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."

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Week Forty-three: Weddings!


Ok, so the news is just rife with sooo much bad and negativity, that when a co-worker of mine excitedly announced this week that she had just gotten engaged, it came as a veeerrryyy welcome breath of fresh air that took me back to our own wedding nine years ago and all of the sartorial preparations that were involved in it. Oooohhh, me love summer, and weddings, too!

I guess we took a rather unconventional route, in that Kumee forfeited the element of surprise and what would have been a breathtaking/ooooh-aaahhhh moment for him of seeing me in all my gazillion layers of gauzy tulle-y splendour for the first time, walking down the aisle, for instead, sharing with me the ultimate retail "high" of wedding dress shopping. Given our love and lust for clothes, it seemed like the most natural way to go, besides, I've always completely trusted his taste and still heavily rely on his opinion, well, when it comes to clothes, at least, lol!

As for Kumee, we thought it would be more practical, to invest in a good suit to wear for the wedding and that he could actually use again. Note, this was pre-Harry's so, he did get a granite Boss suit from, uh, a competitor, which I won't mention here, lol, but shortly before the big day as his brother/bestman and groomsmen were grooming up and trying on tuxes, Kumee couldn't help but want "in" on the action. "Just when do you get to wear a tux, anyways?" He said, using pretty much the same line of reasoning as I had, as to when would I ever
get the chance again to wear a ballgown and be a princess for a day???
Hah! Great minds do think alike after all!

Mind you, many people will buy their own tux because they might periodically attend functions where it's de riguer, either that or maybe they're just squeamish about renting and wearing something previously worn by somebody else and of course, must have lots of money to spend. Kumee has had the privilege of dressing up grooms for their big day either in part or in complete groom-ey garb, e.g. tuxedoes. I personally don't necessarily think that buying your own tux is that frivolous for there are many ways to put it to good use, like wearing it to bed or to the gym, lol, no, but seriously, have you ever watched on the Food Channel, how Bobby Flay will whip up a "deconstructed" burger? Well, that is exactly what you do with a tux, you pair each element up with something else to dress it down. I've seen this done a lot, and it really does work! For example, tux shirt with jeans, tux jacket with jeans, etc, etc.

Let's face it, all eyes will be on your bride that day, so let her revel in the attention and not to mention, your admiration, nevertheless, aim to look your best, too, as her complement. Suit or tux, it's your call.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Week Forty-two: It's All in the Details, Part two




As a parent of young children, sleeping in is a luxury I truly miss, and I know that I'm in good company when I say that chronic sleep deprivation is kinda like the story of my life, and yet somehow, on some Saturday mornings, I still manage to catch a couple of extra zzz's, so much so that by the time, I like, come to, Kumar had already left for work. Other times I'll wake up just as he's stepping out the door and I'll just lazily call out of bed to bid him goodbye. Last Saturday, though, I woke up a few moments earlier than usual, this time as Kumee was getting dressed. "Is that one of the white shirts I had ironed last night"? I asked, proud of my handiwork. But with my mental faculty still fogged up and my eyelids heavy with sleep, I just couldn't tell. "It's the purple one" Kumee replied. Upon closer scrutiny, yes, it
*was* the purple one, or at least the one that *had* purple threads woven along and across the length of the fabric.

It really is "all in the detail." I love how Kumee built on the purple by accesorizing his grey suit with a pocket square of the same lilac-y shade, and finally slipping on a wonderfully complementary brown belt and pair of dress shoes. Purple, grey and brown is definitely my ultimate favorite color combination that has been around for a couple of seasons running now & has been enjoying much popularity, and it's quite plain to see why...

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Week Forty-one: It's All in the Details!





It's all in the details (you've got that right, brother!)- they are what elevate things above mediocrity & the rut of being plain ordinary. Just like the contrasting polka dot fabric of this collar base (yes, I know my shirt anatomy - a fact that Kumee thinks is wildly sexy, lol!) & chunky buttons - things that earn it the right to be affixed with the Eton tag and all that it stands for. Of course, their shirts' fabric is a major characteristic. Their red ribbon label (notice actual red ribbon piping) feature shirts made of super 150 and up (thread-count) material which are virtually crease-resistant (but I still iron anyway, just because I'm a bit anal that way).

Aptly renamed after the exclusive Eton College, because its original Swedish name was way too much of a mouthful for the average Savile Row bloke (or any non-Scandinavian for that matter!), these shirts are truly special and exclusive. They're just one of the many things Swedish like Ikea, H&M, Roxette and Stieg Larsson among others, that make Sweden what has got to be one of my favorite places!