Monday, March 9, 2009

Your True Collar

Q: Hi. What can you say about the trend last year of guys simply putting up their collar? I
think it is a little absurd.
--- Richie (via Blog Comment)

A: Last year saw the return of the preppy look -- arglyes, boat shoes, loafers, going sockless and yes, raised collars. As in most styles, the preppy look does not fit everyone. To pull this off, you have to belieavably look like you belong to an exclusive country club or play golf regularly.

On the practical side, raising your collar if you are a golfer helps prevent burns on your nape, which is often the part of your body that most forget to put sunblock on.

If you're planning to try this out, remember that you can only also really do this with a sport shirt, not a polo dress shirt. I hope I don't need to explain this. If you're asking why, one word -- Dracula.

This look is also more appropriate for day time casual because it can appear that you came from a game of tennis or golf and that just forgot to put your collar down.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Those Freakin Bumps!

Q: Do you ever get those lumps on the shoulders of your shirt when they are hung for a long time? How do I get rid of those?

-- Jondy, Taguig

A: I call them “hanger bumps” and they’re one of my pet peeves. The thing with hanger bumps is that they’re very preventable. The first thing you need to do is to get rid of all your wire hangers and those that have sharp corners. Use only wooden or plastic hangers that have rounded extended shoulders like the one pictured.

Next, instruct whoever irons your clothes to fold sport shirts and only hang polo shirts or dress shirts. Sport shirts are more prone to hanger bumps because they are made from softer cotton blends that tend conform to the shape of the wearer and also your hanger.
Now, for your shirts already with hanger bumps, while wearing them, damp (not soak) the bumps evenly with warm water. The warm water and your natural body heat will make the bumps disappear or be significantly minimized within 15-20 minutes.

Undershirts

My apologies to those who follow my blog if I was not able to update for a long time. Things got a litte hectic in the office. I have some time now so let me pick-up some of the questions that have been sent my way while I was on the road:


Q: Is there a rule about wearing a white t-shirt under one’s polo? I’m about to start work and I don’t know if I should be wearing one or not.
-- Rick, Quezon City

A: I personally do not have the habit of wearing an undershirt mainly because it makes me feel uncomfortably warm and I do not sweat a lot. I can think of the following reasons where an undershirt is appropriate.

One is that if you are a heavy sweater, then you cannot escape this practice. There is nothing more disgusting than seeing an archipelago of sweat puddles forming on someone’s dress shirt. Aside from it looking despicably untidy, it carries with it some hygiene concerns. This is the surest way not to get promoted, believe me.

Another reason you would want to wear an undershirt is if your office has an overly efficient air conditioner that makes you feel like you’re somewhere in Siberia all the time. And, while some parts of our body shrink when it is cold, our nipples tend to be inordinately attentive. That can be distracting during meetings.
If you’re going to wear an undershirt, though, the only rule is to ensure it is not visible, especially if you’re wearing short sleeved polo shirts. I would recommend those V-necked (sleeveless) muscle shirts (otherwise known as an A-shirt). These can be flexibly worn with long or short sleeved polo shirts and allows you to keep the first button of your shirt open without showing the undershirt.