Black pants = Boring?

While standing in a crowded MRT train on the way to work, close your eyes and imagine your hand pointing to a random direction. Open your eyes in that direction and you will very likely see someone who is wearing black pants.

Boring? Well, yes and no.

Yes, if it's not well-fitted or has a texture that is either too shiny/too dull.

No, if you pay a bit more attention to details. What do I mean by well-fitted? For a start, the pants should not be too tight or too loose. Next, the pants should be worn at the waist.

But besides the above, there are a lot of variance you can inject into the classic black pants. Pinstripes are cool, and make your black pants stand out from the rest. There are also shades of black to try. Pockets are another area. Some pants use a front pocket design more akin to a jeans pocket. Do note that having a similar design on the back pocket immediately makes the pants into a casual pair of slacks.

While we're at pockets, try not to put too much stuff in the pockets. Beware of thick wallets (clear the junk) and big handphones. Also, remember to iron your pants properly (get the seams right) before wearing them.

And avoid pleats like the plague. Go for flat-fronted pants.

Dress code: Lounge Suit - What to wear?

The easy way out to "deal" with a lounge suit dress code is to wear a black or dark grey suit.

The easy way out is "out" for me. One, because I don't have an existing suit (any colour). Two, I don't really want to wear a "boring" dark colour suit.

Hold on a second. There are ways and means to vary a dark suit, so that it's a bit different, for example, wearing a dark shirt beneath the suit, or going for a pinstripe pattern. Or maybe wearing a slim leather tie.

But since I don't wear suits everyday (or every month), I'm not exactly relishing the thought of buying a suit just for such an occasion. I do have a dark blazer bought in Thailand a few years ago, but that is my backup plan. (in case I can't find the time to shop for alternatives)

By the way, the occasion is this Saturday, so I don't have much time to play with...

Do you need to buy that? Or do you have something similar already?

Warning: blog post that follows is only semi-related to men's fashion.

Previous posts have seen me talking about my search for the next purchase, either shoes, pants, or a watch. But maybe I should consider carefully before I spend money on another new purchase...

About a week ago, my mum showed me a pair of jeans, telling me to wear it (and try not to keep wearing the same clothes in my wardrobe).

I was in my usual nonchalant mood, and dismissive too, telling her that it probably was a hand-me-down from a relative, and that it looked too small to fit.

I ended up wearing it to work the very next day.

Lessons learned? Quite a few

• I should look at my wardrobe to see if I'm forgetting to wear clothes that I have, but haven't been wearing
  
• Being yourself at home doesn't mean I need to be caustic

By the way, the pair of jeans in question comes in a nice off-white (or cream) shade. I've been contemplating to purchase a pair of white jeans (or pants) to add to my wardrobe, but had been hesitating due to a few concerns.

This off-white colour is a nice compromise. I wore it with a white polo with horizontal-stripes, and my usual white sneakers. Another good pairing is with my pink shirt (and rolled-up sleeves).