Q: What do you think about shirts with button-down collars as an officewear or with a suit?
-- Stan, Greenhills
A: It’s perfectly fine for officewear with a tie and even for business casual. I’m not too hot about using button-downs for suits though unless the buttons are neatly hidden under the collars the way G2000 does it or using a snap on automatic button popularized by Giorgio Armani. Button-down shirts with visible buttons on the collars, for me, distract from the overall neat and polished look that you would like to exude when you’re wearing a suit.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Revenge of the Nerds
I’m four-eyed and proud.
The anti-nerd movement in the 80’s gave glasses a bad image which caused most of the visually challenged to promptly trade theirs for contact lenses.
But now, with technology driving the Information Age, we are experiencing the real revenge of the nerd. We’ve all seen the triumphant return of Peter Parker and Clark Kent. Geek is now chic!
Personally, I really prefer glasses over contacts. Apart from the relief from all the discomforts from wearing contacts, like dry eyes, I find that glasses gives me more flexibility and options when it comes to the overall look I want to project.
If I need to look all serious and professional, I wear my silver, conservative frames, which go well with any business attire. For more casual or social functions, I go with the rectangular, horn-rimmed glasses my wife gave me for Christmas.
This pair matches most of my casual or night-out clothes, which tend to be dark-colored.
The face of your shape primarily dictates the frame that suits you best. The rule of thumb is to pick frames that provide a complimentary contrast to the shape and create balance for your face. See what comes closest to your own face with the following common shapes:
If you have a round face, you’d like your glasses to give you a thinner and longer appearance. Angular narrow eyeglass frames that are wider than they are deep, such as a rectangular shape, can achieve this for this facial type.
Because of its balanced proportions, the oval face is considered as the ideal shape. This is also the easiest and most flexible shape to pair with because most frames will tend to work. Frames that are as wide as the broadest part of the face (e.g. walnut-shaped) that are not too deep or too narrow work best.
Oblong shaped faces are longer than they are wide so the objective is to minimize the length to achieve the right balance and proportion. Choose frames that cover as much of the center of the face as possible in order to minimize the length.
If you have a square face, you’d like frames that can make your face look longer and your jaw lines. Frames that have more width than depth and narrow ovals complement this facial type.
This is also sometimes referred to as a base-up triangle shape. If this is your face, your objective should be to minimize the width of the top of the face. Frames that are wider at the bottom and use very light colors and materials can achieve this for you. Rimless frame styles also work best on this face type.
The Base-Down Shape is the opposite of the heart-shaped face, where the face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas. To balance out the broader lower part of the face, favor frames that are heavily accented on the top region like those that are semi-rimless (heavy top, and no frame at the bottom).
In choosing the color of your frames, eyewear experts say to consider eye color; but, since Pinoy eyes generally just come in either black or brown, what’s important to consider is for the color of your frames to reflect your personality and what will match 80% of your wardrobe.
The anti-nerd movement in the 80’s gave glasses a bad image which caused most of the visually challenged to promptly trade theirs for contact lenses.
But now, with technology driving the Information Age, we are experiencing the real revenge of the nerd. We’ve all seen the triumphant return of Peter Parker and Clark Kent. Geek is now chic!
Personally, I really prefer glasses over contacts. Apart from the relief from all the discomforts from wearing contacts, like dry eyes, I find that glasses gives me more flexibility and options when it comes to the overall look I want to project.
If I need to look all serious and professional, I wear my silver, conservative frames, which go well with any business attire. For more casual or social functions, I go with the rectangular, horn-rimmed glasses my wife gave me for Christmas.
This pair matches most of my casual or night-out clothes, which tend to be dark-colored.
The face of your shape primarily dictates the frame that suits you best. The rule of thumb is to pick frames that provide a complimentary contrast to the shape and create balance for your face. See what comes closest to your own face with the following common shapes:
If you have a round face, you’d like your glasses to give you a thinner and longer appearance. Angular narrow eyeglass frames that are wider than they are deep, such as a rectangular shape, can achieve this for this facial type.
Because of its balanced proportions, the oval face is considered as the ideal shape. This is also the easiest and most flexible shape to pair with because most frames will tend to work. Frames that are as wide as the broadest part of the face (e.g. walnut-shaped) that are not too deep or too narrow work best.
Oblong shaped faces are longer than they are wide so the objective is to minimize the length to achieve the right balance and proportion. Choose frames that cover as much of the center of the face as possible in order to minimize the length.
If you have a square face, you’d like frames that can make your face look longer and your jaw lines. Frames that have more width than depth and narrow ovals complement this facial type.
This is also sometimes referred to as a base-up triangle shape. If this is your face, your objective should be to minimize the width of the top of the face. Frames that are wider at the bottom and use very light colors and materials can achieve this for you. Rimless frame styles also work best on this face type.
The Base-Down Shape is the opposite of the heart-shaped face, where the face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas. To balance out the broader lower part of the face, favor frames that are heavily accented on the top region like those that are semi-rimless (heavy top, and no frame at the bottom).
In choosing the color of your frames, eyewear experts say to consider eye color; but, since Pinoy eyes generally just come in either black or brown, what’s important to consider is for the color of your frames to reflect your personality and what will match 80% of your wardrobe.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Beach
The beach used to be a place you could escape from everything – where you can wear anything you like, be who you really are and no one will care. Nowadays, that’s just not the case anymore.
Summer is the time when finding parking in Manila’s usually full clubs and bars is a little easier. Why? Well, it’s the time of the year when the city’s beautiful people and bonafide partyfiles trade concrete for sand – it’s one big soiree! So, if you’re one of those who will make this annual pilgrimage to Boracay, Bohol or Palawan you wouldn’t want to be caught dead looking like a castaway. Following then are some things you may want to consider to be a beach DUDE instead of a beach dud.
1. PREPARE YOUR BODY
In this age of abs worship and healthy living, guys need to prepare for the beach the way women lose weight for their wedding. This is your chance to show people the results of those long and hard hours at the gym. Consider that you will be half-naked for a good 70% of the time. No one wears t-shirts while swimming anymore; okay, maybe I know two…
Preparing your body is not about getting 6-pack abs or being runway model fit; though, that wouldn’t hurt. It’s just about looking overall healthy. Those love handles that most of us have are okay. You know you’ve got a bit more work to do if people mistake you for the Michelin Man.
It would also save you the stares if you would shave, trim or wax off lush body hair growing on your chest, back and treasure trail. I hate to be the one to break the news to some of you, but the Austin Powers look is not mojoreffic, baby.
2. WEAR THE RIGHT SWIMWEAR
Let’s get this out of the way… no matter how much of a swimmer’s body you have (or even if you’re a real swimmer) skimpy Speedos™ have no place in the beach.
Ask yourself, would you walk around in public in your briefs?
Okay, so you’re being smart and you ask back, well, how come it’s okay for women to wear a two-piece bikini? And the answer -- it’s because they look hot in them, duh! A short survey also showed that men want to see women in skimpy bikinis, while majority of women don’t even want to or are even embarrassed to look at men wearing Speedos™. So if the girls ain’t looking, who’s checking you out (wink)?
All’s not lost though for this water-proof brief… we’ll get to that in a minute.
So what to wear in the beach? Stick to the trusty board shorts; now made more contemporary with a slimmer cut and comes in 4” or 8” length. If you’re vertically challenged, favor the 4” length shorts if you don’t want to look like you’re wearing cut-offs.
One of the hippest, but sadly not locally available, swim wear brands right now is Parke & Ronen. Check out their website (http://www.parkeandronen.com/) to get an idea of the different board shorts styles that suit you and just get the closest local equivalent.
3. HIDE THE BULGE
Very few, and we’re talking 1 out of the 35 guys I asked, go commando (i.e. wear no form or type of underwear) under their board shorts. And, the main reason, to “keep from flopping around” and letting other people know just exactly what size you are; don’t forget the water can get cold.
By now, you should have figured out that when you get out of the water, your shorts will cling on you like Glad Wrap™. So, if you’re not wearing anything under, you might as well not be wearing anything at all.
This is where Speedos™ actually come in handy. Instead of wearing ordinary briefs, which are not tight enough and can also fall off, using Speedos™ as your swim underwear not only keeps your manhood from prying eyes, they also give your crown jewels better protection against jellyfish or other curious sea creatures looking for new habitat.
The beach is the human species’ watering hole, where all gather to congregate and cool off from the scorching sun. And, much like what happens with our animal counterparts, this seasonal gathering also becomes the venue for displaying our natural attributes that allow us to attract and/or keep our mate. So as you pack your bag for your white sand getaway make sure you, well, “BRING IT”.
Summer is the time when finding parking in Manila’s usually full clubs and bars is a little easier. Why? Well, it’s the time of the year when the city’s beautiful people and bonafide partyfiles trade concrete for sand – it’s one big soiree! So, if you’re one of those who will make this annual pilgrimage to Boracay, Bohol or Palawan you wouldn’t want to be caught dead looking like a castaway. Following then are some things you may want to consider to be a beach DUDE instead of a beach dud.
1. PREPARE YOUR BODY
In this age of abs worship and healthy living, guys need to prepare for the beach the way women lose weight for their wedding. This is your chance to show people the results of those long and hard hours at the gym. Consider that you will be half-naked for a good 70% of the time. No one wears t-shirts while swimming anymore; okay, maybe I know two…
Preparing your body is not about getting 6-pack abs or being runway model fit; though, that wouldn’t hurt. It’s just about looking overall healthy. Those love handles that most of us have are okay. You know you’ve got a bit more work to do if people mistake you for the Michelin Man.
It would also save you the stares if you would shave, trim or wax off lush body hair growing on your chest, back and treasure trail. I hate to be the one to break the news to some of you, but the Austin Powers look is not mojoreffic, baby.
2. WEAR THE RIGHT SWIMWEAR
Let’s get this out of the way… no matter how much of a swimmer’s body you have (or even if you’re a real swimmer) skimpy Speedos™ have no place in the beach.
Ask yourself, would you walk around in public in your briefs?
Okay, so you’re being smart and you ask back, well, how come it’s okay for women to wear a two-piece bikini? And the answer -- it’s because they look hot in them, duh! A short survey also showed that men want to see women in skimpy bikinis, while majority of women don’t even want to or are even embarrassed to look at men wearing Speedos™. So if the girls ain’t looking, who’s checking you out (wink)?
All’s not lost though for this water-proof brief… we’ll get to that in a minute.
So what to wear in the beach? Stick to the trusty board shorts; now made more contemporary with a slimmer cut and comes in 4” or 8” length. If you’re vertically challenged, favor the 4” length shorts if you don’t want to look like you’re wearing cut-offs.
One of the hippest, but sadly not locally available, swim wear brands right now is Parke & Ronen. Check out their website (http://www.parkeandronen.com/) to get an idea of the different board shorts styles that suit you and just get the closest local equivalent.
3. HIDE THE BULGE
Very few, and we’re talking 1 out of the 35 guys I asked, go commando (i.e. wear no form or type of underwear) under their board shorts. And, the main reason, to “keep from flopping around” and letting other people know just exactly what size you are; don’t forget the water can get cold.
By now, you should have figured out that when you get out of the water, your shorts will cling on you like Glad Wrap™. So, if you’re not wearing anything under, you might as well not be wearing anything at all.
This is where Speedos™ actually come in handy. Instead of wearing ordinary briefs, which are not tight enough and can also fall off, using Speedos™ as your swim underwear not only keeps your manhood from prying eyes, they also give your crown jewels better protection against jellyfish or other curious sea creatures looking for new habitat.
The beach is the human species’ watering hole, where all gather to congregate and cool off from the scorching sun. And, much like what happens with our animal counterparts, this seasonal gathering also becomes the venue for displaying our natural attributes that allow us to attract and/or keep our mate. So as you pack your bag for your white sand getaway make sure you, well, “BRING IT”.
Face Your Problem
Q: My girlfriend has been telling me to get a facial. She says it will improve my complexion and make me look younger. I haven’t done it because I think it’s a total waste of money and I think it’s so gay. Am I right?
-- Richie, Quezon City
-- Richie, Quezon City
A: I’ve never been a fan of facials myself. Not for the reasons you site though, but I just don’t like my face being touched by a stranger; most especially if they are not a certified dermatologist. That said, though, I am an advocate of men taking care of their face and skin.
If you think about it, we need to be more conscious of facial care because of the tremendous stress we subject our faces to by shaving everyday and generally being more exposed to the sun, the elements (e.g. dust) and pollution vs. our lady loves.
Read between the lines, mister. It’s not about having a facial. What your girlfriend is really telling you is that you’re beginning to look old and weary. Since us men like the D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself) concept when it comes to fixing things, let me give you a simple D.I.Y. routine to rejuvenate your skin -- cleanse and moisturize at least twice a day. And, when you’re ready for the next level, you can throw in “exfoliate” in the process. I’m not there yet.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tailored Bulge?
Q: I am now a convert to flat front pants, thanks to you. However, I noticed that my front pockets bulge more noticeably vs. when I wore pleated pants. Was this my tailor’s mistake or is this really how flat front pants are?
-- Jacob, Marikina City
Anchors Away!
Q: I need your help. My friends have been telling me that I should make an extra effort to dress up. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kinda guy… only because I don’t know how to pair and match my clothes. Jeans seem to be the safest thing to wear for someone like me. What do I need to know so I can start wearing other things?
-- Andrew, Caloocan
A: I have a lot of friends who are just like you; some of whom have 3 or 4 jeans of exactly the same color and style. The lack of knowledge in pairing or matching clothes is, more often than not, really a deep rooted fear of not knowing how to wear colors outside blue, white and black.
Let me then share with you the concept of “anchoring”. Simply, what this means is that you choose a particular piece of clothing or accessory that will serve as the anchor or base that dictates the color combination of your entire outfit.
Personally, I find that choosing your pants as the anchor is the easiest. Since you’re a slacks neophyte, I would suggest you choose gray pants. For me, gray is the most versatile when it comes to being paired with different colors. It pairs well with white, blue, lavender, green. Most guys think black is the fail safe option. But, what you don’t realize is that black does not really pair well with pastel or light color hues. That limits your options right there.
So remember, when your jeans are making you blue, dress gray.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Gray Wedding
Q: Can I wear a gray suit for an evening wedding? -- Vince, Quezon City
A: It depends on the shade of gray. Light or ash gray (like the one pictured on the left) is normally a daytime, business suit and not usually worn for formal evening occasions like weddings. It would look like you came straight from work and didn’t have time to change. Charcoal gray is the way to go for dressier events. It’s also very versatile color which can be worn for day or night.
The “formality” of your suit also depends on the tie you will use. For dressy occasions, stay away from striped “power” ties. They’re more appropriate for business and work-related daytime functions. Solid, dark colored ties work best for a dapper evening look.
A: It depends on the shade of gray. Light or ash gray (like the one pictured on the left) is normally a daytime, business suit and not usually worn for formal evening occasions like weddings. It would look like you came straight from work and didn’t have time to change. Charcoal gray is the way to go for dressier events. It’s also very versatile color which can be worn for day or night.
The “formality” of your suit also depends on the tie you will use. For dressy occasions, stay away from striped “power” ties. They’re more appropriate for business and work-related daytime functions. Solid, dark colored ties work best for a dapper evening look.
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