Singaporeans getting thriftier, going online for Hari Raya outfits

Shahrul Rivera (left) and Ayunni Azman in the Hari Raya outfits they bought this year. (Photo courtesy of Shahrul Rivera and Ayunni Azman)

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Geylang springs to life as many Singaporeans head to the annual Hari Raya Bazaar. This is where many families flock to in search of good food and their Hari Raya outfits.

Although many Singaporeans are willing to queue for good food and clothes, some have decided to avoid the hassle by going online for their festive apparel.

Production assistant Najiha Hana Zaimuddin, 28, who bought three sets of Hari Raya clothes online this year, said that Web shopping has made it easier to buy clothes compared with the past, when she could only tailor one outfit.

“I can say that it’s getting easier and less of a hassle for me to get at least two to three outfits per year with the spread of online shops,” she said.

Sales associate Ayunni Azman, 27, also turned to online shopping this year. “I purchased my lace baju kuring for about $150 from a Malaysian site,” she said.

Najiha Hana Zaimuddin, who did her shopping online, wearing one of the outfits she bought for Hari Raya this year. (Photo courtesy of Najiha Hana Zaimuddin)

Businesses catching on

Online clothing shop adlinaanis caters to this segment of shoppers. On top of running her Web store, business owner Adlina Anis also started a pop-up shop – a collaboration with four other brands – in Changi just for the month of Ramadan.

Citing reasons such as accessibility and convenience, the 33-year-old has noticed that her online store tends to do better business than the physical outlet. “We are able to reach out to a wider market. Because we have international shipping, many people are able to purchase my clothes. The customers can also shop anytime,” she said.

Another clothing store, Maison Q, sells children’s clothing both online and at a physical store. Business owner Ana Abdat, 35, said that while some customers prefer going down to the store to feel and try out the clothes, online sales have been doing well.

“Online sales are pretty encouraging, I think parents these days are quite modern, so they do hunt online,” she said, adding, “Some of them just want to avoid the hassle of Geylang Bazaar. It’s really quite crowded, so I think the modern parents just want to avoid the crowd.”

Siti Hanisah Mustafah in the Hari Raya outfit she purchased for $60. (Photo courtesy of Siti Hanisah Mustafah)

Careful with their spending

Besides the shift towards online shopping, more people have also become thriftier in their spending with some even reusing old Hari Raya outfits.

Siti Hanisah Mustafah, for instance, spent just $60 for a baju kurung (traditional Malay costume) this year. “I spend less on Raya clothes because I tend to reuse my old clothes. For example, this year I only bought one outfit and I will reuse one of my old baju kurung,” said the 18-year-old student.

Media engineer Shahrul Rivera says that he typically buys a new set of baju kurung every two or three years. “I’m only going to wear it for the first day of Raya and it will be sitting in my cupboard for another year, so I spend less than $200 on clothes,” the 28-year-old reasoned.

Nafisah Anwar, 27, shared this sentiment. The video producer said that she now buys more versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched.

“I care less about being trendy or up to date with fashion… I believe that if you stock your Hari Raya closet up over the years with timeless or classic pieces, you will never have less,” she said.

To cater to the cost-conscious crowd, children’s clothing retailer Maison Q has come up with a reversible baju kurung that offers two looks in one outfit.

“The response we have been getting has been quite good because parents have been quite pleased that they can buy just one outfit and their children can wear it two different ways,” said business owner Ana Abdat, 35.

Natasha Sulaiman (left) and Ms Dahlia Mohd, the founders of En Pointe, which brings in Hari Raya outfits from Kuala Lumpur. (Photo: En Pointe)

Local retailer En Pointe, which brings in Hari Raya outfits from independent brands in Kuala Lumpur, has noticed that Singaporeans tend to be more conservative in their spending.

Dahlia Mohd, 34, who started up the business with her friend Natasha Sulaiman, 31, said: “In Malaysia, it is not uncommon to have five to 10 outfits for Raya, especially if you move in certain social circles.

“Singaporeans on the other hand, have only one day of holiday for Hari Raya… As such, there might be a feeling that they should not need to go overboard with the Raya spending.”