FEBRUARY IS BASICALLY LIKE MONTHS OF THERAPY IN 7 DAYS

I have been told that men do not shop enough. I quickly responded “it doesn’t really matter because being current has everything to do with finding the right place you want to shop, whether it’s Fred Perry or a flea market . Certain things are classic and they do stay."
Last Tuesday, I got myself two gingham shirts in purple and red- the latter, a contemporary take on the conventional print. Well again, with gingham, subtlety is not necessary a virtue.

And some:
1. Bespoke black denim trousers from Viktor
2. New brogue’s in brown
3. Long overdue The Sartorialist book by Scott Schuman ordered from Barnes and
Noble
4. Eco shopping bags from Gap and Nordstrom
5. A box of macarons from Laduree thanks to a friend who just got back from Europe
6. And 17 copies of Monocle ( back issues) in really good condition from a good
friend who found out about my Monocle addiction via my blog haha

JäGERMEISTER MONDAY AND WHY WE ALL LOVE PRAGUE

The whole floor kept moving until almost midnight as if it was black Friday — a rare occurrence during the first day of the week. Prague is beautiful and so is half a bottle of French wine, a shot of Jägermeister and a plate of Brusqueta. No one talked about leaving …

MORE THAN JUST CHOCNUT, CHAMBA AND THE OCCASIONAL VICTOR BASA AT CANTEEN

Friends since college, Chefs Fernando Aracama and Jerome Valencia, Philip Gosiaco, A.L Lazaro and Jem Raymundo have a passion to making you the best meal in town.


(80's weekend brunch - Pasta Chamba, Chef Fern's ChocNUT ice cream, Green and good bennies / spam-a-licious, cheddar and orange hollandaise and a huge glass of lemonade)

Hidden among condominiums and office buildings of Legaspi Village, +Canteen provide options for those who like simple but really good food. Like me, I like my food done well – nothing too complicated.

I know I’ve written about the place a couple of times but hey, they serve perhaps the best brunch in the metro and be sure you pick up a trailer park montecristo with your cup of Segafreddo coffee. I always tell myself, “If the food is good, people come” and yes, they do come.



This 30-seater self-service café inside Trilogy not only is a foodie paradise but also is a place for artfully dishelved fashionistas in the heart of Makati’s trendy neighborhood. This discerning boutique houses labels like Jeremy Scott for Adidas, Generic Surplus, Obey, Anthology, Toms, accessories from Lego, I Love you and scents from Wright supply.

And oh, there’s no shortage of eye-candy if you visit alone. *naughty grin*

Canteen+Trilogy
110 ALVION Center Bldg
Rada St., Legazpi Village
Makati City

RETRO, CRISPA, CAN I HAVE A BANANA?

I enjoy rediscovering great retro furniture and how it still looks fantastic today.

Yesterday while doing my usual boring lazy weekend rounds, I thought of dropping by Artemis 1995 nearby.

What caught my attention were the retro designed floor lamps inspired by impressions of the 70s and the evocation of the design sensibility that marked the period.


(Crispa by BeLight)

I have always been a fan of modern designs inspired by the past and BeLight did a great job.

The lamps stand around 5ft tall with a painted metal stand and a wire-framed shade wrapped in fabric and are ideal for armchair reading, for the bedroom providing mood lighting. The construction spotlights Filipino craftsmanship in hand-made metalwork.


(Copa Banana by BeLight)

BeLight is the brainchild of Gerry Lopez-Vito Torres, architect and the Dean of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts and Chicoy Estiñoso.

NEW ARRIVALS - PAUL SMITH SPRING/SUMMER 2010

Hurry,rush to Paul Smith at Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City +632.729.9898//+63.920.916.8906 and Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City +632.636.0488//+63.920.952.6525 or email them at paulsmithmanila@triomarketingventures.com

ELEVEN SUITCASES, SEVEN WHITE SHIRTS AND SCOTT SCHUMAN

A few years back, I saw the movie ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ and my style slowly changed. It was all about tailored suits, shirts – well basically everything.

My parents would always tell me, “Hijo, when in doubt, wear white."


(Photos from Jak & Jil)

I own more than 7 white button-down shirts in cotton, linen, etc. and there is nothing more crisp, clean and chic than a white shirt. It is the one thing in your wardrobe you can never have too many of and that is appropriate for all occasions; trust me - its' fool proof! Well again, taste is subjective and because of that, there’s never a right answer about what is tasteful.



(And yes, “The Sartorialist” I ordered at Barnes and Noble finally arrived yesterday)

I never found myself stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine but believe me, at this moment, a new, unplanned journey begins and I thank Scott Schuman for that.

WEEKEND PURIST

Some mornings are just too beautiful not go out, hit the weekend village market and enjoy.

I’m sharing a couple of beautiful photos taken by Swiss photographer and blogger, Pascal Grob.




Espadrilles, a plaid button-down shirt, old trousers, a trench and a tan leather backpack all beautifully put together. Like me, I pretty much keep things classic and neat, with the exception of my occasional dandy. I am a purist - I live my life with my head buried in the trend free sand and stick to my uniform of basics, plaids, and shorts.

When it comes to my personal style, I always practice what I preach and stick to it for years. I remember way back in high school, I tried everything imaginable from trousers with a waistline that drop below my ass and shirts three times my size and believe me, I have gotten hundreds of dirty looks from people.



(vintage backpack - me super likey!)

While cleaning my closet last night, I noticed my shirts have a lot of similarities between different looks but not sticking to the tried-and-true staples like ‘t-shirts’ and ‘normal baggy pants’.

I am generally low-key and I put most of my energy into interesting fabrics. I have always liked my denim trousers from Viktor, Levis and APC and it is basically a crime for me to shop anywhere else for denim.

ALL THINGS PRETTY ARE NOT MIXY-MATCHY

(Joan Cantemprate, Bag Designer)

Joan was such a trooper when I asked to take a photo of her yesterday at Fred Perry.

I have always liked how she doesn’t really cling to fancy dresses and makeup like the last life jacket on the sinking ship of life and a couple of times strangely put together without creating a complete psychedelic chaos.

She definitely is rare and original.

A few hours later, I got myself a pair of really cheap but ultra comfortable espadrilles. It’s official, I’m reviving them from last year’s color frenzy.


(Bespoke linen shorts and espadrilles = Summer love)

I may have completely turned into Mi Abuelito but hey, they’re a great alternative to flip-flops which really don't look good on some men.