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Showing posts from October, 2011

[Project Look Book] Friday, October 28, 2011

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Cobwebs galore! Halloween was definitely in full swing today at the office. Nearly every floor in the building was decked in everything from Harry Potter, Angry Birds, stuff from cartoons, to your classic spooky stuff. I don't know if anyone was able to work at all. As for our department, we were pretty much boring and uninspired ever since we moved to the old tower (all the action practically happens in Tower 2). We just put up a couple of spider lanterns, masks and the cliched cobwebs -- and that was it. Three years ago I was The Joker ( see here ). Today I was Dr. Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory .

[Project Look Book] Thursday, October 27, 2011

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This pretty much sums up my mood today: I hit someone on the road on my way to work this morning. The kid came out of nowhere and suddenly ran across the street. So despite running at 20 kph or less (I was still within a few meters from our house and just made a right turn at a corner), I still hit the stupid kid. More stupid was the father who was sitting comfortably on one side of the road and nonchalantly leaving his four year-old to play on the streets like it were a playground.

A tropical design for NAIA1 overhaul

What the government cannot do, or simply couldn't care less about, are done by concerned citizens. Because the government has never shown any real intent to address the problem of "The Worst Airport in the World" that is NAIA1 (other than to blab about how unfair that sounds), superstar industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue, together with Budji Layug and Royal Pineda, in cooperation with the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines, have shared this pro-bono proposal: The video was posted in Cobonpue's Facebook page . He wrote, "We made this design because we believe that no matter how beautiful our country is, our airports give the first and last impressions." He added, "The first step has been done. Let's hope our government moves on this proposal quickly." The design is definitely promising. But whatever happens, whether the government decides to accept this proposal or to move airport operations to Cla

DermablendPro: Covering up Rico the Zombie

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Can you recognize this face? Would you believe it's Rick Genest, a.k.a. Rico the Zombie?

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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My thighs are pretty sore from jogging and walking last night. It was expected, of course, because I haven't had any physical activity in months. With my body jolted out of "hibernation," I expect the soreness to linger for another day or two. But that shouldn't deter me from pursuing another jog-and-walk tomorrow. I really have to. Today I'm wearing a V-neck knit number from Giordano. I paired it with one of my trusty finds from MBK in Bangkok. It's got no specific brand, actually, and I couldn't care less. It's the cut I love most about these pants. The blazer, on the other hand, is from Topman.

Black Eyed Peas announce hiatus

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Last night's Black Eyed Peas concert in Manila was rife with emotion, especially when Fergie declared, "Tonight's like graduation for us, before we take a break." She was also reportedly holding back her tears as she thanked each of her fellow BEP members during their extended encore. Photo source: inquirer.net Are they breaking up? Not really, if apl.de.ap is to be believed. He said in an earlier interview that they always have this cycle where they take a break and each member pursues his own projects, much like what Fergie and will.i.am did before when they came up with solo albums. It's not the Peas's last performance yet, though, as they still have a concert in Miami on November 23. That one, according to their website, will be the group's last performance for 2011. So let's hope their hiatus won't be that long so they can get back on producing good music together. Their group efforts to me are still far better than anything they do i

'The Other Asian' on GQ

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Harry Shum Jr., the guy who used to be referred to only as "the other Asian" on Glee , is modeling some winter fashion on GQ's November 2011 issue. He's someone I really admire for his dance moves on the show -- the man with no bones, as the magazine puts it. And I'm glad that, even inch by inch, he's finally stepping into the spotlight. On with the clothes, I'm loving what the magazine has chosen for the shoot. I can't really relate to the coats and all that wool stuff because we don't have winter here so I'm connecting more with the vests and the socks, especially how they're mixed in a way I never would have probably thought of. This shoot has definitely a lot to offer for inspiration. Photos from GQ.com You can find GQ's short but sweet interview with Harry Shum Jr. here . For the full slideshow, click here .

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, October 25, 2011

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Halloween's just around the corner, and since October 31st is a holiday here, celebrations in the office will happen this Friday. I'm thinking about dressing up as Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory . Well, that's not much of a stretch except that I can't find a Flash t-shirt. I guess I'll just have to get that Green Lantern tee I saw. Anyway, today I'm wearing my metallic blue Anthony Nocom suit jacket, which I got with pants. It's already quite a statement in our work environment, so I toned it down with a black pullover and black pants, both from Zara. But I stepped it up again with my Pedro shoes. The necklace with the fish pendant is from an OTOP stall in Caltex along SLEX.

[Project Look Book] Monday, October 24, 2011

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I overslept. Ironically, though, I arrived at the office quite early. So I suppose I'm off to a good start this week. Today I'm wearing my brown Yorkers jacket that we got from eBay. I originally wanted a pink shirt to got with it or something close to pink but had no luck. Apparently, my horizontal growth has been left unchecked because the ones I had in mind didn't fit me anymore. Yes, I'm fat. So I ended up with an old Topman shirt with brown pants and tie that are both from SM Department Store. The gold shoes are from Pedro.

The CCP's sorry state

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Call me whatever you want but last Friday was my very first time to watch a show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Well, shame on me. I've been there before for an exhibit but never for a performance of any kind. My time there, however, opened my eyes to a couple of not so nice things about the CCP. Sure it is an important architectural landmark but sadly, it's not very well-maintained at all. It's deteriorating. I know it's an old building but it looks really old. It smells old and musty. I mean, it could very well use some renovation. Air conditioning was also poor; I started sweating the moment we entered the building. Looking down the main lobby from the third floor. Don't get me wrong. A lot of great aspects reside within the CCP main building. There are a number of brass and steel sculptures in there but have seemingly been forgotten. Light them up and let the people see them in all their glory! The chandeliers look good and majestic, t

Stomp: Brilliant and first-rate entertainment

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[Update: Yay, they're back at the CCP on June 17-22, 2014! *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * My Bibe and I had a terrific night last Friday watching  Stomp  at the CCP. The show was nothing short of spectacular. We were at the first balcony and I believe we had a pretty good view of the whole show, which lasted nearly two hours. My Bibe and I at the CCP main lobby before the show started. My first introduction to Stomp was years ago inside a movie theater where a wonderful clip from Dolby was shown. This was it:

Versace for H&M: The complete lookbook is out!

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Versace's much-hyped collection for H&M will be hitting stores on Nov. 17 (Nov. 19 in the U.S.), and the complete lookbook is finally out. So now we can all make some advanced decisions before pandemonium descends on Nov. 17. The items really look good. Stupid as I might sound, they're "very Versace." I mean, the items scream Versace a lot. And much like the Missoni for Target collection, they've also thrown in some household items like pillows and bedspreads for this H&M special offering. For the menswear collection, however, these are the pieces I would most love to have: Jackets! Okay, I think I can wear the pink blazer after all. And so I'm placing it here in my wish list.

[Project Look Book] Friday, October 21, 2011

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This was yesterday's look. Wasn't able to post because My Bibe and I went out to watch Stomp last night. And by the time we got home, I was too lazy to bother. Anyway, we had a great time together. We don't normally go out of Makati so it was a treat for us to venture into unknown territory. First of all, I'm not a fan of heavy traffic (but who is?), which is why I don't enjoy driving around at all. So we had to leave before five yesterday just to avoid most of the Friday rush hour chaos. Second, I'm not comfortable driving around when I'm not familiar with the roads, like which one's a one-way drive, where do I go left, where can I make a u-turn and all that stuff. Believe me, I had a good deal studying my route with Google Maps and with a lot of asking from colleagues.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, October 20, 2011

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Today I claimed the tickets that I won from Ayala Cinemas's Stomp promo. So My Bibe and I are watching tomorrow's performance at the CCP, and I'm quite excited. I went casual today. Too casual, in fact. I just decided on wearing my pants with the pocket flaps on a whim. It's been a while, I thought. I also pulled out from my closet this short-sleeved number from Blue Soda (now Soda Man, I think) to brighten things up. It's also been a while. But this is where I really got casual: espadrilles. And because of this sartorial state I've gotten myself into, the bracelets and necklace I wore naturally followed suit in terms of casualness. It's just great to loosen up once in a while.

Home of virgin cars

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Look what I saw while driving home last night... WTF?! I couldn't resist, so I took my phone out and snapped a picture. Good thing I was in a traffic stop and I had enough room before the lights went green.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, October 19, 2011

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It's farm boy in the city for me today. I originally intended to wear a double-breasted jacket but I got lazy with ironing the pants I had in mind. So I went through my closet to find something else to wear and found these braces from Topman that's been hiding there for months now. I've never worn it so I thought it was about time. What a way to start putting together an outfit!

The survivors on November 2011 GQ

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I'm excited about GQ's November 2011 issue. The cover says it all: Photo credit:  http://justjared.buzznet.com/ The magazine is featuring music legends and legends-in-the-making from Keith Richards, to Eminem, Brandon Flowers, Iggy Pop, Beck, and more. Now I have to find my October issue; haven't finished that one yet.

Droid Razr unveiled

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The new incarnation of Motorola's once popular Razr was finally revealed to the public. As written in a previous post , it's powered by Google's Android software and is aptly dubbed the Droid Razr . And it's looking really good! Although no longer sporting that sleek clam shell aesthetic of yesterday's Razr, at only 7.1mm thick, the Droid Razr is the world's thinnest smartphone. It boasts of a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8MP camera that allows HD video recording, a 4.3" Super AMOLED display, and 4G LTE support. It's also made with KEVLAR fiber (Wow!) and Corning Gorilla Glass for a stronger hardware. Motorola also says the phone and its internals are meant to withstand some water. Just some but at least you'll worry less with any accidental splash. The Droid Razr will be released in the U.S. exclusively by Verizon  in November. No word yet, however, on when the phone will be available elsewhere. For more info, click here .

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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It was quickly becoming another uneventful day until I noticed a very particular email subject in my inbox this morning. It was from Ayala Cinemas telling me I won two tickets to Stomp for this Friday's show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). I just saw maybe two weeks ago that there was a contest over at sureseats.com and I joined, then completely forgot about it. Now that was unexpected. Today I wore brown pants from Havana & Co. that I got long ago from Prima Linea. I tried to veer away even just a bit from falling into an all-brown ensemble by wearing a gray Giordano pullover. And since it's so plain, I accessorized with an owl necklace that I sequestered from My Bibe . But that's about it because I put on a light brown jacket from Hallway and brown lace-ups from Zara. At least something isn't brown. And oh, the socks (from Urban Outfitters) aren't brown, too!

[Project Look Book] Monday, October 17, 2011

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Twice I've tried buying stuff at Forever 21 in SM Makati, and in both of those trips, I've left the store empty-handed. Not that the stuff were all bad but nothing was just singing to me (maybe next time). I was tempted to buy a pair of boots that were really cheap at around 2,200 pesos ($51). I loved the style but the material was just not good. The leather, which I suppose wasn't really leather at all, was so thin I'm afraid it would tear off easily. Disappointed, I went around the department store instead. After all, it's been a long while since my last visit. I indulged in a couple of cheap thrills: some accessories and a t-shirt. Then I got stuck at the Rajo Laurel for Wharton racks. I was surprised, yet pleased, to see the collection grow! There were more shirts now and I snagged three that I really liked, one of which I'm wearing today.

Motorsport tragedy in Las Vegas

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I was going through the news this morning when images such as the ones below caught my attention. They were seemingly straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster: an epic racetrack tragedy that saw 15 cars flung over, exploding, disintegrating, and with debris flying everywhere. It lasted mere seconds and cost the life of Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

Spock is gay

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So Spock is gay. Well at least the 2009 incarnation is.

Looking back at Ko Phi Phi (Part 1)

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This was me in Ko Phi Phi, Thailand last year. I was going through photographs in my hard drive and saw the ones from that trip. God, I miss that place and would really love to go back. Phi Phi is actually a small group of islands along the Andaman Sea that are part of Krabi province. There's the main island Ko Phi Phi Don, its little sister Ko Phi Phi Leh, and a couple of other islets. Its main claim to fame was when the Leonardo DiCaprio starrer  The Beach was filmed there (but that was in Phi Phi Leh). To get there, we boarded a ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi's Tonsai pier. Normally the trip only takes 45 minutes but because the monsoon season came in early (we went there in June), the huge waves midway through our journey slowed us down.

[Project Look Book] Friday, October 14, 2011

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These are but two of the many orphaned kids we visited today at White Cross in San Juan, Metro Manila. Like I wrote  yesterday , our department held an outreach activity, just a small gesture of paying it forward as a group. White Cross houses children only, ranging from a newborn baby to kids maybe ten or twelve. It is their hope, of course, that these children find a better home in an adoptive family. But then not everyone gets adopted, so I guess they're transferred to other orphanages once they've exceeded White Cross's age limit. Yes, it is sad. Anyway, we were told by our committee-in-charge to wear either red or green. I chose red and I was exploding with color today. The red is a vest from Attitudes at SM Department Store worn over a pink polo from G2000. Then I slipped into these orange-colored jeans from Zara, put on a pair of espadrilles, and wore a red-and-black belt from Mossimo.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, October 13, 2011

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I mentioned yesterday that the air conditioning at the office was as if it were on steroids. Well, today it still is. Plus the weather outside is relatively cooler than most days as it's been raining for days now. Being in a tropical country, it comes as no surprise that most people are sensitive to such drops in temperature. So nearly everyone was wearing either a jacket, a cardigan, a scarf, or a combination of one or two items. I'd like to think of it as enjoying a taste of fall -- only indoors -- in a country with only two seasons: summer and a wet summer. I greeted the cold with this knitted sweater from Zara, something that I don't get to wear often even if I really like it. Last night after rummaging through my closet for the right pants -- in vain -- I ended up with black. To complete the look, I slipped on these bluish gray metallic lace-ups, also from Zara.

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, October 12, 2011

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Wasn't feeling well yesterday. But I don't think I can say that I was "under the weather" because it was sunny yesterday. I don't know but I just feel that it's a description best suited to someone sick when it's rainy or something. But that's just me. Me and my idiosyncrasies. So today I wore what I intended to wear yesterday: a blue-and-gray pullover from Emporio Armani paired with gray pants and black shoes. No fussing over, whatsoever. It's a good thing, though, that I brought along this Zara jacket because it was as if the air conditioning in the office was on steroids today. Not that I'm complaining; fact is, I loved it! So it was an awesome day for me just because of that.

Coming soon: Resharpening the Razr with Android

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Motorola is sure making its presence felt recently. First off there was the Motorola Xoom , the company's own attempt at taking a slice off of the tablet market. Now the company has another offering set to be unveiled on October 18 in New York. The accompanying video obviously hints at a new Razr , an extremely successful line of mobile phones from a few years back. Rumored to be the Droid Razr , it comes as no surprise that the phone will be running on Google's Android OS, following the search engine giant's acquisition of Motorola back in August. The original Razr phones were really sleek and stylish, so I hope that this latest incarnation will be just as stunning to say the least. So let's just wait and see then.

A werewolf as the new Bench endorser

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I read earlier from Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star that Michael Trevino of The Vampire Diaries fame has been enlisted by  Bench as its newest endorser. Soon after Bruno Mars did a campaign for the Philippine retail clothing giant, now comes Trevino. He will reportedly be modeling Bench Underwear. While Trevino has made several TV appearances already, I think he is best known right now for playing werewolf Tyler Lockwood in The Vampire Diaries. Well, good for Bench. They're really stepping up their game. It seems to me that our local brands are aiming for a higher profile these days by getting celebrities overseas as endorsers. (Penshoppe got Ed Westwick of Gossip Girl fame, and now Thai heartthrob Mario Maurer.) The Star was invited to cover Trevino's pictorial in Los Angeles, and an exclusive interview by Ricky Lo is coming out this Sunday, October 15 in the said broadsheet.

[Project Look Book] Monday, October 10, 2011

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Looking outside, this concrete jungle that is Makati City beckons. I look at the skies and I am enjoying a bright, sunny day. It's nice to see the sun with all its might after weeks and weeks of rain, typhoons and floods. While I enjoy the "bed weather" rains bring, I'm also happy to see sunshine once more. Now I look down and see the ugly traffic below and people bustling along the sidewalks of Ayala Avenue....it's Monday again. Good thing I wore pink today. It perfectly matches the bright sunlight. As for the pants, it's a rather safe choice, though. But I wore a tie (yay!), which was good because I totally forgot I had a meeting. That's why it's always important to look your best. I believe it lends a person some dignity and allows him to command respect. At least to some extent. Of course, you still need to have something in your brain. Clothes can only give one an impression; it's what you do next that'll make it last.

Francesco Cominelli: Remembering a style icon

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I just read this afternoon the news that Francesco Cominelli was found dead in his apartment on Oct. 7. To the uninitiated, he was fashion editor of Vogue Hommes International and was, without a doubt, a true style master. I took notice of him through photos of countless fashion weeks the world over, always standing out in a crowd. He had an impeccable fashion sense, never trendy and always unique. He never failed to surprise me with his knack for mixing different patterns and textures, even making what everybody else would call fashion faux pas look really good. Take this look, for instance, which is probably my most favorite of the guy (taken by Tommy Ton). Who in his right mind would tuck an outdated leather jacket into stone-washed jeans? But he did. And he made it look really cool! An extremely daring move, yes, and he definitely owned it, man! He always exuded confidence in his outfits, never afraid to go against the tide, constantly reinventing. I wish I were tha

Versace for H&M preview

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November is fast approaching, so it's almost time for Versace's collaboration with H&M to finally hit stores. I've been seeing previews for the womenswear but I was dying to know what the men's items would be like. So I was glad to find a couple of images the other night, featuring model River Viiperi. First off is this jacket that I really like, particularly the medley of prints on the sleeves. I also like the gold tips on the collars of the shirt underneath. Now this one's a bit too loud for my taste. I like it, yes, but I don't think I can wear it. But if I push it, I probably can wear these items separately, offset with more understated pieces.

[Project Look Book] Friday, October 7, 2011

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Yeah, right. Yesterday I wrote that I should spice things up a bit for today's wardrobe, particularly with color. Well guess what? I didn't. Unless, of course, you think that a lousy doodle of a cat with boobs on a plain white tee is spicing it up. I got the t-shirt from Artwork, and everyone in our team at the office has one. Well, not with the exact same cat-with-boobs doodle but with similar designs that we fondly call our "monster shirts." I paired mine with Penshoppe jeans and Zara sneaks. I also decided to put on this asymmetrical cardi from yesstyle.com.

[Project Look Book] Thursday, October 6, 2011

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Today the tech world mourns the death of Steve Jobs, who finally succumbed to cancer. I'm staring at my iMac right now and am reminded that it really is one gorgeous piece of equipment. I am likewise reminded that it is but one of Steve's many contributions to the fantastic world of computing, just one of the impressive products of his sheer genius. I need not enumerate his array of inventions and innovations anymore because everybody knows about them, as he definitely has already left an indelible mark in all of us. Apple's radical-thinking co-founder will surely be missed. I'm back to grays today. I already picked today's outfit the night before, so any somber feelings related to Steve Job's demise that this ensemble may evoke are purely unintentional. I was just lazy. Lazy as I may have been, I definitely am still fond of this ombre pullover from Prima Linea. It's been with me for years now and I still love it. Notice on the side the what-I-call &q

[Project Look Book] Wednesday, October 5, 2011

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After yesterday's near-monochromatic look, I decided to brighten things up a little today. Not that brown is a really bright color but it's the floral pattern on the shirt that lend some sunny vibe to my outfit -- sunny enough but not too loud either. And lest I fall into another monochromatic pit, I chose bluish gray pants to go with all this brown. The floral shirt is something from Prima Linea. It originally had a wrinkled fabric but after countless encounters with the flat iron, the wrinkles disappeared over time. I've never really ironed the shirt, just some steaming to remove unwanted creases. Still, the fabric smoothed out eventually.

[Project Look Book] Tuesday, October 4, 2011

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It's really sad to hear that up to now there are still areas in Luzon that remain flooded, no thanks to the back-to-back typhoons that hit the country last week. TV footages reveal such an unsettling sight, with people on the roofs of their houses, helplessly waiting to be rescued. It's even more unsettling to learn that rescue boats are very limited, so it takes forever to move everyone to safety. And then even if people are rescued, in some areas they've got nowhere to go after because there's just flood everywhere. It also doesn't help that the rains keep coming and every single dam out there is releasing humongous amounts of water to maintain levels that are safe for the dams. I just hope this nightmare ends very soon. Good thing, though, that a lot of people and organizations are lending a hand, including the company that I work for. But just when is the President himself visiting the typhoon and flood victims? When? Oh, well. On with today's outfit,

[Project Look Book] Monday, October 3, 2011

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I'm now entering the last quarter of my yearlong project. While I enjoy doing Project Look Book , it can get tiring at times, especially when I've got lots of other things to do. That said, I'm still mulling over whether or not to continue this next year. Today I wore a blue-and-gray plaid shirt from Zara with blue pants from G2000. I was supposed to wear a tie but I was greeted with a rather warm morning and the idea of putting on a blue tie soon evaporated with the heat. Good thing, temperatures cooled down a bit as the day progressed. I contrasted all this blue with lots of brown, starting off with the shoes and belt. The brown jacket followed later in the day.