COCKTAILS, OCTOBER AND MORE SHIRTS

I have a few cocktail parties and gallery opening to attend starting next week and yes, my calendar is slowly getting filled up.

After packing at least two balikbayan boxes full of old clothes and shoes, I realize my closet has gone dismally inadequate. The last dress shirt I bought was three months ago --- a crisp white dress shirt from *gulps* Marks & Spencer.

(This is how I normally roll - work to cocktails)

I'm most comfortable in jeans (mostly raw), paired with a crisp white or pale dress shirt and brogues but I just can’t wear them to all the occasion I am invited to. My navy and black suits are not bad at all, and thank god they don’t make me look dumpy, dowdy---wide across the hips and lumpy in the middle.

A lot of clothes off the rack usually tend to emphasize everything I hate about my figure – thank god for my trust tailor and friends who are honest enough to tell you how much that shirt makes you look like Gumby or that pants make you look as if you have a double mangina (aka. Man vagina).

(If only Sid Mashburn  isn't 2,468.9 miles away from my side of the pond, I'd be there in a jiffy)

So, yes, I'm 30 years old, still whine about how my clothes fit and why every centimeter matter.

Should I get myself man spanks to keep my flabs from completely spilling out, and to keep my mushy abdomen in check? I guess I'll just reason through the psychological implications of this decision later.....much later.....

Hold on: Muchas Gracias José Fons Guardiola por presentarme a Antonio Rodríguez ayer por la noche. This rarely happens but yes, still kinda starstruck - Qué vergüenza!

DIPPING IT WITH THE CORNWALLS

What better way to spend the weekend across the pond than a Sunday morning swim in the Serpentine at Sunny Hyde.

No one stopped everyone from taking a dip and yes,  all 32 men battled out a freestyle swimming relay, racing  to  raise  vital awareness for endangered Asian elephants in the wild.

Supporters took advantage of the rare London glare and came to watch from vintage deck-chairs at the Lido and the grassy banks of the Serpentine.

Selected from the current collection of classic Love Brand & Co. trunks, the green trunks popped like sunshine as everyone reached the finish line.

Blame it on Mark Shand, brother of the Duchess of Cornwall and founder of Elephant Family and London designer Oliver Tomalin.

The fashion/charity project “Trunks for Trunks” is a playful collaboration between the British state-of-the-art swimwear and Britain's leading Asian elephant charity, Elephant Family, Swimming trunks in support of endangered Asian elephants.

Quintessentially English,  the morning was made complete by everyone warming up with a cup of tea  after the race.  Lovely!

CLOSET PERFECTION

And all you need is a perfect men's full dress form for that bespoke navy suit from Napoli.

POUNDING HANGOVER AND SOME STRIPES

As I reflect on this weekend’s plethora of head pounding hangovers, I realize that I drank almost no water. Aside from normally downing 7 cups of espresso everyday (that’s around 49 cups a week) I normally drink tons through the week while I'm at work, but I get pretty lax about it on the weekends. That Saturday, my only liquid had been a few glasses of red wine, 3 glasses of whiskey and a couple of el camino’s from the Rocket Room.

(Rocket on a typical Saturday night)

The rest of the weekend was spent giddy and giggly over someone (my lips are sealed), Jacobo’s despedida who was flying back to Madrid for good, a full brunch at the Negros Fair, a movie date with my sister and dinner with friends who I haven’t seen in ages!

This weekend was just filled with surprises – so far the best I have had since December last year – I’m totally not complaining.

(I got mine in red, white and blue stripes)

On a brighter note, my NATO strap from Asprey (Yes, I'm hooked!) isn’t bad at all – I’ve gotten a couple of compliments from friends and strangers.