When I met Kumar about a decade ago, he introduced me to the unique world of men's fashion. That initial arousal of my interest in this sub-discipline has grown and has been held ever since. Well, at the very least, I've been "sensitized" to it and can now spot (and smell!) a faux-pas from a mile away! And now, Kumar and myself are forming a dynamic duo (of sorts!) and together, we're endeavoring, to gently nudge and guide men, on to the path of sartorial "enlightenment."

Monday, June 20, 2011

Week Thirty-seven: Black & White



(photo credit: Deb S of PIX Me Photography)


I kinda always knew that if ever I were to run dry of ideas for a post, I could always talk about black & white as a color palette (or a non-color palette, that is, as some experts maintain that black is a shade and white's a tint, ya-di-ya-di-ya...) and still be fashionably relevant, as timeless and classic as B&W is. If I had my way, though, black is all I'd ever wear, everyday, without exception! In a store, I just gravitate and beeline towards black, pretty much the same way I will invariably pick out, every single time, the exact same shade of lipstick from a make-up countertop display of a hundred variations of reds and pinks and everything in between. Needless to say, it's actually Kumee who coaxes me out of my somber comfort zone and encourages me to to wear color. (Personally, I find black monochrome on guys too costume-y (think salsa dancer/figure skater!) and downright tackville.

Sartorially, white complements black like nothing else, it's no wonder that it's the attire "de riguer" for formal occasions (e.g. "black tie events"). I love how it eliminates the guesswork in finding the perfect outfit in such contexts for the sterner sex...thank God for that for left to their own devices, just what combinations would they come up with? Now that's a scary thought! Here's Kumee in a less stuck up B&W combination: (the Hugo Boss purist)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Week Thirty-six: Shiny suits



I had finally taken me a decent picture of Kumee's latest acquisition lol, namely, his "shiny" blue suit. And so I asked him the other day, "What kind of fabric is this, Huns?" "It's shiny" came the reply and right there in the car, I imagined him being the unclad emperor, and myself as one of his mute subjects, too afraid to challenge his claim. Just who was he kidding??? I silently agonized, and then the sun came out...

And so I love this suit's subtle sheen - emphasis on subtle - that's manifest only when the garment is hit by brighter lights. I know for certain that I'd be cut off midsentence by a conservative dresser if I were to even vaguely suggest the wearing of sheen as fashionable. And just how much more resistance would I meet with if I were to outrightly recommend "metallic" - It's too strong an adjective, much like "pink" to the self-proclaimed "real" man. And so I'll stick with shiny as according to Kumee. At the end of the day though, his suit is definitely not too flashy, it's just a little dressier, if you will, than average.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Week Thirty-five: Hairstyles

So I dredged this up as I was searching for extra info on shiny suits - the article does mention the suits, among other things - it's actually a rather comprehensive list of men's fashion trends for 2011. I know it's a bit too late to feature this, when we are well into 2011, midway in fact, but considering that this picture of Kumee is a very poor choice to showcase his new slightly iridescent blue suit, I thought I'd talk about grooming and hairstyles instead, which I very well know could be quite the sensitive subject, especially the former and yet is very much an integral part of fashion and must be considered at some point. Don't worry, I won't talk about superfluous hair this time, I'll stick to the perfectly natural, if mundane business of hairstyles.

As far as the list is concerned, it seems like Kumee's quite in step with hair fashion trends with his new longer "do," lol. Shortly before we got married (besides losing his braces) he chopped off his luxuriant dark longish locks, and got what was referred to as, well, at least (humourously) by my brother's hairdresser, the "Ricky Martin cut" - kinda like the male counterpart of the Jennifer Aniston/Rachel choppy do lol, in its far reaching popularity that peaked in the early part of the new millenium. Nearly a decade later, Ricky has since come out of the closet lol, and Kumee has finally gotten out of the short hair rut and toughed it out long enough to resist the urge to get it cut yet again during that scruffy in-between period as he would for the past eight or so years, and voila! Here's what I call the McDreamy (Kumee's version!)