guy’s stuff

coats coats coats coats coats.

one of the things i hate most about living in a tropical climate is that i am unable to utilize coldwear.

there is something so amazing about a coat, scarf, glove, and muff ensemble that ooozes glamour and style all at once.

when i started to grow up, i started to really fall in love with the trench. even though i don’t own one yet (what’s the point when i will use it 10 days a year MAX considering i go on holiday), i know that the day i truly decide to embark on my life abroad i will have my trench.

and when that day comes, there will only be one brand i will trust.

burberry.

(burberry trench : fw08)

burberry prorsum literally INVENTED the trench coat and has been making them for decades back under Thomas Burberry during the war. basically the burberry brand was commissioned by the war office to create a coat suitable for warfare. hence the TRENCH coat.

over the years, they have played with colour, texture, material, silhouette and pattern to create fresh yet classic designs that any one would die to wear.

i would recommend investing in a classic navy burberry trench or their signature khaki lined with the burberry checks, but personally i’m a little more on the loud side (the kidult in me).

which is why i absolutely LOVED the SS08 collection.

even though i would call these coats novelty pieces, the pieces are still very fashion forward and very exciting. i could probably only wear these for a season if i actually did get them, but still it would have made for a very enjoyable season of winterwear. bold and beautiful. they were made of this foam-like wetsuit material. super street lux.

for a more elegant twist i’d turn back the clock to FW07, where christopher bailey (the super celebrated design director of the label) played with romanticism and the military and came up with this handsome black velvet coat.

it’s exciting and young yet glamorous and wearable all at the same time.

there is one particular stand-out burberry trench in my head, but i can’t seem to find a picture of it.

it’s basically a black version of the beige and gold trench the blonde male model is wearing in the SS08 ad campaign. i remember trying this trench on and feeling so happy with it. it is a lighter trench, so it wouldnt provide much warmth. but it’s so traditional but fun at the same time. black with gold buttons. (ps how fucking hot is agyness deyn?!) (pps she’s the one in the full gold trench for the less-informed).

le sigh.

not finding it on the vast internet has made me question whether i actually tried it on and saw it. if so then if will someone please design this black and gold trench kthxbye.

thinking about trench coats only gets me more hyped up for new york. only 2 days till i fly , then it’s 20+hrs on a plane and i’m there in JFK.

(all photos courtesy of men.style.com and Burberry Prorsum)

(photo credit : Disney’s High School Musical 3)

it’s the night to remember. or so they say.

the truth is in this tiny island city, prom loses its impact and importance.

my prom was actually somewhat forgettable. it was a night for photos but it definitely wasn’t the most memorable night of my life. the food was bad (but expensive), and the only thing that made it worth it was the company of friends.

prom is the last chance to REALLY be together. which is why i had a perpetual smile on my face the entire night.

my prom journey was really much more fun than prom itself. unfortunately, prom fell right after our final IBDP exams so most of us literally had only about a week to prepare. a couple of friends and I did do some shopping in the midst of exams, so I had up to then reserved a really handsome velvet D&G suit as well as a simple but super chic Paul Smith one.

the day my exams ended i had lunch with my friends (who had ended the week before simply because I took one of the more obscure subjects – Business), and flew off for New York. not before making calling Paul Smith to confirm the suit for alterations. (this decision of Paul Smith > D&G was not difficult to make because the D&G sales girl was really the ULTIMATE bitch).

After all, Paul Smith = “Traditional with a twist”

in New York, the good people at Kenneth Cole inspired me with this fantastical silver-metallic shirt that i thought would give my prom outfit that sartorial twist. brooks brothers also provided me with a bowtie, simple but sophisticated. as a side note brooks brothers actually TEACHES you how to tie the bowtie in their stores.

i also managed to find these incredibly amazing ponyhair gucci loafers, which really, has changed my life. i do not exaggerate.

i flew back on a direct 16hr flight the morning of prom and arrived at 7am. at 10am i met a friend for brunch and she brought me along for a manicure. may i just stress, that a guy’s manicure should be buffed, but not shined. and guys should indulge in a manicure maybe once a year. just to clean those cuticles up. it really feels different.

i got my hair done at 2pm after lunch. i was really going for a pompadour but the wave machine wasnt working so in the end i had a pseudo-pompadour-mohawk. basically big hair. it was cool in a way, but not exactly what i wanted.

i came back hoping to catch some shut-eye but failed miserably. i met the boys at 6pm and we went for prom.

by the time 9pm came around i knew i would be too tired to go for the true after-party and settled on catching a movie with a group of friends. i proceeded to sleep (& probably snored) throughout the whole movie.

the whole idea of prom was to celebrate friendship and i think i did that. i celebrated with the people who made the most difference in my academic and school life and that was sufficient.

as prom season here comes around again, i’m reminded of the fun of looking for an outfit. what i wore was 99% what i wanted to wear. the hair fell short by a bit, making it more edgy than sophisticated, but still i completely embraced the outfit.

a couple of friends just went shopping for their prom outfits, and decided on modern powderblue 80s-type-prom cK blazer and another on a very cool purple-striped denim-treated d&g blazer.

i think the thing about prom is that you should take the opportunity to embrace your youth. some guys at my prom ended up looking too old and too uncool. the business suit is not a dinner suit guys! the cut is different and the colours are less severe. the thing is, a good suit can carry you from the boardroom to the dining room, but not all suits are like that.

if you’re going to go old-school and grown up, then wear a tuxedo and look sophisticated. there were definitely success cases there.

but if you’re going to embrace youth then do so with a bit of class. a friend decided to be embrace Billy Walsh’s anti-establishment spirit and wore a Suits Suck outfit. completely amazing. it was different and risky, but it inspired and it was apt. a lot has to do with personality.

(photo credit : HBO’s Entourage)

i can’t say the same for some outfits. things to not do:

• wear a cheap looking red suit
• dye your hair any of the primary or secondary colours. (or in fact any colour that is not your natural colour. but maybe highlights. whatever.)
• put sparkles in your hair
• put sparkles ANYWHERE (gosh. you’d be surprised)
• wear eyeliner (guyliner is not a word unless you are a rockstar. and you are not.)
• don’t overdress or underdress unless the effect is intended (i.e. a blacktie worthy tuxedo or the suits suck outfit. those really had intention and were pretty spectacular.)
• don’t over embellish your outfit with accessories. bracelets. watches. earrings. necklaces. brooche. corsage. ENOUGH. simple is better.
• POP/EXPOSE YOUR FRIKKIN COLLAR

okay.

but there were some really chic red-carpet ready guys at my prom. i remember a couple of really well done black suits with a pop of colour with the pocket-square. i remember this really dapper grey textured suit with a structured handkerchief. and this other bespoke suit that was so fitting and timeless. all of them looked super classic and super good.

when considering ideal prom outfits. i would recommend trying to stand out appropriately. use a colour that pops but isn’t glaring. or wear a cravet, not a scarf. or play with the sihoulette. or wear something deconstructued. or use an unconventional textile.

the most important thing to do is be classy but stylish.

(dior homme ss09, carlos campos ss09, d&g ss09)

i am absolutely feeling the above looks.

dior homme under Heidi Slimane saw these super skinny super slim siholettes and this was always the new-age sexy. he really did revolutionize the way man think about bodyshape. but when kris van assche took over, he almost had to reimagine the dior siohoulette without breaking away from the brand itself. this suit is both sexy and slim, without being overtly dramatic. the cravet around the neck is very approrpiate and very well matched with the hightops (which are, SOOO hot right now). it’s a modern take on the little black suit. simple yet fun. (of course the shades are just there for the runway-drama)

carlos campos is still a relatively up and coming designer, though he has been around for a couple of years. based in newyork, his designs are very MTV-Glamour. the kind of style The Killers, Justin Timberlake, Andre 3000 and the fashionable-like would embrace. with his strong tailoring background, he reimagines patterns and creates exciting new pieces that are wearable yet special. the suit featured here is in a wonderful grey, which is sometimes overlooked as a safe but fun colour to wear, and the buttons on the front are astoundingly appropriate despite their somewhat unconventional placing. such a pattern is normally reserved for a 3 button type suit, or a bomber jacket. the cropped jacket sleeve with the exposed white shirt sleeve is very clever and gives it that little bit of laissez faire that is required to carry off a look like this. (and how well done is that pompadour! please!)

and finally d&g. despite my awful experiences with the staff at the d&g store here, i still have to say that i love d&g because it truly embraces the idea of high street fashion. the clothes are super chic and super vegas. meaning the overall effect is both glamarous yet fun. if you HAVE to wear a white suit (and you shouldnt), then wear a suit like this. the one button-suit is very modern, and you have to make sure the cut is just right. the thing about white is that it can make you look larger than you actually are. for some guys this is a HUGE problem. so always make sure the suit is FITTED. a suit you buy off the rack ALWAYS requires alterations. any good tailor will noe what to do, but most of the time you should allow the store you buy your suit at to alter the suit for you.

don’t save that $80++. just spend it and look good on the most photographed moment of your life (after your wedding and possibly your funeral).

(photo credit : Disney’s Kim Possible)

other than that. enjoy. don’t worry about letting loose and changing it up. most importantly believe in what you’re wearing and be comfortable. let the outfit say something about who you are and where you’re going. this is the last time you all see each other in such a setting, so make the most of it and make sure it counts.

often, a new and unexpected lifestyle product will appear and make that bad day a little better.

so.

well the answer is realy quite obvious. A PAULSMITH FISHEYE LOMO.

whee. for the high-fashion indie kid (which is really an oxymoron, but high fashion kids normally try to behave indie.)

i was having a really awful day when i saw this, but it really made me smile. 

its such a simple, useless but unassuming product that i could and would probably use over and over again. (for the period of maybe a month or two).

for we who are unwilling or unable to get this US$150 beauty, well. there’s always the muji disposal camera. that’s really cute too.

i was cutting my hair today and came across these AWESOME head gears by david david.

david david has always had the most awesome prints, but then again most of the UK high street fashion designers do (think a class above topman/topshop and ben sherman).

what they’ve done is they’ve incorporated their awesome prints into these super functional and sexy ear warmers.

i actually have a pair of grey earwarmers i wore to newyork last year which i love, but these daviddavid ones seem sooo much cooler and fashionforward.

once again, i cannot wait for newyork. because daviddavid is sold at SEVEN NEW YORK. lol.

apologies for the absence.

after the lack of inspiration in the last entry (i admit it!), i came to a bit of a lull.

personally life has been extremely busy and today is the first day in the office where no one is around. literally.

the lack of human bustle and the soothing sound of the airconditioning juxtaposed against the cricketing from the forestry around is just so enjoyable.

a couple of things have saved me through the last couple of weeks, and fashion definitely played it part.

for one, the latest issue of Fantastic Man (#08 i believe) was amazingly good and well written. it was like intellectual style. the stand out piece from the issue was this article on Chanel Homme accompanied by a photoshoot by the Sartorialist.

it was pretty damn insightful and was definitely more than just a good ready.

secondly the annoucement of the Commes x Nike Dunk shoe was just. sexy beyond sexy. a step beyond the designer x streetwear collab, it’s designer x sportswear = luxury footwear you actually don’t die wearing.

it’s crazy how many collabs Commes is up to lately. Rei Kawabuko must be really up to her heels in designing over and over again. I can’t tell whether it’s good or not. On the one hand fashion becomes more accessible, on the other the design qualities to the brand name becomes diluted.

but the shoe is sexy so whatever.

thirdly. halloween. now this needs to be broken up into 2.

1) costumes costumes costumes. the whole point of hallow’s eve is to dress up and be someone you’re not. (on a side note, can i just say that halloween is NOT an evening for guys to put on excessive makeup. -.- you know who you are. tres uncool)

black book recently did a spread that was soooo chic. the concept was quite simple, dress models up as iconic fashion designers.

shot by Diego Uchitel, the photos were inspired by Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf and Galliano. very very very cool.

2) my favourite item ever (tangent to the year 2008) . which deserves its own entry. soon. it really makes me believe in the power of fashion.

in other news, i cannot believe that in about 3 weeks i’ll be in newyork.