halfwhiteboy

I know I'm old and I don't deny it. And why should I? It's inevitable. From fine wrinkles to sagging skin and thinning hair, the signs of aging are aplenty. But one such sign I never expected to face is being asked to be a ninong ( or principal sponsor) at a wedding. I was, like, are you for real? But my former colleague had already anticipated that reaction, so she prepared an impassioned and lengthy message why. I was touched.

I find it really hard to identify specific shades of color. Take this suit, for instance. For the life of me, I couldn't really tell if its cerulean, cobalt, or what-have-you. Differences in lighting, in how a photo is captured, etc. only add up to my confusion. But let's just say that this is a cerulean blue suit  because I think it's quite close to Ann Hathaway's frumpy sweater in The Devil Wears Prada  (at least in most photos).

And we just opened the door to yet another work week. It may be dreadful but I find motivation (somehow) in dressing up. I mean, where else can I go wearing all these clothes I accumulate?

No, I'm not sad; I just felt like wearing an all-blue outfit . I thought, if mixing and matching outfits of different colors is a challenge—and you are in absolutely no mood for a challenge—then why not avoid the problem and go for the same shade?

I don't know if I'm happy or in pain because it's Monday? What do you think? I'm really enjoying the " tropical winter " we're currently experiencing. And because we only know air conditioning, and heaters are virtually unheard of, it's even colder indoors at the office. It's the closest we got to the real deal, a treat for us living in the tropics. While sweaters and jackets are out this season, in my case, I thought I could take this velvety suit out for a spin. It's not really velvet per se but it does have a velvety feel to it. I just don't know what the fabric is called. Nevertheless, it's warm, comfy, and easy to wear. Works well with a lot of stuff. For one, the thin maroon patterns in my checkered shirt here ties in perfectly to the suit's color.

We were invited to a wedding recently and the thing is, we actually attended! I don't know but the last time I went to one was maybe five years ago. There was also this other all-black wedding I went to before that. This recent one was an outdoor wedding with a formal theme. I already pictured that most of the guys will be wearing black suits and I had no intentions of blending in. I thought that after wearing that powder blue blazer  of mine to work, it was time to take the entire set out for a spin. And so there I was in a powder blue suit , trying to "socialize."

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.

I'm mostly a casual dresser, even at work. But I also like to wear a suit at times, though I always have to dress it down considering how casual our work environment is. I know it would be nice to go on full dandy and all but I guess I don't have the guts to do it consistently and not mind what everyone else around me is wearing. Anyway, here I am in another dressed-down army green suit .

"Hear ye, hear ye!" That's me declaiming. Or delivering an oratorical piece perhaps? What about delivering a message of good cheer to the king's constituents? Haha! Whatever, I just have to have my photo photos taken by this glorious Christmas installation. But before anything else--and even before I dressed up as a Christmas tree --my colleagues and I recently attended ISACA Manila's Christmas party at the Makati Shangri-la. The theme was winter wonderland, and they specifically stated that we follow a blue, white, and silver motif . They also said that ladies were encouraged to wear a hat and the guys, bow ties. Now that's confusing because how are bow ties and ladies's hats supposed to fit in a winter wonderland setting? But never mind, because I obliged.

No, this isn't something I'd just wear while walking along the streets of Metro Manila. Not in this heat, no. But in an air-conditioned office, yes, more so when it's gloomy or raining outside, in which case it becomes even colder. I'm making a conscious effort to wear my suits more often--mostly dressed down, of course--and I thought it was time to bring out this reddish brown velvety suit once more.

After my little foray into colorful outfits , here I am doing a full 180 with gray . But contrary to its association with dull, gloomy days, gray can also be interesting. For one it can serve as an ideal backdrop for some other colorful piece in your outfit, allowing that piece to shine while toning things down. Another trick to keep gray interesting, be it an all-gray ensemble or a gray and white combo like my getup here, is patterns. My suit here, for instance, sports a rather subtle checkered pattern . It's understated enough that you'll probably won't notice it from afar but up close, that's where the appreciation begins.

It's all too real. You leave for work in the morning looking sharp and neatly pressed. You get in the car, or take the bus or train, and in the process collect a medley of creases on your suit , shirt, and trousers. And you haven't even stepped into the office yet. Yes, the struggle is all too real. No matter how careful you are to preserve that spiffy look of yours for at least 8 hours, you always seem to end up disheveled by the end of the day. Okay, maybe just a little. But what if you could go on about your day like Chase Armitage here, with nary a care about creases and what-have-you? Parkour your way to work perhaps? The answer to all your woes is T.M. Lewin's new Infinity Suit .

You know one of those personality tests to know whether you're a panther, peacock, dolphin or owl? No surprise, I'm a peacock , described as colorful, exciting, fun, quick-witted, and adventurous. They're said to be natural entertainers. Well, the first time I took the test eons ago I was half-peacock and half-panther. Panthers are natural leaders and motivators, and are focused, outspoken, big thinkers, and also adventurous. I guess over the years I shed some of my fur and grew more feathers instead. So I got this handsome black shirt with a peacock feather print a while back, which I think represents me very well. You can say I'm embracing my personality wholeheartedly without an iota of denial anywhere.

I realized I've been buying suits for the last two months or so. It's a bit weird if I really think about it because where I work we don't really wear suits. Heck, nobody even wears a tie anymore! But in an irrational attempt at rationalizing my purchases, I only went after the ones that were on sale (okay, save for one). Less guilt, I guess? Anyway, I've since made a resolve to put in a little more effort into dressing up for work. That includes wearing more long-sleeved shirts, neckties and bow ties, and yes, suits. I mean, I gotta wear all the stuff I've been buying, right? You see, I usually fall into this trap where, due to sheer laziness, I simply wear a pullover or sweatshirt with whatever pants that requires the least amount of ironing . So today I'm wearing a suit. A velvety suit .

Last Wednesday was one of those days where I felt like dressing up -- well, just a wee bit. Like I've mentioned many times before on this blog, guys in suits are an uncommon sight where I work. I know, how sad. So in those instances where I feel like putting on one, chances are I end up dressing it down, like this time when I paired a double-breasted pinstripe jacket with colored chinos and a plain pullover . There was also an instance where I decided to wear a full-on suit but simply wore a plain colored tee underneath the jacket. Yeah, a suit paired with a plain t-shirt -- and silver sneakers ! Why not?

Sorry, I had to crop you out, guys. Last week we played a little dress-up at the office with our team. Our work environment isn't really known for strict corporate-style dressing and people normally go with comfort that's unfortunately beset by a dire lack of imagination. So a colleague brokered the idea of dressing up as a team, where the ladies must wear a dress and the guys must put on a tie, maybe even a coat. I don't know but the last time I tried bringing back the tie was in February, and I haven't worn one since. For some inexplicable reason -- and quite surprisingly -- everyone agreed to it, including treating the whole team to coffee and pastries in case of non-compliance. I guess people secretly wanted to dress up after all.

I don't understand what kept me from wearing them but yesterday my pair of silver brogues finally hit the road close to four months after getting them. At this point the sun is shining blindingly bright, so I thought I'm going to give him a dose of his own medicine by reflecting everything back.