Details: The pocket square

Today I attended a product launch event at one of those hotels in downtown Kuala Lumpur. It was an event where a lot of people came dressed in suits and blazers. One important detail which everyone seems to have forgotten is the pocket square. Or the handkerchief that should reside in the jacket's breast pocket.
I had mine, but no one else seems to have remembered theirs. In a formal,  semi formal or business-like function one should pay extra attention to this detail. A matching tie would be nice if required.

Weekend Dress philosophy - Yes, you still need to dress up a little bit

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The days in tropical Malaysia are usually hot and humid. It may rain cats and dogs every few days in most months but its still hot and humid most of the time with 27 degrees Celsius the coldest during the day with an average of 32-34degrees Celsius most of the time.

And on weekends, everyone dresses down. This is Yours Truly at the Pavillion Shopping Mall in Kuala Lumpur on a Sunday. Even here most are in slippers and shorts, sandals and jeans. I still chose ot wear a short sleeve batik shirt, cotton trousers (in the correct length) and a pair of Italian moccasin loafers (a comfortable pair that I've owned for over seven years and still going strong). Also note that in these parts, a Batik shirt is considered as part of formal wear. 

On other less formal locations like the neighbourhood mamak stall I still wear jeans and a polo t-shirt or a round necked tucked in. With shoes - boat shoes or moccasin loafers. No flipflops or sandals. 

Yes. Dress slightly better than others. Even on a Sunday.This is in case you need to be somewhere that requires you to be better dressed in a jiffy and you already are in a presentable state But I also suggest keeping things basic as you must realize that Malaysia is hot and humid. Do not over do things. A shirt, a pair of pants and a nice pair of shoes would actually do just fine.

Made to order Triple monk straps

Ala Bontoni. Since I prefer buying shoes that I can see and Italy isn't on my 'to visit list' in the near, near future I decided to commission a triple monk strap shoe from the same people that I had a wholecut made sometime ago.

The leather as always is whatever they had. Good enough I say.

The shoes look decadent. Gold buckles add to the richness....and excessiveness. If you're ordering a pair of shoes it should be a bit mad. You only live once.

A little antiquing and patina for monday mornings

In order to chase away some monday blues a little patina and antiquing helps. Santoni fatte a mano for the win.

Adding colour to one's shoe collection

Once you've completed your basic shoe collection with the required black and brown captoe balmorals and the more casual derby/blucher pairs of shoes and a few loafers in both black and brown as well as the occasional pair of burgundy/maroon pair of shoes, one can then indulge in adding some variety and colour to one's shoe collection. 

As you can see, I've added a pair of spectators from Loake, blue suede tassel loafers from Fratelli Rossetti, grey suede longwings and on a lesser note, the orangey derby from Sutor Mantellassi. One can also add more designs instead of just colour to a collection. Fringe or tasseled loafers, horsebit loafers, fringed derby shoes, etc. 

The tale of two wholecut shoes

Wholecut shoes are something that I have a soft spot for. It comes in strongly behind my desire for double monk straps. Of course I do not rush out and buy every nice pair I see as that would be unhealthy. Anyway, wholecut shoes are shoes that are constructed using a single piece of leather for the uppers and only the tongue is a separate piece of leather. The great thing about wholecuts is that it shows off the shoes and the leather itself and not any fancy patterns or cuts. In terms for use in formal situations a plaintoe balmoral or even a captoe balmoral is more formal than these. But there is a simple elegance to them and I do believe that one could wear a black pair to a formal event without much fuss. Anyway........

The two pairs shown are quite unique in my opinion. The one to the left is the one I commissioned from a shop right here in Kuala Lumpur. It is bespoke as my feet were measured for its fit. It has been mentioned in an earlier posting and to answer a reader's question on its durability it is doing fine. I have been wearing them at least once in every three weeks and it is fine. The usage of the very very traditional nail construction instead of the usual sewn or glued method seems to have no detriment at the moment with the exception of the stiffness of its sole. It takes awhile longer than usual to break in. So aside from the leather quality I am extremely pleased with this pair made especially for me. Bespoke can be very affordable in these parts of the world.

The pair to the right and pictured above of it is an Italian wholecut marked as Jobson's. It has been with me for about twelve years and gets used about once every two months or so. This pair is in one of those that sits on  a wider than usual shoe rotation of mine. The leather feels good after all these years and takes up a decent shine even with not much work put into it. The best. Thing about decade old shoes that have regular maintenance is that there is a beautiful natural patina built into it due to years of polishing. It still looks marvelous and should last for years. It has only gotten a new vibram heel and is still on its original sole. 

Rotation does wonders to longevity of shoes.

Mild WInter Wear..with some edge to it.

I was in Perth, Western Australia last month and it was winter Down Under. Note that the Southern Hemisphere is opposite of up north, I.e winter is summer, summer is winter etc.

Now in sunny, humid Malaysia I am actually not fond of wearing jackets, blazers or any outer garment whether at work or for casual wear. This is because work does not require me to be in a formal business environment and I spend a lot of time outside of the office. Furthermore, the temperatures of over thirty-two degrees Celsius does not warrant the use of jackets outdoors. Even the Royal navy formal wear during the day is relegated to a white shirt,pants and a shash around the waist, ala the Royal Navy's Red Sea dress code for special functions in the hot Middle East. 

So a mild winter does not warrant anything more than a shirt, t-shirt under a blazer or a jacket for casual wear. This is Yours Truly in a cotton linen unlined jacket (slightly chilly at times but if you do some layering with the shirts you have, it works well)  a polo tee, cotton pants and a fedora hat (to keep one's head warm in around fifteen degrees Celsius) at Fremantle, after an overdose of fish n chips. And brown rubber soled brogues in case it gets wet. Oh, with a matching belt too. Ignore the huge bronze watch if you think it's ungentlemanly...watches are a personal thing in my opinion. And I wasn't going to any formal events whilst on holiday.

Oh yes. Not many people wear a proper hat these days. Even over in Perth.