No Boobs? No Problem. Sonia Chew is Quirky-Sexy-Cool In Our Most Hipster Swimsuit Shoot Ever

Say yo to Sonia Chew, 25, who represents a new generation of sexy that’s not about showing as much skin as legally possible. In this enlightened new world, personality, brains, humour, wit, charm and style count as much, if not more, than what’s on the surface. And what's on Sonia's surface is a pretty face she likes to contort into silly expressions and a reed-thin body that’s more boyish than bombshell. In a sea of pretty young things, Sonia’s quirky personality and penchant for looking pretty ugly made her stand out, and now, five years after her debut as a radio DJ on 987, it’s all paying off, as she cements her status as one of the most in-demand young hosts on TV, for events and in videos. But we're talking too much. After all, this is still a swimsuit shoot. Enjoy.

"I’m not what society may see as a typically sexy and voluptuous girl, and I think my personality is just too colourful to be sexy! And I don’t wear the kinds of things people would consider sexy, like bodycon dresses and all that. I think I’m dorky and quirky. And anything else but sexy, to be honest. Yes, I think being sexy goes deeper now. It could be the millennial mindset. I think being smart can be attractive, and being sexy can come across in your personality. On Instagram, it’s easy to see that this girl’s hot and she has boobs and ass or whatever, but you don’t really know this person at all, so that’s a very superficial kind of sexy. I think that today, sexiness goes beyond looks. It could be about someone’s personality. I definitely think a smart person is sexier."

"I definitely was always goofy. I have a handful of friends who will attest to that! I’m glad to say is that I haven’t changed since my school days — I’m still the same retarded goofball. But as a radio personality and on screen, it’s sometimes hard to show your real personality, and it took me a few years to be comfortable with being like this. I didn’t know if people would accept my way of presenting or my real personality. It took a few years. And I'm still developing, but yeah, I’m glad I’m now very comfortable with myself."

"I don’t know if I can speak for all guys, but hopefully the guys of this generation find wit and intelligence a lot sexier than in the past. I feel that, to a certain extent, they will still look at your face. It’s like, “Is she pretty or hot?” Everyone still does that. It’s a first impressions thing. But when you get to know a person and you fall in love with how sexy this person is in terms of wit and intelligence, then that’s a good thing."

"I’m not the most voluptuous girl in the classroom! But I’m now really comfortable with my body, and to my girlfriends out there who may feel insecure, like, “I don’t have enough boobs or my ass is flat or whatever”, I’m honestly the same as you. I’m not gonna lie, ages ago, especially when you’re under the pressure of being in media and all, I did think, “Oh my god, do I need to get a boob job? Should I enhance myself?” I wanted to get my eyelids done. Like to make my eyes bigger and more consistent in terms of size. And I was thinking of a boob job, but the thought really scared me. I had a couple of friends who did it and they said it was very painful and they couldn’t do anything [strenuous] for many months. I’ve been teased online after magazine shoots, like, “You’re flat like an airport runway”, but I really don’t care. I’ve come to terms with my body. So what if you don’t have ass or boobs — you can still be sexy."

"I’ll tell you this — up till last year, I was obsessed with having something cool to post on Instagram, to show that I’m here and there and doing this and that, like, I’m doing so many things at once. But then I thought that I needed to be more relatable to my audience. When they look at my Instagram, they’d be like, “Oh great, she’s going places; oh nice, she’s at another fancy dinner”, but how do you make yourself less unlikeable? (Laughs) So aside from having real work-life balance, and to take care of myself a bit more this year, I felt I also needed to take care of my socials and make sure my followers don’t think, “She’s being a sell-out or doing this for the money. With clients [on my social media], I need to try the products first and like the brand before I talk about it, or people gonna think you’re a fake-ass b***h, and you don’t want that, ever."

"A sexy icon would be Jennifer Lawrence or Cara Delevinge. Or Tyra Banks. She’s all about the empowerment, and she’s not afraid to say that after all these years, she’s not as skinny anymore. I think she’s really real and she’s cool. For guys, it would be Justin Timberlake. Have you seen him dressed up as a tofu and dancing? No? Apparently we look for different things on the Internet! (Laughs) I love him ’cos he’s hot and also ’cos he’s not just a good musician and an awesome family dude, he’s also so dorky and geeky at the same time and doesn’t mind showing it. He’s the ultimate sexy. As for sexy local stars, who would it be? Um... oh my god, is it bad that I have to think so long? Okay, if I had to pick… er…. Think…. Wah, this is hard. Angela Lee, the MMA fighter. Someone in showbiz? Rebecca Tan — she’s pretty hot and sexy, and not in a skanky way. Oh, Oon Shu An! She’s pretty sexy, and she’s full of personality. Oh, okay, she’s kinda wacky too — maybe we are quite similar! Am I just calling myself sexy? (Guffaws) Maybe!"

Photos: Aik Chen
Art direction: Pyron Tan
Styling: Lirong
Make-up and hair: Manisa Tan
Shot on location at FOC Sentosa

Tips from @soniachew on how to nail that perfect — and perfect not-perfect — photo:

(From left)
The normal shot
“Look approachable and friendly by flashing... your best smile, of course! Not anything else! Hahaha! Smiling with teeth optional, if you want to look a tad sexier.”

The cool shot
“Exude attitude by giving strong eye contact! Relax your mouth to avoid duck lips and find the best angle to give your face definition. A three-quarter angle towards the camera usually works better!”

The cutesy/posey shot
“Remember: Be cute but not annoying! Forget about the dark days of Neoprint. Cute can be alluring too! Don't be afraid to play around with expressions and props like sunnies, a drink that you're enjoying, make-up etc…”

The derpy shot
“There's no real tip on how to derp. All I can say is... Go all out or don't bother at all. The more chins, the better!”

Tune in to Sonia on 987 on The Shock Circuit with Sonia & Joakim, weekdays 4-8pm. Watch her web travel show SSBD at http://lifestyle.toggle.sg/en/lifestyle/travel/travel-ssbd.