THE SWEETNESS OF DOING NOTHING

Lazy Sunday afternoon at the nearby neighborhood coffee shop with my sister,  my 5-month old mini schnauzer, Nonno and a cup of espresso – Dolce far niente!  

What I wore: Blue Gingham Dress shirt from Brooks Brothers, Navy cotton shorts from Gap, Nato straps and Tod's brown leather 'Gommini' moc loafers

OVERTIME SATURDAY

( Basic blue oxford shirt from Brooks Brothers, NATO strap from Asprey, Selvedge, APC New Standard Jeans and my blue suede loafers)

When working overtime on a Saturday, note to self: never come to work underdressed.

DEFINITELY NOT A STABLE BUT CLOSE ENOUGH

I might have gone a bit (well, not really) overboard on dressing up for the farm.


(plaid shirt from Brooks Brothers, cut off navy shorts from Ralph Lauren, flip flops from Massimo Dutti and hat from my dads closet.)

I mean, I don't really get to country it up very often, so made the most of the occasion since I only fly down south once a year.

BASIC MATTER 28: PACKING LIGHT AND A COUPLE OF HIGH FIVES

I know a lot of business travelers often have the luxury of dropping off a few shirts at the dry cleaners and having them ready within hours, but not me.

I still seem not to understand the value of packing light for short trips until recently and for someone who takes forever in front of the mirror before deciding what to wear for the day, it can be fairly difficult.


(Sartorial wet dreams at Ascot Chang,Hong-Kong!)


Yes, we all know it is easier said than done but hey, I finally did leave for the first time without checking-in my luggage.

Here’s what I packed with me:



1. Dress shirts from Brooks Brothers and Charles Tyrwhitt
2. Basic black leather-soled cap toes from Alden
3. Pair of red, black and purple socks from Uniqlo
4. Bespoke gray and black suit pants
5. Knit tie from Paul Smith, thrifted Japanese rep tie and vintage silk Armani tie in
paisley
6. And my go to preppy navy blazer

And oh, aside from the great view up at the meeting room, I still got the chance to go out and reward myself with more shirts from Brooks Brothers, Ascot Chang and Moustache!

Ok, still drooling over that pale blue shirt I saw last night at Kiton.

BLACK AND BLUE AND A BAD SORE THROAT

It has been two weeks since I lost my voice due to a bad sore throat and probably too much alcohol but that didn’t stop me from looking like I just schlepped out of bed today.


Yes, I came in today wearing my blue blazer, classic black brogues from Alden, my favorite blue denim trousers from A.P.C., happy anchor socks and my blue dress shirt from Brooks Brothers that took me 3 months to fit in (laughs).

Ok, shouldn’t I be two floor up? (winks)

Currently playing on my playlist: Tahiti 80, Bob Dylan, Empire of the Sun and The Whitest Boy Alive.

BASIC MATTER 23: THE PALE BLUE SHIRT

(Photos by we can make it good)

Mindless packing is fine if you are a normie heading to some cheap vacation spot for summer but if you are anyone else, throwing clothes in a bag 5 minutes before you are out of the door results bringing half your closet (I remember packing my entire closet to Bali a few years back).

Like white shirts, having multiple versions of the go-to blue shirt is sartorially smart. Just note the subtleties in hue, texture and cut that differentiate one shirt from another. Always stay within the boundaries of robin’s-egg and cerulean and please, always avoid anything with undertones. Instead of wearing one with khakis and looking like a high school student from the Ateneo, take advantage of its versatility.

I now have learned how to embrace the wrinkle despite me being totally obsessive compulsive. Wash and wear shirts are a stylish traveller’s best friend. They are designed to look great tucked or untucked with a couple of buttons undone. My favourite are my shirts from Brooks Brothers, Steven Alan and Frank Cicco and Son. They are all genuinely comfortable and yes, puckered perfection.

VERT ET BLANC SHIRT SHORTS - JE VEUX

Cool-toned options for summer - leave those dark blue jeans at home and lighten up your wardrobe. Look who’s back, its the Bermuda shorts!



(Me wearing bespoke white shorts, green plaid shirt from Brooks Brothers and espadrilles from the Legaspi Village weekend market)

Life can fall into place so beautifully sometimes...


(Photo from Sunday Suppers)

Dreaming of Paris, a box of macarons from Laduree and a bottle of beer - voulez-vous partir avec moi cet été? pressé, me rejoindre!

NIMBUS DRESSING AND CHASING STORM CLOUDS

“I´m singin´ in the rain
Just singin´ in the rain,
What a glorious feeling,
And I´m happy again.
I´m laughing at clouds
So dark, up above,
The sun´s in my heart
And I´m ready for love.”
Frank Sinatra

It’s monsoon season on my side of the world and I have been trying to figure out how to keep myself dry, really dry in spite of the fact that some parts of the metro are still submerged in 4 feet of water.



Take a look at Monocle “Shower Dressing” Fashion Spread shot beautifully making you want to dance in the rain with a smile on your face.

BASIC MATTER 6: BROOKS BROTHERS

A good Oxford shirt should be at the top of your summer list. I just got the BB shirts I ordered a week ago on Ebay and yes, they fit me really well. US based Brooks Brothers’ have been around since 1818 and they have been making brilliant cotton oxford shirts and the fact that the brand is still around today shows that they are doing something right.