Sneakers: Why classic is always best


Look at these two amazing specimens of beautiful sneaker craftmanship. The Chuck Taylor Allstar and the Adidas Superstar. Both of them are basketball shoes with history that is counted in decades!

The Adidas Superstar debuted in 1969. They are the classic hip hop casual shoe. But when they were first unveiled, they were widely used in the NBA as pro basketball shoes. The shoe is also immortalized by Run DMC in their song "My Adidas" and is now a mainstay in hip hop fashion.

Chucks were first produced much earlier -- 1917 to be exact. Apparently they weren't popular until Chuck Taylor (NBA basketball player at the time) gave the shoe its namesake in the 50's and 60's. He preferred white high-tops, as did James Dean. Like the Adidas Shelltoes, Chucks became popular throughout the 70's and 80's among musicians, this time punk and new-wave. The Sex Pistols rocked them in their US debut, and Kurt Cobain preferred them too.

To me, there are no other sneakers. For just kicking around town and being comfortable, all other shoes can only aspire to be someday as recognizable, original, and iconic as these two sneaks. They're reliable, cheap, and a clean pair will always be appropriate -- be it with jeans and a t-shirt (classing it up with your choice of legendary footwear) or with more formal attire (flashing your break-the-rules sense of style).

Chucks can be bought online for ~$25, and original Adidas Superstar I's retail for about ~$50. They really just plain can't be beat. If these shoes are good enough for Johnny Rotten, James Dean, Kurt Cobain, Jam Master Jay, Jay-Z... shoot, they're good enough for me.

Calling all bapesters: A Bathing Ape makes wearable hip-hop gear by Japanese designers

What's a bapester? It's a fan of the clothing line A Bathing Ape, founded in 1993 by Tomoaki "Nigo" Nagao.

A Bathing Ape is short for "A Bathing Ape in Lukewarm Water," which in Japan is a symbol of complacent over-indulgence. It's a nod and a grin in reference to the lazy opulence of Japanese youth, the brand's very own best customers.


In the states, it's evolved into a premium streetwear brand that has garnered fans like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West. Here's Kanye rocking an attention-getting outfit in a recent Bathing Ape Catalog.


One look at their latest collection gives you a clue as to what to expect:

It's an eclectic, supremely wearable and relaxed (if slightly oxymoronic) collection of Run DMC-style classics, 90's camo, and modern prepster. It's at once modern and comfortable, while giving an edge.

They're also big on throwback footwear, like this collection of 80's Adidas/Nike-inspired sneakers.

I'm also loving the photography treatment they gave their recent 2009 style manual:




Next time I'm in LA or NY, the Bathing Ape store is on my must-visit list.

By the way, Hi! I'm Garry. This is my first post, and I hope to get a chance to contribute much more in the future. I'm a software engineer by training but I love looking at beautiful objects, whether its electronic devices, websites, software, or clothes.

March Madness in the Fall

I was flipping through the September 09 issue of Details and came across this picture (above) for Fall '09 for Dolce and Gabanna men's line and I let out an audible gasp (a good one).  

There's just something incredibly haunting and stylish and captivating in the aesthetic created by the clothing + the picture composition/lighting + the vampire-esque make up that really caught my attention.  

The details and the tailoring on these jackets are pretty breathtaking.  Although they're not the most practical pieces - they are something to behold.  My favorite is the blue on blue jacket on the far left... with the one sitting down just to the right with the red piping details coming in a very close second.

I may be inspired enough to create a marching band inspired jacket with something in my closet that I don't wear as much now... but that is probably a larger project than I can tackle with my meager sewing skills.  More to come if I actually muster up the gumption to give it a go...

Man of Style: Taylor Lautner

Before you guys groan or feel a bit old and dirty about it, please hear me out.  I mean, yes, I've become something of a Twilight fangirl, or at least I subscribe to newmoonmovie.org and follow its 10+ updates every day with keen interest.  But seriously.  some time in the past year, I think Taylor Lautner--the fresh-faced, way too young, yet so incredibly and delectably chiseled star of the upcoming Twilight firm--must have gotten himself a stylist in addition to growing up a whole lot.

Because really, what 17-year-old boy knows how to dress himself this well? It only occurred to me rather recently that I've been more and more impressed with Taylor Lautner's ability to look absolutely sharp doing everything from getting the groceries to attending the Teen Choice Awards.  For sure, his affinity for black outerwear can't exactly be called "daring" or "bold," but it's always impeccably tailored, with surprisingly tasteful details that scream TASTE and STYLE and ELEGANCE.

The boy must own about 20 black jackets of all cuts and materials, most of all leather.  Leather bomber jackets, leather motorcycle jackets, even a leather jacket that looks like it's made out of lizard skin.  And lots of jeans - perfectly distressed denim, perfectly faded black jeans, etc.

Some of my favorite elements from the pictures, from left to right:
  • The red-striped collar and cuffs
  • Simple black leather over black t-shirt/pants
  • Beautifully tailored pea coat.  Perhaps Taylor is the only straight guy who can pull of a) a peacoat and b) a popped collar without looking like a total douchebag.  Or maybe you think he looks like a douchebag.  In which case you can keep your thoughts to yourself, thankyouverymuch.
  • Black hoodies on black t-shirt for a decidedly un-frumpy look.
  • Lizard-skin jacket.  'Nuff said.
  • Well-fitted gray shirt over beautifully distressed jeans
  • Waistcoat over beautifully distressed jeans
  • Sharp Calvin Klein collection suit that perfectly suits a high-fashion event
  • Black long coat over black skinny jeans!
  • Black hoodie with all-black Chuck Taylors
  • A dose of black-and-white checks
  • Just the right hint of black-and-white stripes
All photos taken from justjared.com.

For Men: Of Murse and Men

You don't have to be a woman/gay man/metro to appreciate the utility of a bag to carry your crap.  It's universally agreed that having storage is useful - hence the crazy number of pockets you find lining jackets these days and the prevalance of cargo pockets on pants and shorts everywhere.

But if you're like me, you don't like cargo pants/shorts for several reasons.  Besides the rarely-flattering parachute aesthetic on gusty days, the cargo pocket fails to be good storage because putting anything heavier than a single credit card in the pocket is actually painful (a gentle slap every time you take a step - gets super annoying after about 10 paces).  It defeats the whole purpose of having a giant extra pocket down there!  

I like to have my pant pockets free of clutter, but I'm also paranoid about losing things (so I definitely never use butt pockets).  So that makes my pant pockets overloaded with things that I have to negotiate with every time I want to put my hands in my pocket (not to mention,  it makes me look lumpy).

To remedy this situation, I decided to hunt for a manbag.  Or manpurse.  Or murse.  Whatever label you want to put on it doesn't matter - it's just a pragmatic addition to the male wardrobe, which allows us to schlep all the junk that we have to carry around today (cell phones, keys, ipods, wallets etc.).  Think of it as an updated version of the briefcase (and look for bags that fit that description - unless you are thoroughly brave and want to challenge gender stereotypes) and you can steer clear from any judgement and land yourself a functional AND fashionable way to lug your life around with you.

I've searched for a while - and I think I've found my perfect bag - it's a black leather satchel from Ted Baker while I was in Dublin three weeks ago on sale for $100 euro - which turns out to be approximately $140 USD.  I wanted the bag to be black leather (check), with handles and a strap (check), a versatile look to take to work or wear out casually (check), and be able to fit a laptop + book + light jacket or scarf (check).  With all requirements satisfied - I decided to take the plunge and buy it.

And boy am I glad I did!  I live farther from work + friends now, so commuting is something I do 7 days a week, and my manbag is a catchall that carries around my life.  The presence of the bag has come in incredibly handy because I can stuff everything in there and be on my merry way. And it replaces the hefty, functional but ugly Swiss Army laptop backpack that I was using before.


And the great thing is if you want to give them a try - manbags are everywhere now!  They're in movies (see pics from 500 Days of Summer), and retailers from H&M to Banana Republic to the ritzy Rodeo Drive stores all carry bags in every shape and size and budget.  

So the next time you find yourself with more junk in your trunk (or anywhere else for that matter) than you care to be lugging around - heed these words and get thee a manbag.  You'll walk straighter, forget things less, and add an added depth to any look you are going for - be it casual or formal.
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P.S.  Update - I did find my ultimate trench (wearing it in the pics) - a mild splurge on a fitted black burberry trench (thank you Barney's Warehouse Sale at Fort Mason!).  Sale ended sunday 8/9 - so if you didn't get a chance to go - mark your calendar for next year - its pretty freaking awesome.

For Men: The Skinny on Skinny Ties

Ties are normally a constricting item in the male wardrobe, sometimes further limited to formal (read: not fun) events--weddings, fancy brunches, court appearances, what have you. But they are making some headway in casual wear (on a more socially "cool" level than before...thank you Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake and Andre 3000).

Specifically, the skinny tie is making quite the comeback, so I'm paying a wearability homage to the trimmed down descendant of the ascot. Done right, the skinny tie adds a mod/nerd/rock-ish twist to any outfit.  Three notes before proceeding:

Number one: Skinny ties do NOT go with everything you'd wear a normal tie with.  Pay particular attention to the collar--a collar that is signficantly wider than the skinny tie makes your neck look disproportinately short and fat (and who really wants that?).  Generally, skinny ties do not work well with spread collars (e.g. a pimp's unbuttoned shirt with the flashy shiny tiger print and chest hair sprouting up top), so don't plan to wear them like this unless you enjoy being publicly labeled as a tool.   Otherwise, your run-of-the-mill dress shirt should do just fine.

Number two: A skinny tie requires a skinny knot. A full windsor just looks silly with a skinny tie.  I'm partial to the "4 in hand knot" - it's slightly asymmetrical, which goes well with a more casual look.  Don't know how to tie this knot?   Check this site out.

Number three: If you wear the skinny tie with a blazer, look at the width of the tie compared to the lapels. They should be approximately the same size, erring on the size of the lapels being slightly wider.  But if the lapels are too wide, it will make your head look like a balloon, with the skinny tie as a little string trailing underneath trying desespearately to keep your head attached to your disproportional outfit.  

With these guidelines in mind, the skinny tie is a lot of fun.  Some things to try: go for a loud shirt and a solid tie (skinny black tie is the classic), or try a subtler shirt paired with a bolder tie pattern.  Subtle Tie + Subtle Shirt = OK, if the colors have good contrast (like a white shirt and black tie or vice versa - monochrome doesn't work well with this look).   Loud Shirt + Loud Tie may result in screams from children running away from you, the Technicolor Monster.  This is not for the faint of heart; mixing patterns/colors is really a matter of personal taste so I can't be too judgmental, but it's pretty easy to mess up this combination so proceed with caution.  When you throw on a collared long sleeve shirt - throw on a skinny tie and see what it does for you.

Club Monaco has some really cool bold stripe skinny ties and your nearest Nordstrom Rack will carry some older (but more affordable and ever-so-stylish!) skinny ties from the likes of Ben Sherman and Paul Smith.  Otherwise, venture out to your nearest vintage clothing shop to score some super cheap ties - you can usually find a skinny black tie for $5.

Anyway, I had some extra time to kill this weekend so I did a mini-shoot featuring me and stuff that I have in my closet that I've mixed and matched with skinny ties.  My favorite look is the brown tie with a light blue gingham shirt and a pair of dark-ish blue jeans. I tried to cover a range of looks, from casual, to going out on the town, to business casual, to a more everyday look.

Note that while skinny ties are the "in" thing now, you can still wear regular-sized ties as well.  It's really just about adding personal flair by throwing on a tie to spice up a look - but in a good, non-TGIFridays sort of way.

For Men: Men of Capri

Fellas, hear me out.

Shorts are as natural to a guy's wardrobe as a basic white t-shirt.  There's absolutely no doubting that.  And shorts being the length that they are these days - shorts are practically capris already.  So why note consider adding a pair to your warm weather wardrobe arsenal?

Maybe for starters we can call them 3/4 length shorts.  Does that help?  Probably not that much because there's general fear amongst the male ranks for anything "fashion-y" - especially in the States.  But I will say that our brothers in Asia and Europe embrace these as a staple to their warm weather wardrobe and I've only recently started to incorporate them into my mine... and I must say that I genuninely like them.

Truth be told - I thought they were, for lack of a better word, "fruity" and would set me up for public humiliation so I never considered them.   Already called names for having floral print shirts, I was adverse to adding a pair of capri pants for fear of further name-calling. 

While shorts are comfortable, I fully recognize how shlumpy they make me feel when I wear them because they're generally pretty billowy and bulky (esepecially with the cargo pockets).   And they for sure don't pass for anything above casual - which further limits them in terms of occassion (although having an uber-lax dress code at work - I never feel quite right lounging around in shorts at the workplace).

So I saw a pair at the mall and figured that I'd give them a try just for the hell of it.    I was surprised immediately.  First of all - they have a much more flattering silhouette when compared to bulky shorts.  I'm not the tallest guy out there, and they are slimmer cut closer to the leg/butt  to so they don't look like you're borrowing you much taller, fatter brother's clothing.  The pair I tried on still had all the cargo stuff goin on (which is helpful to stuff wallet/keys/phone in various pockets)... and it looked great!  You can put a dress shirt on and a blazer and wear a pair of loafers without socks for a very "euro" but very comfortable and dressy look (especially for california standards).

For the brave - get a pair of stark white - it just looks clean and sharp.  A khaki pair always looks great.  Or if you're feeling cheap - you can take a pair of khakis and fold (or roll) them up like you'd fold up the sleeves of a dress shirt if you were getting hot.

So I have a few pairs of "manpris" now - a plaid-ish pair and a dark charcoal grey pair with pinstripes from H&M (they were $14.99 each!)   If you can't make the leap - a good pair of more tailored shorts that hit just around or above the knee are a much more versatile piece that I'd encourage all men to own.

The idea of the capri pant is funny - I fully admit that - but they seriously look better than shorts.  Give it a try at least before you judge - I have a feeling you too may be pleasantly surprised.

For Men: Check Please!

via paulsmith.co.uk

In general - I like patterned dress shirts more than solid colors. Mostly because they're more visually interesting - especially since the dress shirt generally plays a supporting role in any given ensemble (under a suit, sweater, etc.)

Not to take away from a clean, crisp white shirt but sometimes you want something more fun - like this light blue checkered shirt a la Paul Smith. I wasn't the biggest fan of this pattern at first because it reminded me of a picnic blanket - but it's grown on me with more stores taking hold of this trend and playing with the size and color of the checks.

Paired with a light grey suit it would be dressy enough to wear to work (if you need to wear suits to work). One note of warning - I've seen guys try a bowtie with this pattern and unless you are incredibly British (think Prince Charles) it's really hard to pull off. Stick with a fairly muted (meaning not large print or crazy paisley pattern) or no tie at all.

My favorite look with this shirt - pair it with a darker pair of jeans and a dark chocolate brown tie. Many options if you need to layer for warmth - my personal choice would be a more casual black blazer (but you can go with a grey cardigan or a golf jacket of any color that is gaining in popularity these days).

For Men: In the Trenches

via burberryusaonline.com

What an honor to be the first male contributor! I'd better make this one memorable then.

So in light of such a momentous occassion, I will put up for consideration perhaps the manliest of all wardrobe items: the trench coat.

Originally designed for the British army during World War 1, the trenchcoat has not only a historical significance but it's become a wardrobe staple to survive the daily battle of what to wear for both men and women.

I'll confess, I don't need a trenchcoat. But I've REALLY wanted one since I graduated college. They have a certain cinematic drama to them and yet they are terrifically practical - a perfect combination if you ask me.

They come in many different styles these days (ah mass market production how I love thee) so the decision process is a bit daunting... but I'm up for the task. And before making any retail purchase, I like to think about what exactly I want so I don't make any hasty decisions.

So the first and easiest decision point for me is length. Off the bat, being 5'6" makes it imperative that I don't go for the full length trench unless I want to look like I'm borrowing my much taller, older brother's jacket to play grown-up. Cross that one off the list. Then There's the cropped option that sits just around hip level - but a trench by definition should have some length in my book. So that leaves me with getting something between the mid thigh to knee. Check.

Now off to color. Ok this one's pretty hard. It's for sure going to be in a fairly basic color, but let's face it, everything in men's collections is in basic colors. There's the classic beige-ish color range, a more cement-y grey, black, olive, and navy on the racks these days. I think I may go for darker colors because light colors dirty easily and I'm a stain magnet. Check.

And lastly on my list of considerations - fabric. Considering the California Bay Area climate isn't that extreme - I'm in no need for a heavy Gabardine (which Thomas Burberry INVENTED. How does one invent a fabric? I know not, but I found that nugget interesting) or much lining for that matter- so something in the poplin/cotton family that's water-repellant enough for a light rain will suffice. Check.

So with those criteria, it's off to scour the interconnected tubes of the world wide web to see what retail offerings that may hit the search criteria and here's what I've been able to find (Pictures of the contenders are below.)

My favorite so far has to be this black Burberry trench... but plunking down the dolla-dolla-bills-y'all for this one jacket isn't exactly my style. I did try it on though while I was passing through the Duty Free shop and very nearly entered into a great deal of debt - the jacket felt that great. sigh.

I'll be hunting around for copycats, but I will say that this Thomas Burberry fellow knew what he's doing.

So - should I resist the urge to splurge?  Or shall I put in the investment?  Ugh.  Decisions.