My 2011 W.A.R. List

It's 2011 -- a new year! It's time once again for my annual W.A.R. (What to Acquire and Retire) List to help start the year right. This year, on top of style-related items, I'm including some habits that need to be kicked as well. If you're still putting together your resolutions, the following may help. Here goes...

RETIRE:

1. Clothes you haven't worn in at least 6 months. If you haven't worn them for at least 6 months, chances are they're just occupying precious closet space. Except, of course, for seasonal clothing like jackets or cold weather/winter apparel.
2. Ultra skinny jeans. Yes, I've seen men in "jeggings"; not a good sight. I get that 80's fashion has managed to creep it's way back somehow, but there are very few, and I mean VERY few, who can get away with wearing what looks like denim long johns.
3. Frayed/overly distressed jeans. I don't know about you, but there's something fundamentally wrong with spending hard-earned money on damaged clothing.
4. Fedoras. This item makes a return on this year's W.A.R. List because there are still quite a few who don't get it. Unless you are going to a costume party, please do not think this makes you look cool. It doesn't. Reality check, people, if you are neither a professional model (or at least look like one) nor Johnny freakin Depp, a baseball cap will do just fine.
5. Tardiness. The concept of "Filipino-time" is so pre-internet. And, just because it has "Filipino" attached to it, does not mean it's something we just accept as part of our culture. If you want this year to be a successful year for you, then realize that time waits for no one.
6. Three-button suits. The three-button suit is a classic, so it will not really go out of style. It's just that the modern, slim silhouette just looks a lot better on a 2-button or a single-button jacket for some reason; on the average body, that is. Again, if you look and have the body of a model, you can pull anything off -- even a double-breasted jacket.
7. Wearing the yellow ribbon pin. We have a new President. We've made our point. Let's move on.
8. Oversharing on Facebook or Twitter. Who needs to know what you ate or how successful you are? This is the quickest way to be blocked or, worse, "un-friended".

ACQUIRE

1. Colored socks. For those who know me, I'm an advocate of men adding a bit more color into an otherwise blue, black or white clothing portfolio. Yes, it takes some skill to know how to pair color, especially with socks, but once you get the hang of it, colored socks are a good way to bring some attention to fine leather shoes. So yes, that means investing in your footwear first.
2. Corduroy pants. For most men, casual Fridays predictably means either jeans or the staple khaki chinos. Straight-cut, low rise corduroy pants add to your casual options. And, like jeans and khakis, they pair well with almost anything.
3. Boat shoes. Otherwise known as topsiders, this is one of the 80's fashion staples I'm glad made a comeback. They're so versatile. They can be worn with either shorts, jeans or chinos. With the successful resurrection of the Lacoste polo shirts and the return of loafers, this completes the return of the preppy. Oh, and as you get your boat shoes remember that, unlike loafers, there's no other way to wear boat shoes except with no socks. Check out Sebago, they customize your boat shoes.
4. Chocolate brown suit. For 2011, chocolate brown is the new black. Have a single-button chocolate brown suit made so you can wear the jacket as a separate; paired with jeans, corduroys or gray trousers.
5. Your own tailor. If you haven't discovered the joys of wearing made-to-measure clothes, you are so missing out. And, if you're still using your Dad's tailor, you will most likely look like, well, your Dad. So set an appointment with us and realize how good you can actually look if your clothes fit you right. Okay, so that's a shameless plug, but it's my blog and my list ;-)
6. A healthy appetite to try new things. New places to eat. New types of food. New places to see. A new barber. Wear new colors. Listen to different types of music. If you believe what the Mayans say about 2012, then 2011 makes for a good year to tick-off your bucket list.

Happy New Year everyone!

The Ties That Bind

Q: I'm 35 and have been wearing a tie to work since I started working over 10 years ago. So, as you can expect, most of my ties are not the slim narrow ones I often see in men's magazines nowadays. Should I stop wearing my wider ties and trade them all in for the slim narrow ones? I don't want to throw my existing ties away because, well, I have a lot of them and they're not cheap.

-- Lester, via e-mail

A: As long as your ties are no more than 3-3.5 inches wide on the widest portion just before the pointed tip, they're still okay. It's the ultra wide (> 3 inches wide) ties that should be laid to rest. Slim ties are actually not new. They've just made a comeback. Believe it or not, our Dads used to wear slim ties in the 70's, together with their body-hugging nylon shirts.

Since you use ties very often anyway, it'd be good to have maybe 3 or 4 slim ties (not narrower than 2 inches on it's widest part) just to keep up with the trend and maybe look a little younger. They may go out of style in a couple of years or so, but you can bet that, like a Patek (assuming you buy a good quality one), you can pass them down to the next generation.

Wear your wider ties when you're meeting with older, more conservative people and use slimmer ties for dressy events or when pairing with jeans or chinos.

Oh and as for the pattern on your tie, stay away from flowers, cartoon characters and (for now) paisley.

Gingham City

If you're not sure about what type of checked shirt will fit you, the failsafe choice is a gingham shirt -- small checked cotton blend shirts. This type of shirt works for any body-type.

Don't be afraid to try out other colors. Blue is a staple, but shades of lavander and indigo are the current must-haves.

The other thing that works for ginghams is that it works for both business or casual.

Pair it with gray trousers and a slim black tie and you're ready for your next meeting. Ditch the tie, buckle on your military belt and trade your leathers for sneakers to welcome the weekend.

Should you fold your sleeves? It doesn't matter, but the weather will usually dictate this one.

The Real World

Sarto,

First of all, your site is an invaluable resource for us men. I've learned things about dressing up that I've never quite understood before. I have a few questions since I'm about to enter the corporate world. My college days were spent mostly in shorts, jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts. I wasn't the typical stylish guy back then but I want to have an improved image now that I'm about to work. I find myself unsure of what to buy to at least have a closet with the "essentials". Can you recommend brands of long-sleeved shirts that you prefer? I'm looking specifically for those crisp, white dress shirts that I see on TV but I can't seem to find one. How about neckties? I'm seeing inexpensive brands in department stores but I was wondering if it would be better to invest on those nice silk ties. Finally, is it advisable for me to have my pants custom-made or just stick with off-the-rack items? I hope you can suggest brands that are within the range of a typical worker earning 20-25k. Thanks a lot.

Michael

-------

Dressing up is not primarily about brands. It's about quality and fit. Of course, the generally accepted belief is that branded clothes tend to do well on quality. But, good fit is not always a function of the price tag.

If you're lucky to have a medium build with mannequinesque proportions, then retail is still the best and probably the more affordable option. Your mentioned income will be able to afford you classic shirts from Marks & Spencer and Zara.

However, if you have a tricky body build (vertically or horizontally challenged), then visit a good tailor with approximately 2. 5 yards of pure Japanese or Swiss cotton fabric. Be ready to spend somewhere from P 1,800 to P 2,500 for well-tailored shirts. But, I assure you, once you get the right tailor, you will be spoiled with the right-fitting shirts.

There are a lot of option for affordable ties -- those from Tie Line, Top Man and Zara are among those that won't break the bank.

On pants, I'm still for tailored, unpleated pants.

I've mentioned this before... clothes are an investment. Especially for someone who's just starting out, the first impressions you will create will have a big impact on how your career will progress (or not).

Enjoy the real world!

Holiday Angst

Okay, so the overall average temperature dropped slightly from 27C to maybe 24C -- that does not make it winter!

Why then are all of a sudden people walking around the streets of Manila wearing scarves, fedoras and, yes, gloves; looking like it's 12C out there?? Okay, maybe it's forgivable if you just came from Simbang Gabi, but during the day, at 24-25C? Either you're on your way to a costume party or you're under the weather, but otherwise, please... get real!

For those who wrote or contacted me wanting to have a suit made in a rush, I'm sorry to have declined your request, but I would rather pass up on potential business than compromise the quality of what Sarto has come to be known for. Anyway, there are a lot of shops out there who will willingly manufacture a suit in less than the 3 weeks I need to make a bespoke suit.

If you're going to have clothes made this Season, remember to tell your tailor to put maybe a 1/2 inch allowance around your stomach area, waist and hips. The holiday weight tends to linger on until maybe about early February -- unless, of course, you are the conscientious type who will hit the gym right after. I know most of us aren't ;-)

Here's to a great Chirstmas and a healthy New Year!

The Perfect Gift

If you're still clueless with what to give the men in your life this Season, how about tailored clothes?

E-mail us at sartomanila@gmail.com to inquire about gift certificates for:

1. bespoke suits
2. dress shirts
3. trousers

Sorry for not updating the blog people, work's been ... well ... work! :-)

Have a meaningful and joyful Christmas celebration!

Wash & Wear

Q: "I'd like to ask if it's hygienic to re-wear the same pants for work the following day? I'm asking because I did it for most of my internship since I don't have enough pants to rotate for the rest of the week. So I tended to wear the same pants for two consecutive days."

----- CK (via e-mail)

A: If your pants are made from wool and are lined, these are likely dry-clean only pants; therefore, it is not advisable to wash them frequently. Dry-cleaning pants frequently will lead to fabric thinning, fraying and causes those spots that are shiny (from the extreme heat of the cleaner's pressing).

However, if your pants are made from polyester or rayon blend, then these are safe for ordinary machine washing and do not need to be dry-cleaned.

I'm assuming you work in an air-conditioned office and are mostly indoors. So, you would not be exposed to a lot of dust and dirt anyway. Which means, you really only need to wash your pants maybe 2x/week for machine washable pants, and once a month for dry-clean only pants.

If you soil or stain your pants, spot-cleaning is typically recommended. For tips on how to treat several common stains, visit the Tide website at www.tide.com.