Wear do I belong?

Growing up, my yaya gave me countless kurot sa singit (groin pinches) to instill in me three key pieces of fashion advice:

1) Make sure your belt matches your shoes.

2) When in doubt, wear white socks.

3) Tuck your T-shirt into your underpants.

 Unfortunately, her fashion advice has led me to multiple arrests by the fashion pulis, este, police. Given that her fashion advice can be as outdated as disco balls, I asked somebody who might be a wee bit more fashion-forward than my yaya the million-peso question: What should I wear?

 In an interview with The Philippine STAR, proudly Pinoy fashion designer Rajo Laurel dishes out fashion do’s, don’ts and “God help you if you ever do”s. 

 PHILIPPINE STAR: For the sake of the Dirty Old Men (DOMs) whose last fashionable piece of clothing was the pelt of a saber tooth tiger, and for the No Girlfriends Since Birth (NGSBs) who have been styled by their yayas, can you please share with us the latest fashion trends?

RAJO LAUREL: For me, there are three general trends for me. The first I’m always after is “The Preppy or the Prepster.” That’s a big trend for me that I always try to refine and define. 

Ah, so I can recycle my grade school khaki shorts? I’m not too sure if it will make me look like a fashion icon or like a dancer for Adonis Men’s Club.

When you say preppy, it’s sort of American Ivy League college in terms of its origin. But when you translate it into an international setting or (the Filipino context), we’re talking about clean, crisp lines with a relaxed sportswear undertone.

So it’s like wearing your P.E. uniform in public?

After that, we’ve got the “The Urban Geek.” These are the sort of things used in a city setting, but imagine it being tossed together by somebody who is really into Star Trek or into dinosaurs or comic books.

Rajo, thank you for giving my life fashion meaning!

The last trend is the advent of “The Millennial Hipster.”  These are essentially kids born right in the late ‘90s or in the year 2000 who are beginning to reevaluate the different trends from the ‘80s and ‘90s and make them their own.

Just like those damn Borg to do that. A little Star Trek humor there, Rajo.

Sadly, this particular generation is a generation of referrals. For me, they haven’t really found their “voice” (when it comes to fashion). When you say ‘80s or ‘90s, you can imagine exactly what we were wearing in those eras. For the millennials, it’s not so much about image but rather about the gadgets they have. It’s not about what they wear but about how they project ourselves in different ways.

Nothing beats those ‘80s shoulder pads, fingerless gloves and leg warmers.

 WEAR ARE MY MANNERS?

 Rajo, my yaya reminds me to keep a studded black belt so I look macho, a ribbed shirt so I look sexy, and a pair of Transformers underwear so I am more than meets the eye. Aside from those items, what are the other must-haves for my magic closet?

These are the five must-haves for a well-dressed Filipino gentlemen. The first is a great pair of jeans. What does a great pair of jeans do for you? They should make you feel taller, thinner, fitter, slimmer and younger. 

(DOM representative: I can testify to that! A great pair of jeans makes me feel younger because it keeps my prostate in place!)

But of course, you need to have somebody else tell you that (about your jeans). It should be someone you trust like your best friend, your mother, your wife, or your yaya.

Sigh. At this rate, I think my yaya has lost all credibility.

The next item is a dark suit, which is already a one-piece. It can be a navy, a black or a gray suit. If you buy only one suit for your wardrobe, it has to be a black, double-button slim fit. That means it has natural shoulders, smaller arm holes that are closer to the chest, and a little bit of a slim fit or baston — fitted in the thigh areas.    

Can my official Star Trek uniform double as my dark suit? It fits me very well and it’s perfect to do battle with a Klingon.

Third, you must always have a crisp, perfect, white long-sleeve shirt. A crisp white shirt is essential because it is a fundamental backbone to good fashion. But the most important thing is that it must fit properly. The key things to look for (in terms of fit) are the neck, shoulders and the arm hole. The shirt shouldn’t be gaping, the shoulders (of the shirt) should be at the apex of the shoulder, and the armhole shouldn’t be too small or too big. 

So you mean I shouldn’t buy shirts two sizes too small so that people admire my bulges in all the inappropriate places? Then how I will ever get featured in the fashion pages!?

The next are your T-shirts. I put stock in solid black and white shirts, so that anything you put over that should match already. It can be V-neck or round-neck. Again, what is important is that it fits properly.

I have one of those crisp white V-neck shirts. My yaya bought me several of those with a deep cleavage. I don’t understand why my wife refuses to let me wear them in public. I’m sure it will get me on Fashion Pulis.

After looking at the salient features of the neck and shoulders, take a look at the fabric. Pure cotton is always better. For men’s wear, it’s all about quality versus quantity. Men are lucky in the sense that we don’t have to have so many things, but we have to have the right things.

(DOM representative: Does that philosophy apply to other aspects of our lives?)

Finally, we have the khaki trousers or chinos.  Chinos are tan-colored shorts that should work very well, similar to a pair of jeans. From there, you build all the other (fashion items) around it. If you were building a house, then these would be the fundamental building blocks. Anything on top of that is already decoration.

Yaya built me a house of straw! Now I question every germ of fashion advice she has ever infected me with. So is it true that you have to match your belt with your shoes?

Matching is not important, you just have to know what is appropriate. You must have a belt for the day and a belt for the evening. A day belt is a little bit playful.

I own a plastic purple belt that has a picture of Dora the Explorer instead in place of the buckle. Is that playful enough?

For a day belt, you can use canvas or fabric or grosgrain (resembles a thick ribbon). A black belt for the day is a little bit more rougher — rougher leather and a bigger buckle to signify it’s for the day. For an evening belt, it should be black or dark brown. It should also be leather with a very minimal buckle. 

So a leather black belt with a smaller image of Dora the Explorer on the buckle: Got it. How about footwear? 

There are four absolute must-haves that you can break into two pairs of day and two pairs of night shoes. For a pair of day shoes, you can make it something classic like a penny loafer or a boat shoe or a slip-on. These day shoes can be brown. Then a really great pair of sneakers. Something simple, maybe white or gray or blue. But I suggest you go with the classics. You can never go wrong with Chucks.

Are those shoes by Chuck Norris or Chuckie Dreyfuss?

Chuck Taylors (Converse). Chucks can be your go-to base casual shoe. If you are a little bit more playful, then you can go with sneakers from New Balance or Vans. But try not to go for those with too much color. Instead, go for the neutrals: gray, navy, white. Then you can also wear slippers or sandals. It goes without saying that when (you wear them), it has to be with a proper pedicure.

Yaya’s got that covered.

If you want leather sandals, keep it simple and don’t go for the lolo sandal.

(DOM representative: That’s ageist!)

You can do Havaianas. But again, stick with the basics: always within the neutral shades of black, gray, silver, brown or beige. A well-dressed man never goes too loud. It’s about subtlety.

My personality is loud enough as it is.   

For night shoes, you should go with a pair of black brogues (low-heeled shoe or boot), almost like a very classic leather lace style.   

I guess Velcro for night footwear is out of the question. How about socks?

Normally there are no rules when it comes to socks. Personally, I like plain socks. But with socks, that’s where you can play with color. I like the personality of socks because it’s discrete and it’s personal. You can never go wrong with navy, black and gray socks. Just as long as you don’t wear white sports socks for formal occasion. If I see a person wearing that (at a formal occasion), I will literally pull him aside for a heart-to-heart talk. This person is either still single or living with his parents.

(NGSB representative: But the white sports socks served me very well through out my teenage years! And not just for the purpose of fashion.) 

Yaya, please have his white socks incinerated. And the NGSB representative as well.

 BE-WEAR

 What are the types of fashion faux pas that will put you behind a paisley-printed jail cell for the rest of your life?

Actually I really don’t like white patent (leather) shoes.

(Rajo immediately noticed the white padded shoes that I was wearing for the interview. To save me from incarceration, he just cut off my shoes. With my feet inside.) 

Fashion for me is very personal. So I don’t really like white evening shoes for men. That’s a no-no. I’m fine with fitted pants, but it has to come to a level of appropriateness. I can’t understand how somebody in their mid-40s still has the audacity to wear skinny jeans.

(DOM representative: “Audacity”!? Ha! I don’t even know the meaning of that word. No, really: I don’t know the meaning of that word.)

That’s why skinny jeans are meant for skinny people. Slim shirts are meant for slim people. Naka-label na nga eh. But with that said, fashion should be enjoyed.  Rules are meant to be broken naman eh but there are certain things that unless kaya mong dalhin, dalhin mo.

(DOM representative: Yaya, dalhin mo na ako sa aking liposuction.)

Finally — and I love these two to bits and I love what they stand for — veer away from anything that German Moreno or Brother Eddie wears. These gentlemen wear clothes that only they can wear and, for me, that’s very special. But if you put that on anybody else, it probably means that you are ready to take over their jobs. 

Rajo, this is one of the few times that my fashion sense coincides with my ambition.

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For comments, suggestions or fashion adds vice, please email ledesma.rj@gmail.com or visit www.rjledesma.com Follow @rjled on Twitter and rjled610 on Instagram.

 Visit www.rajolaurel.com.