THEY COULDN’T be more different. And we’re not just talking about their hair!

There’s Sandrine, from Belgium, with her boyish platinum blonde crop. She’s cheeky, playful, clownish at times.

And then there’s Shawna, a local lass with straight brown locks. Broody and contemplative, she can stare anyone down, and make them slightly nervous.

These two are the best of friends, and quite often, you won’t see one without the other.

This month, Granny’s Day Out takes these two friends out to a decrepit abandoned warehouse in the boondocks of Loyang for a photoshoot. It was super ulu to say the least, and a trek to get to! Plus it had ridiculously high security – although you wouldn’t know it just by looking at the pictures!

Amidst the heat, mosquitoes and gawking men, we dressed the girls.

For Sandrine, we put her in designer pieces from the 1980s: long white shirt dresses that graze the ankles; checkered fisherman pants with bulging pockets; a rayon pinafore dress. It’s a little bit avant garde, a little more European, a different side to the 80s.

As for Shawna, we covered her with frills, ruffles, ruches, lamé and shoulder pads – all the details that make up the excesses of the 80s, as we know it!

And what fun it was shooting these two friends, who shared an easy chemistry while exploring nooks and crannies in their ramshackle glam!

For enquiries and reservations, please call the shop at 6336 9774.

Special thanks to…
The very kind Rami Hanna: If not for him, we wouldn’t have been able to use this location. Plus, he fed us cold Pepsi!
&
Darrell Chung, our photographer friend, for all these lovely images! Darrell is the proud father of baby Curtis, whom he is certain will one day be on the Ellen show.
https://www.facebook.com/darrell.chung?fref=ts

Ramshackle Playground

1980s black velvet bodysuit and multi-strand necklace.

The back of this striped jumpsuit is a surprising cut-out that bares your back!

These 1980s dark red checkered fisherman pants are loose, baggy and very comfortable. They come with cute bulging pockets!

Sandrine wears a 1980s DKNY black velvet bodysuit, 1980s JPG vintage checkered fisherman pants, and a multi-strand necklace. Shawna wears a 1980s vintage striped jumpsuit.

Sandrine breaks into a run wearing a beige Marcel Marongiu long shirt dress.

Threads hang loose on this avant garde 1980s Marcel Marongiu long shirt dress.

Shawna wears a 1980s lamé cocktail dress which has a long bow that hangs low to the knees.

Sandrine finds a massive light bulb!

Tug of war: Sandrine wears a white tank top and a black rayon pinafore dress with slits; Shawna wears a white 1980s ruched dress with shoulder pads.

It’s all about loops: Sandrine loops her friend up with an old hose, while wearing a looped silver-toned necklace from the 60s!

Shawna wears a vintage 1980s bustier dress with a lace petticoat skirt. The bodice of the dress is covered in checks and tiny rose prints, with a rosette on the hip.

Sandrine jumps over a ditch in a 1980s Romeo Gigli cropped shirt, worn over a stretchy black Anteprima dress.

Sandrine steps on a puddle in a 1980s vintage Alfredo white shirt; Shawna looks on in a 1980s bustier black dress, layered with a cropped checkered and polka dotted bolero.

Foreground: A 1980s vintage Alfredo white shirt; Background: A 1980s bustier black dress with a cropped checkered and polka dotted bolero.

Stringy details on the Alfredo white shirt.

I think I feel a raindrop: Shawna reveals a bustier 1980s black party dress with a tiered skirt, previously hidden under a bolero.

Sandrine is magnificent in a Frederic Molenac long white shirt dress, accessorised with a silver-toned 1980s neckpiece with beaded tassels.

Frederic Molenac long white shirt dress, worn with a silver-toned 1980s neckpiece with beaded tassels.

Shawna stays rooted in a lacy 1980s vintage dress with a side bow and asymmetrical peekaboo skirt, and a 1980s faux pearl long necklace.

Sandrine finds a dead branch, wearing a lurex top of gold, copper and silver threads, with a black chiffon Dolce and Gabbana wrap skirt.

Shawna wears a tight stretchy add ribbed 1980s dress with a frilly bottom. A long tasselled necklace hangs around her neck.

Best friends!

Away they go!

[A special thanks to Darrell Chung, our photographer friend, for all these lovely images! Darrell is the proud father of Curtis, whom he is certain will one day be on the Ellen show. ]

WE LOVE old things, as you can tell. Hence, when we stumbled upon a super cute vintage cafe, we decided to make it a location for this shoot!

Carpenter and Cook is a quaint little place that sells yummy scones, cakes and tarts (all lovingly made on-premise). It is also chock full of vintage paraphernalia. Scattered all over its premises are old sewing machines, vintage radios and random knickknacks. You can sit on it, eat off it, and the best part? You can also buy it! It’s just our kind of thing. 😛

And to model this month’s clothes, we just had to have Melissa Tai, a writer with The Honeycombers. Her spunk, sassiness and cheeky grins lent an irrepressible energy to the shoot. The Honeycombers, if you do not yet know, is an online magazine that lets you in on what’s fun to do, what’s good to see, and what’s delicious to eat on our little island.

As for this month’s theme, it’s florals, florals, florals. Florals have always been around, and we like how they come in all shapes, colours and sizes. Whether it’s teeny weeny wallflower-like prints, or bold punchy in-your-face blooms, we’ve got ’em covered. Bright, cheery and girlish, the clothes are not just pretty, but exude a nostalgic charm that harks from the past.

Every piece of vintage clothing and jewellery featured in this photoshoot is for sale. All are unique and one-off. There are many pieces here that we love, but also hundreds more at the shop that we did not manage to photograph.

Come down to the shop and find something for yourself! For enquiries and reservations, please call the shop at 6336 9774.

See you at Granny’s Day Out!

“Honey, We Love Old Things!” Contest

Win! :

Six lucky girls will win a $50 voucher, either from Granny’s Day Out or Carpenter and Cook!

Tell us you love us! :

Step 1: “LIKE” our Granny’s Day Out FACEBOOK PAGE & ALBUM “Honey, We Love Old Things!”

Step 2: TAG yourself in your favourite photos in the album “Honey, We Love Old Things!”

Step 3: TELL US WHY you love us: Granny’s Day Out, Carpenter and Cook, or The Honeycombers!

Contest ends 14 September, 2012.

Good luck! xxx

We’re glad the days of typewriting are over! Melissa, the writer, types away in a 1970s floral maxi dress with a frilly halter neckline.

An explosion of colours! Brown peekaboo leather sandals peek out from underneath a bright hem.

She’s glued to the phone: 1970s vibrant blue floral dress with spaghetti straps, comes with its own triangular scarf!

Super long yellow beads add an interesting clash of colour! Wear them like this or looped a few times round your neck.

She’s posing prettily in purple. This gorgeous 1950s/1960s dress with looks swell with a dusty blue belt cinched at the waist. We love, we love, we love.

Dress up your ears with these beautiful 1940s clear lucite earrings embedded with flowers

Make them green with envy with this friggin’ awesome jumpsuit printed with petals and leaves! Worn here cinched with a skinny belt.

Jumpsuits let you sit as chor lor as you like!

Melissa sips tea standing up, while looking grand in a black and white 1970s halter neck maxi dress with white piping.

1950s pearl cluster earrings are sweet and an alternative to that solitaire pearl look.

Long and feminine 1970s dusty orange floral dress with a gathered bust and empire waist. Swish swish swish.

Grab a basket, let’s buy some jam! Melissa looks cute in this 1980s sunshine yellow ruffled blouse and 1980s waisted skirt.

Beautiful baby blue dangling drop earrings from the 1940s.

That’s her scoop! Melissa models a ladle, and a 1970s floral dress cinched with a white 1960s ah-go-go belt.

Lemons are good for your skin and hair! They make you look radiant, especially in this 1980s black and white floral dress (check out the folded decolletage), pulled together with a bright pink belt.

We heart this granny 1950s embroidered sweater, worn with a 1980s denim skirt.

Smile! You’re wearing a fabulous top!

Tie this 1980s floral patterned shirt at the waist and wear it with a 1980s acid wash denim skirt!

Straight from the 1970s: A cropped vest, pinned with a cameo brooch, and a 1970s wrap skirt. Viola.

This cameo brooch will add a vintage feel to any ole thang.

Another “make-’em-green-with-envy” 1950s dress with a few splashes of pink!

Check out the folds on the decolletage! This 1980s day dress is simple, bright and cheerful. We love!

Model: Melissa Tai of The Honeycombers www.thehoneycombers.com

Location: Carpenter and Cook www.carpenterandcook.com

Stylist and Photographer: Kyra Ching

IT’S EASY to remember fashion in The Eighties as being over the top, prone to the excessiveness and decadence of the decade.

But let us remind you that there was certainly more to it than over-sized shoulder pads, sexy bodysuits and naughty fishnet gloves!

This month, Granny’s Day Out pays homage to the 1980s with dresses from the era that are decidedly softer and flirtier.

Pastel day party dresses, multi-tiered ruffled hems with peekaboo tulle and bustier necklines rule. It’s all very pretty, till the look gets transformed with denim separates and ankle boots, with unexpected pieces of bling upping the ante.

Showing it off on camera is a lovely Singaporean blogger, who goes by the moniker of Holly Jean. Fresh-faced and graceful, she makes the look all her own, adding a charming je ne sais quoi that makes it all look so easy.

Special thanks to photographer Ng K Hon, who shot everything right in his own home, as well as hairstylist Colin Yeo. Both are acclaimed artists in their own right and we are grateful for their invaluable skills and time!

HOW TO WIN $50 GDO VOUCHERS!

Alright, it’s CONTEST TIME!

STEP 1: So, you’ve seen the photos of Holly Jean in our clothing below. Now, visit our GDO Facebook Page and ‘LIKE’ it.

STEP 2: Go to the Facebook Album “Born In The 80s”  with all the photos (as seen below) and ‘LIKE‘ the photos. Tell us WHY you like a particular outfit/item/photo to stand a higher chance of winning.

STEP 3: The more you ‘LIKE’/COMMENT, the higher your chances of winning!

Be one of THREE LUCKY WINNERS to walk away with $50 GDO shopping vouchers redeemable for everything in the store (except sunglasses).

Contest ends Friday, 3 August 2012.

Use that mouse! Good luck!