The Perfect Black Coat

The perfect black coat did not come to me perfect, and it is highly likely that it won't for you either. Right after it had arrived at my apartment, I wrote down my own fit notes, compared them with what my trusted tailor thought needed some nipping and tucking, and after two rounds of revisions, I'm very pleased to have the classic trim black coat that I hope to wear for years to come. In the dead of winter, when hordes of men walk down the street in what looks to be trash bag shape layered upon trash bag shape of fleece and puffy nylon, it makes a world of difference to put a little effort into presenting yourself smart and tailored.

Illesteva sunglasses, Jil Sander for Uniqlo cashmere scarf, Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons stick pin, Maison Martin Margiela coat, vintage gloves, Uniqlo pants, Paul Smith chelsea boots

Off the rack, the coat was already incredibly beautiful: strong, slightly extended shoulders that fit me to a t, long, sweeping lines on the shawl lapel, and delicious smooth black wool with the slightest hint of sheen. But a lot of work still needed to be done: I had to get the sleeves taken in slim, the waist nipped tiny as possible to provide sharp contrast to the power shoulders, and the entire coat shortened to a much more wearable above-the-knee length from the previously more dramatic and swishy, but less wearable below-the knee. Men's bodies may not come in as large a variety of shapes as women's bodies do, but it is knowing what to do with the subtle nuances of a man's body shape that makes for great tailoring. I think Angela at G&G tailors did an impeccable job at making my vision of the perfect black coat come to life.

the perfect black scarf---a ridiculously soft and unbelievably light and warm black cashmere woven scarf from +J, and my new favorite sterling silver whale stick pin from Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons beautifully accentuate the shawl lapel on this Margiela coat

trademark Margiela power shoulders

Subtly colored shoes, like this Paul Smith pair in pale pink suede, help break the monotony of my all-black winter.

photographs by Mikee Tuason

Afternoon at Atelier Oumlil

I paid a visit to Hisham Oumlil's studio last weekend and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Oumlil, who had started his line in the fall of 2006, had been relatively under the radar since, with the business being mostly made-to-measure. Notable among his private clientele is the legendary Andre Balasz, owner of the Standard Hotels. The designer had been doing ready-to-wear for a few seasons now, and though the clothes didn't exactly make love to me through the lookbook photos, seeing and feeling how well-made the pieces were and hearing Hisham's passionate and inventive thoughts on menswear made the brisk Saturday showroom visit all worthwhile.

the most glorious swingy Oumlil zip-up leather blazer in burgundy-prune: a shade of maroon with touches of brown and an ever so subtle hint of purple

A signature of Oumlil's is this hand-pleated silk blend fabric, here used as a highlighting touch on the back panel of a jacket.

Oumlil is especially fascinated with the shape of the back of a man's jacket, and curve by which his jackets hug the back is just exceptional.

He uses the same pleats on a pair of powder blue shorts, perfect with a white button-down, or a diaphanous white t-shirt, espadrilles by Hermés---on the Riviera (!), a fruity drink, and a new blue Rolex Submariner won just last night at the Monte Carlo.

The pleats lend a vaguely military vibe to a jacket in bluish gray wool.

cap-toes in denim and leather

bottoms

Oumlil is very passionate about the work he does; he does all the sketches and is very heavily involved in pattern making and finishing. Here the designer explains the many layers of linen canvas that go inside a jacket, and how these can be lessened or added to according to the climate in the area where the client intends to wear the jacket.

doodles: ideas for collars, gloves, jackets, and even womenswear

Oumlil's official site

Banking in Black Tie

I love everything black tie---the tedious preparations for the event, the air kisses, the sparkle, the glamour of the night, the romance of the late walk home---and these tuxedo pants from Black Fleece, Thom Browne’s line for Brooks Brothers, are my piece of gala night elegance for everyday.

Illesteva sunglasses, Thom Browne shirt, Black Fleece black-tie pants, Florsheim longwing brogues

My friend Austin had asked me where I would wear such a pair of pants, given that they were so formal. “To lunch, to the drug store, grocery shopping,” I replied. I'd even wear them with a slouchy sheer t-shirt and kung-fu shoes in the summer. Here I wear them on a quick run to my bank in Downtown LA.

silk grosgrain detail on the side of the trousers, Cartier Roadster watch

These tux pants are immaculately made: fully-lined and with Thom Browne’s signature V cut on the back of the waistband.

made casual-prep with a Thom Browne cashmere cardigan

I’m so L.A.

Special thanks to Fernando of Brooks Brothers at 1 Liberty Plaza in NYC for the exceptional tailoring service.

photographs by Nikki Tuason

An Audience with Assembly's Armas

Assembly may well be my one favorite shop in New York. It is expertly curated with exceptional pieces from lesser-known designers from around the world, and is stocked with its eponymous collection of elegant, softly tailored basic pieces that are unique in their own quiet way, yet wearable enough to have you reaching for them season after season. Allow me to share with you the interview I had with Greg Armas, the man behind Assembly New York---about the collection, the coasts, and cupro.

Assembly New York Spring 2012

The silhouette for Spring 2012 seems a little more masculine and a little more fitted than the previous collections. What would be the reason for this? There still seems to be some drapery on a few lapels, and in the soft fabrics used, but overall, it seems to generally be more manly.

white linen jacket with a voluminous draped lapel

They are very confident clothes and I wanted to convey sexuality.

classic menswear twisted at the trousers: cream 3-button pinstripe suit with the pants cut on the bias

I noticed that you knotted the shirts in a couple of the looks, and you do this on your shirt as well. What inspired this?

the rollup shirt, knotted at the waist

I was inspired by old Spanish farmers and French field workers.

There is a near-absence of black, and even shots of mint green in the collection. Why the choice of palette?

high up on my wishlist for next summer: the mint green tuxedo shorts

I replaced the defensive black with a more engaging rich navy. The mint green was fabric I just couldn’t let go of once I found it.

the bomber and baggy tie pants, both in navy cupro

I see a lot of the use of cupro in your Spring 2012 collection. Could you tell us about this fabric and why you decided to use it?

I sourced west coast fabrics this season and cupro twill has a good weight, like presynthetic rayons.

I really like the turquoise-nugget bolo tie against this "shifted" shirt in natural rayon

You are from LA, but you're now based in New York. How do these two cities play into your design process and how you curate your shop?

For design, the Spring is typically west coast and the Winter is more of an east coast concept. Maintaining as much of the amount of light I grew up with on the west coast is very important to my sense of well-being.

What do you like to wear?

Assembly New York designer Greg Armas at the ENK Menswear Trade Show

The farmer-inspired knotted shirt: Greg wears it well.

I wear the same thing all day and night for sure, and like to be casual. As long as I'm in my boots…

battered Paul Smith boots

How do you design?

Backwards. Vintage is the reference for technical attributes and history for aesthetics.

Assembly New York causes me to reconsider the relevance of the vest.

Who wears your clothes?

Happy people.

white double-breasted, single-button suit worn with a chunky white turquoise necklace. When I'm happy, I wear white.

What is in the future for Assembly New York?

We are launching women’s for Fall 2012 and I want another shop, major moves...

lookbook photos via Assembly New York

The Polo Barong

In honor of Philippine Independence Day yesterday, June 12th, I'm wearing this polo barong I had tailored for me in Manila. What, you might ask, is a polo barong? It is a riff on the traditional Filipino formal tunic-shirt called the barong tagalog, long-sleeved and made of ivory-colored semi-stiff sheer pineapple fiber. The polo barong is more suited for everyday, typically short-sleeved and breezier, and is the shirt of choice for Filipino men in a stunning variety of occupations: chauffeurs, court justices, janitors, salesmen, students, security guards.

embroidered white linen polo barong by Bergamo

The polo barong, stiff and wrinkly, is usually worn a size or three unflatteringly too big, untucked over a white undershirt and with dress pants and shoes. I recall many a high school day spent in my near-flammable 100% polyester school-issue polo barong, worn with sateen-shiny black trousers and chunky, angular, multi-strap raver shoes---my then-dandyisms---not the most graceful of days!

Illesteva sunglasses, Bergamo polo barong, J.Crew belt, H&M jeans, Number (N)ine flat creepers

worn with Comme des Garcons jacket, somewhat inspired by this photograph on The Sartorialist

details: watch-skeleton ring by Once Lost

Wearing the polo barong with sleeves rolled, tucked into white denim, and under a blazer, I may have well committed a travesty in the eyes of some. But my dear countrymen, amnesty for keeping my hair properly pomaded a la Philippine national hero Jose Rizal?

photos by Pop, Bop and Snap

special thanks to George for sparking the idea of wearing a polo barong in New York

The White Dinner Jacket

Though difficult to keep clean, a little too conspicuous, and very evening, the white dinner jacket is a surprisingly versatile piece to own. I purchased my lightly structured white linen dinner jacket from a vintage store in Amsterdam, and was lucky to have it fit me perfectly; all I had to do was have my tailor hem it to today’s very wearable cropped length.

vintage white linen dinner jacket from Amsterdam, tank top courtesy of Blood is the New Black, J. Crew belt, H&M jeans, Paul Smith pink suede Chelsea boots

I like to wear my dinner jacket with a tank top to look as if I got into a fistfight, lost my shirt, emerged unscathed, but never bothered to pick my shirt off of the floor. But you could wear it with anything from a slouchy t-shirt, to a gingham plaid shirt, to a real tuxedo shirt with a bow tie and tailored pants, and the jacket will lend a distinguished debonair air to your look. I had received this top from Blood is the New Black a while back, and have been wearing it out a lot, despite only blogging about it now. The fit and fabric are superb, and it features a Brian Lichtenberg print that pays tribute to one of my most favorite designers, Martin Margiela.

Nobody embodies the iconic-ness and illustrates the versatility of the white dinner jacket like silver screen legend Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942):

Humphrey Bogart wears it to jam at a piano bar. (photo via Orbemusical)

Humphrey Bogart wears it to sip tea with a lovely lady in a qipao. (photo via Tout Le Cine)

Humphrey Bogart wears it to play an intense game of chess. (photo via Wesleying)

A closer look at my outfit:

Note the light drapiness of the surprisingly wrinkle-resistant white linen.

These Paul Smith pink suede boots were a whimsical, caution-to-the-wind purchase. It was a hot day, and I thought these sherbert-hued shoes would take me well into summer while still letting me have my boot moment.

Paul Smith pink suede Chelsea boots

When the weather gets warm, I like my shoes to look just as refreshing as my frozen snacks.

photos by Pop, Bop, and Snap

Smitten by Britten

I'm not one to gush about every other new designer that debuts a collection. Though I try my best to support emerging designers by finding a piece or two that I like and using this to bring attention to their line in my own way, exceptional talent is still such a rarity. So when a new collection takes my breath away, from turtleneck scarf to the sanded tippy toes on oxford brogues, I will wax lyrical.

From Britten Fall 2011

From Britten is a menswear line by Melbourne-based brothers Tim and Alex Britten. Their Fall 2011 collection was an exploration of classic utilitarian men's clothing---they stripped the iconic men's pieces: the shirt, the trench, the jumpsuit, and cleverly reworked them, the entire time challenging the purpose of each component and imagining ways of how they can be improved. Expertly executed, the result is something fresh and farthest from being gimmicky, with the pieces transcending an array of men of different persuasions. I could see the jackets and shirts looking just as good on my straight-laced clean-cut banker friends as they would on crazy old fashion blogger me. Who knew such great menswear was taking shape way down under?

the transcendental simplicity of a narrow-collar raglan-sleeve white dress shirt

I had the honor of having a conversation with the duo, which I'm delighted to share with you now:

In the lookbook, you narrated the inspiration for the collection by way of an ambiguous short story. Could you tell us in a few words what the collection is about?

The story, I guess is an insight to our process of design... It’s truer than you’d imagine! However, for this collection we took inspiration from the idea of the future from the past. We looked at the futurist work of Umberto Boccioni, and movies like Gattaca and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, which was fundamental in creating our silhouette for this season. We focused on the industrial and engineering characteristics of these works, which, like the sophisticated styling in Gattaca, has a uniformed cohesion and is clone like. We also referenced the intricate attention to detail, rough gritty textures and strong shapes present in the film Metropolis as a starting point for our fabric combinations. We wanted to subtly capture the essence of the work wear they may have worn in those times, so the fit was a little boxy and slightly oversized.

the smartly boxy Zeppelin blazer

close-up of the collar on the Ludwig shirt and the fabric on the jacket

What is menswear in Australia like? What are men in Australia like?

A very interesting question! Australia is a very active and lifestyle led country. Historically, our menswear has needed to be very practical and our climate and environment dictates this. However, in Melbourne (Home of From Britten P/L) it is very different to the rest of the country. We have a small but strong fashion scene and is the hub for the rest of the country. We’re a multi-cultural place, with a very European influence, and because we’re so far away we’re quite resourceful.

I noticed a lot of bondage in the Fall 2011 collection, but done in a soft way, e.g. bondage straps in soft leather, buckled closures softly knotted instead of fastened through the buckle, or soft leather "belts" built into the sides of trousers. What was the reason behind this sort of gentle restriction?

soft leather straps on the engineer's coat

The use of leather straps was to do with function - in a luxurious way, like beautiful luggage or watch straps - soft yet strong. It was looking at how the protective wear was fastened in those earlier times, like the cobblers apron for example. Then applying that idea to the garments and creating the desired look.

leather straps help tighten the waistband of pleated trousers

In saying that, our aesthetic and approach is “Sans the Superfluous”. What we design and feature in our design is there for a reason. Utility is a fascination of ours and a defining element of menswear. Of course all this philosophy isn’t any good if it doesn’t look good as well! It’s classic with character.

Everything tastes better with ____ on it.

Humour.

The fake turtleneck has been the highlight of many a comedy show holiday joke, but the Britten brothers somehow manage to make their turtleneck scarf worldly and masculine. Here it is under a shirt with a bunched-up high collar.

and here more scarf-like with a shirt with top button undone

On one of the detail shots of the shoes, a piece of the brogues seems to be made of sanded leather. Are you as obsessed with sanded leather as I am?

Yes the boot and brogue is a combination of leather and brushed leather and we do love it! It was perfect for creating that “sooty” look you might find after a day in the old industrial factory. We played with tone and texture, which followed throughout the collection right down to the shoes.

the multi-textural brogues

What is your take on the current workwear/heritage Americana trend?

There are a lot of parallels between Australian and American historical brands that have been around for 80 odd years. Those brands that created functional products to serve a purpose where the emphasis was on quality that would last, because it wasn’t trend or fashion based. It’s “timeless”. The work-wear trend is not so much a ‘trend’ for us, but Utility in our designs and menswear in particular, is always relevant and something we hold as a strong part of our philosophy. What we look at when we design is the history of the piece. Why is there a collar? Why do men button left side over right? Why are there shoulder flaps on the trench? Why do we call it a blazer? We take this “question everything” approach with all our designs. We subtract, add, and playfully adapt the original ideas, whilst respecting the tradition of where things came from. What may be there is just as important and why it is there. So whilst the look is trendy, it’s always around in one way or another, which is testament to those brands, which have been around so long.

hidden details: blueprint-print lining on a seemingly plain gray jacket

Do you read any blogs, and if so, which do you read? How do these blogs play into the whole scheme of your business?

Blogs are an endless resource for all creatives, and us especially when you need that hit of inspiration! The speed in which things happen, it’s imperative to be up to date with what’s going on. We’ve finally taken the plunge and got twitter, once you start it never ends! We constantly refer to The Dandy Project, Continuous Lean, Archival Clothing, and all the usual suspects. Having said that though, there’s still nothing quite like a magazine.

I have a weakness for all things jumpsuit, and this bomber jumpsuit-suit is high, high up on my list.

What do you like to wear?

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue! Maybe a quality watch (or two) and don’t forget the perfect shoe.

photos via From Britten