Rips and pleats

So I woke up yesterday morning wanting to wear something shiny. I hadn't used this American Boulevard shirt for quite some time so I decided to fish it out. Only problem was it had always been a little too long, so I decided, with brave finality, to shorten the hem myself. With nothing but scissors.

Shirt, American Boulevard; ripped jeans, Neil Barrett; thrifted belt; stainless steel abacus necklace, from 168; white leather sneakers (not seen), Converse; briefcase (below), Tyler

Of course I was hoping that the rough edges would also give it a raw feel, but after finishing with the act, that became the least of my problems. The shirt was this time too short! I was near to running late for work, so, with another spur of the moment decision, I sent for a few safety pins.

The damage control looked like this. I need stitching along the upper hem, but I have to decide exactly how to re-attach the part I cut to give that layered effect. More safety pins, studs, gimlets...do you have any ideas? Do you think I should repeat the process for the sleeves?

Whatever I do, I want to retain the raw effect. I think this accident promises a good first DIY project.

As the excitement of the day wore off, I traded my ripped shirt for this pleated one and changed sneakers for an adidas event.

Tuxedo shirt, Zara; ripped jeans, Neil Barrett; thrifted sneakers, Gucci; watch, Omega Seamaster

Outdoor photos by Patricia Suzara

Morning news sold out

No matter how noisy, crowded, and grimy, the city will always be dear to me. It is where all lines converge, where parallels intersect. Day in and day out, in between the columns found in national papers lie the lives of everyone around - all of them unavoidably affected, if not incriminated.

Sure, I am not one to turn down one or a few weeks of rest out in the provinces - to the mountains or to the beaches - but I don't know how long I can last so far from the bustle of the metropolis.

Thrifted shirt, Emporio Armani; pants, Gas; scarf, vintage; newsboy cap, Zara; semi-leather shoes, Giordano Concepts; suspenders, SM Department Store

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Meet my brother

Or me in my first pair of fashion glasses, suspenders, and trilby, which is a bit too small, but hey, all the large sizes fit like that. If only there were bigger ones. A specialty store for the cranially gifted, perhaps?

Shirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; pants, Y-3; thrifted woven laceups, Bally; trilby, Zara; glasses and suspenders, SM Department Store; stainless steel watch, Tissot

Bigger blues

Still adjusting with the new format of the site. Hope you'll bear with me as it will take time for me to replace current photos with bigger versions. Some, like runway reviews, I will have to leave as is. A few backlog posts will also have to appear in old image sizes.

I've been thinking about this for quite some time and thought the space will be good to declutter things, but of course, anything less than satisfactory will also be magnified and be more obvious.

But hey, it will push me to publish at a higher quality. So here goes. Caution: fly away with the wind.

Heather gray linen shirt and charcoal gray sweater with blue stripes: both thrifted; jeans, Havana & Co.; trilby, Zara; plaid silk tie, Polo Ralph Lauren; blue nylon sneakers, Acne by Tretorn; black leather belt (barely seen), Izzue

New old denim shorts

So I was at Topman, fitting denim cargo shorts that I was about to purchase, before I remembered that I had so many pairs of jeans languishing in my cabinet.

I picked out this old pair, which, although weren't cargo pants, had the same exposed pocket detailing. At Manila's 30℃, the heat is no longer funny, and I think I should be wearing shorts as much as possible - like on weekends - not just because it's summer, but because it's already becoming uncomfortable. So I brought out my scissors and cutter to do the job.

I'd say not bad. I just have to bring them to the tailor to have the back part hemmed. Or maybe, since they're denim, I'd let the fabric fray...but then again, we're talking about shorts here - meaning not much length to spare.

Studded tee, Zara; denim shorts formerly known as jeans, Lee; leather belt, Izzue; sneakers, Surface to Air; leather duffel, thrifted; scarf, SM Department Store

Looking in my closet, I find more items to turn into summer companions - from denim to chinos and fatigues. I think I may soon be needing this pair of "power scissors". Now if only there were also handheld hemming devices.

As for tailored shorts, either I have my slacks altered or get the real thing.

Tux and drawstring pants

Wearing the tux with the summer pants and without socks feels amazing.

Now I think I want a concert pianist's cutaway.

Old pieces: tuxedo from Landmark; pleated shirt, Zara; drawstring pants, Marks & Spencer; sneakers, Converse

Gray cable knit

No, I didn't fly to any temperate country. And though I would champion tropical layering anytime, I just couldn't resist. I brought this sweater out, just for kicks.

Sweater and thrifted shirt: both Zara; jeans: Jil Sander; eco-friendly scarf, thrifted; thrifted laceups, Clarks



If somebody made a stainless steel or aluminum chainmail vest, I'd probably also wear it. There's just something about the pattern created by links.

I can't turn my back on them, even for a few moments during a tropical afternoon.


Photos by Patricia Suzara

Mustard yellow jeans

I need a hat. I think the Paul Smith cap below would top this outfit quite nicely. A watch with a brown leather strap, perhaps?

Embroidered tee, Zara; nylon jacket, Izzue; thrifted painter's pants; Conbipel; thrifted sneakers, 5cm; thrifted leather bag, Rabeanco



I've never really devoted much time to hat hunting. I think I should. There are so many varieties - from trilbies to bowlers and newspaper boys to straw panamas - and I think it would be exciting to pair them off with unexpected outfits, either to make a casual look sharper or a relaxed one spiffier. Because of their provenance, different hats can also invoke different eras, and the mood of an entire ensemble. So there are plenty of things to try out.

Including other combinations with my mustard yellow jeans. White, beige, gray, and black tops are the obvious choices. Maybe I'll muster an outfit with a mauve/purple tee, as below. Will just have to find color counterpoints. Black and white check suspenders?

La Folie Douce

So while I'm filling in my runway show backlog, here's another one of my cameos.

Just to introduce a work in progress: my new street style blog La Folie Douce. Yeah, my mug will welcome you there too.

A closer look at the pattern of the shirt and jacket: a tessalated pattern that looks like houndstooth over an ethnic design called batik, like the fabric designs found in other parts of Southeast Asia.



What I like about it is the combination of geometric and organic patterns.

'Batik' printed shirt from Davao (Aldivinco); jacket, Sisley; pants, Zara; yellow belt, Renato Balestra; thrifted tote, Gap; heirloom watch, Omega Seamaster; lace-ups, Marlboro Classics

Black and blue

Sometimes I am not myself, and I don't want to be. Even when I'm wearing layers of sheer clothing, nothing is clear.

During these times, the act of simply dressing up helps. Forces me to get out of bed, to pull up a face to meet the faces that I meet.



Sheer striped sweater, Zara; sheer striped tee, Guess; jeans, Calvin Klein Jeans; thrifted boots, Timberland; scarf, SM Department Store

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Black and white

A friend once read my palm and told me that I'm the type of person who always tries to see things - you guessed it - in black and white. Don't ask me though how he deciphered that from my hands.

I had to agree with him, since as a writer, my method has always been to wade through every complication and uncertainty to reach something with substance. I guess I aim for the same in my personal style and in my fashion commentary.

Black and white, beyond being safe and strong statements, can be a refuge one comes back to every now and then to scrape away all the muck that has built up.


Pleated shirt, Zara; faded black jeans, United Colors of Benetton; skinny leather belt, APC; thrifted sneakers, Comme des Garçons Shirt; nylon jacket, Izzue; silk tie, thrifted

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Seeing through a sheer black cardigan

I must say, this initial affection for sheer layering is now becoming addictive. Not only is airconditioning deemed unnecessary, the way the material mixes with the color underneath offers unique texture that simple seasonal layering cannot provide.

I was a little apprehensive with the size of the cardigan but thought it logical that such thin material shouldn't be worn close to the body. Good thing then that I was able to dig out these pleated trousers I mostly wore in the nineties.

Sheer cardigan, Zara; ribbed shirt; Old Navy; pleated trousers, G200; tie, thrifted; leather sneakers, Converse

Lace dress for Halloween

It's amazing how things come full circle. I remember wearing this thrifted lace dress as a scarf for a goth Halloween ball last year, and a picture of that outfit, which was primarily composed of thrifted items, was part of my very first cameo post on this blog.

Now I am wearing the skirt on top of a shirt and have instead worn a cardigan as my scarf.




I like the way the lace is only obvious at the sleeves and over my bum, and the way it is cut — which makes me think more of pirates than drag queens.




I suppose this is the casual variation of my goth outfit, even if I am actually wearing the lace dress.

See, it can't be that hard.


Tee, cK by Calvin Klein; jeans, Two Percent; sheer double-breasted cardigan worn as a scarf, Zara; filigree belt, Brave Beltworks; agnès b riding boots and lace dress: both thrifted; necklace, Qeelin

Ciao! !oaiC

Just finished with shopping day today, and though I can't wait to show you what I bought (bag, blazer and polo shirt with a double collar), there is much work to do.

Oh, though I can say that my new Fred Perry blazer from its Japanese collection makes me miss wearing jackets. Get ready for blazer week! Happy weekend!


iPhone pic taken at the Zara fitting room. They didn't have the shirt in my size

White tank top + sheer sweater

The first time I heard about it, I couldn't believe it. Until now, Michael Jackson's death still hasn't sunk deep. He's just that phenomenal and influential that the full extent of our loss can only be realized as time passes. As we learn to accept that he wouldn't be able to write new songs, dance live in front of audiences, and wear the new costumes prepared for him (particularly those with Swarovski crystals and those designed by Ricardo Tisci for his O2 concerts).

Time passes, and only as it does will we fully comprehend how truly great he is.

On a lighter note, I never thought I could wear a tank top to work and live to tell you about it — even if I did wear a sweater, a sheer one at that, on top of it. In this second picture, I am wearing the blue Japanese robe I picked up in the same thrift store where I found a mask of Stitch. Since I really couldn't just wear the tank and the sweater in an airconditioned room.


Sheer sweater, Zara; Japanese robe, thrifted; tank, local department store; jeans, Levi's; leather sneakers, Converse

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Smoke, lights, and mirrors

I wonder, how sincere you think bloggers are. I know I may be shooting myself in the foot with this question, but it's been occupying my mind lately. Blogs were originally meant as journals for whomever had internet access and wanted to share their thoughts or sources of inspiration with the world: a democratic way to publish material without going through editors, and a very fast method to reach audiences.




But after the hundreds, and then the thousands, reach a webpage, PR people are quick to follow. The personal space has become a marketing platform. Even if all you see from afar is sparkle, at close range you can see the bulbs and the wires. Money joins the pulse of electricity.




Though of course privacy is another thing. Anyone, with or without an online diary, keeps certain things out of conversations. What remains part them are driven by other persuasions.




There are some people who prefer to remain opaque.




Some bloggers appear/sound more approachable than others.




Aren't Makati's Christmas lights beautiful? Not at all flashy, even if a little cold.




Which is what I sometimes feel when wind blows through the low collar of my kurta-inspired shirt, first worn last July. I think this cotton jacket matches it better than the previous nylon piece.




So what does this all mean? Look at the orange-colored gas inside the bulbs, which indicate the ebb and flow of energy: that is how my days have gone. I love the season because things appear in higher contrast; I hate it because it is harder to disappear from things.




Many times I wonder why I became a blogger at all. Sometimes I just want to show you some stuff that make me (even momentarily) happy, like this rose-patterened pair of slippers made out of hairy bristles.




Most of the time I prefer merely to be a conduit.




Shirt, Zara; jeans, Bench; belt, Brave Beltoworks; jacket, Muji; slippers, thrifted

Outfit photos, Annalyn Piamonte

More pictures on my visual diary: Draft of Shadows

In retrospect

Wore this outfit last March 2009, and decided to revive it today, but in a different way.




What one year does, indeed. While I was looking for my first job years ago, I hated ties and felt they were too cumbersome for everyday wear. Blame this blog and more than a little boredom I guess.

Now, I would have rolled my pants up to my knees just for you to notice my argyle socks!




I think this must have also been the last time I wore these leather hybrid lace-ups. Notice that this is the same window backdrop in my last post.

Sheer sweater, Zara; shirt, Gap; jeans, Two Percent; shoes, Giordano Concepts; tie, thrifted




I'm still going through the recent Milan and Paris shows. Reviews soon. Besides reminiscing on the good old days of cameo picture-taking, I also sort of miss Tim Blanks's commentary. He disappeared when men.style.com became gq.com. Now the reviews are cheeky, and I suppose targeted at a younger audience with less cultural memory.

Amazingly, I find that looking at the shows in between my other activities clears my mind. Even if fashion history and reference-making are more complicated and cross-hatched than simple plaid.


Cardigan and tie: both thrifted; shirt, Gap; jeans, Bossini; shoes, Giordano Concepts

Photos by Patricia Suzara