Issue0 [Men's fashion edition]

Editorial

After a long hiatus, offthebeatenpath is back on track. [pun intended]

With the issue sequencing being restarted from zero, this rebirth mirrors the scenario faced by me and many, especially for the people around my age who just graduated.

A new issue, a new area to write on. Literature on men's fashion in singapore tend to be limited to 2 types: the raunchy men's magazine type, and the high-fashion type which showcases clothing often unsuitable for our climate. This edition of offthebeatenpath aims to fill that gap. One article for those who would like to experiment, and the other for the usual suspects.

As you anoraks may have noticed, there aren't any pictures here, because this version of blogger is free. For picture reference, just google the items mentioned, and you won't be far from a picture of the item

These uneasy times breed nostalgia [and also because my PC was reformatted], so I take this opportunity to request for past issues, especially those during the edsamail years.

Comments? Sick of my whining? Want to contribute articles? Just drop me an email.

Headwear

A bad hair day, lazy to comb your hair, want to start a revolution [fashion or otherwise]

These may be the reasons to wear something on your head. Frankly, more people should wear headwear, to protect our hair and eyes from the blazing sun we get here, plus many other reasons which i won't bore you with today.

Bandana

Usually associated with Harley-Davidson bikers and pirates in popular culture, locally, they are more likely to be seen on the heads of young girls. The usual bandanas come with a standard detailing consisting of what looks like flowers and leaves. But that doesn't mean men can't pull off the bandana look.

Available at Carrefour for a cheap price of $2. [Just don't think of the bargain I got in Taipei for NT20]

"Safe" colours [easy to match apparel too] to start with are black or white.

Baseball cap with curved brim

We know the typical dilemma; after buying a new baseball cap, you need to bend the brim to make it curved. Thankfully, most baseball caps now come pre-curved, for the "_ for dummies" generation that we seem to belong to now,

One of the popular versions is the NY Yankees baseball cap. One wonders if all the wearers know about this American baseball team playing major league baseball.

Baseball caps are the only headwear mentioned here that has been "socially" accepted, i.e. people won't stare at you while you wear one on the bus, so they are a safe bet to start off your headwear adventure with.

Available at many stores, a nice colour to start with is light beige [or tan] which goes with jeans and stuff.

Jungle hat [stiff brim]

The term "jungle hat" comes from an army context, but that doesn't mean your hat only comes in camouflage pattern, although one can pull off that look with certain apparel.

Why stiff? There are versions with a soft brim that, in my opinion, don't look so nice. Also known as a boonie hat

Recommended colours are light beige or desert camouflage.

Cowboy hat

For extroverts only, the only time where I've seen them in contemporary Singapore is on an advertising billboard. Whoever wants to start a fashion trend can try wearing a cowboy hat.

Since you must be quite daring to try a cowboy hat, why not go for something loud, but I not sure if cowboy hats come in luminous colours, so go for white, black or light beige.

Beanie / Skull cap / Pull-on

After spending quite some time trying to find out the proper name for this hat, I stumbled upon three. Anyway, this hat is often seen on people trying to pull off the hip-hop look, plus breakdancers who wearing this to allow them to spin their heads on the dancefloor.

Anything goes here, there are many colours and patterns to choose from, from safe colours like grey and black, to colours like yellow and red.

Part 2 to be published soon