DANIEL BOEY, 44, FASHION SHOW PRODUCER

Looking at the clean-cut, sharply dressed figure that he strikes today, it is hard to believe that Daniel Boey was once a grunge kid.

But unlike many other fashionistas who would rather leave their memories of their questionable sartorial pasts deeply buried, the 44-year-old fashion show producer is quite happy to talk about his formative years as a budding sartorialist.

'I have no regrets about experimenting,' he says candidly of his past fashion faux pas, which include wearing kilts with Doc Marten boots and grungy plaid shirts with singlets.

'These phases made me realise what my style is and I understand fit, cut and proportion much better today.

'I now know I am not the sort who can wear a tutu and flounce down Orchard Road.'

Tell me about the look in this photograph (picture 1). How would you wear this look today?

I have absolutely no idea what I was thinking when I wore that. This photograph was taken at Zouk in 1991.

At that time, oversized jackets were all the rage. They look like they don't fit but they were very cool back then.

I owned a lot of oversized blazers in bright colours like green and orange and wore a lot of prints then.

This was during my experimental phase when I started wearing bright colours.

I was going for a statement-making look when I first started dabbling in fashion.

Today I would make the look more preppy.

I have a bunch of old Etro printed shirts which I have asked local design collective Reckless Ericka to customise by slimming the silhouette down. I'd wear the shirts with a bowtie and cardigan.

I would not wear the oversized blazer again because silhouettes have changed and the boxy look is no longer flattering today.

Describe your sense of style today.

The classic cuts of Tom Ford meets the fitted silhouette of Thom Browne.

These days, I like witty pieces which are not flamboyant. For example, I own a jacket which has zippers along the edge of the lapels so you can unzip them to reveal more detailing.

I'm also a big supporter of local labels like Reckless Ericka, Woods & Woods and Nicholas.

They often customise pieces for me so that they suit my sense of style and body type or even allow me to buy sample pieces that they won't be producing commercially.

What other fashion crimes have you committed in the past?

When Jean Paul Gaultier came out with kilts in the 1990s, I wore them with Doc Marten boots.

I had a Vivienne Westwood punk moment in the 1990s when I wore the kilts with singlets, huge chains and fingerless gloves.

I also had a Kurt Cobain moment when I would wear a singlet and coloured jeans with an oversized plaid shirt tied around my waist. I kept my hair clean though - I think my mum would have kicked me out if I didn't shower.

Which era do you think had the most faux pas?

The 1980s. It was so experimental that there was a very thin line between being fashionable and having bad taste.

Which faux pas is really not a faux pas to you?

Shoulder pads.

The Americans took this look to a whole new low. Think Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl (1988), where her shoulder pads made her look like a wall.

But shoulder pads, when done well, can be groundbreaking. For example, Gianni Versace's last collection in 1997 featured a very modern take on shoulder pads with sharp shoulders and even embellishments.

More recently, Balmain's padded, structured jackets are simply genius.

What are your top three fashion must-haves today?

1 A versatile, well-cut suit that you can wear equally well as separates

I own a grey Comme des Garcons suit where the jacket has three quarter sleeves and white piping and I get a lot of mileage out of it.

I've worn it with jeans and bermudas, even paired it with Madras checked pants and a singlet and worn it to a beachside juice bar.

2 A white shirt with interesting details

Some of my best buys include a Woods & Woods bib shirt and a Thom Browne quilted shirt. Get shirts in a good fabric that do not turn yellow and don't crease easily.

3 Chinos

Get these in a cut that can be worn as long trousers, but are slim enough to roll up to three-quarter pants so that they are more versatile.

Which Sex And The City character were you then? How about now?

In the 1990s, I would say I was more like Carrie because I would wear anything and experiment with anything.

Now I would say I'm Carrie and Charlotte's love child because I'm still experimental but my look leans towards preppy.

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This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.