LOOKBOOK | Another case of the blues

I haven't worn a suit for quite some time, so I thought of taking this blue number out for a spin. It's not as noticeable in the photos but it's not all blue because it's got a white microdot pattern. Talk about downsized polka dots.

FRAGRANCE | 1920 The Origin by Tous: Another love at first sniff

I've never heard of Tous before but I'm glad I stumbled upon it at a mall fragrance store. Read up a bit and learned that Tous is a Spanish jewelry house founded in 1920 and that their foray into cosmetics and fragrances only started in 2002.

There were only a few of the brand's fragrances at the store and 1920 The Origin was the first that I sniffed. And that was it--I instantly wanted the fragrance. Although not exactly the same, it somehow reminded me of my favorite Terre d'Hermes. Just a wee bit, which I think is because of the citrus.

LOOKBOOK | A wonderful, dizzying mess of crisscrossing lines

Bold geometric patterns in clothing don't always come in colors. Although it's mostly the case, black and white can be just as bold, like this pullover here. Its crisscrossing lines that never end in harmony result in a wonderful, dizzying mess.

FRAGRANCE | Soft by Al-Rehab is no softy at all

Because Armaf's Club de Nuit Intense Man was such a hit with me, I'm here trying out fragrances from other houses from the Middle East. And my, is it a whole new world out there!

This post is about Soft by Al-Rehab, which is marketed as a unisex fragrance. It's a pretty nondescript name for an EDP, with cheap packaging to go with it. But don't be fooled because it's a cheapie that packs quite the punch.

LOOKBOOK | Joining in the madness of opening day

Wanting to belong. I'm a fan of Leeroy New's work, by the way.

So I found myself sneaking out during lunch last Friday to check out the just-opened Uniqlo Manila flagship store, touted to be the largest in Southeast Asia. This is so not me because I typically avoid crowded spaces and I hate long lines. But I guess I love Uniqlo so much. Besides, I didn't think the crowd would be that big at lunch time. I reckon it would be much worse in the evening and on Saturday and Sunday.

Turns out I was somehow right because there were no more lines at the store entrances when we arrived. And because there was just so much space, it wasn't as chaotic inside. The lines at the cashiers, though, were really long but were moving at a relatively decent pace. Staff were already approaching queueing shoppers to remove those magnetic sensors before they even reach the cashier.

LOOKBOOK | Anchoring a look on a micro-patterned jacket

Man, do I look so bored! Anyway, here I am basing an entire look on a jacket I haven't worn yet. It's a lightweight piece with micro-patterns in wine and gray, so we take after one of these colors. I picked gray, which I used for my pants and socks.

FRAGRANCE | Aramis Havana EDT: A definitive masculine classic

So far, so good. With my blind buys, I mean. After Guerlain Habit Rouge and Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man, here comes Aramis Havana. I'm on a roll!

Released in 1994, Aramis Havana is undeniably masculine. It's in-your-face masculine. I understand that there are purveyors of the thought that fragrances shouldn't be defined by gender. However, by all these marketing standards that have shaped our perceptions over the decades, Havana is definitely a men's fragrance.

LIFESTYLE | New mall find: ScentSmith Perfumery (Greenbelt 5)

Perfumes on display at ScentSmith.

It's always a joy to discover new scents and brands, and it's even greater joy when it's a homegrown brand that you stumble upon. Well, hello there, ScentSmith Perfumery!

Located at Greenbelt 5, ScentSmith has been on soft opening since August. The store--their first--sports a sort of industrial look with bare concrete walls and floor, exposed dark-painted beams, and metal shelves. The look is reinforced with dark brown bottles, which both serve as decor and product packaging. Lighting is warm and ambient.

LOOKBOOK | Office-casual peacock

I'm such a peacock, yes. So let's take this forgotten peacock feather printed shirt for a spin, which I haven't worn in a really long while. About time, right?

FRAGRANCE | Vial trial: Blenheim Bouquet by Penhaligon's

Vial Trials are my reviews of sample fragrances given out by sales people from various store purchases. Compared to my posts about full bottles--which are mostly positive because I already like them in the first place, that's why I bought them--Vial Trials are hopefully less one-sided since they were just given to me; I didn't pick them.

As with my post about another Penhaligon's fragrance--Sartorial--this blog post is a little different because the fragrance I'm reviewing here isn't a sample but part of a scent library trial pack I bought containing five men's and five women's scents.

So Blenheim Bouquet was apparently launched over a hundred years ago in 1902, an enduring classic, with a whole range of men's grooming products to boot.