Two weeks have passed since I started with my popover project and it’s time for my first fitting. There were no buttonholes, the collars and cuffs were made of different cloth and the seams were joined by a single stitch. In other words the shirt was in an unfinished state. Continue Reading
It’s that time of the year when the clouds cover the entire sky and doesn’t let any sunshine through. As much as I would like to wear lighter shades the weather calls for more somber dressing even when off-duty. The essentials of an Ivy League-inspired look are here: a navy sport coat and navy suede penny loafers. But instead of light color trousers I chose to wear a pair of gray all-time khakis from Dockers to make me more attuned to the weather. The colors combined with the textures create a casual yet elegant look that’s perfect for a rainy weekend.
Shirt and SC by Massimo Dutti. Chinos by Dockers. Shoes by Carmina. This post is sponsored by Dockers.
Last week we held our second big Menswear Syndicate Meetup. We had a great turnout with a good split between newbies and regulars. The various styles (streetwear, workwear, preppy, classic) were well represented with many of the attendees having their own brands or tailoring outfits. We started with introductions and those who have their own labels or businesses were asked to talk more about their products and services. The discussion was lively with everyone openly sharing their knowledge and experiences.
The latest obsession in the menswear scene lately has been the popover. Once worn by the Italian business magnate and style icon Gianni Agnelli, this item of clothing has suddenly become a symbol of casual flair. As a follower of the Italian menswear aesthetic I knew I had to have one. There aren’t many who makes popovers and with my somewhat weird fit off the rack the only way was to go tailored. I’ve been impressed with the work of Abdul on the various shirts my friends had made so I decided that he will be the one to make my popover. Continue Reading
This is part of a series that features items bought from the U.S. using Globe’s GCASH American Express Virtual Pay and shipped to the Philippines using the freight forwarding service My Shopping Box. For more information click here.
It’s no secret that I love silk knit ties. I currently have four in my possession and always on the lookout for more. I wanted to add more variety to collection and stripes seemed like the way to go having two plain and two with handsewn spots. This is when I chanced upon Land’s End’s stripe silk knit ties that were on sale for $39.99 (from $59.99). Land’s End is one of the largest clothing retailers in the U.S. offering relatively affordable pieces that frequently go on sale. I asked my friend if they were any good and it turns out they are and also approved by the readers at StyleForum.
Cream Trousers (A Suitable Wardrobe)
“Cream trousers in particular occupy a special place in the history of menswear. Around 1900, America’s dandies were combining the jacket from their blue serge suit with the trousers from their cream flannel for resort wear. This was followed by the separation of the Norfolk suit’s jacket and trousers around 1920, with the orphaned jacket worn with cream flannels though obviously not for shooting. True odd jackets soon followed, leaving odd jacket wearing men indebted to the cream trouser.”
Should I change from Turnbull & Asser to Kiton? (Permanent Style)
“As you will know from close examination of Kiton’s shirts, there is a huge amount of handwork in there. More than in any other shirt I have seen. Some of this is practical (inserting sleeves, collars attached on the round, in theory the long seams) and some is merely decorative (buttonholes, attaching buttons). This work, together with the quality of the materials Kiton uses, makes their shirts expensive.”
Wear a suit without a tie? It’s nothing short of sartorial catastrophe (Guardian)
“A suit without a tie, moreover, is boring, colourless and unimaginative. A tie is one of the few – often the only – flamboyant adornments that men in conventional jobs are allowed to wear. Suits tend to be blue or grey, shirts white or blue, maybe light pink. Ties can be bright, patterned, textured. They can reflect and influence mood.”
Rules of Style: Club Monaco’s Aaron Levine (Details)
“Knowing who you are and being comfortable with yourself are the building blocks to personal style. Personally, I feel more comfortable and confident in my favorite pair of denim. I like to pair them with a great sport coat, shirt, and tie. I ultimately remain true to my personal style, while dressing appropriately for every occasion.”
Brioni: Handsewn Soul (Billionaire)
“That philosophy is put into practice behind us, in Brioni’s 8,000 square metres of workshop, spread over two floors, where some 1,100 technicians, cutters, and seamstresses — sleeve-sewers, iron-men, buttonholers, baste-stitchers — ply their singularly deft trades (at the basting table, the stitches are rattled through at what seems like time-lapse photography speed). The statistics are impressive enough: 210 suits are produced here per day, with 70 percent of the fabrics exclusive to Brioni; 220 people work on a single suit; it takes 22 hours to produce a ready-to-wear jacket, and 50 hours to produce Brioni’s fabled made-to-measure, or ‘su misura’ numbers (the process is actually taking longer today than a decade ago, says Petrucci, because of the finer weaves); each jacket contains 5,000-7,000 stitches, and each tuxedo up to 12,000; and each will be handled an average of 220 times, including 80 pressings. But, according to Petrucci, what the customer doesn’t see is just as, if not more, important: “Eighty-three percent of the stitches will be inside the jacket, between the lining and the fabric,” he says. “There will also be the hidden details, like the tiny cut in the shoulder to give the jacket more flexibility. Most customers won’t know about all the work that goes into a Brioni suit, but they’ll understand it when they try it on and it begins to mould itself to the body.” He smiles. “For me, the greatest compliment is when a customer says that their suit is like a pyjama, that it relaxes their body.””
For the discerning gentleman looking to set himself apart and project his individuality having items of clothing made bespoke is the only way to go. The launch of Linkson Jack’s bespoke tie service aims to do just that offering options on the following aspects of a tie: length, width, material, number of folds, lined or unlined, tipping and with or without a keeper. It’s not a lot to choose from but the combinations of option can be daunting for first time buyers and needs to be thoroughly explained to get the most out of a bespoke tie service. Continue Reading
A visit to Singapore wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Cumulus, Singapore’s go-to boutique for carry gear. I first visited Cumulus a few years ago when I bought my Bellroy Slim Sleeve wallet. At that time it was one of the few stockists carrying the brand outside of Australia and that’s what led me to them. Cumulus is one of the best stocked stores I have ever been to carrying various brands and styles of anything you can use to carry your stuff. From rucksacks, totes, messengers, hard suitcases, camera bags, phone and tablet cases, satchels and wallets this store probably has what you’re looking for. Continue Reading
Getting a pair of suede shoes has been on my mind for some time now. Suede is soft and therefore comfortable. It still looks great even when a little beat up. With those qualities I decided to pick up the Carmina Hawthorne navy suede penny loafers from Epaulet New York. I had some concerns with the sizing so I contacted Mike and he told me to size down to UK 9 (for reference I wear a UK 9.5 on my Carmina dub monks on the Inca last). The sizing advice he give was spot on and the shoe fits like a glove. The Xim last is perfect for my slightly wide feet and somewhat low arch as opposed to the Uetam last which fits slim and gapes around my arch. Continue Reading
Polo’s casual Friday partner (Financial Times)
“Central to chinos’ appeal is that they are easy to wear, easy to launder and easy to dress up or dress down. “The decision to wear slim or regular fit, with flat front or with pleat, and rolled up or not depends on personal style, the weather, time of year and the occasion,” says Klingberg. “Just make sure not to go too tight or too baggy. I prefer a slimmer cut with a flat front. On a hot summer day by the sea, I’d wear the chinos rolled up with a pair of sneakers or loafers. On a cooler day walking through the park, I’d wear my chinos rolled down with a pair of desert boots.””
In praise of the polo shirt (Financial Times)
“John Smedley is modernising its traditional knit version; Trussardi and Canali are presenting the polo shirt as a summer staple (Trussardi); Ralph Lauren has relaunched its ubiquitous model; Brunello Cucinelli has slim-fitting polos that would dress up most men on dress-down Friday; and Topman has a new Lux line that includes slim knitted polo shirts.”
The “Mediterranean” Beach Shoe (A Suitable Wardrobe)
“What I do notice is that they are cool on the feet, comfortable to wear, and easy to don. They clean easily (a few jets of water will do) and dry quickly enough, making them functional to and from the beach or pool. They can be slapped together like chalk erasers and be nearly free of sand before entering one’s house. They function well as house slippers and they are easy to shove into a poorly packed bag. What’s more, espadrilles can be purchased locally for less than a round of cañas. They are so cheap here that I can’t think of any thing in my (by internet standards modest) wardrobe that came with a smaller price tag, a minor blessing since there is also nothing in my wardrobe that wears out so quickly.”
Rules of Style: Footwear Designer Mark McNairy (Details)
“Practice restraint. Wear only one “interesting” piece at a time.”
Down With The Tyranny Of The Necktie (Voxsartoria)
“You know what I am talking about. Maybe your workplace does not restrict your dress by policy, maybe your friends and family are okay with the coat and tie look, but probably all the professional and social pressures are there to compel you to be a fellow member of the male slob generation. “Join us,” they say, “or else.””