Can’t afford it? It’s ok – looking is for free. Here are 5 streetwear stores in Singapore we recommend window shopping at. 

By Vincent Teoh

Singapore truly is a shopper’s paradise; retail stores and malls are built across this little red dot to cater to all your shopping needs. But what do you do when the demand for goods exceed the supply of cash? Well, you window shop. Here are 5 stores to window shop at.

Image from http://www.facebook.com/knowitnothing

1) Know It Nothing

Located in Haji Lane, the heart of Singapore’s hipster paradise, Know It Nothing (K.I.N) is a store for the well-dressed man. K.I.N seeks to provide its customers with clothing that focuses on its design aspect, rather than just selling one genre of clothing. The multi-label store carries some of the best streetwear and menswear brands around, including its affiliated brand sifr, Daiki Suzuki’s Engineered Garments and Copenhagen’s Norse Projects.

Head to K.I.N at 51 Haji Lane to try on some pricey jackets without feeling obliged to buy them. Fret not; the store has really friendly sales people.

Image from http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ambush

2) Ambush

Think of Ambush as the Haven of Singapore. Located on the third floor of Mandarin Gallery, Ambush is a must visit if you like what’s trending. Many of the brands they sell in-store can only be found locally through them. This includes OriginalFake, Our Legacy, Reigning Champ, Wings + Horns and many others. To add to their excellent existing repertoire, Ambush will be bringing in Blvck Scvle and Hood By Air apparel in May this year.

Ambush is located at The Mandarin Gallery #03-14.

Image from http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surrender

3) Surrender

When shopping here, be prepared to surrender your wallet. Located in the highbrow shopping arcade of Raffles Hotel, Surrender offers the best shopping experience for those who can afford it. The store offers all your favourite Japanese brands, including Neighbourhood, HeadPorter, Nanamica and WTAPS. Surrender caters to shoppers who are willing to spend much more on quality streetwear.

Surrender is located at Raffles Hotel Arcade, #02-31. If you find shopping at the brick and mortar store too intimidating, shop Surrender online!

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4) A.P.C.

Singapore’s first and only A.P.C. store opened its doors in April 2010. Initially sold as part of multi-label Front Row, the high demand for A.P.C. led to the opening of its standalone store in Raffles Shopping Arcade. The store’s interior is simple yet elegant, a reminder to the Parisian brand’s focus on minimalism and attention to details.

Stocking both women and men’s clothing, window shop the latest Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Raffles Hotel Arcade #02-08.

Image from https://www.facebook.com/visvim.tv

5) F.I.L.

No reason needs to be provided on why visvim’s F.I.L. is the top store to window shop in. The small shop space measuring around 1000 square feet wide features antique parquet flooring, Japanese shikkui plaster finish on the walls and a full-size century old vintage bar selected by visvim’s creative director and founder Hiroki Nakamura. F.I.L. also carries a range of visvim’s overseas exclusive items.

F.I.L is located at Raffles Hotel Arcade #01-33.