If I had sufficient funds, I would buy...

I'm sure everyone has their own share of things that you'd want to buy if you had enough funds. You know those things that you've always wanted to have but you just can't purchase them right now? Things that you'd see online or in magazines? But as soon as you see how much these things cost, you tell yourself, "I'd get them when I'm already working".

Well, at this moment, here are the things that I'd want to get myself when I'm already working and earning enough money. If I had sufficient funds, I would buy...

an Hermes "H" Belt Kit

a Gucci Monogram Belt

and lastly, a pair of Tod's JP Loafers

But sadly, all I can do now is look at them online or in my magazines. Someday, someday. What about you guys? I'm sure you all have your own lists too. Someday you'll get them!

Cheers!

Summer Essentials: Espadrilles

Espadrilles should definitely be part of everyone's summer essentials. There's no better way to face the summer heat than to wear a white shirt, khaki shorts and espadrilles! I'd say that it's the best summer look; laid-back and comfortable at the same time.

All espadrilles generally look the same. The shape/form is pretty much the same for the traditional/original ones and the modern ones. They just differ in style and in the materials used.

The Fred Perry espadrilles (black), unlike the traditional espadrilles, makes use of rubber soles instead of fiber soles. It pays more attention to detail also. It has a pinstripe pattern inside the shoe. And of course, the Laurel logo is also there.

The TOMS espadrilles (navy) are similar to the Fred Perry's. It makes use of rubber soles instead of fiber soles. Again, it makes it more comfortable than the traditional espadrilles. In addition to the rubber soles, it uses leather insoles for support. TOMS also adds detail to their espadrilles. As you can see, there are blue elephants inside my TOMS!

It really depends on you which type of espadrilles you'd want to wear. In my opinion, if you want to go for comfort, wear the modern ones that makes use of rubber soles (TOMS, Fred Perry, Paez, Zara, etc). On the other hand, it's also good to have some traditional espadrilles. If you're going for the look, I'd suggest that you buy traditional ones. Some of my friends put insoles inside their traditional espadrilles to make them more comfortable.

Face the summer heat in shorts and espadrilles! Cheers.

The Perfect Shoes for Traveling

Choosing and wearing the right pair of traveling shoes is always a hard choice to make. Should I wear rubber shoes, canvas shoes, slip-ons, loafers, etc? In choosing what to wear, it's always good to consider these things:

1. COMFORT - Are the shoes comfortable? Good for walking long distances?
2. EASY TO MATCH - Do the shoes go well with the clothes that you'll be wearing?

You should always look for comfort in choosing what shoes to wear for traveling. I mean, you'd need a good pair of comfy shoes for your long walks. After a day of shopping, you wouldn't want to have aching feet. Next, since I'm assuming that most of us travel light (to allot space for new clothes, shoes, etc), check if the shoes fit well with the rest of your attires for the trip. You don't want to wear shoes that don't go well with what you're wearing, right?

Anyway, if you're looking for comfortable sneakers that you could wear for traveling, you might want to grab some Fred Perry sneakers. Trust me, my brother and I use them all the time when we go traveling. Fyi, Lui's wearing the two-tone coxson canvas plimsolls and I'm wearing the original tennis/court canvas shoes (thank you, Stef Padilla!). We've tested how comfortable they are even in long walks. They also look good on jeans (and khakis), which I think most of us wear all of the time. That being said, these sneakers can be your everyday shoes as well.

If you want to check out the available sneaks here, you can go to the Fred Perry Laurel shop in Greenbelt 5 and the Fred Perry Authentic shop in Mega Mall Atrium. Another authentic shop will soon be opening in Power Plant Mall in Rockwell. I'm pretty sure a lot will be traveling this summer so go on and get yourself a pair!

Vintage w/ A Twist!

I'm a big fan of loafers. Loafers, in my opinion, are staple shoes. You could probably wear them in almost any occasion. You could wear them to parties, to school, to work or even during lazy Sundays. Basically, I'd consider them as everyday shoes.

Though most of the time associated with dads or grandfathers, this fascination I have with loafers started pretty early. I even remember buying my very first pair in 2nd year high school. My classmates would even call me "daddy" every time they'd see me wearing my loafers. And now, I'd see these people wearing the so-called "daddy" shoes. Tsk tsk.

Anyway, what I'd like to show you guys in this entry is my Mickey Mouse tassel loafers. Lately, I've been in to tassel loafers. Think of your grandfather's shoes. I saw this pair of loafers back in Bangkok, Thailand last December and right when I saw it, I knew I had to buy it! I like how it looks very vintage. The white and black colorway gives you the whole vintage feel. Also, they're tassel loafers so that's a plus for me. More than that, what caught my eye is Mickey Mouse! Trippy, isn't it? Haha. I mean, how often do you see Mickey Mouse in shoes?

I bought it in Greyhound. This was from their Hound & Friends collection. For those who don't know, Greyhound is an original Thai brand. It used to be available here in the Philippines. If I remember correctly, it was sold in Rustan's and in Celio store in Greenbelt 3. Yes, it was sold in Celio. A few years back, if you'd go to the 2nd floor, you'd see Greyhound apparel.

So I guess now you know why this entry's entitled "Vintage w/ A Twist"! Cheers.