Wednesday, September 5, 2007

White Collared Worker


Q: “What do you call those dress shirts where the cuffs and collar are white while the rest of the shirt is a different color/fabric?”
- Lito, Quezon City

A: I don’t know if there’s a real name for them, but I just refer to them as white collared dress shirts. I’ve heard other people come to my shop and refer to this shirt as a banker’s shirt, probably because it is mostly worn by people who work in conservative corporate attire environments like banks, consulting firms and law offices. It’s also a popular dress shirt among CEOs because it has a very top brassy, old rich kind of feel and looks best under a well tailored suit and typically with French cuffs. I wouldn’t suggest this shirt for very young upstarts because, for me, this is the kind of shirt you have to earn to wear.

Suit Separates

Q: “I’m going to be travelling and was thinking of wearing a khaki blazer with my khaki pants, but they’re not of the same shade of khaki. Is this okay?”
- Stan, Greenhills

A: At the risk of people thinking there’s something wrong with your suit, it might be better for you to either wear another sport coat or maybe pair your khaki blazer with jeans. It also looks more relaxed and contemporary.