halfwhiteboy

I love Buwan ng Wika (Philippine Language Month) celebrations at the office. Actually, every chance I get to play a little dress-up, I love. Last year, I wore a Barong Tagalog with plaid pants in a haciendero -inspired getup (or at least what I thought a haciendero of yore looked like). This year, I went all the way down south for inspiration and sported a batik blazer . I actually got it for last year's celebration but unfortunately, my parcel arrived way too late. Nevertheless, at least it still proved useful. I reckon this piece would have been traditionally worn without anything underneath (just like a vest) but to give it a modern and office-appropriate spin, I slipped into a plain black pullover. Besides, I don't want my abs—I mean, flabs—showing. Completed the look with black pants and a touch of outré via my oversized chain loafers . The shawl worn like a waistband was a token addition in keeping with the theme assigned to our group. Till next year!

Pensive mood. Summer last year saw the release of Uniqlo's Batik Mofif Collection , which consisted of short-sleeved shirts that proved perfect for the season. A year later and I'm taking out the lone batik motif shirt that I got for a spin.

Rooted in Southeast Asian tradition, most prominently Indonesian, the beauty and diversity of batik patterns are worth celebrating. I'm happy Uniqlo adapted it into easy-to-wear lightweight shirts as part of their 2018 Spring/Summer Batik Motif Collection .