Suiting up

It's a bit early to be thinking about what to wear for a formal dinner in 2011, but I thought I should pen down my Eureka moment before I forget it.

Was wondering how to follow up on my 2010 outfit, a grey blazer, white shirt, black tie, dark grey pants, and brown loafers.

First thoughts were a grey suit with black shirt underneath. I then got stuck, as this look normally looks better without a tie.

My Eureka moment came when I saw someone with a dark grey shirt & black pants office attire on my way home. It then became apparent that a black suit with dark grey shirt would look great. Rounding this off would be a black tie and a pair of nice black chelsea boots (or a simple pair of black oxfords in a pinch).

Well that's one thing sorted. But I still don't know what to replace my knackered sneakers with...

Hot & humid weather = T-shirt & jeans? How to break the cycle

How do you cope with the recent hot & humid weather? (global warming is upon us). Many have lamented about the sad state of affairs of what men wear in Singapore. Well, global warming isn't helping us in this respect.

I have pretty much given up, and wear T-shirt and jeans almost everyday. And I'm one of the lucky few who don't need to wear long sleeve shirts and pants. But how do you fight the weather (a.k.a. break the cycle of wearing T-shirts everyday?)

Look for the collar

• a well-fitting polo T-shirt will almost always look more smart, and more mature; do consider one with "dri-fit" material for better breathability
• rugby jersey-styled collars always look good; do wash them well, as most of them come in white collars
  

Don't forget your accessories

• wear a belt; go for a different colour; use it as a style tool, not just to hold up your pants
  
• backpacks are for school; they also make sweat accumulate at your back; sling/messenger bags have been in fashion since Crumpler made such bags cool enough to wear with office attire.
  
• the more adventurous can also consider jewellery, e.g. chain necklaces or bracelets
  

Material world & colour

• corduroy makes a stylish alternative to jeans
• also consider those G2000 casual pants; versatile enough with a dress shirt or a T-shirt
• the daring can try coloured jeans, but keep the bright colours to one piece (e.g. avoid a bright colour shirt with bright colour jeans)
  

Run away from running shoes

• most running shoes are not stylish enough for streetwear, although there are some exceptions
  
• classic sneakers have been popular since the adidas superstars made them cool. converse chuck taylors are evergreen; my favorites are retro white sneakers; they go with almost any attire
  
• or consider a leather casual (slip-on, chelsea boot, desert boot etc)

Layering is still possible (but indoors)

• cardigans, hoodies, and retro track jackets are still possible indoors where there is air-con; in fact, most air-con in Singapore are too cold, so these are maybe more a necessity than an option
  

The final (brown) jigsaw piece?

Went shoe shopping today.

The Bata store at Peninsular is one of the bigger Bata branches, and I managed to find 2 suitable "candidates". But their price (on the wrong side of S$100) blew me away.

Next was Aldo. I liked this, the Jakubowski.

Price? Supposed to be on sale for S$122. Went to Robinsons to take a quick look too.

I then went to Suntec to visit Hush Puppies, Tracce, Everbest, and Clarks. Passed by BeetleBug and Pedro in Citylink. Not suitable shoes spotted. Maybe I'll try the Clarks store in Ion Orchard, but I think I've pretty much exhausted my options.

A strange (grey) twist in the tale

Another torrid heaty day. Another long (lots of walking) shopping day.

But I finally bought something. But it was not what I was expecting. After going through circles and circles of suit shopping, I had given up, and wanted to try something leftfield.

But the more I thought about a black cardigan look, the more I was concerned that I would look under-attired. So I went to Raffles City with some doubt as to what I would eventually get.

After a few rounds of seeing the same outfits in the same shops (ala last weekend), I decided to get a grey blazer instead and pair it with perhaps black pants and a black tie.

Saw a few grey blazers before I settled on one from G2000. Now to try out a few colour combos to see which one will work. I may still have to grab a nice pair of shoes from now till Saturday to complete the look...

p.s. above is a quick screen-grab from the G2000 website. Actual blazer I bought has a peaked lapel, and has fine pinstripes.

Alteration of plans?

3 articles on suit alterations in Singapore.
Altered to Suit - What to look for when buying a suit and how to get alterations done
3 myths your Singapore bespoke tailor doesn't want you to know
Snip Tuck

And one tailor spotted right in Sengkang.
http://hotailor.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, I'm contemplating going a leftfield route. Thinking of a black cardigan and black tie combo instead of a grey suit.


Missing ingredients; a black cardigan, black tie (maybe skinny), and nice black shoes. More items, but more versatile than a suit for casual wear.

So I went shopping again today. Saw one example in Topman, but it was selling at S$70. Went by Muji and another example selling for the same price, but it was a mesh material (not solid enough). Finally found a good example at Centrepoint (the new Basic House brand), but it was in a Navy blue colour.

Alarm bells are ringing...

p.s. couldn't find a black cardigan at the following stores
Bossini
Fox
G2000
Giordano
Uniqlo

Suit shopping is tough

Part 2 of my search for a suit (see Part 1 below).

Slept through most of Saturday, so only managed to go shopping today. Tried out a few suits at Topman and Zara, but couldn't really find "the one".

Either the material/colour is a bit "off", or the fit is not 100% right. Maybe I'm too harsh on a off-the-rack suit. Got really tired in the end, and went home empty-handed.

Time is running out...

Grey suit, black shirt, dark-brown shoes?

My company annual dinner is coming up soon, and I'm once again fretting over what to wear.

After last year's cop-out (I used existing separates in my wardrobe), I'm keen to get a proper suit this year. But no black suits please.

I'm considering the above combo, and have been window shopping around to find a suitable buy. Managed to see a few suitable grey suits at Zara, Topshop, and Robinsons (a new brand from Korea called Mind Bridge).

The search continues this weekend. Still wondering if I should blow up to S$300 on an outfit that I'll probably end up wearing only once a year (or even less, if I don't want to wear the same suit every year). Our hot & humid weather isn't exactly suitable for wearing suits too...

Postscript (29 April 2010): something like this? Looks nice, but I wonder what tie to wear with a black shirt...

GQ Guide to Dressing on a Budget

GQ.com

"25 rules that will make you a better-dressed, more cost-conscious man..."

Nice suggestions by GQ. Too bad J.Crew and H&M aren't available in Singapore.

Problems afoot

I was "stuck" with a $50 shopping voucher recently. After months of procrastination, I finally purchased something just a few days before expiry.

After hovering around the shoe department, I finally bought a pair of retro sneakers (Nike Tennis Classic CL Pack). With the limited range of footwear at that store, I was going to use the vouchers on a pair of Adidas Country sneakers, when I spotted the Nikes selling for a lower price. My target requirements were (leather; casual; affordable), and they seemed to fit the bill.

Unfortunately, after a few weeks of wearing them, they remained uncomfortable to wear. The thick sole (first thought to provide cushioning) ended up giving me pain in the ankles and knees. My $30 Bata shoes in contrast was comfortable even though it had a thinner sole.

Now nearly 3 months in, the situation has improved, to the extent that I can tolerate a day's worth of wear.

But I'm already looking to the next purchase, perhaps a pair of Desert boots or maybe Chelsea boots.