Star Style: Andee Chua
He may have shot to fame walking Emporio Armani, but model Andee Chua professes a love for plain clothes
Rising local male model Andee Chua started modelling just three years ago, but the 27-year-old has been a lover of fashion since he was in secondary school.
As a teen, he would save money from his allowance and waitering jobs to indulge his fancies.
He told The New Paper: "I would go to a fancier hair salon, wear contact lenses, and started with a crisp white shirt and chinos. It was probably too old for my age then, but at least I made the effort."
Chua entered his experimental phase when he was a multimedia infocomm technology student at Nanyang Polytechnic.
His hair became the victim.
"I used to have a bob cut, ash purple hair colour, orange hair colour, and super long hair.
"Thinking about it still gives me goose bumps," he recalled.
Thanks to his strong social media presence - his Instagram account has 75,500 followers - Chua, who made headlines here in 2015 when he was cast by Italian fashion house Armani to walk the Emporio Armani Menswear Spring Summer 2016 show at Milan Fashion Week, is now more than just a clotheshorse.
He hosts weekly web series Bro's Talk and has signed up with new talent agency Sixtwigs.
With the spotlight on him, he is more aware than ever about dressing up. And he has pointers. Top of his list is to wear clothes that fit.
"If you're intentionally going for an oversized look, it is okay. But it is bad if it is in between. And guys who have muscles in super tight-fitting clothes is just a no-no for me."
Another plea: No shorts that come down to the calves, unless you're in a basketball team.
"These three-quarter shorts are definitely an item I would ban."
Sentimental
One of his career highlights was walking the Emporio Armani Menswear Spring Summer 2016 show as the first Singaporean male model to book such a gig in a long while.
So it was not a surprising that an Armani windbreaker (left) is the item closest to his heart.
Chua said: "It was my first branded jacket, and the first time I received clothes from a brand. It carries all the memories (of) Milan, and my first show in a Fashion Week."
Outrageous
Chua bought this for himself from a second-hand vintage shop in Paris because he wanted something different.
"It is a vintage oversized jacket with pink and purple prints. I wore it only once to an event.
"I thought it was really bright for me, and perhaps that was why I bought it that time."
It has been left untouched since.
Off-duty
Chua picked a shirt and pants combo from Uniqlo (above), paired it with K-Swiss sneakers and Casio's G-Shock watch. Do not expect him to look more casual than that.
"I will wear slippers only if I am somewhere near my house, like the market or coffee shop or the beach.
But on my day off, I'll usually stick to a plain tee, jeans and a pair of sneakers.
"And accessorise with a cap maybe?"
Simple
Simple is the word Chua uses most often when it comes to describing his sartorial choices.
"I really love plain T-shirts, shirts, jeans and chinos. Dressing simple makes me feel more down-to-earth, and it is a style I can never get bored of."
This outfit, which matches his personal style, is from local label Biro Company.
These threequarter shorts are definitely an item I would ban.Model Andee Chua on shorts that come down to the calves
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