Bespoken Wonderful

If you don't know the label Bespoken yet, now is a great time to do so. Their A/W 2010 collection--which I'm completely posting below--is my favorite of the show season so far. The clothes have a perfect balance of nonchalance and thoughtful polish.

Meanwhile, here is what The New York Times's Eric Wilson, who celebrates the brand's price point here, tells us about the label's pedigree:

Bespoken was started by a group of young cool kids that includes the brothers Paulo and Carlos Gonçalves and the brothers Liam, James and Sam Fayed (whose family owns Harrods, Turnbull & Asser and the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, where they first showed their line in June, and lots of other fancy things). The Fayed brothers apprenticed with the English shirtmaker as teenagers, giving them a taste for fashion and an inspiration for the name of their collection.





































All photos from GQ.com

Quiet Time

I think this is minimalism done exactly right. Simple and sleek, its surprise is only seen sideways.

Best Instant Coffee Ever

I never thought it possible, so when I was given this packet of Starbucks Via, which promised to "taste like a freshly brewed cup of Starbucks coffee," I was sceptical at the very least.



Two sachets later, I am pleased to announce that the Starbucks Via delivers. It is aromatic, flavorful and full-bodied: everything I want my coffee to be.

Thanks to my friend Lai for making me try it. Now I wonder when Manila will have this.

Contra

Filled with charming, delightful and quirky songs, Contra proves Vampire Weekend's debut album was no fluke. What a promising start for music this 2010.

Here is the wonderful music video of "Cousins," the first single from Contra.

Qualities

New year, new Moleskines. This year I went with the 3-pack of simple brown paperback notebooks, so that my notes will be more organized.



I stuck this on the first page of each notebook to remind me of the qualities I want to strive for. (I found the phrase years ago in an essay in Adam Gopnik's wonderful book, Paris to the Moon.)

Happy New Year, and I'm Off!

Friends, I'm sending you my warm New Year's greetings a bit early. In a few hours, I'll be heading to chilly Hong Kong to welcome 2010 while browsing my favorite shops, and hopefully scoring some good finds.

I still haven't really contemplated the past year yet, but I'm thankful I'm still around, and I have friends and family to celebrate and commiserate with, when things are good or bad.

Meanwhile, I look forward to 2010 with promises of hope and change. I wish us all more celebrations, less challenges, and because this space is called 'Life in Receipts,' I have to wish us all more memorable purchases and a beautiful year in style.

Cheers,
Morx

A Topman Blazer

Blue slim-fit Topman blazer with white piping detail. I got it last October with Christmas as pretext. An early present to self, I said. The truth is, RTW jackets never fit me, and this one did.



This is me feeling dandy-ish.

The Festive Feeling

'Tis the season for fun, frivolous purchases. Mine are



A hat



And a plaid (or is it madras?) bow tie.



And this is me with both


Shirt, Ted Baker. Pants, Uniqlo. Shoes, Generic Surplus. Hat and bow tie, Topman.

Worn with the shirt, the tie almost disappears. I liked the effect.



This outfit made me want to go to a party exactly like that in the video of "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader. The song and the super fun video will always be favorites of mine.

Generic Surplus

"Generic" and "surplus" are bad words, as far as I'm concerned. But when put together, it's a truly admirable shoe brand.

The Generic Surplus website says it best: "the foundation of Generic Surplus is proven shapes and clean, simple, refined lines. Creating classic American footwear to complete a look or to be worn everyday as a personal standard."



I got this pair of pointy grey Oxfords at Trilogy a month ago, and I've been wearing them almost every day. They are wonderful to the feet and go with almost everything I wear.

History!

When I watch boxing matches, it is usually with eyes averted, and only Manny's fights. 7 titles in 7 weight divisions = history. Thanks, Manny!

My First Artwork: "Unfinished Business"

This artwork on my desk is my first art purchase ever. Who better to support than a talented artist friend? Her name is Kate Santos and this piece is called "Unfinished Business," part of a series called "Hearsay." And how appropriate. You can get lost in it if you stare long enough at the swirl of quotation marks, much like when you follow a wildly morphing rumor that keeps getting passed on. If I were to speak like an art critic, I'd say: Ms. Santos senses the "method"--hence the orderliness of the prime element--in the seeming madness of rumormongering, and transcribes this with precision in her work. The effect is of encountering a vortex; one is inevitably pulled in.

In other words, it's hypnotic.


Photo by Brendan Goco

Above is Kate continuing the series with a large scale graffiti on a wall outside of a bar called Ludos along Timog Avenue.

Aside from making art, Kate also bakes fantastic cookies, but that's reserved for another post.

+J: The Queue

For this



I would have gone through ten times worse than this



Manila, you desperately need Uniqlo.



And Ms Sander, bravo.

RIP Irving Penn

Goodbye, Mr. Penn. You'll be sorely missed.

The Bright Tie Looks

Wearing a bow tie in this jeans-and-t-shirt city without self-consciousness can be a challenge when strangers don't even bother hiding their "amusement." But I went ahead and bought this bright striped piece anyway in a moment of boldness. Which means I have to summon enough confidence to wear it. To minimize my self-consciousness, I've decided to wear it set against completely spare backdrops. No colors, no frills, completely casual. The bow tie stands out and I still manage to look somehow "normal."

Look 1:


Black pique shirt, black cardigan, dark denims, chunky white shoes

Look 2:


White shirt (sleeves rolled and untucked), dark denims, white hightops

Success!

I proclaim my visit to the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center yesterday a smash success. The National Bookstore booth was practically giving away Oxford University Press editions of classics, pricing them at P80 each. Here's my loot: The Bible, Herodotus' Histories, Boswell's Life of Johnson, Pater's Renaissance, Wilde's Major Works, Henry James' Wings of the Dove and Portrait of a Lady and Austen's Emma.

The best things in life can sometimes be almost free.