Military floral

The sun returned yesterday! But the summer still seems lost and disoriented. The rains usually begin in June, not April. Now I feel silly complaining from the heat. Today it's back to gloomy.

If the military had its equivalent for floral, it would have to be paisley, or insect patterns, like what Liberty has recently popularized.

Summer come back! I was only kidding...

Shirt, Diesel; thrifted tie, San Dino; thrifted jeans, Izzue; laceups, Marlboro Classics; ribbon belt (barely seen), thrifted

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

Plaid pants

That's it. I have had enough. It's high time to kill outfit boredom.

Shirt, Armani Exchange; thrifted pants, Izzue; sandals, Marlboro Classics; double necklace, MCS Segunda Mano and American Boulevard; stainless steel watch, Tissot



I combined two of these.

Grabbing the bull by the horns

Or buffalo, if you will. Since I chose to wear this buffalo plaid shirt last week as a jacket.




I have finally stopped dithering and decided on the design course I want to pursue, and am very excited with the prospects. I don't want to jinx anything, so I won't reveal the details until they are final.




I think it makes sense, since I love working with my hands and seeing first-hand the fruits of my labor. I can also work on more kinds of materials: the main aspect of fashion that first drew me to it.

I think it is better to tuck just one leg of your pants into your boots...





Oh and a little note on the buffalo shirt: it is actually for women, got it from the thrift store. It was missing a button, but when I was about to have one sewed in I discovered that the exposure works.

Wish me luck! And as with anything, lots of patience.


Dunhill shirt, I.P. zone buffalo shirt, satin necktie, Timberland boots, Property of… tote: all thrifted; jeans, Calvin Klein Jeans; belt, Izzue

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Buffalo shirt + Battling an octopus

I'm not kidding when I say I got scared looking at the necklace when it was finished. Didn't realize the black plastic buttons I added would look like tentacle suckers. So I tried to hide the monstrosity with a buffalo shirt I recently thrifted.

And no, I still have the buttons that came off the shirt; I did not yank them off for the necklace.




Made some adjustments last night. Made of stainless steel, onyx, hematite, and plastic, it can also look like a toy with wheels.




Been so busy the past week, had no time for a much-needed haircut.




Can you count how many washers I used?


Buffalo shirt, thrifted; tee, cK Calvin Klein; jeans, Bench; belt, Brave Beltworks; 'Octopus' necklace, designed by the author

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Citizen Couture: Mike

My earliest encounter with The Sartorialist was through pictures in a local paper of a New Yorker in shorts who had a striking resemblance to Clark Kent.

Though this snap of Mike via Citizen Couture doesn't come close (we are, after all, well into the Thom Browne era), there is something strong about his outfit that gives off a similar, yet at the same time, very different vibe. Of course there is the preppy check (even if it is unbuttoned and reveals a tank), the thin and simple leather belt embellished with a gold buckle, the schoolboy satchel, and the boyishly folded jeans — all worn, it seems, as part of a uniform. But what makes Mike's ensemble sophisticated are two simple details.

Did you notice how the lighter midtone of the shirt buttons are slanted at different angles? The angles even follow a pattern. The second detail is the glasses: they are actually a little (very slightly) small for his face — small enough, like the buttons, to make all the difference.

How thrifting can change your life

I can't really judge this day (Sunday) of thrifting as happier and more fulfilling than the others. I can't say based only on remarkable items or the prices that I was able to haggle down — not even solely based on good company. I suppose, as it is with satisfying outfits, it is a case of the mix.

So instead of lazily laying everything on the floor, I have come up with three sets of the pieces I have bought. This first, you can say, is partially inspired by the Spring 2010 collection of Dries Van Noten. But instead of wearing a jacket with an ethnic Ikat print, I was able to pick up a pajama top with a design charming enough to make you think twice. Worn underneath is a pink-and-white, leafy linen blend shirt — still follows the print-on-print Dries aesthetic.




Here are the items for a better view of the prints. I like the fabric of the scarf, since it's not that flimsy. The pajama top is of a polyester mix. The jeans, Dior Homme.




Finally, I am able to find a Buffalo shirt that is just about the right size — good as shirt, as well as a jacket. Wearing it here as the former, with what I think is a nylon jacket, also in tan. Its collar can be buttoned up like a turtleneck, such that, undone, it looks like a clumsy flight jacket.

Ok, I know some of you raised an eyebrow when you first saw this pebble-dotted scarf — patterned after a bonsai cow? an anemic snake? a new bacterial strain? — but I think this is one instance where it makes sense: worn with items that are all masculine.




The items, again. You see that the tops are happy.




Now I know this may be somewhat of a stretch, but this third scarf that I found reminds me of the Fair Isle cummerbunds in Burberry Prorsum's Fall 2009 show. So indulge me...




I love the patter and the two-tone color of the scarf. So that's it: three pattern-on-pattern outfits from the items I thrifted.




Here are the scarves, worn together. One of our companions suggested I stitch them together, but that takes away the pleasure of yanking each one out. (I am wearing them pre-haircut.)

Shirt, Ben Sherman; linen pants, Sorbino; thrifted leather and canvas messenger, agnès b.; necklaces, DIY and gift; espadrilles from Davao; watch, Omega Seamaster




Before I forget, I was also able to buy this denim and leather tote by Tough Jeansmith. I think this can very well replace my less structured Gap denim tote.




And here is another surprise: a smallish green backpack with fine leather detailing. There is a logo of a dear with antlers stamped above the main buckle (the brand is Cervo, which is Italian for "deer"). At the back (not shown here) is a rectangular piece of leather engraved with these words: Manufactured by good workmanship in Italy with selective material.




Lo and behold: when you open the flap, the skyline of Florence with the Duomo greets you.




I know, the surprises don't end. Here is the last one, which sadly got away: a hooded extra-long shirt, with arms cut asyemmtrically. The piece combines parts from a shirt, hoodie, cape, and perhaps even a tunic. Very Japanese, and sadly, also very big.

Well, we can't have everything. Instead of getting it to have it altered, I let it go for somebody else...


So how does thrifting change your life? What do you think?


Photos by Lea Celestial and Niño Lorente