INDOCHINE AND BOWL OF PHO

After a few days back at work from Panglao, I decided to take 6 days off, maximizing my last few days at work before moving to my new office.

Beautiful Halong bay at dusk, before heading back to Hanoi

Vietnamese countryside - Ninh Binh, Hoi An and Hoan Kiem lake at three in the afternoon

 

Rewind: my sister Anika and I decided to take the last flight out to Hanoi and spent the last few days of summer, despite the humidity, biking along the Vietnamese countryside in Ninh Binh and Hoi An, and braved the weekend market, covering Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Hang Duong and Hang Giay, with my face pressed into some stranger’s not-so-fresh armpit, in search for that perfect silk fabric, paintings and traditional water puppets for our living room. Yes, anything for treasure – dare me! Hahaha!

 

Afternoons were spent along the shady path surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, a cup of cold sorbet at Fanny's, an artsy French-owned ice cream parlour serving upmarket ice-cream and sunsets at Le Metropole.

Charming and dreamy, there was no excuse for us to dress like usual tourists in cargo shorts and awful souvenir tees. Instead, we both opted for linen long sleeved shirts, seersucker shorts, guayaberas, cotton dresses, my trusty Panama hat, Nantucket red trousers and a pair of vintage huaraches.


Lunch at Green Tangerine and yes, that's my sister, Anika

 

We’re definitely flying back soon!

Fast forward: Here I am, getting my ass busy again before I fly out to Hong Kong for the weekend. Now, what to pack?

SALTWATER DIARY (PANGLAO)

Hola, I’m back! Still sun kissed from my weekend in Panglao, preppies like me can’t go wrong with the perfect swim trunks, colorful chino shorts in Kelly green, basic red and navy paired with the right ribbon belt, pique shirt or oxfords and plimsolls. 

"It ain't proper to be runnin' 'round naked...(stops, out of breath)..... all the time!" - Paddy, Blue Lagoon.

And since the party always start after sunset, keep the  wire-rimmed wayfarers for the day at the beach and of course, a glass of merlot. 

Sometimes, you just have to work like a captain and play like a pirate

Oh, Bohol, you know how much I miss you

THE BETTER BORIS AND DEFINITELY NOT YELTSIN

Witty and self-deprecating, Boris Ejsymont, the Swede badass with an underlying charm, represents a perfect mix between indisputable Scandinavian elegance and impeccable Italian style.

He describes his personal style as “timeless classic with a mix of Patrick Bateman and Tony Montana.”

Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Tony Montana in Scarface

Yes, Ejsymont always seems to get the details just right from his sharply tailored gray suits to his navy blazers, paired with his icy glaze, perfect for sealing the deal. He’s definitely not your typical Tom, Dick, and Harry.  “It is all about work which includes a lot of travelling, a strict exercise routine along with a balanced diet and of course, making time for my girlfriend, friends and family,” he added.

Here, he shares with me how having a great eye, a handsome pair of black suede loafers and personal flair can strike you more than just a high fives and a free bottle of champagne.

Who inspires your personal style? Definitely my father who I look up to the most. Growing up, spending countless summers in Italy and travelling the world the past 8 years did put it marks on my style without a doubt.

Yay or Nay? The right color combinations, attention to details, always have your shirts perfectly crisp and your shoes polished always top my list of Yays! And thumbs down to big monograms and tacky designs.

Growing up in Stockholm, Sweden and having lived all over Switzerland, Miami, Dubai and Manila, how has your style evolved? I basically live out of my suitcase. It is normal that one would pick up likes and dislikes from each location when it comes to fashion and trends. Honestly, I always had a liking for “tailored to perfection” Wall street swank, understated Ivy League and the simplicity of  Scandinavian design. I believe I started building my wardrobe way back in Stockholm at 16. Boarding school in Switzerland made me appreciate suits, shirts and ties as it was our daily wear. 

Follow him on Instagram: @ejsymont

JANNIS HOFF ON DENIM AND KILLING IT LIKE ‘YEAH!’

Talk about versatility, a man’s uniform should always make him comfortable both at and after work. Trust me, if you are going to wear the same thing every day, that uniform needs to work for you everywhere you go but with a dash of swag.

Bjorn Jannis Hoff show you how to pull it all off and turn your clothes into an essential part of your personal brand.

In my tiny bubble where everyone wears dreamy light colored oxford and bespoke shirts in pink, pale blue and white, paired with either navy, Nantucket red or khaki trousers, brogues, lace-ups and penny loafers, for Jannis Hoff, the man behind Swede label, SOSO, he does denim-on-denim without looking like someone spat him out of an N’Sync video in the 90’s or a cattle rancher from the Midwest. 

That, friends, is what we call confidence. Yes, without making your head do the exorcist-girl twirl, denim-on-denim can only be broken within the highest of style mastery.

If your closet is starting to look like Raggedy Anne sewed all her scrap fabrics together, don’t sweat it, the world is slowly getting dressed.

We all know Bangkok can be as bewildering as it is bewitching. What keeps you busy in all these beautiful chaos? The struggle to keep an SME business running, continuous development of our business and brand and caring for our customers.

Your personal style: Denim on denim on denim.

Denim swatches in four colors.

How did your love for denim start? Denim is for me a personal fabric. It fades and ages differently from person to person. The first thing I did every morning was to throw on a pair of jeans in hope to start the day with fading these jeans.

If we go through your closet and your bag, what would we find a lot of? Who inspires your personal style? Well, nowadays what I have mostly in my closet is of course jeans and denim shirts. Always though keep a white, black or grey plain t-shirt in your bag if the need to dress casual occurs.  My SOSO brother is who inspires my personal style, but if I had to choose a designer, I have to say Dolce & Gabanna. 

What is the one item of clothing in your wardrobe that best represents you? My Slim Darryl Redline Selvedge jeans.

With no itineraries, how do you dress for the weekend? I have to say my handmade SOSO denim suit. Exclusively made by our tailor for me and my SOSO brother in an 11 oz. Indigo dyed denim. Accessorized together with my watch and leather shoes.

Your wardrobe staple? Light weight clothing, like a t-shirt or a denim shirt combined with all our awesome jeans.