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.

Bloody Red

No, this is not a paid post by Clear Dandruff Shampoo. It's just me venting on why everythning must be bloody red on Feb. 14.

1. Please, please, please fight the urge to wear red today. I mean, give the color a rest already; we already saw a lot of red last February 7, Chinese New Year.

2. Roses come in many different colors. Peach is probably the most romantic of them.

3. Stay away from restaurants decorated with red cut outs of hearts and boy-and-girl-leaning-forward-in-a-kissing-action. They will likely not have wine.

Men - I hope you made reservations. No decent restaurant will have an empty table for walk-ins.

Ladies - Be nice to your men. They skipped a lot of lunches to make this day a little special.

The Toilet Sink

Q: “Please help me, wherever I go, I always make sure that I have my vanity kit with me, whether I go to the mall, to the beach, at work, or even when hanging out with my friends and co-workers. With this kit, I have my cologne, alcohol, baby powder, hair cream, tissue and face mirror. I also have in it some coins, my keys, a ball pen, extra tank top and sometimes, my umbrella. All of these things make my hand carry too bulky to be "hand" carried. Is there really the acceptable vanity kit for men? If yes, what should we have in it? Please advice. Thanks!”
- Lester, Amadeo, Cavite


A: Sounds more like you carry your bathroom around than just a vanity kit. I’m all for proper grooming and hygiene, but unless you’re thinking of becoming a barber that does house calls, I don’t suggest you tote around your man bag wherever you go. I’m also not a big fan of clutch bags. There’s something very D.O.M.ish about it. Stick to the standard travel toiletry bag and leave this in your work desk drawer. Your essentials include a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, face wash, lip balm, alcohol and some paracetamol. I can’t see why you would need anything more than that.

Under a-Tuck

Q: “I often see men (especially those who are wearing semi-fitted shirts) expose their belt buckle. Sometimes, they tuck in the front portion of their shirt to pop out their belts. Is this really necessary? I often see this "style" even from the male models of Manual. I thought they were just promoting the belts so they expose it. But I don't have any idea why others do that too.
-Lester, Amadeo, Cavite

A: I've been asked this question so many times I've forgotten if I've already answered it. Anyway, I guess one more time wouldn't hurt ...

This style is the modern take on the out-of-bed look and normally goes with wearing either big buckle belts or military belts on low-rise jeans. So, if your belt is forgettable (e.g. ordinary office leather belts) and (if) you are on the heavy side, save yourself the trouble -- either tuck or untuck. Besides, if you look at the label of this look, you will realize that it expired in 2007. Over and out!

It's a Date!

Q: “It’s been a while since I’ve gone out on a real date. I finally had the guts to ask this girl that I like out. Any advice on what to wear that can help make a good impression?”
- Anthony, Marikina City

A: You failed to give me two critical information – (1) how old are you and (2) where are you going?

Always dress age-appropriate. The two extremes are young people trying to look older men (aka D.O.M.) trying their darndest to look hip and cool.
Where you’re planning to take her will obviously play an important part in your decision on what to wear. Some (but few) fancy shmancy restaurants have dress codes, which you will need to follow at a minimum.

If you’re in your 20’s and 30’s and are looking to go on a romantic dinner, say, iL Ponticello, capped with casual drink at, maybe, Fiamma, a slim, body cut long-sleeved polo shirt, with sleeves folded up just below your elbows, worn with a pair of low-rise, boot cut jeans, big buckle belt and leather shoes should do the trick.
In your 40’s? Go with a long-sleeved polo paired with dark grey, flat front slacks, silver buckle leather belt and your Bally or Florsheims.

Oh, and please, make sure you foot the bill.

Anyhow

Okay, I know this has nothing to do with clothes and style, but I just have to share this with y'all. I got this flier from a new (and very no-frills) restaurant near our shop, wittingly called "Anyhow" (inihaw, get it?) so I tried it.

I didn't expect much so I was pleasantly surprised. I tried the tenderlion steak, you can't choose the doneness (i.e. it's only done one way), but it was tender enough. And, the gravy was very good! It can be "ulam" in itself. Yum! You have to try it to believe me.

What surprised me the most though was the sizzling litid. I do not normally eat "litid" or tendons, so I initially was not attracted to order it. But, the server said it was their specialty and insisted I gave it a try. My initial spoonful "tikim" was followed by another, and another, and another... there goes my cholesterol level. I still wouldn't eat litid -- EXCEPT if it's from Anyhow.

Now, just to stay in theme to what my blog is all about. What to wear when you go there? It's basically come-as-you-please. I'm still wondering though why their waiters wear cut-off jeans! I checked... they weren't on skates.

Waterproof Shoes

Q: “My pair of shoes became faded after it got wet from the rain. Is there still hope for me to revive them? How do I prevent this from happening to my other leather shoes?”
- Michael, Makati City

A: For your question, I asked my friends at Hush Puppies for their expert advice. According to them shoes that have been soaked wet lose their shine because the natural moisture in the leather has evaporated with the water. To bring back the luster of leather, apply good leather moisturizer. Check that the moisturizer has natural oils like coconut and jojoba because synthetic ones are not absorbed into the leather and just accumulate at the surface. To prevent this problem from happening again, apply water and dirt repellent on your shoes before you go out and expose them to the elements. This coats your shoes with an invisible and breathable layer to protect it against moisture and dirt, preventing them from seeping into the leather.

Better yet, get yourself a pair of waterproof shoes, like the ones pictured from Hush Puppies. These have been pre-treated with water-repellent ingredients in the tanning process, which makes the leather repel moisture. They also have their seams sealed to avoid water from getting inside the shoes.