Who Pays?

Q: “I’m getting married this year and would like to know if there is a rule about footing the bill for my entire male entourage’s outfit.”
- Patrick, San Juan

A: No real rule for this. It all boils down to your budget. Ideally, so you can have control over what your entourage uniformly wears and how you can set yourself apart from them, you pay for everything. In which case, the more economical but still elegant option is to go with barongs. Now, if Daddy ain’t helping with the bill, just provide the fabric and have them pay for the labor cost. It would be good to insist for them to all go to your tailor, though, so you still maintain control over the styles; ensuring that your suit or barong stands out vis-à-vis your entourage’s.

Comfortably Flat

“I finally had my first flat front pants made. While they do look nicer, they’re not as comfortable as my pleated pants. Should I just accept this or was there something wrong with the way it was made?”
- Carlos, Alabang



A: I bet you sucked-in your stomach when you were being measured by your tailor, tsk, tsk… While flat front pants are not as roomy as pleated pants, they should not be uncomfortable. The thing with flat front pants is that the measurements need to be exact. There is very little room to accommodate unwanted and unexpected bulges; whether from gaining weight or as a result of arousal. So what you want to do is go back to your tailor to get yourself re-measured. This time wear boxer shorts and make sure that your shirt is tucked in while you are being measured. This will ensure your tailor captures the additional layers that can contribute to the snug fit of your pants. It’s also best to go after a full meal so he can consider the allowance he needs for when you have a full stomach.

Wrinkle-free Barong

Q: “Do you have any tips for how not to wrinkle the back of my barong when I sit? It just looks awful when I walk around and the back is wrinkled and bunched up after sitting for a long time. ”
- Gerry, Manila

A: Finally! I thought I was the only one bothered by this. Yes, as a matter of fact, I have what seems to be a working solution to this problem. And, believe it or not, the idea came from what women have been doing for a long time. You know how women slide their hands on the backside of their skirts before sitting down? That’s to make sure their skirts down wrinkle and bunch up while sitting; retaining their shape when they stand. If you do the same thing with the backside of your barong before you sit you will find out that it works just as well. So now, you can even wear your barong when you drive! Next, we deal with how to prevent wrinkling your shirt from wearing a seatbelt.