Music is essential to fashion.

Music and fashion go hand in hand.

Part of the planning of every fashion runway show, a great deal of attention is given to the choice of music. That is because music is essential to the completion of the showcase of a designer's collection by giving a complete sensory experience in both sight and sound. It helps sets the mood for the audience and also, gives a clearer illustration of the story intended to be told by the designer.

"It's like the function of film music. It's to set this tone at this show, to give all kinds of clues as to how designer thinks of him or herself and the clothes that they're putting on. It's sort of another clue as to sensibility that they would like you to partake in by buying their clothes."

Yves Saint Laurent NY Fashion Show

So, beyond the runway, we are our own body's fashion designer!

Each song/genre of a song sets a different mood or affects the way we feel about ourselves with our surroundings (or how we picture ourselves) which in turn can affect/enhance our choice of dressing. Take Topman for example, they favor Indie rock music - and last I heard they might be selling more of that genre in their stores - because their fashion styles are indie rock influenced and that is the impression wanted upon their customers. 

Personally, playing music while dressing up improves my mood and refines my dressing actually.

Electro or House music inspires me to a sharp, edgy but colorful look - that could be because of the rhythm Electro music have. Strangely enough, I switch to my Indie rock music playlist when its a rainy cold day (somehow rainy days make me feel like its in the UK) and that's when I feel best to wear my Doc Martens and other vintage inspired outfits. Other than that, Bossa Nova seems appropriate when I'm preparing for a posh night at a bar or when I normally feel the need to wear a dark jacket with a button downed shirt inside. 

So ask yourself this, "What will be the song of my style?" 

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Spotlight Style Piece: Nylon Jacket

I was google-ing for jackets (am searching for another leather jacket actually) and stumbled upon these pictures. Pharrell Williams, one of my more favored mainstream artist, is sporting a really slick and attention grabbing jacket! 

It really has Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' written all over it. So what is it?

Not easy to pair off with your everyday outfit but definitely something, anyone will remember. Made of nylon, with the unmistakable red 'M' stripe for Maison Margiela, this is the Martin Margiela Contrast Nylon Biker Jacket. It is meant to be the focus or what I would call "The Show Piece" of your outfit. I feel the beauty of this jacket is that its striking enough yet the fabric and design allows it to be worn with multiple outfits. So it's falls under my category of stylish clothing because of its distinctive design/nature and that makes it a worthwhile investment.

Definitely casual. 

Because of its striking design, its best to pair it with subdued colors (black & grey). Denim jeans or black casual pants always work with it. Keep the style of your outfit modern and you'll be safe. Plain sneakers preferably. Always keep in mind that the focus has to be on the jacket.

A risky but worth a try pairing is with a pair of raw red denim jeans. Also or maybe, pair it with a more contemporary outfit.

I doubt you can find the Martin Margiela Contrast Nylon Biker Jacket easily anymore though, but I feel it is worth a mention. Plus, its a start of a series of spotlight articles on particular fashion items that I find are 'stylish'. 

 More of Maison Martin Margiela.

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Leather Jacket for Ladies

 From the long to short dresses; From the denim jeans to denim shorts; From blouses to tank tops; There isn't a better piece of fashion clothing to go with the whole lady's wardrobe then the leather jacket.  Dress it up or dress it down, the leather jacket can provide the necessary ingredient to achieve that. It's a stylish & timeless piece of clothing regardless of the age too.

The leather jacket gives this mellow-looking outfit a bolder feel. | Courtesy of Jessica T.  

Kate Moss giving that gown a more rebellious look | Courtesy of vivianeastwood.wordpress.com

Rachel Bilson + Short dress + leather jacket 

Try a studded design to give a more edgy feel to the dress.

 Even for days where there isn't much time to consider or plan an outfit, the leather jacket will never go wrong even for the casual occasion. Wanting to be casual but not too casual:

White shirt + short shorts + leather jacket

Light earthy colors + Leather | Courtesy of Sietske L.

For the more sporty type! | Courtesy of the Sartorialist

Preppy with a wild touch | Courtesy of Alexandra P.

Sometimes the black leather jacket gets rather jaded, then go for a more natural color - the brown leather jacket. I like to see ladies in this variant of the leather jacket as it gives off a softer & classier feel.

Bomber jacket paired with gold accessories. Lovely. | Courtesy of the Sartorialist

Miranda Kerr with a vintage looking leather jacket. Sweet & Classy. 

Tired of the natural colors of black or brown? Then opt for a colored leather jacket. I'd only recommend that the less experienced in dressing to avoid this option or risk looking like a disaster. However, the colored leather jacket is a more beautiful piece of clothing than a nylon or cotton jacket, in my humble opinion. So the risk of looking like a disaster sometimes is a risk worth taking. A safe recommendation for wearing a colored leather jacket is to pair it with an outfit that isn't striking colored - non-strong colors - because you want the focus to be on the jacket.

 

Photos are courtesy of thesartorialist.com & lookbook.nu

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Leather Jacket For Men

If a guy wants a choice of masculine wear, you cant go wrong with a leather jacket. Versatile, practical & chic it is the ideal clothing piece to invest in. There are different designs/colors available for you to choose from - leather bomber jackets, biker type, etc. I don't believe there is the best looking design, just what you like best or looks best on you. The color and texture is more important especially for those deciding to buy the PVC/Faux leather make, find the one that looks as close as possible to the real thing. Once you do manage the find the one you like, don't be afraid to play around with it guys! Doesn't hurt to get a pair of shades too.

Most of these are possible to follow even for those in the warm climate and also for those who aren't into revamping their entire wardrobe. Commence the inspirational photos!

A design I've taken to fancy currently is the leather vest. Its offers almost all the benefits of the its more complete variant(the leather jacket) minus the sleeves to make it more cooling to wear. Be careful not to choose the design that makes you develop the urge to ride a Harley Davidson & have lots of tattoos though! Find a form fitting one. 

 

Photos are courtesy of facehunter.com, thesartorialist.com, lookbook.nu & katelovesme.net.

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Leather jackets. Wicked.

Leather Jackets. Edgy & cool. Timeless & chic.

What makes this piece of clothing so stylish? There is symbolism in the leather jacket. It goes beyond the material and color of it. To love the leather jacket, once has to understand the story behind the leather jacket that defined it. Just like some clothing pieces, there is an unseen value sewn into its threads (Take the fedora for example, it will always be associated with gentleman/gangsters of the refined eras of 20s to 40s).

The leather jacket has very humble beginnings, there were simple forms of it since men knew how to strip and tan the hide from animals which led to it becoming a harsh-weather gear for everyday use. In the military, as flight jackets (Bomber Jackets) for pilots or the military uniforms (SS of the Nazis) of officers.

To finally, a fashionable outerwear. Throughout modern culture, the leather jacket has been associated with the adventurous; the dangerous; the thrill seeking; the rebel; and the sexy. In short, it's 'cool'. Also, there is the fact that leather jackets were been donned by icons who are synonymous to the word 'cool'.

"The black leather jacket has always been the uniform of the bad. Hitler's Gestapo, the Hell's Angels, the Black Panthers, punk rockers, rock 'n' roll animals and the hardcore mutations of the eighties all adopted it as their own." Mick Farren, author of The Black Leather Jacket
 
Those are just to name a few but you get where I'm heading no? Understanding what that leather jacket represents really helps in finding your style. It gives you an idea of what you want to express in your outfit. So what do you want to express?

I really think with all the symbolism in the leather jacket, plus it being chic yet simple makes it a must piece of clothing in the wardrobe. Requires little effort in pulling off because of all it represents.

My 5 reasons why the leather jacket is a must in the wardrobe: 

1. Versatile
2. Timeless  
   
3. Durable 
4. Extremely Chic
5. The symbolism

Don't let the symbolism intimidate you or swallow you. Always remember, the clothing should enhance your look and if it enhances your personality too, even better! It wouldn't hurt to be in character when you don the leather jacket... could be fun. But as said before, make it yours by melding it with your personality or you'd never be original. The leather jacket can be thrown over a shirt & tie/ long or short dress/ t-shirt & jeans/ track suit combo and it'll still look 'uber' stylish. It does require a little experimentation but I can assure you it can be very rewarding.

Now, if you live in the warmer climate or if you are one who sympathizes for the furry ones, fear not!

You don't have to get a real leather jacket (but I ain't stopping you from getting otherwise though). There are tons of leather-lookalike jackets made out of PU or faux leather, but I personally don't think it'll ever feel the same. I myself own a faux leather jacket from Zara because the weather is eternally summer in the day, so I only ever go into 'James Dean' mode in the night or whenever I head to an air-conditioned venue.

There are a variety of designs/color for the leather jacket, so in my later posts I'll be uploading photos for both men & ladies to provide visual inspirations. So dare to wear the leather jacket?

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Heels, Bello~!

Ciao!

I was reading my previous blog entry on why women should wear high-heels/stilettos/pumps, and I have to say it really looks like a blatant attempt by me to create a subconscious need in your mind to buy the heels I am selling (which are very delicious looking). I really do not want my blog to be like a magazine that just promotes products, if only a little... 

A real depiction of the small streets of Italy | Not my photo.

Having said that, I want to stress that if I were a woman, I'd be wearing heels everyday! Why? I went to Italy - Rome to be precise. First amazing thing: It's Italy. Second amazing thing: Italian women. 

From that day onwards, I find Italian women to be very attractive. They have an aura about them that oozes "edgy, rugged & sexy love". During my time there, I'd always see an Italian woman/girl with heels, period. I really think they have truly mastered the art of wearing high heels. They practically wear it all day; run with it; work with it; even ride bikes with it. 

Casual Heels | Courtesy of The Sartorialist

Vespa + Heels | Courtesy of The Sartorialist

Love the jacket combo | Courtesy of The Sartorialist

Hair + Dress | Courtesy of The Sartorialist

 How I miss Italy...

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Heels over Head

In the generation where the bohemian lifestyle is rampant, the need to revive the respect for dressing is most urgent and in this case, dressing for the feet. I must confess to liking women in heels. I like women who walk with their heels right.

"We are women and women wear heels." - unknown source.

Why? 

1. Women in heels are more attractive/sexy/elegant
2. Heels/Stilettos/Pumps accentuate one of women's greatest assets - their legs
3. Wearing them exudes confidence
4. Each pair of heels/stilettos/pumps can be an art piece itself
5. I believe that they were made to complete the women's figure.

To be more technical, it seems that the heels/stilettos/pumps force the back of the body to arch, pushing the chest forward and the butt area rearward, thereby emphasizing on the curvy figure of the woman. Plus, height is increased. Very model-like no? 

And, it seems that men like an exaggerated female figure... mm-hmm. Yes, i know heels/stilettos/pumps are hell to wear and more so when trying to walk in one. But who says looking good is ever easy? Sacrifice for the sake of looking good I say. I feel it's a state-of-mind, once you start wearing them often enough, it becomes natural. With that being said, you still got to wear them heels/stilettos/pumps right, or you might as well store them away. I actually took time to research on how to walk in heels/stilettos/pumps the right way. So, flaunt those legs in heels/stilettos/pumps for the street is your catwalk!

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My man jewelry

So, I went in search for my man bracelets and found these!

Topshop/Topman were having their special promotion of : Buy One Get One Free promo. I really like the 'teeth' design piece. Added them to my small collection of accessories. 

A simple mix. Easy no?

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Style Inside...

Bonjour! Its been more than a week since I last blogged, its been a busy week with me traveling to Malaysia and all. So lets talk about Your Why and Philosophy on finding your style. These are the preliminary steps one needs to go through to decide how you want to shop/groom/present yourself.

"Style is knowing who you are..."

The reason, "I just to want look good." will not suffice,  its got to have more depth.

Why do I need that style identity?

Do I crave recognition?

Am I doing this to be respected?

Is it for self-development?

Peer pressure?

To emulate an idol?

This blog told me so?

I want to make a difference?

The whole purpose of knowing your 'Why', is essential to building a reason for your style which leads to forming a 'conviction'. Confident people have conviction in their actions. They know why/what they do especially when expressing/flaunting their style. Funnily enough, they even flop confidently and you won't know it! You'd probably think: "Yeah he meant to do that, but we just don't get it yet." 

All reasons are acceptable but the conviction in each reason varies. For example, if you are stylizing yourself for the sake of being more accepted/liked by a certain group of people (high-school-ish, I know, but there are people like that!!) then I doubt its going take much to knock-down that conviction because your reason is dependent on the opinion of others. Then that'll be inconsistent with the whole idea of "...and not giving a damn." 

What is your Philosophy? This is the "How I think and then do about it" part. 

There isn't a generic philosophy for anyone because it is very personal matter. Instead, I'll share about my philosophy on style. I believe that:

1. Life is too short to be ordinary/ugly
2. Always take the road nobody usually chooses.
3. Be bold but in an effortless/classy/subtle way.
4. Practical beauty.
5. Jump first, think/regret later!

That was small dose of my philosophy on style. I believe taking the road that nobody normally chooses because I don't believe in completely/blindly following trends; playing safe; joining the bandwagon. Now, boat shoes are the trend but I'd rather stick to my 10-holes Dr. Martens. 

Be bold by choosing an otherwise dangerous color, like a shocking pink (for men) jacket and a white top while making sure its tasteful without the desperate screams for attention factor. 

Practical is sporting a white wide brim fedora hat because I want to revive the stylish tradition of men wearing hats in rainy and sunny climates. I feel being too cautious and not taking the risk will get you nowhere. Never try, never will know! Your Why/Philosophy (internal) shapes your Style (external). The reason I'm stressing on this point is because your style is your opinion on how you want to look/behave. 

So the more you know/understand it, the stronger your opinion = statement = style.

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