Gray shadow play

Let's veer away from color between the two editorials. This time, the outfit is totally in gray, with an emphasis on micro patterns.

I must admit that Calvin Klein has had a lot to do with my monochromatic ensembles. Though others may find it absolutely boring, to me there is a certain deviance to it, even mischief.

You may think that I just blend in with concrete walls and buildings, but the uniform and streamlined aspect to the outfit gives me more freedom for more calculated expression.

Telling you for one thing that I am more than just my clothes, and that it is you, not me, who feels the need to fight for individuality.

Shirt, Memo; micro houndstooth semi-stretch pants, Custom Made; PVC belt, Izzue; sneakers, Surface to Air; tie, thrifted

Top and bottom photos by Cecilia Aycocho

Scott Schuman and Garance Doré

Although it was Jefferson Hack who took the photo of Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist, above, for his post entitled On the Street....Brown & Grey, Paris, it could very well have been Garance Doré, who appears below photographed by Scott for a post named On the Street....Beige & Brown, Rome, since it has been reported by Metro that they have been spending much time together.

Garance Doré appears again on The Sartorialist:
On the Street.....Ms. Doré, Paris
On the Street......Bev, Yasmin and Garance, London.

Though it is clear that both of them love wearing neutrals, after this piece of gossip, can you say you can look at Scott's photos of Garance the same way again?

My latest fix: Gray sneaks

By now it may be evident that the color is a staple in my wardrobe. Here it is worn with purple, and to me one of purple's best compliments - dark brown.

I know it's summer and it seems odd to be wearing corduroy, but I really like its texture and how it contrasts well with cotton shirts. It also looks great with my new leather filigree belt.



What I also like about the sneakers is that the laces are long enough to be tied around the shoes and can be kept in place by these patches.

Shirt, G200; thrifted cords, Bluestar; belt, Brave Beltworks; sneakers, Surface to Air

Outdoor photos by Patricia Suzara

Gray day

Sometimes, no matter how much we want to rebel against the weather, the best thing to do is to adapt to it. It was cloudy and gloomy all day, with the occasional drizzle.

Thrifted shirt, Marcellontino; pants, Sisley; thrifted belt, Structure; thrifted boots, Timberland; (and yes) thrifted leather bag, Rabeanco

But following the obvious has been my bad habit for unlayered office wear. Blame the job or blame the lack of creativity? Let's see...

Photos by Patricia Suzara

My latest fix: Gray multi-patterned cardigan

Before I tell you about the Benetton shoot at the Industria studio at Washington Street, I'll tell you about what I did after that.

Friday afternoon, Jamie and I rode the subway to Soho, where I was overjoyed to see the Rogan shop, which had great cardigans on sale. But alas, none were calling out my name. Would have wanted to scout the area — not to mention watch the stylish people — for other favorites such as John Varvatos, Jack Spade, etc., but with the limited time at hand, I agreed to immediately proceed to Broadway's Topman, H&M, J. Crew, and Forever 21 for Jamie.

This Topman cardigan is what I ended up with. The store had lots of blazers I coveted, but none fit well (when they fit the shoulders, they were too long or I couldn't close the buttons…). Was also disappointed when my size was out for H&M's seersucker jackets. Not that I didn't totally love what I got. With more and more threads of my "houndstooth" Sisley jacket going loose, this was a timely purchase. Notice how it camouflages against my sheets? Maybe I'll find a shirt with a similar pattern to go wit it.

(Oh, it was also my first time to enter a Victoria's Secret store. As I waited for Jamie, I remembered getting lost in rack upon rack of lingerie as a kid waiting for my mom.)

Gray gardens

So this is how I wore the hardware necklace I made yesterday: with a white tee and an additional bead necklace to set off the color theme.

No, the band I was wearing on my left wrist didn't have anything to do with sports.




It's made of plastic, instead of rubber, and comes in packs of six. Unlike the usual thick wooden bangles for women, this is thinner and I think can be used by men — singly, with other accessories like a watch, and at most in threes.




Trust me, it was just the heat.




This tee has a history.




Happy birthday to me. All in all I've been a good boy all my twenty eight years...


Tee, cK Calvin Klein; thrifted jeans, Dior Homme; skinny belt, APC; sneakers, Generic Surplus; necklace, DIY; leather bag, Rabeanco

Outfit photos by Patricia Suzara

Street fix: Gray blazer and sneakers

Charles works at Paul Smith

Red-lettered thrift Saturday

The day started ash gray, with the morning more dazzling because of the drizzle.



That's why I took advantage of uncertain weather and paired my lightly ashy cardigan with a thrifted pair of shorts that are almost sheer, slightly gauzy, with veins of silver in the thread. (Bought it together with my other gray items on an equally somber day.) And since they didn't have any pockets, I just inserted my white handkerchief in my cardigan, much like a jacket's pocket square.



Though the sun didn't come out, the cloudy day didn't stop me from claiming these magnificent maroon loafers I blogged about the other day. Just look at the details: the panels, the braided leather, the animal skin effect, and even the gold sphinx emblem.



On impulse, I wore this braided bracelet on my ankle.



Here is the pair's label. Anybody heard of it?



Even if I didn't get the other pairs I wanted, I did surface this elementary school red envelope portfolio from a pile of bags.



It's made of some kind of plastic, lined with leather. The label reads François Marot Paris, with a dog at the center of the logo.



Lastly, I took with me this small shoulder bag with compartments you wouldn't think would fit in such a quaint article. Label reads Romantique.



Open it and it shows slots for cards, pens, and papers. It has three more accordioned sections (below), one closed with a zipper. I also liked the gold details, and of course, the texture and the smell of genuine leather. Looks durable, and can even fit my Canon G10 and a Starbucks tumbler. What else can you ask for?



What a way to spend the day. The umbrella above and the shoes and portfolio were not the only things red. Met another stylish girl at the bookstore wearing a flaming jacket. And she was not the only one I met yesterday with red lips.