Hedi's Saint Laurent

Anxiously looking forward to his creations...

Church's Fosbury loafers

Who would missed Mrporter's bi-annual sale? Definitely not me at least. This is of one the items which i purchased and it is a pair of loafers from Church's in khaki colour. Placed my order on monday and it arrived on thursday.

Original price was £290 and i got it for 50% off. I saw this exact same pair going for HKD2700 after a 40% discount in Hong Kong. Even at this discounted price in Hong Kong, it could only match the retail price in UK. Imagine how much i had saved. Now we know how high the markups are in Asia.

The workmanship of the loafers is excellent and the shape is just perfect! I am already thinking of getting another pair in navy.

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Balmain Homme Spring/Summer 2013

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Balmain Homme AW12 Military Coat

This is the coat that was worn by Milan Vukmirovic during the fashion week. At first glance, it resemble the Dior Homme napoleon jacket with the embroidered cuffs and epaulets. For me, i would prefer this Balmain coat to the elaborated Napoleon jacket due to its subtle design. The retail price is €4840 in France, expensive as usual.
 

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My Balmain Homme AW12 Wishlist

WOOL JACKET

COTTON CANVAS MILITARY SHIRT

18CM MOLESKIN BIKER JEANS

Outlier Three Way Shorts

When the whole world is raving about Orlebar Brown tailored designer swinshorts, i decided to give Outlier version a try.

Why do i pick Outlier over Orlebar Brown?

Most importantly for me, Outlier uses the normal button and hole while Brown uses snap buttons. This helps to hold the shorts up while doing rigorous activity. Snap buttons will simply snap open. Furthermore, Outlier has the drawstrings on for better security.

Also, Outlier has belt loops and you can wear a belt with it if you are not at the beach. For this, you can pass it off as normal pair of shorts and not swimshorts.

Fabric-wise, it is water, dirt and stain resistant. It dries fast like what a swimshorts should be and it is made in Switzerland.

But of course, Orlebar Brown has it good points too. They have fancier looking fabrics and the zippers are nicer.

There are several colours available...black, grey, green and blue...

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Milan Vukmirovic in Balmain Homme AW12

Definitely in my wishlist for Winter...

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 41mm

Hoping to get this at the end of the year
DETAILS

CASE WIDTH: 41.00 mm
CASE THICKNESS: 9.80 mm
WATER RESISTANCE: 50 m

SPECIFICATIONS

CASE:
Stainless steel case, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m

DIAL:
Black dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating

BRACELET:
Stainless steel bracelet with AP folding clasp

REFERENCE:
15400ST.OO.1220ST.01

Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds, date
Movement thickness with module: 4.26 mm
Total diameter: 11¾ lines
Type of balance: With Variable inertia blocks
Frequency of balance wheel: 3,00 (=21’600 alternances/hour) Hz
Type of balance-spring stud-holder: Screwed mobile stud
Balance-spring type: Flat
Direction of automatic winding: Bidirectional
Type of oscillating weight: Monobloc in 22-carat gold
Number of jewels: 40
Power reserve: 60 h
Number of parts: 280

SPECIFICITIES

• Stop balance when setting time
• Oscillating weight with ceramic ball bearings
• Bevels of the bridges are diamond graved
• Inverted snailing on bridges
• Date / Date in Dial aperture

I need shoes: coloured soles!

(First, Second and Third: Thom Browne, Fourth and Fifth: Mark Mcnairy)

The GQ Guide to Shirting

Think of Your Dress Shirt as Your Bulletproof Vest

It's the first thing you put on and your last line of defense. When you button it up in the morning, you should feel confident, in control, even invincible. Seriously, putting on a crisp, clean shirt that fits perfectly makes you feel like you're the boss. But here's the thing: A dress shirt is not any old shirt—there are a lot of details to get right, from the collar to the cuffs to the cut of the torso. All that said, buying the right dress shirt isn't quantum physics. You can find it at your local mall just as surely as at the fanciest, priciest, most fashionable store on Madison Avenue. You just have to understand the following principles.

1. Use Your Head—Check Your Neck
   Some guys just buy their shirts in small, medium, or large. No wonder they don't fit so well. You should know your measurements—neck size and arm length—and not just for the sake of it. These numbers are the key to making you look better. If your collar is so loose it hangs off your neck, or so tight it makes your face blush, you're stuck with it. So take action—get measured.
   
   The One-Finger Rule
   Make sure you can comfortably fit one finger between the collar and your neck. If two fingers fit, the collar's too big.


2. Trim the Shirt Fat
   You see them everywhere, guys with ballooning dress shirts so blousy they could hide a backpack under them. We at GQ are at war with this look. No matter what your shape, buy a shirt that closely fits your torso. Billowy folds don't disguise; they only amplify. • No need for all that extra fabric.
   
   Shop Right
   When you head to the store, ask for a slim-fit dress shirt. Everyone makes them these days, even Brooks Brothers. But understand that one label's slim-fit is different from another's. For instance, a Banana Republic slim-fit will be roomier than one by a high-fashion label like Dolce & Gabbana or Dsquared2.
   
   • The shoulder seams should hug your own shoulders.
   
   • Make sure the sleeves aren't too long or too short. When unbuttoned, the cuffs should reach just past your wrists.
   
   Whether you're ripped like Taylor Lautner or built like an ordinary mortal, wear a shirt that speaks to your body.


3. How One Tall, Lanky Dude Finally Got Fit
   "If you're a tall guy like me (I'm talking six feet six), you know the deal: Nearly everything you try on is too damn small. I make extra-large Band of Outsiders look like it's cut for extra-large toddlers. My khakis stopped at my ankles back when "showing some ankle" looked Barnum & Bailey Bozo, not Thom Browne cool. And here's what always used to happen when I'd go buy dress shirts: To get the sleeves long enough, I'd go up-up-up in size, until the neck drooped and you could fit two of me into the torso. And then I'd buy it. I'd walk out depressed because the thing was clearly cut for John Fucking Candy. Enough! Tall dudes! There's this thing called slim-fit— and even extra-slim-fit. I recently bought a crisp white slim-fit shirt from Brooks Brothers, wore it, and immediately got compliments about my tie, my hair, my tan... Somebody asked me what gym I'd joined. There is no gym! All I did is buy a shirt that's actually cut to fit me. With all due respect to John Candy. (R.I.P.)"—Will Welch, GQ senior editor


4. There Are a Zillion Collars. Ignore Them
   The spread. The cutaway. The super-duper mega-point. Yeah, we get confused by collar choices, too. But really, you only need to know one: the semispread. It's not too fashion-forward, not too conservative. It works with every kind of suit, every kind of tie. You can't go wrong.


5. What the Hell Is... a Straight-Point Collar?
   
   The Straight Point
   Think superminimal American style, not the oversize big-tie-knot Italian look.
   
   The Button-Down
   The old-school all-American look. Has never gone out of style and never will.
   
   The Semispread Perfectly balanced. Not too wide or narrow. Not too hip or square.
   
   The Spread
   Got a Wall Street power suit? Pair it with a spread collar and a substantial tie.


6. The Style Guy
   Glenn O'Brien insists that white is always right
   
   I have a veritable Pantone book of colored shirts, but it wouldn't bother me to give them all up for the Don Draper white shirt that virtually every businessman wore daily until the late '60s. Nothing looks dressier or richer than a crisp, immaculate, high-thread-count, perfectly fit white shirt. And nothing sets off a tan better. Or a dark suit. You can always supply color with a tie or cuff links, but that white makes you look brilliant. And white won't clash with anything else you put on. My grandmother insisted that a gentleman wears white shirts at night (if he has time to change), and she had a point. My favorite is a placket-front French-cuff shirt from Charvet. It works with a tie, but take away the tie and you have a perfectly smooth and clean look. It also doubles nicely with a tux and eliminates the need for studs.


7. There's Nothing Buttoned-Up About a Button-Down
   Thom Browne explains how he reinvented the oxford by messing with it
   
   "I've been wearing a white oxford shirt for as long as I can remember. I wear one every day; they're timeless. I like how utilitarian and comfortable they are. When I started my line, I wanted guys to see that not everything being so perfect was what was interesting to me. And that's the beauty of the Cambridge oxford fabric that I use—it's in how it looks when it's naturally washed. When pressed, it kind of takes away its personality. Stylewise, I never button the collars. It's just my thing. But it's not a rule. I'm against rules."


8. Male-Pattern Boldness
   Wear a dress shirt that stands on its own
   
   Now that you understand the fundamentals of how a shirt should fit, you can start getting creative and playing with patterns. Right now we're big into gingham and plaid dress shirts. They add instant punch to your work wardrobe while remaining classic at heart. In the fall and winter months, we prefer richer, more muted tones—the kind that go great with a dark business suit and strike a smart, urbane note. And when the temperature rises, your color palette should, too. Have some fun and reach for a lime green, pink, or lavender gingham. Live a little.


9. Surefire Tip: Real Men Wear Pink
   "We've been putting the pink shirt in the magazine for years now, because we really believe that it's as much a staple as the white dress shirt. Guys might think, 'Oh, I can't wear pink,' but it all depends on what kind of pink you wear. You don't want a bubble-gum hot pink; you want a light pink that's more a pale shade of rose. Wear it with a simple dark tie and that color flatters everyone's skin, whether it's the middle of August or the dead of winter."—Jim Moore, GQ creative director


10. It's All in the Wrist
    In praise of the unbuttoned cuff
    
    How you wear your shirt can be as defining as the shirt itself. This may mean leaving the collar of your oxford unbuttoned (as so many well-dressed Italian businessmen like to do). Or it may mean doing something as seemingly insignificant as leaving your cuffs undone. It says, "I'm not some buttoned-down middle-management lackey" (or at least that's what we like to tell ourselves). Really, it makes you feel more relaxed while still looking sharp.
    
    Of course, it needs to be done correctly. The sleeves of your shirt should fit just right— the cuffs should hit the hinges of your wrists so they poke out about half an inch past the sleeves of your jacket. If they run halfway down your thumbs when unbuttoned, you'll look like a little kid wearing one of his father's dress shirts. And no offense to Dad, but that's not the look you want.


11. Four Hundred Bucks for a Dress Shirt?! Si, Certo!
    A custom-made addict justifies the price tag
    
    "The best shirts have some handwork on them, because handwork changes the shirt and the fit completely. A handmade stitch is more elastic, because there's space between the stitches; using a machine is like gluing the fabric. The machine makes the shirt not move at all, but when it's stitched by hand it's like a glove, and once you start wearing it, it molds to the shape of your body. You'll laugh—I've been wearing custom shirts since I was a little kid. Which is a good and a bad thing, because now I'm spoiled. My mom washed them by hand and pressed them by hand. She still does it for my father; my father doesn't let anybody touch his shirts but her. She hangs them for an entire day in the sun, and in the evening she goes into her pressing room and presses them by hand. When my wife saw that, she said: 'Don't think I'm going to do this for you. Ever.' But she told me that after we got married."—Giuseppe de Corato, owner, de Corato, N.Y.C.


12. Wrinkles Look Good on a Man
    Steven Alan on how washed-and-worn became the new pressed-and-starched
    
    "I opened my store in SoHo selling other people's clothes—mostly women's brands, in fact. But around '99, I happened to have this little space above my shop, about the size of a kitchen, so I thought, Maybe I'll put some men's stuff there. I couldn't really find what I wanted, though. All the American shirts fit me like a dress, and the European ones I liked were overpriced and often overstyled. So I decided I'd make them on my own—ones that were fitted, but not too fitted. And then, the collars are smaller and less stiff than you're used to. I'm really particular about the type of cottons I get as well: nothing too silky, nothing made for bedsheets. Since I've started making these, a lot of people have shared my enthusiasm for washed, casual shirting. Guys are just a lot more comfortable now."


13. Style Police: Go Tuck Yourself
    Okay, here's the deal: Letting your dress shirt hang out doesn't make you look younger or thinner. It makes you look like you're wearing a muumuu. Traditional dress shirts aren't meant to be untucked; they're cut long so they remain in your pants. Tucking in your shirt won't kill you, it'll just make you look better.


14. The Smallest Weapons in Your Toolbox
    
    Collar Stays
    They keep your collar standing at attention. Stays should come out before your shirts get laundered and go back in when the shirts return clean. Keep one set on your dresser and one in your Dopp kit.
    
    Shout Advanced Ultra Gel
    We all get it: that sweat stain on the inside collar. Brush this stuff over the stain before you toss your shirts in the laundry to kill the yellow.


15. Iron, Man!
    Because doing it yourself means doing it better
    
    "Imagine the coin you'd save if you didn't take a single dress shirt to the cleaner's for a year. Even a conservative estimate—setting the price at three bucks a shirt and assuming four shirts a week—amounts to roughly $600 in savings. That's enough to relieve a struggling electronics chain of a plasma or snag a round-trip ticket to Caracas. But money alone isn't reason enough to take on all those shirts yourself. The real reason you should be washing and ironing your shirts is that they're your shirts. And who's going to look after them better than you?
    
    You're the one who's going to remember to spray the collar with stain remover; you're the one who's going to know precisely where that droplet of vinaigrette landed on your new French-blue shirt. And though you are a mere amateur and your dry cleaner does this professionally, he probably does it with a machine and for 3,000 other guys in your town with shirts that look a lot like yours. Has your washing machine ever lost your favorite shirt?
    
    Here's how I do it: Rather than throw the shirts in the dryer, I iron them straightaway, damp. This alleviates the need for a spray bottle or pressing the steam button. But be warned: Ironing isn't for pansies, and you might well build up a distinctly unfeminine sweat. So feel free to crack a beer and toast the fact that you won't be running to the dry cleaner tomorrow."—Mark Healy, GQ editor


16. How to Iron Your Shirt in Four Quick Steps
    
    1. Fit your shirt, back side facing up, over the rectangular end of your board (not the pointy end). Moisten the shirt with a water-filled spray bottle if it's not damp.
    
    2. Finish ironing the back and flip the shirt over to the front. Pull the shirt down so the shoulder seam lies flat on the board and iron out the wrinkles. Repeat on the other shoulder.
    
    3. Take the shirt off the board, flip the collar up, and lay it down so the back of the collar faces up. Spray and iron. Then fold a crease in the collar and iron it in.
    
    4. Lay a sleeve lengthwise on the board and, pulling it taut from the cuff with one hand, iron it with the other. Keep it rotating so you don't iron a crease into it—your sleeve shouldn't look 2-D. Then open the cuff and lay it flat so the inside faces up. Iron. Repeat with the other cuff

The Cheat Sheet
• Know what size shirt you wear. Get measured.
• Always buy a fitted dress shirt—even if you're not model skinny.
• When in doubt, go with a semispread collar. It works with everything.
• Unbutton and unpress your oxford—it's cooler that way.
• Inject some personality into your workwear—try a plaid or gingham dress shirt. And pair either one with a dark tie.
• Be a man: Wear a pink dress shirt to the office.
• Get some attitude: Unbutton your shirt cuffs.
• Don't settle for a limp collar. Use stays.
• Learn to wash and iron your own shirts. You'll save cash and ensure quality care.

Hybrid wingtips

Since the success of the Prada espadrilles wingtips, several brands have created their own version of the hybrid wingtip. From bright coloured bottoms to vibram soles, some have even done it with cork bottoms. Even Prada, the originator, recreated a new hybrid wingtip with sneaker bottoms (pictured below). But honestly, i doubt it will be as popular as the espadrilles wingtips. In my personal opinion, i think it is kind of ugly.

In regards to wingtips with sneaker bottoms, Cole Hann has created quite a nice version of their own. Introducing the LunarGrand, this is a combination of the classic Cole Hann wingtip design with Nike lightweight Lunarlon cushioning system. Based on Cole Haan's traditional shoe construction process, the brand has created a wingtip that merges classic men's footwear with the needs of a modern shoe. According to Phil Russo, Cole Haan's VP of design, "the goal of the design process was to create a wingtip to take on the streets of New York City--a shoe that utilized motion-enhancing innovations at the same time as retaining its authentic and timeless aesthetic." The line just launched exclusively at the brand's Soho store in NYC and features some pretty eye-catching contrast soles. Priced at US$248.

Other colours:

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Hedi returns to YSL!

Hedi Slimane has been named the new creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. The designer, who helmed the menswear division of the label from 1997 to 2000 before taking over at Dior Homme, will have "total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its collections" PPR chairman François-Henri Pinault said in a statement today.

"As one of the most important French fashion houses, Yves Saint Laurent today possesses formidable potential, which I am confident will be successfully harnessed and revealed through the vision of Hedi Slimane," said Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of PPR - which controls YSL along with Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta amongst others.

The appointment will see Slimane create his first womenswear collection, which fashion watchers will wait with bated breath for when his first offering debuts at the pre-collections' launch in June. Slimane is best known for transforming the silhouette of menswear whilst at Dior Homme, introducing a super-skinny silhouette worn by rock stars including Pete Doherty, and prompting Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld to lose more than 90 lbs in order that he could wear it.
Slimane's "creative control" is likely to extend to shooting the campaigns - the main focus of his career in the five years since he left Dior Homme - and may possibly include a redesign of the stores and input into YSL's lucrative make-up and fragrance developments, the latter of which he controlled whilst at Dior Homme.

Slimane was a favourite with the label's founder Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, who made no secret of his lack of support for Slimane's predecessor, Stefano Pilati - who took his final YSL bow at the show in Paris yesterday.

(Source: Vogue UK)

Christian Louboutin Black & White Python Louis

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Balmain Homme Autumn/Winter 2012

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Autumn/Winter 2012 Paris Fashion Week Schedule

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
16.00 CET / 10:00am EST / 12:00am JST (January 19) – Y Project by Yohan Serfati
17.00 CET / 11:00am EST / 1:00am JST (January 19) – John Lawrence Sullivan
18.00 CET / 12:00pm EST / 2:00am JST (January 19) – Mugler
19.00 CET / 1:00pm EST / 3:00am JST (January 19) – Gaspard Yurkievich
20.00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 4:00am JST (January 19) – Christian Lacroix Homme
21.00 CET / 3:00pm EST / 5:00am JST (January 19) – AMI by Alexandre Mattiussi

Thursday, January 19, 2012
9.30 CET / 3:30am EST / 5:30pm JST – 3.1 Phillip Lim
10.30 CET / 4:30am EST / 6:30pm JST – Kolor
11.30 CET / 5:30am EST / 7:30pm JST – Issey Miyake
12.30 CET / 6:30am EST / 8:30pm JST – Rick Owens
13.30 CET / 7:30am EST / 9:30pm JST – Viktor&Rolf
14.30 CET / 8:30am EST / 10:30pm JST – Louis Vuitton
16.00 CET / 10:00am EST / 12:00am JST (January 20) – Alexis Mabille
17.00 CET / 11:00am EST / 1:00am JST (January 20) – Jean Paul Gaultier
18.00 CET / 12:00pm EST / 2:00am JST (January 20) – Yohji Yamamoto
19.00 CET / 1:00pm EST / 3:00am JST (January 20) – Dries Van Noten
20.00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 4:00am JST (January 20) – Adam Kimmel
21.00 CET / 3:00pm EST / 5:00am JST (January 20) – Steffie Christiaens

Friday, January 20, 2012
10.00 CET / 4:00am EST / 6:00pm JST – Junya Watanabe
11.00 CET / 5:00am EST / 7:00pm JST – Yves Saint Laurent
12.00 CET / 6:00am EST / 8:00pm JST – Julius
13.00 CET / 7:00am EST / 9:00pm JST – GustavOlins
14.00 CET / 8:00am EST / 10:00pm JST – Juun J.
15.00 CET / 9:00am EST / 11:00pm JST – Kris Van Assche
16.00 CET / 10:00am EST / 12:00am JST (January 21) – Boris Bidjan Saberi
17.00 CET / 11:00am EST / 3:00am JST (January 21) – Comme des Garcons Homme Plus
18.00 CET / 12:00pm EST / 4:00am JST (January 21) – Givenchy
19.00 CET / 1:00pm EST / 5:00am JST (January 21) – John Galliano
20.00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 6:00am JST (January 21) – Henrik Vibskov

Saturday, January 21, 2012
10.00 CET / 4:00am EST / 6:00pm JST – Maison Martin Margiela
11.00 CET / 5:00am EST / 7:00pm JST – Kenzo
12.00 CET / 6:00am EST / 8:00pm JST – Walter Van Beirendonck
13.00 CET / 7:00am EST / 9:00pm JST – Ann Demeulemeester
14.00 CET / 8:00am EST / 10:00pm JST – Bernhard Willhelm
15.00 CET / 9:00am EST / 11:00pm JST – Dior Homme
16.00 CET / 10:00am EST / 12:00am JST (January 22) – Wooyoungmi
17.00 CET / 11:00am EST / 3:00am JST (January 22) – Cerruti
18.00 CET / 12:00pm EST / 4:00am JST (January 22) – Mihara Yasuhiro
19.00 CET / 1:00pm EST / 5:00am JST (January 22) – Damir Doma
20.00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 6:00am JST (January 22) – Hermès
21.00 CET / 3:00pm EST / 7:00am JST (January 22) – Raf Simons

Sunday, January 22, 2012
10.00 CET / 4:00am EST / 6:00pm JST – Bill Tornade
11.00 CET / 5:00am EST / 7:00pm JST – Lanvin
12.00 CET / 6:00am EST / 8:00pm JST – agnes b.
13.00 CET / 7:00am EST / 9:00pm JST – No Edition
14.00 CET / 8:00am EST / 10:00pm JST – Songzio
15.00 CET / 9:00am EST / 11:00pm JST – Rynshu
16.00 CET / 10:00am EST / 12:00am JST (January 23) – Paul Smith
17.00 CET / 11:00am EST / 3:00am JST (January 23) – Qasimi
18.00 CET / 12:00pm EST / 4:00am JST (January 23) – Thom Browne
19.00 CET / 1:00pm EST / 5:00am JST (January 23) – Arnys
20.00 CET / 2:00pm EST / 6:00am JST (January 23) – Acne

First post, first purchase of 2012

Dolce & Gabbana has always been my first choice when it comes to dressing up for work or dinner. Of course, i don't always wear their stuff all the time. I have been on a lookout for a slimmer belt, width of 3cm or smaller, when i grew tired of wearing wider ones. I do know that to look good with dress pants, i have to wear a slimmer belt.

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