Man-ual Style

Navigating men mode in 2008 amidst an undulating sea of sweatshop manufactured cheap retail can ruffle the edges of any alpha male. Trust me, I see it all the time etched in the faces of most men (metro and homo included) as they search the mall for something decent to wear without looking like a clone or a drone. After all, any retail line’s operative word is one look equals 12 dozens (one gross) and isn’t that just gross!

Of course it pays to be on the safe side and stick to the basics but more than a healthy dose of the basics can spell b-o-r-i-n-g!As always there are options, a way to wiggle out from the very mundane look of jeans and shirt. Aside from exceptional menswear designers like Philip Rodriguez, Jun Escario, Oj Hofer and Protacio, there are also other hip labels like Edwin Ao and Joey Samson (with the latter based in Metro Manila but you can still order from him). Edwin Ao, whose signature style of chic utilitarian meets classy avant garde is an answer to everyone’s prayers. Ao, together with Joey Samson, whose predilection to something closer to radical than retired designer Valentino to the color red, and seasoned designer Protacio, will present an all menswear line for the much anticipated Metro Him gala next month at the Rockwell Tent.

And their big news? The shrunken blazer. It seems it was just last year that the trends in casual jackets was the unstructured type — rumpled, unlined and sans shoulder pads. Now the spotlight is on the shrunken blazer. It’s not like recycling your high school prom blazer. The sleeves are the usual length but the body is a bit shorter and snugger resembling a fitted silhouette. You can wear it to informal situations that still rate a jacket and to tie-free offices. While these designers think small, soon you’ll be seeing this everywhere. Produced in gross!