Foldable or telescopic umbrella - The easy to carry around brolly

Sorry about the dusty car boot - it's the haze here in Malaysia I tell you. And I was in a hurry. 

Unlike places like Hong Kong or even Singapore, there aren't stores that fully cater to a man's need for accessories. Try finding a bow tie that isn't the ready tied ones and see. You have to order online or hunt for it. You will find one at Hackett another at Brooks Brothers and maybe at some of the older tailoring establishments. No one stop haberdashery to go to for all of one's needs.

My latest travel jacket - Linen Safari Jacket made in Hua Hin, Thailand

I do apologise for not updating in here more often but I have been busy with other stuff. Business meetings, automotive events, trying out all sorts of vehicles including trucks and buses and other leisure stuff. But today I've decided to wrtie a little about something I got made in Thailand on a recent trip over there.

Most of you would know that Thailand is one happening place to be. It has everything that you think you want (and more). It is also infamous for cheap and ridiculously quick tailoring. I have one or two experiences and can offer you a tip or two. The main tip that you need to follow is that there is no such thing as commissioning a proper suit if you have less than a week. Follow this and you will save some money. You could give them a jacket to follow but if you're looking for bespoke stuff, I'd suggest you don't. 

A short sleeve shirt collared polo shirt on the inside

A well dressed Malaysian: Jins Shamsuddin

Polo Shirt, dress trousers and a pair of derby shoes. Although I don't recommend buttoning the top most button of the shirt. Image from Utusan.com.my

A well dressed Malaysian: Tunku Abdul Rahman

Tuanku Abdul Rahman....and Tunku Abdul Rahman. Both in Baju Melayu. Note the correct sleeve lengths (for a Baju Melayu) and the way the kain samping is worn (one just at the knee, one below the knee) -thestar.com.my

Traditional Attire: The Baju Melayu Cekak Musang and Kain Samping

The Baju Melayu, simply translated means Malay Shirt, is the traditional Malay outfit for men. It consists of three parts if worn properly.

The first part is the baju or shirt. This is a long sleeved shirt which has a raised stiff collar known as the cekak musang (fox's leash) collar, a chest pocket on the left and two pockets located below (like in your normal suit jackets or blazers). The cut of the baju melayu is to the middle of the thigh but in a more loose fit than a normal shirt or jacket. 

Clothing Maintenance: Buttons - Crows foot stitching

What you see above is the back pocket of a pair of cotton trousers that I regularly wear. Recently the button at the back pocket went missing. I believe it happened during ingress of a car I was driving at the time. When sliding in the back pocket, and the button, would rub against the seat back and cause it to detach itself. 

Actually buttons on jackets, shirts and trousers would somehow end up missing sometimes. Even if the clothing may be hand sewn, a designer piece or from a factory outlet store the chance of losing a button is always there. So it actually pays for a person who is into how decently dressed he or she is to pick up the simple skill of re-attaching a button to one's clothing. 

The best thing about doing this yourself is that you can add a little flair to the item of clothing. The trousers in question came with a normal style of machine stitching. Now I've used the Crows Foot stitch for the button it is also called “fleur de lis” by some. The thread is sewn from the first hole to the second hole in a straight line. From the first hole, the thread is then sewn diagonally to both sides. The crows foot is one way you can tell whether a button has been sewn on by hand or by machine. It adds a little more flair to the clothing I end up repairing.

But heck, you'd have to be really close to tell. And if I was wearing this pair of trousers it would mean someone checking out my behind. Nope. It is definitely for personal satisfaction that I do this. 

Thomas Mason fabric for my latest shirt

I decided to commission a shirt using Thomas Mason shirting cloth this time. If you are aware, Thomas Mason is an Italian owned fabric brand that has roots in England. It now made in Italy to what some would say a very high standard. The best around. Or so they say. When you choose fabric from a brand like this it would be because of the quality associated with it. This means a certain grade of material as well as the weave, colour and also some heritage thrown in.