MANILA, Philippines - How does a Filipino more accustomed to his board shorts than his boardroom suits take on the proper gent’s wardrobe? To cue another lineup of British dandies, ‘Get by with a little help from our friends.’
The war on men’s wardrobe is won unlike any other battles. Rather than bold, brash moves, this one requires a touch of sobriety. Instead of going all-out offensive, it entails plenty of calculated steps and rather silent, inconspicuous strategies. But above all, more than building an army, it requires key pieces that you can be sure to trust.
This conflict has long been conquered by a certain street in Central London’s Mayfair, when as early as 1731, the Brits have built an avenue of Palladian architecture with plenty of classy, custom-made clothing constructed within. This inevitably put the unassuming block at the center of the men’s fashion map for centuries.
But in this day and age of fast fashion and season-bending trends, it is easy to overlook Savile Row’s relevance in masculine dressing. When even the heights of luxury houses change their threads like they’d do yesterday’s laundry, the culture of made-to-measure is quickly losing its sophisticated sheen.
But, not if the Savile Row Company can help it.
“We still do have a lot of tailor-made clothes in the UK, and we try to bring that skill into our ready-made clothes in terms of fit, and in terms of the quality of fabric that we use. They’re generally very up-market quality. We sell our ready-to-wear collections all over the world, as the same collections we sell in the UK,” explains Jeffrey Doltis, third generation from an illustrious line of British tailors and Savile Row shopkeepers since 1938. He now takes the street’s customized clothing heritage at the heart of the global retail market.
Just how he does it would make any capitalist worth his hedge fund proud. “We use production techniques which allow us to weave more fabric, so we got the economy of scale, but the designs are all still unique to us in London,” Doltis reveals.
Now turning his attention to an archipelago festooned with flip-flops and campy tees, Doltis recognizes the potential of how the country is ripe for dressing for success. “We’ve identified the Philippines as probably the most exciting market at the moment because, a.) it is explicitly stable, b.) it’s got a booming economy, and c.) it’s got a lot of people coming into the middle class who can very well afford our clothes.”
But how does a Filipino more accustomed to his board shorts than his boardroom suits take on the proper gent’s wardrobe? To cue another lineup of British dandies, “Get by with a little help from our friends.”
Building on basics
In putting together a working man’s must-haves, Doltis reveals that it shouldn’t take a handful. “A couple of plain-colored shirts, a couple of fancier ties, and a navy suit,” he rounds up. While an average man would better opt for a basic black blazer, Doltis bares that it isn’t necessarily a sound investment. “Black suits are for formal events, but for work wear, navy suits are a much better choice,” he quips.
Shirt shifting
“We want everyone to feel when they wear one of our shirts that they are almost royal in themselves,” Doltis proudly declares, going through Savile Row’s latest collection of smart, spread-collared shirts in an assortment of Ivy League hues.
“Let me show you how soft this fabric is, how beautiful it is. Look at the crease resistance. Just crush it up and it recovers. So, that will look good all day, every day,” Doltis adds. Sure enough, we gave it a pinch, then an all-out squeeze, and certainly not a crumple in sight.
“We also have a special manufacturing technique here inside the collar,” he says while exposing a little bone tucked deep inside a peak. “Other shirts, after a few washes, they all go funny at the edges. This (collar) will stay like this for a couple of years,” Doltis notes.
“You need to be assured by the people selling them to you that it is durable, and the colors will last, otherwise, you can be buying a shirt every two to three weeks. It’s important that you have softness as well, especially in a hot climate,” he stresses.
Color coding
Recognizing how a good, basic shirt can be the perfect blank canvas to ruling the corporate dressing game, matching your choice tones can either make it or break it.
“The colors shouldn’t scream at each other. So, maybe, a light blue shirt with a navy suit, or a red tie with a blue shirt,” Doltis wisely shares. “Certainly, you won’t put a bright green on a black. You might want to put it on a navy. Pink and gray go just about every time. Try to match things that shouldn’t make you look like you’re trying too much, but just so the people can see you’re wearing something right. Blue shirts go with everything, white shirts go with everything. When you go down to pink shirts or gray shirts, which are very light, you have to be more selective with the tie you’re wearing with them,” he further enthuses.
Printed matter
When mixing prints, with your shirt and your tie, it is clever to remember that busy is not good for business. “For casual wear, prints are very nice, with softer colors, but pairing them can be difficult,” Doltis explained.
So to rid you of any confusion, know your print from your pattern, and match accordingly. “A printed shirt for me can be a polka-dot, a paisley. But your woven shirts come with a pattern, and they’re great with prints. It could be plaid or it could be striped,” Doltis clarifies.
Clocking in clothing
And lastly, just as you have your schedules, so should your clothes. Make sure your clothing works when you’re working, or just as cozy as you are on your downtime.
“I think that in the working day, the man shouldn’t stand out too much; dressed conservatively but in beautifully fitting clothes. That’s the important part. But I think, if you want to add some sort of character, your own unique personality during the week, on the busy days, if you’re going to wear a tie, wear something brighter,” Doltis says.
“But, I think, in the weekend, you’d like to relax down a bit, and then you can wear something a bit more flamboyant. It is important that the fabric you’re wearing is nice and soft, and cool, comfortable to wear, and it should have some design to it as well. Fondly enough, tartan is coming back very big this autumn,” he shares.
But in blurring the lines between both, stop and proceed no further. “I think you should change. A man should have a specific set for each.”
So when caught in the haze of all things bright and new under the big spotlight of today’s men’s fashion, perhaps one should pause to ponder where it all began. It is still best to invest in something built to last and made to withstand just another trendy car crash. And, maybe, it should not even cost you too much.
“Luxury clothes at affordable prices, that is our motto,” the Savile Row Company’s Jeffrey Doltis says.
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The Savile Row Company has a freestanding shop at the SM Mega Fashion Hall, and has outlets at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Rustan’s Cebu, Alabang Town Center’s 158 Designer’s Blvd., and at Fairview Terraces Mall’s Wellworth.