By Prajna Girish (27S06O)

you ons for matcha x thrifting, girl?

Scroll through Instagram stories any weekend or holiday and chances are you’d see aesthetic, vintage-style digicam pictures blurred just the right amount, stickers in just the right places, and just the perfect song playing over a version of The Classic Friend Outing. A cozy afternoon at Orchard Road or Haji Lane. Stacks of photobooth strips. A movie to escape the sweltering heat. Lunch at a cafe, followed by iced coffee and a wander through thrift stores after mandatory pit stops at Yochi and Brandy Melville’s pre-teen cousin, Subdued. 

It seems as though every Singaporean teen has gone through this ritual, or at least some part of it. Despite the constant wallowing over empty wallets and packed schedules, many of us manage to find the time to “speedrun” this itinerary with friends like a mapped cycling route, though any one of the aforementioned has the ability to break the bank. 

Now, I’m not speaking from a moral high ground—when I hit the trifecta of good people, good food, and good pictures, I’m out the door in moments. One of the reasons these “genre” plans have become commonplace is exactly this—it’s a pre-packed, fail-safe model for a good time. But somewhere between the camera roll to prove we had fun and frigid fingers from holding that strawberry matcha, have we ever stopped to wonder why exactly it became the go-to outing formula? What else do we wish for when making plans with peers?