door who you’d go on a picnic with” vibe. The girls grew up and became beige women.
I am glad my social media FYP and my actual life shows me people with different bodies and different aesthetics. But my social media still spotlights, on occasion, the same stick thin skinny silhouette that has been popular in the 2000s, and a boring, beige aesthetic has been seen dominating it just a little bit more for the past few years. I am glad I have the option to scroll away and look at other people who do different styles, but honestly, (it’s better to put down my phone) and we can do better than that.
The problem is this aesthetic and identity — that of a beige Singaporean Chinese girl — is not it. It doesn’t represent all of us, and it certainly doesn’t represent me.
The Singapore girl woman is many things to many people, and I am only part of it. In fact, I wish more people would think about their identity a bit more instead of gravitating towards something harmless, i.e. beige. Be louder! Use colour (when not in the office)! Show me who you are.
I don’t want to see uniformity. I want to see people who look like people.
Social media is supposed to be a great equaliser. We get to see many bodies, styles, skin colours and in a way, it is!
But if I see another beige dress and beige aesthetic, I will do something.
I can’t fling my phone at the wall, but I can dress with a vengeance.
We women didn’t put up with centuries of patriarchy just to look compliant and servile.
I am a woman, and I dress to be seen.